So much for that better relationship, but at least Finn hadalsoshown Nolan that he was worth something. That he didn’t just have totakethis.
“I was hoping I’d never have to tell you this,” Gavin said.
Nolan’s stomach went cold. Gavin suddenly looked like he was attending a funeral, somber and serious.
What could Gavin possibly have to say? And why was it making Nolan feel like he wanted to throw up before he even said it?
For the few seconds it took Gavin to extract his phone from his pocket, Nolan could feel every beat of his heart like it was a hammer pounding against the inside of his chest.
The sense that something awful was about to happen hung in the air between them.
“Look at this,” Gavin said, offering his phone to Nolan. “See that recurring payment?”
Knots tightened in Nolan’s stomach as he looked at the screen. Five hundred dollars a week to WHAS.
Wild at Heart Animal Sanctuary.
Five hundred dollars.
Exactly the amount Finn had said he’d go on a date with Nolan for. It’d sounded like a joke, and Nolan had assumed itwas, but could it be a coincidence?
If itwas, that was one hell of a coincidence. Right?
“No,” Nolan said. “No, I don’t… he’s been so good to me.”
“Yeah, well, I dunno what to tell you.” Gavin shrugged. “He was happy to be auctioned off for the sanctuary. Guess he figured the longer he strung you along, the longer the donations would last.”
Nolan focused on Gavin, glaring daggers at him. “Why would you do this to me?”
“Whoa,” Gavin held both of his hands up defensively. “I was trying to help. I can see I screwed up, but I thought he’d be like… training wheels, I guess. Until you gained a little confidence.”
“Finn didn’t know about the donations,” Nolan said, and hewantedto sound sure, but the first tendrils of doubt were starting to curl around his heart.
He’d never felt like he deserved Finn. Never been sure what he offered their relationship aside from being needy.
Finn could have had anyone. Why him?
“I can’t say for sure whether or not he did.” Gavin shrugged. “But do you really think, if the place is in that much trouble, that they’re not watching every penny that comes in?”
Nolan swallowed. He didn’t think that, actually—he’d been told Ryan was responsible for all that of it, but that meantRyanknew, at least.
He could have told Finn.
Dammit.
Whether or not it was true, Gavin had put him in a position now where he’d have to bring it up. He couldn’tnot know. The thought that maybe Finn was just being nice to him because he was effectively getting paid to be would eat at him until he knew for sure one way or the other.
That was how all this had started, after all. Why should anything have changed?
Why should Nolan’sluckhave changed? Why should a wonderful, kind, beautiful man suddenly want him when no one else ever had?
“Hey,” Gavin put a hand on his shoulder, and Nolan knew he should have been angry. Furious, even, with Gavin for doing something like this to him. For putting him in this position at all.
But the thing was, Gavin wasn’t laughing at him. He seemed genuinely sympathetic, and his hand was providing an anchor right now, and Nolan didn’thaveanyone else. Not with Rita busy showing off his maybe-still-fake boyfriend.
“I’ve been through this,” Gavin said. Briana, right.
Gavinhadbeen through this before. So maybe his concern really was genuine.
