The thought of returning to the room to face Gage with an engagement ring in his pocket was too much for Aaron. He still shook—whether it was from anger or sorrow, he didn’t know. Every emotion firing off inside of him was confused and muddied, blurred in a way that made it impossible to tell where one feeling started and the next began.
He needed answers, but he couldn’t face Gage. Not yet. So instead, he did a deplorable thing—
He messaged KnotMyProblem back.
TeenDad2: who the hell are you?
As soon as he sent the message, he knew it was the wrong thing to do, but he couldn’t take it back now that it had been done. If Gage was concealing the truth, then he couldn’t trust him to be honest, anyway. Aaron knew his logic was flawed, but in his desperation, going after KnotMyProblem didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
Finally, KnotMyProblem’s name popped up at the bottom of the conversation field, stating that he was writing a reply. Hands shaking, Aaron waited for a response.
KnotMyProblem: TD, don’t be a shithead. We’re all adults here. Pretending like you have amnesia now that your man is back in your life is low. Be an adult and talk to me. If you want to tell me to go choke on a cheesy dick, then say it to my face, don’t bullshit me. I was serious when I offered to marry you, and I want to know what’s going on so I can organize the rest of my week accordingly. That’s it, okay?
The tone in KnotMyProblem’s message ticked Aaron off. This brash, insensitive asshole was the one Gage had betrayed him for? The way he talked to who he perceived to be Gage was appalling. Aaron couldn’t let it go—it reminded him too much of the messages Gage had received while they were streaming.
TeenDad2: I’m the shithead? You’re the one talking to Gage like he means nothing to you. What the hell is your problem?
KnotMyProblem: Ffs, TD. Are you trying to destroy the SDSG from the inside or what? Why are you being such an asshole all of a sudden? I know that I’m a lot to handle, but seriously, you could have told me to stop if I was making you uncomfortable. Trying to brush me off like this is immature af.
TeenDad2: I’m not Gage, I’m “Gage’s man”
KnotMyProblem: Okay, real talk, if this is you, TD, this is a shitty thing to do to someone, just putting that out there. If this is actually not TD, then prove it. Take a picture right now and send it to me, or I’m not going to believe you.
Who the hell was KnotMyProblem to make demands like that? Aaron bristled. He knew that he shouldn’t engage—that he’d already gone too far and invaded Gage’s privacy in unforgivable ways—but he was pissed as hell, and he needed answers. He tapped the camera button on the chat screen and took a picture. His hair was still mussed from sex, his cheeks flushed, and his expression pinched with anger. The darks of his eyes stared the camera down forebodingly. It was a shock to see himself look so stern and upset—Aaron wasn’t the type who angered easily—but he didn’t regret it. His whole life was corroding, and it felt like nothing he could do could save it.
Aaron sent the picture. KnotMyProblem started typing.
KnotMyProblem: fuck you
KnotMyProblem: get the fuck off TD’s phone. Are you policing his texts now? Controlling who he can and cannot speak to? Who the hell do you think you are?
There was truth in what KnotMyProblem said, but Aaron was too angry to acknowledge it. The hostility in KnotMyProblem’s messages shredded what little composure Aaron had left.
TeenDad2: Who the hell am I?? the man Gage should be fucking marrying, you asshole
KnotMyProblem: Oh, right, so he should marry a jerk who takes his phone and inserts himself into his conversations
TeenDad2: You fucking asked him to marry you! That makes it my business
KnotMyProblem: jfc you are a piece of work
Aaron’s palm itched. His muscles tightened, and the urge to throw the phone across the room returned. He was a man of science, an academic who preferred cerebral pursuits to physical mindlessness, but if KnotMyProblem had been standing in front of him, he wouldn’t have wasted time with conversation—he would have ripped him limb from fucking limb.
TeenDad2: Whatever. I don’t care what you think. If you ever talk to Gage again, I will find you, and it won’t be pretty
KnotMyProblem: OH REALLY?
KnotMyProblem: jfc you’re an edgelord aren’t you?
KnotMyProblem: you want to fight? You and I, face to face. You’re not going to walk away in one piece. TD deserves a fucking man, not a little manlet who can’t hold his tongue long enough not to jump to conclusions
Adrenaline coursed through Aaron, making it impossible to sit still. He bounded to his feet and stalked across the kitchen. The microwave beeped again, and he wrenched the door open so hard it bounced against its hinges and slammed shut. The sound echoed through the room, obscuring the melody of the concerto that still streamed through the surround sound system. Now that Aaron heard it, he couldn’t get it out of his head. It grated on his nerves.
Everythinggrated on his nerves.
This was the guy that Gage wanted more than him? He didn’t understand. Shaking with anger, he stormed into the living room and snatched his phone from where it rested on the table, deactivating the Bluetooth connection to kill the concerto. The silence was soothing, but it was only a momentary reprieve from the situation.
Gage’s phone buzzed again.
