Aiden
Staring at the hotel ceiling, I replay everything I said to Jay while I was inside him. The words keep circling in my mind—how much I missed him, how badly I still want him, how natural and right it all felt. I wasn’t caught up in the heat of the moment. I meant every single word; giving him everything I’d kept locked away for years—all the grief, the longing, the anger, and despair from the day he was ripped out of my life.
When I came inside him, I swore to myself that one day I would make us whole again, that no one could ever take him from me a second time.
And then there was Ray. Meeting him at the restaurant had been a test of my self-control. From the second I met him, I couldn’t resist pushing his buttons. The guy radiated arrogance, masking it with a fake charm, but I could see through his cracks.
Carlos was right; he’s a total asshole, the kind of person who chews people up to feed his ego. And Jay, he clearly doesn’t love him. I saw it in his eyes, in his silence, in the way he flinched every time Ray’s temper flared. If anything, Jay looks cornered and trapped.
When Ray dragged him outside, my instincts nearly took over. Every muscle in my body coiled and I was ready to break Ray’s jaw if he laid a hand on him.
But Mac and Leon noticed. They slid into their seats, reading me well enough to know I was seconds away from doing something stupid. If Jay and Ray had come back to sit across from me again, I don’t know if I would have stayed in control of myself.
After dinner, I told Mac I wasn’t feeling well and was bowing out of the rest of the weekend’s shoots. I can’t bring myself to touch anyone else, not after today. From what I overheard before heading up to my room, Jay isn’t taking part either. Ray is, though, because of course he is. That means Jay will be on his own for a while tomorrow.
That’s perfect for me. I’ll use that time to track him down and really talk to him. I need to know what happened after he was forced to move to Portland, how his life turned out, and if he’s still in touch with his family. And this time, I’m not leaving without his number. I won’t lose him again.
When sleep finally comes, it’s fractured and restless, filled with visions of a life we should have had. The simple things like waking up next to him, watching him smile across a breakfast table, relentlessly teasing me, and becoming men together instead of apart.
The next morning, I hit the hotel gym early, trying to burn off the unsettled energy still pulsing through my veins. Even after a shower, I feel wired and on edge, as if I’m bracing for something. By mid-morning, the group is getting ready to leave for the shoot, and I take my chance to find Jay.
Wandering the hotel, I finally find him stretched out in a lounge chair by the pool, a paperback in his hands. The sight nearly stealsthe breath from my lungs. Some things never change; he’s always been a reader. I used to watch him devour books, completely absorbed, his expressions shifting with every twist of the story. That used to undo me. It still does.
I walk up quietly until my shadow cuts across his body, blocking the sun.
“Enjoying your book?”
His head jerks up, his eyes widening before they soften. “Oh, hey! What are you doing here? I thought you’d be with the group filming.”
“Nah,” I say, shaking my head, playing it casual, even though my heart is hammering. “Wasn’t feeling up to it today. I thought, since Ray’s gone for a few hours, maybe you and I could hang out and catch up.”
Relief flickers across his face, and then a small smile. “Yeah, I’d love that. I was just thinking about what to do for lunch. Want to grab a bite?”
“Absolutely. Name the place. It’s my treat.”
“I saw a Mexican place next to where we went last night. Honestly, I’d kill for a good combo plate.” His voice is warm, and I can’t help but grin.
Mexican food was always our thing. We ate so much of it as kids that the waitstaff at our favorite place used to joke about rolling us out of the restaurant.
“You know I can never say no to Mexican food,” I reply, winking at him.
He laughs, the sound hitting me square in the chest. “Perfect. Let me run up and change first. Meet you in the lobby in twenty minutes?”
“I’ll be there,” I promise, holding his gaze just a moment too long before stepping aside to let him pass.
I don’t need to go back upstairs, so I stay in the lobby, scrolling on my phone while my nerves hum just beneath the surface. A text from Lauren pops up, and I use it as a distraction.
Lauren: Hey, just checking in. How’s sunny Florida?
Aiden: Better than I expected. I’ll need to call you when I get back to debrief. I ran into someone from my past and it’s blowing my mind.
Lauren: OMG, who?
Aiden: Jay!
Lauren: Wait, boyfriend from high school, Jay?
Aiden: The one and only. Having lunch with him in a few minutes.
