The Fault Next Door

Chapter 33

Ryder knew the guys were talking about him, except maybe Rafe because that man just didn't gossip. Ryder didn't care what they said. He did his work and kept his head down. Close to the end of his shift, Dave came over, and it was obvious he was going to be a jerk.

“So your neighbor fucks guys,” Dave asked.

Ryder turned to Dave but didn’t react. Dave shifted from one foot to the other like he’d expected Ryder to either make a joke or say something bad. Saying nothing had thrown the guy off.

“Is that true?” Dave asked.

“Why do you want to know?” Ryder hated the immature attitude of the men around here. What were they going to do if they found out Nolan was gay? What would they do if they found out he and Nolan were sharing a bed on the weekends and thinking about moving in together during the week?

“Because it’s gross.” Dave’s face scrunched up like he’d bitten into a lemon.

“Dude, what’s gross is that you even care,” Ryder said.

Dave scoffed and tried to act cool. “I don’t care.”

Ryder rolled his eyes. “Then why are you talking about him?”

"It's just gross, and I don't want anything to do with him."

“I’m sure the feeling is mutual,” Ryder said.

“What does that mean?” Dave asked, his voice going high at the end of the sentence.

“It means you should keep your nose out of his business,” Rafe said.

Ryder hadn't heard or seen Rafe come over, but he was glad the man was there to back him up. He lifted his chin, acknowledging Rafe. He didn't know much about the man, but he liked him from what he did know. He seemed to be a good worker and wasn't into drama.

“What? Now you two are in on it?” Dave laughed as he asked.

Rafe rolled his eyes and turned to leave. Before Rafe left the area, he met Dave’s gaze and lifted one eyebrow then looked him up and down. “I’m sure most gay men would have better taste than to be with someone like you.”

Dave’s chest puffed up, and he straightened his shoulders. Ryder felt like things were about to get dicey. He was stronger than Dave, or he had been before the accident, and he was a better fighter. He knew from seeing Dave out one night when he tried to pick a fight with another guy. He didn’t know if Rafe could hold his own, but he’d said those words like he thought he could back up the statement with force if he needed to.

Ryder didn’t move or even really breathe. He wanted to see if Dave reacted. He looked disturbed, maybe even conflicted. Dave might be trying to hide something, like the fact that he might be bisexual. Ryder had been doing some reading and had come across a study that linked aggressive anti-LGBT activity with hidden desires for same-sex relationships.

“I get plenty of pussy,” Dave spat out.

Rafe threw back his head, and laughter spilled out. Ryder laughed, too. He hadn't meant to laugh at the guy, but he knew from being in town for about six months that Dave wasn't getting any action and not because he wasn't trying. The women around here just weren't interested.

“What are you laughing at?” Dave said.

Ryder noticed that Rafe had taken a step closer. He didn't really want to escalate this into a fight, but he would give as good as he got if Dave took the first swing.

“Just stop while you’re ahead,” Ryder said.

Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, but he'd tried to tell Dave to stand down. The man wasn't very smart, though, and he should have known that saying something would get Dave to react.

Instead of going after Rafe, Dave advanced on Ryder. The man was fast, but Ryder moved, sidestepping out of the way before Dave could attack. Dave wasn’t sure on his feet and stumbled, almost landing on his face. Ryder stood back and watched, not wanting to get too close to Dave. He would have to watch his back because he had little doubt Dave would try to sabotage something if he continued working here. He hoped Dave didn’t try something with any of the other guys. It would probably go bad for Dave if he did.

Dave stood and then reached for something in his pocket, pulling out a knife. Ryder felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He needed to move swiftly and not stumble.

Other men working in the lumbar yard gathered around and moved in closer. Ryder did his best to ignore them. He needed to concentrate on the man threatening him, not the crowd around them.

Ryder didn't see Rafe anywhere close. Disappointment slid through him. He didn't think Rafe was the type of guy to abandon friends in need. But knife fights were scary. He understood Rafe did not want to be a part of this. Hell, he didn't want to be a part of this. Not once while working in Atlanta had he ever been threatened by a coworker. He didn't have a knife on him and wouldn't pull it out if he did. Fighting with weapons would get you in big trouble if anything happened.

Dave lunged, and Ryder moved fast, getting out of his way. Dave didn't fall, which wasn't great for Ryder. If Dave had stumbled, maybe he would have dropped his knife, and then Ryder could have kicked it away.

“I’m going to get you,” Dave called out, his voice rough.

The men standing around them were yelling, but Ryder wasn’t focusing on them. He needed to pay attention to every move this jerk made. It would take just one mistake for it all to go south.

Dave rushed forward and nicked Ryder’s arm, but it didn’t do much damage. One more mistake like that could be the end. Ryder needed to get Dave down on the ground and get the knife away from him. He circled to the left and was trying to gauge his best path when he heard some commotion coming his way.

He didn’t have time to look up because the asshole charged him, and he had to duck and roll to get away from the blade aimed at him. He was breathing hard when Jim arrived with Rafe trailing him.

“What the hell is going on?” Jim yelled.

“They said I was gay!” Dave yelled.

Ryder snorted. “Hardly. That isn’t what was said.”

Dave snarled and lunged. Jim screamed and jumped back. Ryder could tell this was going downhill fast. The jerk wasn’t going to back down, and Jim being here had made the circle he’d been using to avoid Dave much smaller. He needed more space, or the asshole was going to stab him.

