Heaven Can't Wait by Eli Easton Read Free Book Online Page A

himself or look away.
    Want you. Want you so bad.
    Chuck reached up his other hand, slowly, and cupped the unhurt side of Kevin’s jaw. He frowned, breathing hard. He looked like a man wrestling with an angel. “Go to bed, Kevin,” Chuck said, sounding wrecked.
    Kevin slowly dropped his eyes and stood up. He took a couple of aspirin at his desk and crawled into bed without looking at Chuck again.
    Chuck turned off the light.

Chapter Eleven
     
     
    B RIAN WAS freaking out. What the ever-loving hell?
    Had he just seen what he thought he’d seen? Chuck…. Chuck had totally been into that almost-kiss. He’d turned Kevin away, yeah, but he hadn’t wanted to. There was no missing the massive boner in his sweats.
    And God, wasn’t being dead punishment enough? Brian didn’t need to see Chuck get a stiffy over Kevin.
    And then there was the way Chuck had stared at Kevin’s back from across the room after he’d gone to bed. Chuck had lain in the dark, his face wracked with indecision. Everything about him screamed, temptation !
    Okay, so Brian could see how, in a weak moment, when an opportunity was pushed in your face like that, especially if you were drunk—which Chuck wasn’t—it might be something a straight guy would give in to. But that kind of naked yearning? What was up with that? Brian willed himself back to the white waiting room. “Brutus! Hey, Brutus! Anyone!”
    Brutus appeared. “Yes, Brian?”
    “Is there a way for me to remember things? Like that review video I saw of the, um, the first day I met Kevin. Can I review shi—stuff like that from my lifetime at will? There’s something I need to know about my friend Chuck.”
    Brutus tilted his head as if listening to something. Then he nodded. “Yes, it will be allowed.”
    A screen appeared, expanding out of nothing.
    “Think about what it is you want to see. If you are allowed to review it, it will appear.”
    Brutus vanished.
     
     
    B RIAN THOUGHT about Chuck. He thought about how they’d become friends when they both joined the football team in middle school. A series of scenes from football practice flashed onto the video screen.
    He remembered now. Chuck hated football. His dad had made him go out for it. And their coach was always yelling at Chuck for not using his larger body more, for not being aggressive enough on the field.
    “What’s the problem, Chuck? Just go for it and slam the guy,” on-screen Brian said, as they changed in the locker room.
    “But what if I hurt someone?” Chuck asked, worried. “Like, what if I paralyzed a guy and had to live with that for the rest of my life? It’s not worth it.”
    On-screen Brian rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a wuss. That shit doesn’t happen in real life.”
    And yes, that was Chuck all over. Hadn’t Brian always known that? He looked tough on the outside. It wasn’t even that Chuck was all that huge. It was how he carried himself, the rough shape of his face. But Brian had always known Chuck was a marshmallow inside—insecure too, especially with girls.
    The screen showed Brian and Chuck standing by Brian’s locker their senior year. Amy Dillon walked by, giving Chuck an unmistakable look.
    “She’s hot for you, bro. Go for it,” Brian said, nudging Chuck.
    “Maybe,” Chuck looked away to avoid Brian’s eyes.
    Maybe. Chuck said that a lot when it came to girls. Also, I’m thinking about it, Could be, and Nah, she’s not that great.
    Brian had pulled Chuck out on a double date a couple of times. There never seemed to be a second date.
    Hopeless, Brian had told him. Man, you are hopeless when it comes to chicks.
    I’m just picky, Chuck had said.
    And Brian had thought, no, you’re just way too shy, man, and awkward as hell. He’d always figured Chuck was the type of guy who’d hardly date at all, then meet The One on a random Tuesday and be married within a year.
    Brian had been a fucking idiot.
    The screen flickered and changed to a shot of Brian and Chuck sitting