The rest of the world was black and white.

 

Tristan wished Holden would just listen, but he knew he wouldn't. Holden was trying to get him to take some tools from him. They were in Holden's garage. The girls were in the kitchen catching up.

Evidently, they were still friends, but Tristan wasn't sure if he could say that about Holden. It felt as if Holden was on autopilot now. The trip to Florida did wonders for both of them. Supposedly.

Tristan only laughed and Holden didn't think it was funny. "What's up with you, dude?" Holden looked him over as if maybe he sensed not all was right with Tristan.

"If I even told you, would you know?" Tristan said he had no place for the tools. "Remember, I live with Dale in an apartment."

Holden shrugged and went back to looking at stuff he said he had no use for.

"I'm living with my ex and Dale's ex too!" He couldn't help but be livid. Maybe it wasn't all Holden's fault, but it felt like it.

"Oh, you think you've got problems?" Holden smirked back. "My dad's in town and he won't leave." He squinted. "And I don't know why?" He picked up a wrench and tossed it out of the toolbox.

"Why didn't you guys just let us keep Dora's place?" Tristan wanted to know.

"Why should she?" He shrugged back, straight-lipped. 

"It wasn't like Dale never paid the rent, you know?" Tristan pressed his lips tight.

"It's already done, there is no going back," Holden was smug. He offered him a beer then, but Tristan shook his head, no.

"We're having a dry summer this year," he told him. However, he had had a mojito at Eric and Derrick's but it didn't have much alcohol in it.  Of course, Derrick talked about Dora and how he couldn't stand Holden for the whole evening.

At the moment, Tristan was beginning to understand it, maybe. Did Holden want Dora to be entirely dependent on him? Was that the way marriage worked? Tristan winced. He would hate to bring it up to Dale. 

"Well, I'm sure my dad wants to see your Dad," Tristan found himself saying. 

"I don't want any of you having a thing to do with him," Holden crossed his arms. "He's a liar, you know."

"How so?" Tristan wanted to know.

"He's never told me the truth about anything." He shook his head. "I'm not going to have a marriage like he did. He kept secrets. And he thinks I need to know now."

"Know what?" Tristan bet it had something to do with money.

"I have a sister." He was close-mouthed then as if he didn't want Tristan to say another word.