Ryder was about to tell Jim to back up when Dave raced forward and tripped. He stumbled, his arms swinging wildly as he took a few halting steps. Jim had moved and was now in the way. The knife hit him somewhere close to the chest or arm. Ryder wasn't sure where.

Everyone gasped. Dave slowly stood, backing away from Jim. Luckily, he hadn't pulled the knife out. Ryder knew that would be a mistake.

Ryder grabbed his phone from his pocket and called Nolan. He answered on the second ring. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Jim, my boss, was just stabbed. Where are you?”

“The clinic. I’m on my way. Hang up and call for an ambulance.”

Ryder ended the call and then dialed for an ambulance. He told the operator what had happened. Police and ambulance were on their way.

When Ryder looked up, half the guys were gone. Rafe looked like he’d turned paler than a ghost. Ryder glanced around and spied the camera in the corner. He pointed and Rafe glanced up. “Everything was recorded,” Ryder said.

Rafe bit his lower lip. “I hope that’s enough.”

“We all know what happened,” Ryder said.

Rafe still looked pale, like he was worried about more than Jim. Ryder knelt next to Jim and tried to keep him calm. Rafe moved close, and Jim met his gaze. "Rafe, get the fuck out of here." Jim's voice was strained, but he seemed cognizant.

“But the camera,” Rafe said.

"You weren't involved. I'll make sure they know. Now get out of here before the police get curious and lock you up."

Ryder had no clue what that was about and wasn’t going to ask. He leaned in, making sure there wasn’t too much blood pouring from the wound. There was a good chance the knife had missed anything major, but he didn’t know for sure. Panic swept through him in the form of heat. He had to take a deep breath to keep his wits about him. He glanced around and noticed Rafe hadn’t left.

Chaos descended on them as the EMTs rushed in right when Nolan and another man came in. The EMTs accepted help from Nolan and the guy with him who said he was a doctor. Before the ambulance took off, it looked like Jim was going to be okay. He needed to go to the hospital, but he would survive.

Nolan stayed at the lumberyard even though the police were asking loads of questions, so much that it took about two hours before Ryder was cleared to leave. Rafe had stuck around, and there didn’t seem to be a problem once the police saw the video from the security cameras. Ryder wondered why Jim had told Rafe to take off.

They were in the parking lot, standing midway between their vehicles. “Damn, it’s lucky the cameras caught the whole thing,” Nolan said.

“Yeah. Especially since that asshole called in and told the cops I was the one who stabbed Jim. I’m thankful they looked at the video and determined what had really happened.”

Nolan shook his head. “Has that Dave guy worked here long?”

“No. Not too long. I don’t think Jim has been very choosy about who he hires. Maybe that will change.”

“I hope so. That’s awful that he got stabbed,” Nolan said.

Ryder nodded, wondering just how long he would be able to stay in this job. “Yeah. I hate this.”

Nolan glanced down and kicked a pebble that tumbled across the asphalt. “I feel like it’s my fault.”

Ryder moved fast and reached out, taking his arm. "Oh, hell no. Don't you dare. I don't blame you at all. Those guys decided to get pissy about gays, and that's on them, not you."

“But if?—”

"No. If you hadn't moved here, I would still have these thoughts about guys. Before, I was with Amy, and then after, I was so full of grief and anger, along with guilt and fear, that I did nothing. I probably would have gone into one of the big cities in the next few years and found a club because I was curious before you came around."

Nolan narrowed his eyes. “Really?”

“Why do you think it was so easy for me to kiss you and touch you?” Ryder raised his eyebrows. “I mean, a guy doesn’t go from nothing to having sex with another man without having some thoughts about it. Even if I buried those thoughts and chalked them up to being horny. You know, bisexual is a thing.”

Nolan chuckled. “Yes, it is.”

Nolan squeezed his arm, and Ryder could tell he really wanted a kiss. He wasn't comfortable enough to kiss in public, not with people hanging around. Maybe if they went to a big city or something.

"So my boss, Dr. Moore, who came here with me, his husband just moved to town, and he's going to want to entertain. Would you think of going with me?"

Panic swept through Ryder, but it disappeared fast. "I think so. I mean, we would be at their house, right?"

Nolan nodded. “Yeah.”

"You know I'm not embarrassed. I just fear what will happen. I mean, look at what happened today with Dave. Luckily, Rafe went to get help."

Nolan nodded. “Yeah, lucky. I don’t know Rafe, do I?”

“He’s relatively new. I think he’s Jim’s cousin. Anyway, he seems solid.”

“I’m glad he was here to get help.” Nolan bumped his shoulder. “You know, it can be hard to come out. At first, I felt like I was constantly walking around looking over my shoulder.”

Ryder nodded. “I get that feeling. I don’t like it, but I do like you.”

Nolan's face lit up. "I like you, too. How about we head home, and we can wash up and then eat something before we end up rolling around in bed for a while?"

“Sounds like a plan,” Ryder said.

He followed Nolan home, trying not to worry too much about the haters that were out there in the world. Maybe someone else would come after them, but he hoped people just left them alone. He didn’t want to constantly have to dodge jerks wielding knives or assholes who wanted to beat him up. He was just trying to live his life and be happy. They weren’t hurting anyone by being together.