“How are you responsible for a car accident?”

Epi shook his head and hated that he couldn’t pace. His own immobility seemed to mock him and it only made him more angry. Even the phone seemed to bound and determined to remind him of what he’d lost, he had trouble juggling his balance, his phone and his crutches safely. There was no way he could sit quietly down and hold the phone so he pushed the speakerphone button to be able to keep standing.

The phone rang a few times and a woman picked up. “Mr. Goodmen’s office, how can I help you?”

“Put Shawn on.”

“I’m sorry sir, Mr. Goodman’s in a meeting, can I take a message?”

“He’s not in a meeting, he’s doing paperwork like he does every Saturday afternoon. Put him on the phone or you can tell him you made Epi Whitmore leave a message,” he snapped back at her friendly voice.

“Oh, Mr. Whitmore, of course. I’m sorry, please, just a moment.”

There was a clicking on the line and a very short pause. “Epi, you need to stop bullying my secretaries.”

“She should know better.”

“It’s not like you call often enough for her to know your voice. I was just about to call you…”

“I was served today.”

“Shit, I was hoping they’d wait until Monday to get you.” The lawyer sounded truly remorseful. “I’m on it.”

“What the hell, Shawn? What is this?” He waved at the papers Nick still was holding and reading. “How can they do this? Why now?”

“We’ve been going back and forth with Timothy’s parents for a couple of months now…”

“Months? This has been going on for months and you didn’t tell me?”

“What would you have done about it? Other than freak out.”

“I’m not freaking out!”

“Yes, you are,” Shawn answered calmly. “That’s why we didn’t tell you.”

Epi hobbled around the room a little. “Okay, yeah, I’m freaking out a little… They’re suing me for his death… how can they do that?”

“You know as well as I do that you can sue anyone for anything at anytime. The judge will toss this out before it goes to trial, they’re not going to win.”

“Why would they even…”

“Epi, you promised to take care of Timothy. They’re contending that you knew about his problem and provoked him, causing him to lose control.”

“Bullshit!”

“They lost their son.”

“I lost…” But he couldn’t finish the sentence. He wasn’t even sure how he was going to finish it, he’d lost so much all at once that a parent’s grief felt small in comparison. He paced about a little and tried to keep breathing. “They’re not going to get one single penny from me!”

“They say it isn’t about the money. They want to know what happened that day. They want to hear you tell them what happened. That’s why they’ve included the family trust into the suit. Your father has already told me to just pay them off because he doesn’t want you to have to go to deposition.”

“How much are they asking for?”

“A million, half from you personally, half from the trust.”

Nick coughed a little and cleared his throat but Epi didn’t glance to him.

“I’ll be damned before I give them a penny let alone a million! I should be suing his estate, not the other way around!” Epi shouted at the phone. “Make this go away Shawn, just make it go away!”

“I told your father you’d feel that way and it’s my job to advise the family… but there’s only two ways to make this go away. We can pay them off or you can go to the deposition and answer the questions. There isn’t a judge in the country that will let this go to trial when they hear what happened.”

“Damn it…”

“That’s why they’re pushing to have it done this week.” The voice on the phone sighed. “I’d been trying to avoid it going this far. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Epi muttered and finally gave in and dropped himself down into a chair. “I just don’t know why they’d do this…”

“You have money Epi…knowing that can make people do stupid things. Mix that with grief and remorse, well it’s not kind but it is understandable.”

“Jesus, they never wanted to deal with him and now they’re all pissed off that he’s gone?”

“I know, what do you want me to do? Your father is pushing hard to make this simply go away, no one will fault you for it.”

Epi rubbed a hand across his face and hoped he wouldn’t throw up. “No, just tell me what I need to do. Do we need to sit down again and go over it?”

By all rights, they should. Shawn knew they should but he also knew Epi didn’t speak about that day to anyone. He’d told Shawn the details but that been in private and for legal reasons and, as far as he knew, hadn’t spoken of what happened since. If he was willing to tear open painful wounds, Shawn wasn’t above using that emotion to sway their case. “No, we don’t need to go over things again. So long as you told me everything before?”

