Page 80 of Forgotten Prejudice

He was physically okay… I wish I could say it was the same for his heart.

“What was it all for if he… if we…”

Not knowing what to say, I put my hands around him and hugged him. He didn’t push away but continued to cry, to sob so hard that it shattered my heart.

“He promised me forever, only to throw me away one day. Why?” He clenched my shirt in his fist while burying his face in my chest, his tears and snot wetting me. “Why would he do that? What did I do wrong? Why did he stop loving me?”

“You did nothing wrong, Ash,” I said, holding him as tight as I could as his cry pierced my heart like daggers. “It’s not your fault it ended.”

“It hurt,” he sobbed. “It hurts so much, and the pain just doesn’t go away.”

I understood that feeling.

I might have never suffered from a breakup, but I knew sobriety, and I knew how painful it was when the body ached for something it couldn’t get.

Ash was an addict, and his drug was Soren Dane. The pain he was experiencing right now was just like any other addict had when trying to get sober. Sleepless nights, nausea, sickness… All that went away eventually, but then you were left with the hardest part, and that was the lifelong battle of never going back. Day after day where you keep telling yourself that you were better off without that shit.

“I know it hurts, Ashy, physically hurts.” I kissed the top of his head while holding on to his shaking body for dear life. “But it will get better. I promise.”

“I can’t live without him,” he cried.

“You can, and you will.” Just like I did. “Trust me that you will. I know what I’m saying now sounds impossible, but after enough time has passed, you’ll see that it wasn’t. And when you look back on tonight, you’ll be fucking proud you made it.”

He didn’t answer me, and I was pretty sure he didn’t believe me either, but that was okay. Eventually, he’d see I was right. I might not have been in his life for the past few years, but I knew Ash, and I knew that he was a strong man with a heart of gold.

After he’d finished crying, we went back home. Aiden was still asleep, so we snuck in quietly and went upstairs immediately. I was ready to get inside my room when Ash grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

“C-Can I sleep with you tonight?” he asked, his eyes pinned on the floor. “It’s just that sleeping alone feels weird… and I don’t like it.”

Words were unnecessary at this moment, where I took his hand in mine, opened the door, and walked us both in. I climbed on the bed first, making room beside me on the mattress. Ash hesitated for a bit before doing the same. With his back to me, he rested his head on the pillow, and I covered him with the blanket before throwing my arm around his waist and pulling him close. His body physically relaxed at the touch, and his breath softened. He was colder than I remembered, but maybe I was just imagining it. And as I held him close, I knew this was all about comfort.

Ash’s request came from his need to feel loved and nothing more. Yet, I couldn’t help but be satisfied that, at last, he was where I wanted him to be. Unlike Ashy, I wasn’t a man with a heart of gold, and I wasn’t about to pretend otherwise. I knew I was selfish and that, deep down, I enjoyed his pain because it created an opportunity. Ash’s heart might be broken for now, but my greedy ass was counting on changing it. Eventually, his love for Soren would die, and when that happened, I’d be right there, waiting.

Knowing no one could see me, I didn’t hold back my smile as I hugged him a bit tighter. And for the first time, which would probably be the last, I thanked Soren because, thanks to that son of a bitch, Ash was finally mine.

Kai

The repeated sound of my alarm pulled me out of a sweet dream, and I opened my eyes to an even sweeter one. Quickly reaching for my phone, I turned the alarm off before it woke Ash, who was snuggled at my side, his angelic face half-buried in the pillow.

Fuck, did I want to nut all over that pretty face of his, to smear my cum over those pouty lips and decorate his long eyelashes with pearls of my jizz. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, and partly guilty, I let out a frustrated grunt as I shifted away from his hot body. Despite having dirty thoughts ever since Ash first asked me to sleep with him almost three weeks ago, I hadn’t done anything other than hug and cuddle him. Being the furthest thing possible from a saint, I let out my sexual frustration on random hookups. After I released all that pent-up energy on strangers, I returned to Ash and hugged him in the most platonic way I could manage.

I took one last inhale of his sexy scent, which became even stronger when he was in a deep sleep, and then got up. Recently, we slept in his room because he preferred it that way. Sneaking out quietly, I stole one last glance at him and bit my lip. He’s so damn fine, even when he sleeps.

Closing the door, I let go of the handle and moved my hand to grab my morning wood when someone cleared their throat, and I jolted back.

“Oh, shit,” I gasped at Aiden, who stood behind me in the hall. “Didn’t see you standing there.”

“Sorry, I was just putting some things in the laundry room,” he said, not meeting my eyes, which was legitimate, given the awkward situation.

Neither Ash nor I had said a word about our new sleeping arrangement, but living under the same roof, Aiden had probably picked up on it by now. Although, I was pretty sure he had the wrong impression. Not that I could blame him, with me sneaking out of Ash’s room almost every morning now. And not to mention the raging tent in my sweats, which I did a poor job of hiding.

“I’m gonna hit the shower. Gotta be at the restaurant soon.” I pointed in the direction of the bathroom and watched Aiden quickly nod.

He seemed as eager as I was to escape this embarrassing encounter and moved fast to pass me on his way downstairs. Things didn’t have to get so weird between us, but I guess the old man wasn’t wired up the same way I was. Not that it mattered. Currently, Ash was all I could think and care about. With that thought in mind, I got into the shower, jerked off, and washed myself with cold water before heading downstairs for coffee.

Aiden was in the kitchen, sitting by the dining table while reading a newspaper. It would be impossible to guess the man was in his midforties with his head full of dark hair, thick stubble, and a killer body. I was pretty sure he checked the DILF box, minus the part about having kids other than his dog, Seb. Although, when he had his reading glasses on, as he did right now, he definitely looked older.

Noticing my arrival, Aiden put down the paper and looked at me with the same eyes as Ash, only that his eyes weren’t as pure and innocent. Not that he could be blamed; no one in this entire world could look as deliciously innocent as my Ashy.