“In the last few weeks, Gabriel has taught me what he really needs.” Cedric tried to keep his voice from shaking, but it proved impossible. “What he says he wants and what he actually wants are different. I know it, and I think youdo,too.”
There was no comment fromSterling.
“I want him. I want to care for him body and soul, but I can’t. I thought that I could coax him out of his mindset and convince him that his imagined path in life isn’t the right path for him, but… but I want him too badly. I can’t get him out of my head, and I know that even if I wait this heat out and take him on again, that’s not going to change. If you don’t take him away, Iwillfail in my role as Dom, and Iwillput him into a position that doesn’t benefit him. I’ll take him to bed, Sterling, and I can’t do that to him. Not with how heisnow.”
All along, Cedric had been convinced that he could hold the pieces together for Gabriel while he put himself back together. He’d thought they’d become whole together. Instead, Gabriel had started to take him back apart. He’d opened up Cedric’s soul and left Cedric to bleedforhim.
And Cedric suffered itgladly.
He took another breath and spoke slowly and calmly. He couldn’t show weakness now. “If you would be kind enough to notify me when my house has been vacated, I’ll move back in and we can both go on with our lives. I’ll refund you the money you paid, and you can invest it toward better care forGabriel.”
“The call is breaking up,” Sterling said. “I’ve heard enough to know to send Adrian over. After he arrives, I want you to come see me at The Shepherd, and we’ll have a chat face-to-face.”
There hadn’t been so much as a grain of feedback on the call. What was Sterling going on about? “I’ll bethere,but—”
“See you soon.” Sterling’s voice was the same kind of unreadable that it had been after learning about the kiss. “Don’t keep mewaiting.”
The call ended. Cedric set down the phone and allowed himself a single, shuddering, tearless sob. Itwasover.
Goodbye,Rabbit.
* * *
Adrian’s silverLexus screeched to a halt by the curb. The engine cut so quickly that Cedric winced. He climbed to his feet from where he sat and prepared to greet Adrian, but when the door flew open and Adrian stormed up the lawn, Cedric didn’t think a simple, “Hello, I’m sorry I victimized your brother, please let me get out of your life,” was going tocutit.
“Adrian,I—”
Adrian shoved his shoulders, and Cedric had to take a step back to brace himself. Adrian was dressed in full business professional, but he didn’t let a fitted suit stop him from showing Cedric exactly what he thought of him. “What thehelldo you think you’redoing?”
“Waiting for you to get here so I can make sure he gets the care heneeds.”
“You fucked him, didn’t you?” Adrian clenched hisfists.
“No.”
“I swear to god, if he ends up pregnant becauseofthis—”
Cedric caught Adrian’s wrist in his hand. The move was instinctual, and so was the way he leaned closer to eliminate the space between them. By the time he spoke, Cedric was barely aware of what he was doing—all he knew was that he had to make sure that no one allowed Gabriel to feel guiltyoverthis.
No one would make his omegasuffer.
“I toldyouno.”
There was a silence uncharacteristic of the Adrian Cedric knew from high school. His face was older now, but Cedric still saw the same refined features and the same distrustful eyes. Adrian hadn’t always looked that way, but the older he became, the more jaded his expression was. Once, Cedric hadn’t understood, but now he felt that he did. Someone, or something, had hurt Adrian back in high school, even before Gabriel’s disappearance. He bore the scars of that timeplainly.
It may have been the same thing that had brought Gabriel to run intoBaylor’sarms.
Cedric released Adrian’s hand and took a step back. He nodded toward the door. “Gabriel is inside, down the hall, in the bedroom ontheleft.”
“If I smell you in his bed, so help me…” But Adrian’s voice had lost its edge, and there was uncertainty in his eyes. Cedric knew suffering, and he saw the storm inside. “Sterling gave me your number. I’ll be calling you when Gabriel is safely removed from the house so you can come back. I’m sorry for theinconvenience.”
Despite the guilt and disappointment dragging down his soul, Cedric managed a tiny grin. “Adrian Lowe,apologizing?”
“Don’t get used to it.” Adrian stepped around him. “You might be telling the truth about my brother, but that doesn’t mean that Itrustyou.”
“You don’t have to. I’m not going to see either of youagain.”
“Just… go see Sterling.” Adrian shook his head. “Is there anything I need to know over the next week? Leftovers that will go bad in the fridge? A pesky cat you need to feed? Any doors Ishouldn’topen?”
