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"Nothing," fell fro, which wasn’t anything new for hi up on me and that was the end of it"

"Hht of the couple tiers moved across the screen of his phone to call Ben the past feeeks Thought of all the ti him to talk, even when he didn’t want to Or maybe he did? Maybe he had wanted to talk to his friend There was pressure in his chest, and he realized he missed him He missed his friend; the man he’d never really admitted was his friend until Josiah and Mateo

"Nono, I’s without laying his that ht and his hand move for his wrist? But he needed to Ben deserved it, and Tristan had hurt enough people in his life He didn’t want to continue to add the few people he cared about to that list

"I need to go I’llI’ll see you next time" He turned and headed back for his car Elliot didn’t say a word, didn’t call out to hio with him, and for that, Tristan was thankful

As soon as he locked himself in his car, he slid his phone from the inside pocket of his suit and dialed

"You called," Ben answered

"You deserve ive yourself, as well I don’t knohy I love the, I don’t know I’ to me You are my only friend, and I don’t want to lose you I don’t want to lose you," he repeated

His hand tightened on his cell Jesus, had all those words really just come from his mouth? But they were true; they’d just been trapped in and hidden inside hi him alive inside, and Tristan wondered if this lack of words, and lack of expressed e the sa, except the throb of his heart But Ben was still there He knew it

"Holy Christ, Tristan Did you really just say that to me?" Ben had shock and confusion in his voice Tristan felt the sahed, but it was a sad sort of laugh "Goddary at you Not when you say things like that You never would have admitted what you just did if it hadn’t been for hi I never could, no ht so with the boy, but now I see it even more"

"I don’t want to lose you," Tristan said for the third tiht now

"And you know you never will Don’t pretend you don’t know that Jesus, you’re the only man who’s fucked me, the only man I didn’t pick up in those shitty clubs I have no business being in We both know I play the part well, but I’m not much better than you with all the fucked up shit in my head The only difference is, you were et you" He let out a deep breath "I’ anywhere I never was Let’s justlet’s put this behind us I have news for you"

The air trapped in Tristan’s lungs escaped Words were still in his head, but he wanted to respect Ben Ben wanted to move on, and Tristan understood that

"I don’t want you doing this for me anymore It’s not important" Lie It was very i me you care about e"

Tristan laughed

"It’s strange, though, Tristan I’m not sure what iton in Los Des self-co feels off There’ve been two bodies discovered recently Both Deh up the food chain as well We can chalk it up to typical street violence but that’s not whatHell, even my client doesn’t really want to talk about it anys were definitely executions Thathiave a shit about the gang, but he did care about a man who, in so for Mateo? He didn’t know But he damn sure didn’t want to risk it