“Corbin and I were talking, and he said I could retire from the DA’s office and work as my own boss. Do you think Corbin’s serious about us because I was positive until tonight’s little meltdown?”
Ethan considered it.
“Yeah, he is. Don’t let tonight freak you out. He genuinely loves you. Nearly losing you and him almost dying puts a lot into perspective. He’s just working on this last part of him to heal.”
Oh, he hoped so.
About that.
“Is it selfish of me to wish he would give more time to show me affection—even if he can’t have sex? I don’t want to be unsupportive, but sometimes, I feel like he has stopped trying and caring. I fear he’ll let this assault become his crutch, and that’s not good.”
Oh, boy.
This was a slippery slope.
Not because of the topic, but because of his inability to give good advice.
What did he know about dating quagmires? His whole existence was one, and he’d never been able to avoid it.
Only, Will looked hopeful, so he’d try.
“I’m horrible at relationships, but I can give you my perspective,” Ethan offered.
And by perspective, he meant what he’d learned by watching Gene deal with people.
He was far better at it.
“Okay.”
Ethan went there.
“What I’ve learned is that you have to foster a relationship. At the beginning, Gene did all the nice things for me, and I didn’t reciprocate—not because I didn’t want to, but because I wasn’t sure how. No one has ever loved me like he does, and it confused me.”
Will listened.
“But I noticed that as soon as I put the effort in, even if it landed perfectly, or not, Gene was happier, and that came back in my direction. So, I don’t think it’s selfish. I think that Corbin, while still healing, just doesn’t know how to reciprocate yet. But he’s smart, and when he figures it out, he’ll start to show you again. This is going to take time, and it is a steep learning curve.”
Okay.
That was a good point.
That helped him relax a bit.
It really did.
“If Corbin tries, what he said might be right,” Ethan offered. “It might help him find his way back to his sexuality. I know when I was abducted by David Neives, it took me a couple of weeks to feel better. I was scared, a lot, and sex didn’t need to be the priority. Now, it is.”
Will meant what he’d said.
“I will give up sex, if that’s what it takes, but I can’t help that I have a past where I liked sex.”
Ethan understood.
He hadn’t had the opportunity to freely explore and find his likes and dislikes. He was learning about himself and the kind of sex he wanted.
Gene brought that out in him.
“I have a feeling that it will all work out for both of you. It’s clear there’s love there.”
