Sam turned around to face Marcus. “What are you talking about?”
“Zach, the man who loves you, is the most decent person I’ve ever met. Do you know how fucking lucky you are? The fact that he’s fallen in love with you means he’s given you everything. His trust, his heart. That’s it for him; he’s not ever going to look at anyone else. Zach is not capable of cheating on you or hurting you intentionally.”
Sam gazed into Marcus’s dark eyes. “You love him, don’t you?”
“I’d give my life for him, but he’d never ask for my help. I do love him,” he said, glancing over at Zach, then back to Sam. “But not like you can.”
Sam understood and surprisingly felt pity for Marcus. Others might see only the fast life and handsome exterior, but he saw beneath that gloss and recognized a sad and lonely man.
It was like looking into a mirror before Zach had come into his life. Marcus was able to hide his emotions behind the partying and the sex, whereas Sam, who couldn’t be bothered with the bullshit, simply withdrew, content in solitude.
“One day, my man, someone’s gonna crawl under your skin.”
“I’d better stock up on bug spray then. I hate crawly things.”
They shared a laugh. “It’ll happen; you’ll be going along, minding your business, thenbam.You’ll fall in love.”
“I don’t plan on it.”
To Sam’s surprise, Marcus slung an arm around his neck, and they stood watching Andy take his pictures.
It made Sam feel accepted and a part of Zach’s group. He needed to introduce Zach to Henry and Heather, he mused. They would love him.
“That’s just it. You don’t plan. It just happens; and then you look around and you’re living life again, and you wonder how you ever thought being alone night after night made you happy.”
Marcus withdrew his arm and checked his phone, a small smile curving his lips. “I’m never alone any night. Excuse me a minute.” He walked off texting.
Sam forgot about Marcus and focused his attention back on Zach again. A pure-white screen had been set up, and Sam had to admit Andy, for all his failure as a human being, was an excellent photographer. Marcus was called, and, having finished with his texting, or sexting as was more likely, he joined the threesome. Andy posed them in a group with their arms around each other, and the joy on all their faces was palpable.
Julian whispered to Zach, and the man shrugged, his face a mask of seriousness.
“Sam.” Julian waved him over. “Come here.”
A little surprised, Sam joined the foursome at the screen.
“We’d like a picture with you as well.” Julian leaned on Nick, whose arms wrapped around Julian’s waist. The two men were a perfect unit; Sam couldn’t imagine one without the other, yet he recalled Zach recounting the story of all the years they’d spent apart.
“Me?” He caught Zach’s eye. “Are you sure?”
But it was Julian who answered, not Zach. “We have a feeling we’ll be seeing you at family functions from now on, so yes, we’re sure.”
Shooting a troubled look at Zach, who’d withdrawn and stood silent, Sam decided to ignore whatever was weighing on Zach’s mind. He’d speak when he was ready.
“I’d be honored; thank you. I’d love to be included.”
“Okay, Sammy.” Andy took him by the shoulders and placed him next to Zach. “Stand here next to your cute boyfriend.”
A prickle of resentment rose within Sam at Andy’s snide tone. The hell Sam would let his ex be dismissive and rude to Zach. He held his rising anger in check, not wanting to make a scene, vowing to deal with Andy later, and bent down to whisper in Zach’s ear.
“Ignore Andy; he’s being a dick.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Zach adjusted his glasses. “Let’s get this done.”
What the hell? What was he so pissed about? At that moment, Andy started calling out instructions, and Sam’s concentration focused solely on the shoot. He’d deal with a temperamental Zach later.
But somehow, later never came. In the following hours, Sam never once found himself alone with Zach, who’d specifically maneuvered himself to be surrounded by at least one or two of his friends or Nick’s family members. It seemed he and Nick’s sister Katie had forged a friendship, and along with Julian’s assistant, Melanie, formed a tight little circle of their own.
Even now, the three of them sat at one of the small round tables set up for people who preferred to sit and eat and not mingle. Sam looked about and spotted Cheryl sitting with Nick’s parents and several other older couples, presumably Nick’s relatives, since Zach had told Sam Julian had no family of his own.