“Everything.”

“Good. I’ve had them make some concessions. We’ll met up your way not down in Virginia.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be up there on Monday, we can stall on this as long as I can, if you need some time.”

“No.” The anger was bleeding away and he wanted it all finished. “No, let’s just get it over with.”

“Okay, we’ll do it early next week, I’ll call you on Monday. You going to hang in there until then?”

“I’m fine.”

“Should I call Tori? Ask him to come up for a few days?”

“No, I’ll tell him about the lawsuit but no, he’s babysat me enough. I’m fine.”

“You won’t be alone will you?”

“I’m fine Shawn. Really I am and no I won’t be.” He wasn’t sure if it was a lie or not but in the most technical sense Nick was there and he wasn’t alone.

“Okay, I’ll call you on Monday, and for what it’s worth? I think you’re doing the right thing here, Epi.”

He snorted. “Whatever, I’m just not going to let them have one cent they don’t deserve.”

“Get some rest, we’ll talk more.”

“Okay and Shawn, thanks.”

“Of course.” The line clicked off and the phone lay on the table forgotten.

Nick had to be the one to reach over and turn it off. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“So…” He wanted to tease about Epi’s name but the man didn’t look in the mood. “You’re okay?”

“Nick, you’re not Tori, it doesn’t suit you to hover.” Epi stood up to pace or move or put the phone away, something other than just sitting there feeling trapped.

He stood up too quickly, forgot that his balance was shot and his legs unstable. Epi stumbled, caught on the crutches that should have supported him and staggered about trying to get steady. Part of him didn’t care if he fell, part of him didn’t care if he fell and broke every bone in his body. He gave up on trying to find his balance and braced himself to hit the floor, or the table, or whatever else was in his way.

Strong hands caught his shoulders, strong arms slipped over his back. The only thing that hit the floor were the forearm crutches and Epi stumbled against a far too steady chest. He hit Nick with enough force to cause the other man to take a half step back but they didn’t fall and he was soon pressed against a stable, very masculine body. Epi struggled a little to get his balance and push away but everyway he pulled Nick countered. The hold was gentle but as strong as a vise and after a small struggle Epi frowned and stopped trying to get away.

The arms instantly tightened around him and pulled him closer. It was being caught in Nick’s steady strength that chipped away at his control. It made Epi feel small again, sheltered and protected like he hadn’t since he was a small child. He hadn’t fallen and skinned his knees, the wounds of adulthood were never so simple, but he felt the same need to just let someone else make it better. It was too great of a temptation to refuse fully and Epi gave in to it by fragments. He let his hands fist into Nick’s shirt and he tucked his face down against a strong shoulder. Every breath felt like one that might push him into a panic attack and he struggled to hold himself together. 

Nick hadn’t meant anything by his actions. Epi was stumbling, obviously and rightfully upset, and he saw the other man was going to fall. He wouldn’t have let a stranger fall he wasn’t going to let Epi either. He reached out and was again shocked about how easy it was get a grip on and move the more slender man. It wasn’t that Epi was weak or even scrawny, but he didn’t resist. He just let himself be pulled about, maybe because when he was unstable he wasn’t sure which direction to pull to or from. He got his hands on Epi and tugged but when the other man stumbled closer Nick’s arms slipped around him too.

The crutches fell with a clatter and Epi stumbled hard against him. The way the other man let himself be tugged about was deceptive of his actual weight and the force of the impact caught Nick off guard. He had to take a small step back before they steadied. That small step delayed Epi’s instant refusal to accept the embrace but didn’t stop it and Nick let him struggle. If he’d thought for one moment the man actually wanted to get away he would have let him go but he knew enough now to know that it was pride and stubbornness alone that made Epi try to run away.

Nick just held on and countered every move Epi made and sure enough he didn’t get punched in the ribs or snapped at to let go. Instead, Epi gave up and gave in. Hands clutched not at him or around him but into the fabric of his shirt and hung on. Nick understood and let him but he pulled the slender body closer as Epi tucked against him and drew in long gasping, near panic sounding breaths. 

