Page 96 of Forgotten Prejudice

Despite wanting to stay in bed, I also got up. Rolling the condom off my soft dick, I tied it up and then tossed it in the small trash can. “Think he heard us?” I asked, glancing at Ash over my shoulder.

“Probably,” he sighed. “So embarrassing.”

“Why? It’s not like we’re keeping us a secret.”

“There’s no us.” He couldn’t have sounded colder even if he tried. “I’m going to take a shower,” he added and slipped out of the room without lingering another moment.

Okay, maybe it did bother me a little bit, but only when he gave me the cold shoulder as he did just now. It wasn’t like we weren’t together almost every day. When I wasn’t at work and he wasn’t surfing, we were pretty much glued to each other. It was fun, like the good old days, only that now we fucked. A lot. But not as much as I would have liked us to, hence why Ash gave me the pass to fuck on the side. It was a sweet deal, especially when I knew he didn’t fuck others. Was it fair? Not really, but then again, he could fuck others if he wanted to… but since the idea of another man even glancing his way pissed me off, I’d rather deny that possibility.

A few minutes later, Ash came back into the room, all showered and groomed.

“Don’t you want to wash up, too?” he asked after I put on a pair of sweats.

“Nah. I want to smell like you for a bit longer.”

He visibly shuddered at that. “That’s disgusting.”

Maybe, but who gave a fuck?

Downstairs, the dining table was already set. Aiden even pulled out the tablecloth he only used on special days. “What’s up with that?” I pointed over the set table.

“I wanted tonight to be nice,” Aiden said after putting a plate of roasted beef on the table.

“And why’s that?” Ash asked, pouring himself a glass of water.

Aiden sat down first, then waved for us to join him. “Have a seat, and we’ll talk.”

“When are you planning to leave?” The crease between Ash’s brows deepened the longer he waited for Aiden to respond.

Ash was on edge, same as me, after Aiden just announced he’d decided to go on a one-year trip around the world. From the look in Aiden’s eyes and the sound of his voice, I figured this trip would drag longer than a year, but I didn’t point it out. Not with how nervous Ash seemed.

“Next week.”

“So soon?” Ash’s face fell.

“Yeah…” Aiden pulled his shoulder. “What’s the point in waiting, right?”

“Why now?” Ash asked, ignoring Aiden’s words. “I mean, is it because of me?”

Why would he even think that?

“Of course not, Chief.” Aiden smiled at him softly. “I always wanted to travel the world, and I figured that now that I’ve sold my business, it’s the right time.” He then glanced at me before moving his eyes back to Ash. “Besides, you two seem to have it all sorted out together. So I feel much calmer leaving, knowing you have each other.”

So he did know about us.

“Aiden—”

“It’s okay, Chief. You’ve got no reason to worry.”

An awkward silence took over the table. Hating the tension, I placed my arm behind Ash’s chair and leaned back. “I’m happy for you, old man. Just make sure to call us, yeah?”

It would be weird not having Aiden around. I mean, the guy had been there my whole life. Yet, he had every right to go after his dreams, and I wasn’t about to stop him from doing that. Apparently, neither was Ash, who got up from his seat and rounded the table.

“I’m already missing you,” he said, hugging his uncle.

“You’re going to be fine, Champ.” Aiden patted Ash’s shoulder.

They hugged each other for a while longer before Ash pulled back. As he did, I caught Aiden glancing at me. The second our eyes met, he looked away. It was… odd. And I didn’t know what to make of it. Could it be that Aiden wasn’t telling us the whole truth behind his decision to leave? Probably. And I had a feeling it had something to do with me. Yet, I wasn’t about to admit it, not to myself and, mostly, not to Ash.