Page 49 of Seasons of Love
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why haven't you published in a year?"
I knew he'd ask the question at some point, but it was still hard to talk about it.
"How much do you know about me?" I asked.
"Only what you've told me. I've never looked you up, and I'm not on social media nor do I read gossip news."
"You might be the only person out there that has the chance to hear the version of events from me. It's a first."
Slade held out his hand, so I reached out with mine, and he turned me over so I sat between his legs and against his chest. I leaned my head back, taking comfort from his warmth and the smell of his shower soap.
"I met Richard at an author conference a few years ago. He's an agent, so he was outgoing, talked to everyone, and hard to say no to. We were happy for a while until I started making serious money. My family comes from money and I moved to San Diego to get away from all that, but when my bank account became too much for me to manage, I asked my parents for advice. They thought I was ready to get back to the Manhattan scene, so they traveled to San Diego, and that's when they met Richard."
"Were there problems between them? I mean, your folks aren't homophobic, are they?"
"No, they don't really care about that. Richard charmed the pants off them both, especially my mother. After they left, he wouldn't stop talking about them, and even suggested we move to New York. It took me a long time to realize it was all about the money."
Slade wrapped his arms tighter around me and kissed my hair.
"What happened a year ago that made you stop publishing?"
"He became more insistent about moving near my parents and even used my mom to set me up for a secret wedding. Of course, my mom thought everything was great and we were madly in love. We weren't. I said no to the proposal, and that I needed a prenup, as it was a condition of my trust fund. Without a prenup, I would never be able to access any of my money."
The image of Richard's shocked face when I'd told him the lie was still vivid in my mind. He was so angry; to the point I was afraid he'd become aggressive.
My neighbors had called the police because of the noise. I'd never been so embarrassed in my whole life. The camel didn’t need another straw to break its back, but getting a call from the guy he was fucking behind my back had definitely done it.
"Aiden, we may only be temporary, but I need you to listen to me. You're more than your money. You're the most amazing person I know, and you're beautiful, kind, and special. Do you hear me?"
19
SLADE
His silence broke my heart until I felt him nod against me.
"You know what was the worst? I've always been a private person. I have someone that deals with my social media accounts and they're only about my publishing. But within days of Richard leaving, loads of private information was leaked and I was tagged in all of it. Things I'd only told him about my relationship with my parents and how I wanted to make my own way in life. It was all out there, and it was so embarrassing. My parents stopped talking to me. They blamed me for the breakup. After that, I couldn't write. I was in the middle of a book and I couldn't pick it up. I sat at my desk for days, but all I could see in front of me were those lies on the internet, the stuff that was true but private."
His voice sounded so broken. Had Aiden ever told this to anyone? Wren? I was absolutely sure that if he knew, his friendly warning about Aiden would have carried a lot more weight.
If Aiden only knew how I much understood his pain. How much I still carried it.
"Come with me," I said in his ear and made a move to get up. He followed me to the bedroom and didn't complain when I removed his boxer shorts and asked him to lay down on the bed.
His dick was soft, as was mine. This wasn't time for sex. I just needed to offer him some comfort and be close to him.
"When did you get your idea for your book?" I asked.
"I was in line to get a coffee after my morning run. There was this little girl with her mom outside the coffee shop. The girl had a pink backpack and they looked like they were waiting for someone. After a few minutes I heard the rumble of a bike and this really tough-looking guy wearing full-on leather gear stopped his bike right in front of the little girl. I've never seen someone so happy. When he took his helmet off, my heart just melted. The way he gazed at that girl was as if she was the most priceless thing. I couldn't hear what they said to each other, but it didn't matter. In my head, I was already forming my own story."
I ran my hand over his cheek, feeling the rough scruff of his unshaved beard under my thumb.
"I'm glad you found your inspiration. I’ve missed your stories, and I just know this one is going to be even better."
He chuckled. "Because it has a biker?"
