Page 39 of Edge

Jory had never seenDamian angry. While it was a bit of a turn-on, seeing his boyfriendletting off steam was also pretty scary. But something Damian hadsaid rankled and Jory’s ire rose.

“What do youmean, at least you hope it’s not? Really? Have you any doubts aboutwhat my relationship with Roger is after all this time? It’sfucking obvious, surely? I can’t stand the man.”

Damian had the grace tolook shame-faced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it. But you must admit itgets a little tedious seeing all the sex stuff online about the twoof you, and the fans sending all sorts of weird stuff in the mail.And by weird I’m talking sex toys, photoshopped pictures of the twoof you fucking, and little treasures like the disgusting fingerpainting made with someone’s semen.” He grimaced. “I mean who thehell does that?”

It was Jory’s turn toroll his eyes. “And the solution is… Ta-dah. Stop going online andreading that shit. Sooty hates the crap as much as you and I do.But it’s part of being famous, Damian. I can’t help what the publicdoes out there.”

God, we’rehaving our first big argument. It sucks.

His boyfriend scowled.“Whatever. It still circles back to the fact you need to dosomething about Roger before he ruins everything.”

Jory closed his eyes andcounted to five. When he opened them, Damian was seated on thecouch, sulkily biting his nail.

“Let’scompromise. I’ll give it another try with Roger—when he finallycalls me back—to convince him to let me go, and if it doesn’t work,we’ll discuss the whole police thing as a viable option. I’ll evenengage a lawyer and pay their exorbitant fees to see what they cando. Deal?”

He wasn’t sure going tothe cops was any kind of a solution, but at this point, he’d sayanything to try to keep the peace.

Damian looked up at him.After a few seconds, he nodded warily. “Deal. One last time, thenwe do it my way.”

“We’ll talkabout it, is what I said,” Jory corrected.

Damian again stood andflung his hands into the air. “God, you are so fucking annoyingsometimes.” He strode over to the entrance hall and picked up hisjacket. “I’m going to get some air and see if Dave needs any help.I’m due in on shift in an hour anyway.” He shrugged into hisleather jacket, the one Jory thought made him look totally hot, andcame over to peck Jory on the cheek. “I’ll see youlater.”

Jory blinked at thesudden decision and could only watch in consternation as Damianleft the flat.

“Well, atleast I got a kiss good-bye,” he murmured to himself. “I guess itstill means he loves me, right?” He shivered at the thought. Theword “love” hadn’t featured in their relationship, although Jorythought he was already there. Damian was like no oneelse.

Jory couldn’t think ofbeing with anyone else but him. Before Jory hadn’t had anyone tofight for, anyone to lose, and it had been easier to roll with theflow and let Roger continue.

Now Joryhad everything tolose. He and Damian were a couple and he had to realisethat.

Huh. Maybeit’s time to have the conversation about the L-word.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jory

If anyoneever needed a good dicking it’s that arrogant sod Maximillian F.The man is such a prick. Thinks the world revolves around him. Allhe’s good for is a good fuck. I mean, he’s so damn pretentious. Hiscooking programme everyone goes wild about is a sham. I bet he getssomeone else to cook all the dishes to make him look good. 9 August2020

Jory slammed down thephone and glared at it as if it had offended him.

“Still noreply. The dickwad is avoiding my calls, I’m certain.”

Bernard looked up fromthe dining room table in the studio, where he was inhaling adouble-decker sandwich with the kind of attention he usually gaveto his drums. “Jory, you know where Roger is. He went away onbusiness.” He snorted. “’Sides, I thought you’d be happy the tosserwas out of town and not in your bizzyness. You’re never satisfied,are you?” He went back to happily devouring his food, brown saucecoating his mouth.

Jory glared at him. “I’mecstatic he went away and I can have the place to myself for achange. But I promised Damian I’d keep trying to speak to him aboutsomething and I thought maybe we could do it on thephone.”

“Seems youwere wrong,” Hannah remarked as she wandered into the room. Shegrinned at him. “I’m with Bernie. I’d have thought you and MrJujitsu would be swinging from the chandeliers, being all sexy andstuff.” She reached into her backpack and drew out an apple, takinga satisfying crunch.

Jory huffed.“We do enjoy not having Roger glaring at Damian every time he comesaround or sneaking around as if he’s trying to catch us outin flagrante delicto.” Asense of longing filled him. “It’s like I have my independenceback, and it’s only me and Damey.”

“I don’tpretend to understand why you stay with the other prick,” Bernardmuttered through a mouthful of food, “but I know when he isn’taround you’re a different person. Not the usual bad-tempered gityou can be.” He smirked while Jory raised an eyebrowhaughtily.

“I amso not moody.”

Both Hannah and Bernardfell about laughing, which pissed Jory off no end.

“Shut up, thepair of you. I bet Alice would disagree.” He pouted and flouncedover to the couch, falling onto it and covering his eyes with hisarm dramatically. “Sometimes I feel so misunderstood.”