Chapter 2
Brendan
Now
With a shuddering breath, I grab the steering wheel to steady myself, my knuckles turning white. I never thought I’d see Kyle again. Last I heard he was living the high life in the city. Yet there he was, standing in front of me not two minutesago. Calm and composed and wanting to talk and… What the fuck?
Panic coils in my throat. Jesus, was it really him?
Ky.Kyle Davies. No, not Davies, he’s Johnson now.
God, I really need to get my shit together. Sniffing, I realise I’m crying like a baby. “Fuck!” I yell, punching the car door.
Just how many years has it been? I try to count. Nineteen, twenty? I can’t fucking think straight.
I flick away the tears and force my breathing to slow, then slump back against the headrest, trying to make sense of this pathetic reaction tohim! I thought I was over all my bullshit from the past. Thought I’d made peace with it, let him go and moved on.
I have, haven’t I? With shaking hands, I pull a cigarette from the pack and light up, inhaling deeply. The nicotine hits in seconds, the dopamine taking the edge off immediately. My thoughts begin to slow and I try to reason with myself.
I have a husband—Chris—and I love him. We’re happy together and we have a damn good life. I served seven years of a ten-year prison sentence—out three years early with good behaviour. Then, against all odds, I’d gotten my life back on track. Meeting Chris brought me the peace I’d always craved. He provides security, and I know without question that I’m loved in return. Everything is stable. Safe.
I can handle this. I know I can. There’s no need for me to be at Kyle’s house for the reno job. My team can manage it while I oversee it from the office. It’ll be alright.
Knowing I can’t sit outside Kyle’s house all morning, I turn the key in the ignition and throw my Ute into first gear. But images of this new, mature version of Kyle remain. Persistent and unwanted. He’s aged like fine wine, with broad shoulders and long, lean muscles, his wavy blonde hair a little wild. He has a beard too, something he’d been too young to grow when I lastknew him. It suits him, trimmed short and neat, accentuating his sharp, chiselled bone structure. Kyle is undeniably both beautiful and handsome. And I hate that I noticed it.
I need to stop this insanity. Blinking, I try to rid myself of him, but all I can see are magnetic blue eyes drawing me in. Eyes that are either bursting with life or drowning in sorrow and never anything in between.
I throw the cigarette butt out the window and pull onto the road, my body still trembling.
Back in the safety of Beautiful Bathrooms, I stride across the showroom floor with my head down, ignoring all my staff, and shut the office door behind me. It takes the better part of an hour to pull myself together and come up with a plan. Business is good, but it isn’t so good that I can knock back a job worth thirty thousand bucks.
I have no fucking clue what Kyle will tell his husband about this morning’s meeting or if he will even reveal that we know each other. But I suspect Kyle will lie—I’ve certainly seen him do it once or twice to get what he wants. And he clearly wants me to stick around, although for what reason, I don’t know. What could we have to say to each other after all these years?
I try counting again and realise it’s been twenty years since that godforsaken day when Kyle walked out of my life for good. Back then, I was only twenty and Kyle a year younger, meaning we’re both too old for this shit.
Taking a deep, calming breath, I call James Johnson. I’m about to hang up when the man finally answers on the seventh ring.
“James Johnson speaking.”
“Hey, yeah, hello Mr. Johnson. This is Brendan Walker from Beautiful Bathrooms calling. How are you goin’ today, mate?”
“Great, thank you Brendan. Is Kyle asking for something that blows the budget?” James chuckles on the other end of the line.
I already thought this guy was a fucking douche, but my anger sparks at the condescending tone he uses when speaking about Kyle. I shouldn’t give a shit, but it sounds like James is a first-class dick.
“No, he’s not. It’s just that, when I arrived this morning, I had a family emergency and had to leave. I wondered if I could set up another meeting for tomorrow or any other time that would suit. My apologies for the inconvenience.”
“No problem at all. I hope your emergency isn’t too serious. How about we reschedule for tomorrow at 9:00 AM?”
“That sounds great, Mr Johnson. Would you like to check with Kyle first?” I silently curse myself for using his first name.
James laughs. “No no, that’s not necessary. He’s a househusband. He can fit it in around his gym session and whatever else he fills his days with.”
I clamp my mouth shut before I say something that will lose me this job. How the hell did Kyle end up with this prissy, arrogant bitch? While I haven’t met James in person, if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say he’s significantly older than Kyle.
“Thanks for understandin’, Mr. Johnson. I’ll send Jeff to the appointment tomorrow. He’s my second-in-command and he’ll head up the project while I oversee it.”
“Great, Brendan. I’ll leave it in your capable hands.”
