He nodded his head, looking down at the ground. Patrick moved towards him and pulled him into a hug, his heart breaking. This boy had thought Patrick was using him for a story, which is why he’d run. If only he’d spoken to him, they wouldn’t have lost the last few months. The moment he’d seen Jason, he knew his feelings were just as strong as they had been. Jason was his boy, and he’d do everything he could to earn his trust back.
“Can we go somewhere to talk?” he asked. “We can go somewhere public.”
“I know the perfect place.”
Patrick was aware of KC’s Café, but had never been there before. It was a place frequented by the brothers, and he knew Sebastian had been invited to one of their weekly brunches, but that was a one-off apparently. The brothers had their weekly ritual, and they didn’t let others in, even if they were boyfriends or fiancés.
KC was a delightful woman, who could have been as young as thirty or as old as fifty. She looked towards the lower end, but from the way she talked, Patrick knew she was an old soul. They occupied a six-seater table by the window, which Jason had insisted on – KC hadn’t argued – and Patrick followed Jason by only ordering a drink. He wasn’t sure how to tackle this conversation. He knew he had to put aside the story because Jason was the focus here.
“How have you been?” asked Patrick.
“You don’t need to make small talk.”
“I wasn’t. I want to know how things are. I heard you decided not to go for the job.”
“Yeah, it didn’t feel right after what happened.”
“What did Jane say?”
“She was shocked. I don’t think she expected me to do that.”
“Did she try to talk you out of it?”
“I didn’t give her the chance. I withdrew, then I told her.”
“How are you feeling about it now?”
“It wasn’t the right time. Too much pressure. My new boss is a DILF anyway, so not a total loss.”
Patrick couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy. He had no right to feel that way, and he knew Jason would have reverted to his old self with casual sex over the last few months. Patrick hadn’t been with anyone else, though.
“What do you want to know, anyway?” asked Jason.
“About what?”
“Grant. I assume that’s why you’re here.”
“No. Jason. I wanted to check you were okay.”
“I’m fine. Nothing for you to worry about. Are you going to put me in your story about Grant?”
“No. That’s not what the story is about.”
“Just be careful. I know what he’s capable of, and he’s only gotten worse since I left him.”
“What’s this I hear about a hospital visit?”
Jason stiffened and looked away. His eyes widened.
“Paolo!” he shouted.
Patrick knew Paolo but wasn’t sure who the other guy was. He watched them chat for a while. The other guy was good looking, muscular, and friendly. Patrick couldn’t hear what they were saying. He couldn’t help but watch them all intently with a scowl on his face. After a while, Jason came back over.
“What’s that look for?” asked Jason.
“Who was that?”
“Paolo. You’ve met him before.”