He hadn’t meant the contact to mean anything. Epi was about to fall, Nick wasn’t going to allow that. Epi was shaking in anger and emotions more complicated and he wasn’t going to let him run off and be alone. It was the friendly thing to do and Nick knew well enough that sometimes a little physical contact made all the difference, especially to someone that so rarely accepted it but obviously wanted it. It was just supposed to be a friendly hug, an offer of support and friendship, a chance to take a breath and regain both physical and emotional balance. That was all Nick had meant it to be.

It didn’t stay that way. Epi felt good in his arms. The man was more slender than his normal lovers, but he wasn’t skinny or weak feeling. To the contrary, Epi’s shoulders were tense and strong, his back had a proud solid arch to it, his hands had a tight grip on his shirt that wasn’t weak. It made Nick want to kiss him, kiss the too rigid shoulders into relaxation, kiss the tense back into arching for other reasons. It made him want to melt away Epi’s stubbornness and make the far from helpless body pliable in his hands. 

If the feel of Epi in his arms about undid him, the smell of the cologne he’d put on for going out to the supper made his knees weak. It was spicy and masculine and mingled with the man’s skin to make a mellow exotic scent. It hit Nick like a board to the back of the head and swept any thought of the embrace being merely friendly away under a tidal wave of desire.

It went beyond his normal reaction to other gay men and the simple fact that it was easier to deal with them on a purely physical level. He didn’t like stubborn, difficult men. He didn’t like the ones too proud to just fuck. He didn’t like the ones that had to be chased. Nick liked things simple and easy, uncomplicated and friendly. He liked the guys he could watch a game with and have a few beers and share pleasure and not have to worry about anniversaries or birthdays and all the crap he was awful at.

It was simply traitorous of his body to respond to his new landlord so strongly. Epi was not simple or uncomplicated. He was stubborn and proud to the point of annoyance. He was emotionally damaged from whatever had happened in that car wreck and would never just fuck for pleasures sake. He would need to be chased and convinced and comforted and Nick had never wanted that. He shouldn’t have the least bit of sexual attraction to Epi but as he caught another whiff of that expensive, perfect, cologne mixed with his shampoo on the man’s hair all he wanted to do was chase Epi until the man gave in and than carry him to the nearest bed like some caveman.

“Shawn’s father was a family lawyer, he’s good at his job.” Epi finally was able to say but he didn’t let go of Nick’s shirt. “I trust him. I don’t think I can do this…”

There was only a slight tremble to Epi’s voice but Nick could feel the emotion in the tense body he held. It made his sudden and surprising lust seem petty and small and he squashed it down. “It doesn’t sound like you have to. If you can afford to settle, why don’t you?”

“Because it isn’t right! I…God damn it…it…this sucks. It’s cruel, this is private and it doesn’t belong to them, I shouldn’t have to tell them!” He drew a deep breath. “I don’t know if I can tell them…”

“Could you tell Tori? We could get him up here, he could sit across from you in the room and you could answer their questions to him. You’d be telling him not them. How about that?” He felt himself petting a hand over Epi’s hair and down to rub a little at the too tense neck.

The light touch made him sigh. “I can’t, I’ve asked too much of him already. I want him to get his life back.”

The hands on his shirt unclenched a little. “How about me? Could you tell me? I’m not Tori but I’m not a total stranger either. I’ll have to drive you there anyway. Won’t be effecting my day any. How about it?”

Epi pulled away from the arms that were holding him in what was now obviously a hug and not a simple effort to steady him. “You’d do that?”

“Sure.”

“It’d make it easier…”

“Then let’s do that. You tell me and don’t look at them and it’ll be over before you know it.”

Somehow Epi doubted that but he wouldn’t have backed down before and he wasn’t going to now. He nodded and was caught in the concern he found on Nick’s otherwise pleasantly neutral face. It made the lingering embrace suddenly awkward and both men were a little grateful when Epi stepped back and broke the contact.

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