Ian sat at the table in the crowded restaurant, with Anthony, Shayne, and Shayne's new boyfriend Carter. Ian smiled, as Anthony put an arm around his shoulders, as he told another story of the past he shared with Shayne. As he listened, he let his mind wander back over everything that's happened in the past few months. Ian sighed, he not only had to worry about Anthony and Shayne, but now he also had to worry about Shayne's secretly crazy boyfriend. His thoughts were interrupted by Carter speaking to Anthony.
"So, Anthony, what do you do for a living?" Carter asked smiling, as he put his arm around Shayne's shoulders too.
"I own my own gym, Shayne works with me." Anthony answered smiling, taking a drink of his wine. "What about you, Carter?"
Ian listened to the conversation closely, ready to interrupt if things started going bad. The entire time they were together Carter gave Anthony dirty looks, tried to copy his every move, basically playing the jealous boyfriend part and all of it went unnoticed by Anthony and Shayne. Ian couldn't wait until dinner was over, he had had enough of Carter and his trying to compare himself to Anthony. Secretly, even though Ian didn't want Shayne single; so he didn't have to worry about him and Anthony again, he hoped Shayne would dump Carter's insecure ass.
"Shayne tells me you two used to date?" Carter said smiling.
"Uh, yeah, years ago." Anthony answered, uncomfortable with the subject.
"What happened, huh? You get caught with someone else, Anthony?" Carter asked smirking.
"What?" Anthony replied angrily.
"Anyone else want another drink?" Ian asked quickly, trying to change the subject.
"I do, what about you guys?" Shayne answered, knowing what Ian was doing.
"You heard me, pretty boy."
"Yeah, I heard you. I was just giving you a chance to shut your damn mouth, before I do it for you." Anthony replied angrily.
"Anthony didn't cheat on me, Carter. I broke up with him, alright? Now, can we please just finish our dinner like grown men?" Shayne said upset.
"Nah, I lost my appetite." Anthony said, as he stood, Ian stood too.
"See you later, Princess." Carter taunted smiling.
"You little..."
"Nope! We're leaving now." Ian said, cutting him off.
"You better put a damn muzzle on him, Shayne." Anthony stated pointing at Carter, before he left angrily.
**Later**:
After they returned from dinner, Anthony was furious and went to their room to change, Ian sighed, before he followed. He found Anthony changing, he looked at Ian, but didn't say anything, so Ian did.
"Baby, you shouldn't let that asshole get to you like that." Ian said gently, as he changed too.
"Easy for you to say, Ian, he wasn't accusing you of cheating." Anthony replied upset.
"Like I did?" Ian said quietly.
"Ian, I never..."
"I know, baby, that's not what I meant." Ian said quickly, cutting him off.
"Why am I always the one accused of cheating?" Anthony asked sighing, as Ian hugged him.
"I don't know, baby." Ian answered.
"I'd never do that." Anthony stated.
"Baby, you don't need to defend yourself to anyone; especially to that asshole." Ian replied, before he kissed him. "Come on, let's go to bed."
**Two Months Later**:
Anthony made his way through the gym, after everyone had left for the day, doing his usual nightly check before locking up. Ian was coming to pick him up in an hour, his car was in the garage getting fixed. As he neared the weight benches, he saw Shayne about to lift, he walked over to him and smiling spoke.
"You know the rules, big man. No lifting without a spotter."
"I do know the rules; my boss is such a hardass." Shayne teased smiling.
"I heard he can be a real asshole." Anthony replied, both men laughed.
"Spot me?" Shayne asked.
"You got it, let's see how tough you think you are."
Shayne lifted weights first, then Anthony did; each man spotting for the other. Weightlifting led to them working out together on different machines, the same thing they've done many times before. By the time they were finished, they were both exhausted and sweaty, so Anthony went for a shower. While he was gone, Carter arrived to pick Shayne up and noticed he was sweaty and out of breath.
"Hey, baby." Shayne greeted him smiling.
"Why are you sweaty and out of breath?" Carter demanded.
"Oh, I just finished a..."
"Hey, Shayne, if Ian comes while I'm in the shower, can you let him know where I' am?" Anthony asked, cutting him off, as he came into the room without his shirt on. "Oh, you're here." He added angrily seeing Carter.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Carter demanded.
"Uh, it's my gym, I own this place." Anthony answered. "Why are you here?"
"I came to pick up my boyfriend, instead I walk in and find you two sweaty and out of breath."
"Yeah, that's usually what happens when people work out, you idiot." Anthony replied angrily.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure you two really worked each other out."
"You stupid son-of-a-bitch, I'm not sleeping with Shayne, dammit." Anthony yelled, as he tried to go after Carter, but Shayne stopped him.
"What the hell is going on?" Ian questioned, as he came into the gym.
"I just found your boyfriend screwing around with mine!" Carter yelled.
"What?"Ian asked shocked.
"No, he didn't, Ian." Shayne said angrily. "Anthony and I worked out, he went for a shower when Carter arrived."
"Yeah, right. You're not buying this shit are you, Ian?" Carter asked. "Come on, it's obvious they're together. The way they're always with each other or the way they're constantly flirting with each other."
"Get the hell out of my gym now, before I throw you out! Next time, Shayne and Ian won't stop me from kicking your ass!" Anthony said, before he walked out of the room.
"Let's go." Carter ordered, before he stormed out.
"Nothing happened, Ian." Shayne said sighing, before he grabbed his stuff and left.
Ian was so confused, he didn't know what to believe. Carter noticed the same things Ian has and what would he get out of breaking him and Anthony up? Then again, Carter was crazy and Anthony would never cheat on him...would he? His thoughts were interrupted by Anthony returning to the room with his stuff, he was pissed. They left the gym in silence; after Anthony locked up they got into Ian's car and drove home, still, neither spoke. Once home, Anthony headed straight for the shower, while Ian locked up and went to their room to change for bed. He sighed, as he sat on the bed and ran his hands over his face, he wanted to believe Anthony, but something didn't add up. He heard the water stop and seconds later, he heard Anthony's phone ring and realized for the first time ever he had taken his phone into the bathroom with him, instead of leaving it on the dresser like he usually did. Ian quietly got up and went to the bathroom, he listened through the door to the conversation; only hearing Anthony's side.
"Hey, Shayne. No, I just got out of the shower. Don't know, I haven't talked to him yet. He's just lucky you stopped me or I would have kicked his ass. Yeah, I know, I know. I had fun too; we haven't done that in a long time. You were better than ever dude, I wasn't sure you could keep up with me at first. Yeah, okay you too, night, Shayne-O."
Ian rushed back to the bedroom and got into bed, before Anthony found him. He tried to act normal, when all he really wanted to do was cry after hearing the conversation. Carter may be crazy, but he was right, Anthony and Shayne were sleeping together. Anthony came into the room and put his phone on the nightstand, before he got into bed beside Ian.
"You okay, baby boy?" Anthony asked, noticing how quiet he was.
"Yeah, just a little tired." Ian lied.
"Me too, night, Ian, I love you." Anthony said smiling, before he kissed Ian and laid down.
"Night, Anthony, I love too." Ian replied, as he turned off the light and laid down on his side; his back facing Anthony.
Ian waited until he knew Anthony was asleep, before he silently began to cry. His heart was broken, the man he loved did the one thing he swore he'd never do. Before he confronted Anthony though, he needed proof of the affair, proof that Anthony couldn't lie his way out of. Until then, he'd act like nothing was wrong on the outside, while on the inside his heart was shattered into a million pieces.
TBC...