“Bad breakup?” Win fitted the screwdriver into the carrying case and snapped it closed. “Had you been dating long?”
“A few months.”
“That’s not a lot of time before making the decision to move in.”
“Yeah, well, welcome to my life. I got involved with someone else recently too. Made the same mistake of thinking it was serious from the start. I never seem to learn.” Dejection radiated from Elliot, and without thinking about it, Win went to him and put an arm around his shoulders.
“Hey. Don’t beat yourself up. We all make mistakes.”
“Maybe. But for some reason, I keep making the same mistake over and over again.”
Win nudged him. “Wanna sit?” They sat down together on the second step. “So that guy wasn’t the first guy you’ve lived with?”
“You don’t need to waste your time listening to my sob story. I’m sure you have better things to do.”
Recalling Elliot’s list of his ideal man, Win was now even more curious. “I think I’m the best judge of what wastes my time. And right now, I’m asking.”
Waiting for Elliot to gather his thoughts, Win studied the photos and mementos on the wall along the stairs, and the framed pictures of a young girl from infancy to teenaged years, but nothing further. There were a few pictures of Elliot as a baby, but no prom or graduation pictures. No family portraits. The girl had the same large eyes, dark-brown hair, and sweet smile as Elliot, so Win asked, “Is that your sister?”
Elliot paled, and his brows arched high. He followed Win’s gaze to the wall. “Oh, yeah. Claire.”
Win waited, but when Elliot didn’t say anything else, he didn’t press, instead concentrating again on Elliot, who huffed out a sigh and finally replied to Win’s previous question.
“No, he wasn’t the first. I’ve lived with a few boyfriends. I guess you can say I run before I can walk. I can’t help it. If I’m attracted to a guy and we’re on a date, I tend to imagine what life would be like if we were together.”
“So you’re a romantic.” Not too difficult to figure out. He and Elliot might be close in age, but the other man had a vulnerable sweetness about him that Win suspected made him easily taken advantage of. His arm remained around Elliot’s shoulders, and he rested it there.
Elliot snorted. “You might say that. My buddies tease me a lot. But I hate being alone.”
“I get that.” Win stared at the wooden floor under his feet. “Nothing wrong with it, if you can help it. But sometimes you have no choice.”
“Well, yeah.” Elliot chewed on a fingernail. “Working from home is such a solitary life. I have to go out and research what I’m going to write about, of course, but after that, it’s home to write, revise, and edit. Writing is a complicated process. It’s not simply throwing words on paper.” He’d become animated talking about it, his eyes brightened, and once again, a fire sparked inside Win that he struggled to contain. “So when I meet someone and I’m really attracted to them, I think about the possibilities. And I love being part of a relationship. Anus, awe.” His shoulders sagged. “But I guess my friends are right. I need to learn more about a person before taking a big step like moving in and planning a future, so I don’t get taken advantage of.”
“Is that what happened with the guy who was living here? He took advantage of you?”
What could that dick have done to a nice guy like Elliot?
“Well, he lived here and didn’t pay rent. He was trying to get a business started, and I was helping him.”
The oldest con game in the book. Win had seen it happen to senior citizens who allowed people into their homes as “friends,” to help with household errands or daily chores. The con man or woman made themselves indispensable, then cleaned out the unsuspecting victim. What happened to Elliot wasn’t much different.
“And let me guess, he helped himself to your generous nature,” Win growled. “How much did he scam you out of?”
Elliot met his eyes. “About ten thousand dollars.” His attempt at a smile failed. “Dumb of me, huh? I gave Dakota money so he could work on his candles and jewelry making. All the materials he said he needed. He said he’d finally landed a few accounts. When I asked him to help around the house, or to contribute occasionally…” Elliot’s eyes grew shiny, and Win tightened his arm around him. “He told me it wasn’t working. That our auras weren’t compatible. The truth was, he’d found someone new—a rich sponsor. They’re living together in Tribeca now.”
“Son of a bitch,” Win ground out. “What a bastard.”
“Yeah. I should’ve known he never cared. He told me he loved me, but I was stupid for believing it. I should’ve listened to my friends.” Miserable and red-faced, Elliot kept his gaze locked on the floor, and Win didn’t say anything, because he knew from dealing with the victims of scams how Elliot felt. Violated. Humiliated. Most of all, believing they weren’t deserving of help or sympathy because they’d caused their own problems.
“No, you’re not stupid. People fall in love at first sight. It’s not just something you read about in books. My parents met and were engaged in less than a month. Forty-two years later, they’re still together, madly in love.”
Elliot brushed his hand over his face. “I have a friend like that. He met a man, and they knew right away. They’ve been together for almost eight years. My parents are still married too, but I’m not suremadly in loveis how I’d describe them.”
“Why do you think that?”
No answer. Elliot hitched a shoulder and shook his head. “Anyway, I really want to thank you for everything you did yesterday and today. Do you…do you know anything about the guy who broke in here? He’s still in jail, right?” Anxious, frightened eyes met his.
It wasn’t the right moment to push Elliot to reveal more of his story, but Win planned on sating his curiosity in due time. He could wait.
