Free A Wealth of Unsaid Words by R. Cooper Page B

everyone"s
    attention.
    “We aren"t fighting, Alex.” Everett warily sniffed the
    mug"s contents, and then widened his eyes and looked up
    again.
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    “There"s cocoa in there somewhere,” Alex responded
    preemptively, and Everett rolled his eyes but took a sip. He
    instantly coughed.
    “You could start a fire with this,” he wheezed.
    “I suppose you could.” Not that they needed one. He was
    warm already from being this close to the flames. Everett
    had changed his sweater for a T-shirt a while ago. His skin
    was flushed. Alex quickly raised his gaze. “Now drink up,
    Everett.” Everett wasn"t the only one who could use liquor to
    try to get what he wanted. He put a finger to the bottom of
    the mug to tip it further back when Everett took another
    drink, and then while Everett was coughing and distracted,
    Alex dropped down to sit on the floor.
    He could see the TV from where he was, though he
    didn"t care about what was on. The fire was warm, and if he
    leaned back, he could rest against the chair and Everett"s
    leg. He pulled up the sleeves of his sweater and pulled out a
    small rubber band to tie back his hair.
    “You aren"t having anything?” Everett had reason to
    wonder. Molly and Ty had been doing shots of something for
    the past two hours. Rachel and her husband were sticking to
    wine. Robert had some of George"s whiskey. Aunt Gigi, who
    was generally not considered part of the younger group, had
    had some too. George and Ally and some of the others were
    either having their cups of Christmas cheer in the kitchen or
    had gone to bed already, George barking at everyone to keep
    the noise down. Alex could have had a glass of something
    and sipped it.
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    “There"s no fun in it when everyone else is drunk,” Alex
    mused out loud, not quite fully honest. “How else am I
    supposed to observe events and use them for my own artistic
    gain?”
    “You are truly evil.” Everett was properly awed. He even
    took another drink, coughing less this time. The sound made
    Alex sigh and lean back. Everett wasn"t angry with him
    anymore. He wasn"t ready to ask Everett about the poems
    yet, and he wasn"t going to ask what Everett had meant
    earlier, but for now, this was enough.
    “That"s what my teachers always insisted,” he pointed
    out. His bones were weary, too, and they left behind an ache
    as he relaxed. Everett poked his head.
    “That"s just because you were smarter than them and
    never listened to anyone.”
    “To anyone but you,” Alex corrected, then swore softly to
    himself. Everett was slow to reply.
    “Is that true?” he asked at last, hesitation that shouldn"t
    be there in his voice. Alex eased back against the chair and
    closed his eyes before reaching out. He put a hand around
    Everett"s leg and held it tightly.
    If Everett doubted him, it was Alex"s own fault. He had
    said no, or said nothing, at seventeen and then again and
    again. Of course Everett had been left to wonder. But he
    clutched at Everett before nodding.
    “Yes.”
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    A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper

    There was a long sigh above him. Alex waited to speak,
    listening to every sound Everett made and wondering if
    Everett would ask him now, be as bold or reckless as Ty, or
    if it was Everett"s turn not to speak.
    Instead, after a few moments, Everett poked his head
    again. Alex frowned and tilted his head back to look up at
    him. Upside down Everett was getting pinker and had a
    strange look on his face. Pleasure and pride and a wicked,
    wicked light in his eye.
    It was Everett who could lead good men astray and had
    bad ones at his feet. It seemed impossible that he would
    have any doubts. But again when Alex opened his mouth,
    the damned words remained trapped.
    “Drink up, and I"ll get you another Santa"s Little
    Helper,” he offered hoarsely and let the clumsy hand
    wrapped around Everett"s calf speak for him.
    “To your health,