Read Online Trouble & the Wallflower by Kade Boehme - Free Book Online

reverently about his mother. She’d fucked him up with her overbearing nature and fears of the world, but in the end she’d been Davy’s person. His comfort. Davy would know what it was like to lose that.
    Gavin couldn’t get through this as he did other things. He couldn’t drink and go out with the boys and hook up with random guys and expect everything to be better in the morning. That was impossible. He’d have to sleep through half of Seattle to numb himself to this. He hadn’t even had it in him to do more than make out with the guy at the party. The guy had tried for more, but Gavin left him with his number and an apology, blaming it on whiskey dick.
    He was not himself and he knew it. He didn’t want to dump this on Ray either. He was trying to put on a brave face. If Ray could be brave about dying, then Gavin could be brave about seeing him through to the end. Ray deserved that. Not like his piece-of-shit daughter would drag her sorry ass around to help out.
    Gavin couldn’t let himself think about his mother right now, though. Thinking about Carmen Walker would make him officially lose his shit, and he didn’t have time. He had Ray, and a friendship that had become important to him all quickly slipping away at the same time. He had to get his head in the game.
    He remembered he needed to call Nate. Sean said Nate had talked to Davy before he left. Nate was the one who told Sean Davy’d taken the bus. Gavin remembered how disappointed he’d been when he ditched the guy on the beach and just wanted five more minutes of silent comfort from Davy, only to find he’d gone. He was surprised Davy hadn’t even tried to find him to say good-bye. It was all so confusing.
    His turn finally came up and he placed his order. While he waited for the vendor to top his brat with cream cheese and grilled onions, he dialed Nate’s cell. He’d been avoiding it until the last minute. Nate had been weird lately too, so he’d hoped Davy would come around before he had to call in Nate’s assistance. Nate answered right as the vendor handed Gavin his bratwurst in exchange for a ten-dollar bill, keep the change.
    “Nate-dawg, what’s up?”
    “Oh. Hey, Gavin. How’s it going?”
    “I asked first.” He stared longingly at his lunch and prayed Nate wouldn’t drag this on in the bitchy way he tended to do when Gavin needed something.
    “I’m good. We’re at the yacht club down in Tacoma.”
    Gavin rolled his eyes. One reason he’d never be very close to Nate was the guy’s pompous way of mentioning his family’s money all the time. Gavin didn’t think it was consciously done, but that almost made it worse. Gavin knew his family wasn’t hurting for anything thanks to his gramps investing well and money from his grandmother’s side of the family. In fact, Gavin’s trust fund probably looked better than Nate’s. He just didn’t spend his like Nate did. He’d take Vans and American Eagle jeans any day. But Nate, Nate only wore Ralph Lauren and the like. It was obnoxious. But he wasn’t all bad, so Gavin hoped he could appeal to his softer side today.
    “That’s cool.” Gavin walked back to his truck and jumped in, then laid his lunch on the armrest. “So, I have a question.” He could have sworn he heard an unpleasant “Of course you do,” but he chose to ignore it. “So you saw Davy before he left the party the other night, right?”
    “Yes, Gavin. What about it?”
    Gavin pulled the phone back and looked at it for a second. Rude, much? “Did he seem okay? He’s been weird lately, and I wondered if somebody had said something to him or something.”
    Nate huffed into the phone. Gavin was beginning to wonder if there was some secret We Hate Gavin Club meeting behind his back. He wouldn’t be surprised with Nate, though. They’d had a couple run-ins over Nate’s one-sided crush on Gavin. Gavin had never even pretended there was a hope for any kind of relationship with Nate, or anyone, for that