Page 75 of Five Days

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Everything was always about him and attaining his goals. He might have found the perfect submissive wife to act as pretty eye candy on his arm while fundraising his attempts to rise to power, but his only son?

I was gay and madly in love with two men.

And I would flaunt my truth for all to see regardless of what they thought. They were free to love, so why shouldn’t I have the same right?

“Say what you want, but I refuse to be used to further your agenda with any voters, Father. I will not support your run, nor will I agree to take any part in your campaign.”

I readied myself for more discussion of my failures.

“It’s your duty as a Matthews?—”

“Sorry, Father,” I cut him off to make excuses when I wasn’t sorry in the least, “but I’ve got to go. Tell Mother I’ve finally found the love I’ve always longed for—if she ever even cared.” I hung up before he could say another word and powered my cell down.

Callum wrapped me up in his arms, pulling me onto his lap.

“Did you hear what he said?” I asked, burrowing into his neck.

“I did, baby.” He kissed my forehead, and I gave in to the emotions wrecking me, soaking my faithful lover with my tears.

Chapter 30

Callum

It’d been a week since rumors about the old Soiled Senator’s Son had gone semi-viral across social media. The gossip never reached major news outlets, thank fuck, but the emotional damage had broken him down.

Landon was forlorn, and I failed to boost his spirits.

I questioned what I’d done in forcing his and Zack’s confrontation, and we both ended up suffering even worse than before that damned vacation. Not that I could actually regret the choice. He and I had found fulfillment there. Unrequited love had been returned. Understanding we’d lacked before now resonated between us and brought us closer together.

We’d been shut up in the condo for seven days, waiting for an explosion of negative media exposure, but that didn’t keep us from sating our need for each other often and passionately.

The entire affair never amounted to more than a two-day eruption that quickly fizzled out though.

The shit show that image had stirred on different social sites died down as gossip from real celebrities took precedence, overshadowing Landon’s supposed continuance of poor choices.

Good thing, since it kept his father off his back too.

I wondered if Zack had seen any of the chatter. Without having his number, I couldn’t check in on him to make sure he was doing all right.

But I knew someone who could.

Stomach in a knot, I pulled up Elite’s website on my laptop browser, intending to only retrieve the contact information for Sean Fox. But the longing in my chest controlled the hand on my mouse, and I scrolled through EEMM’s menu, hungry for just a peek of his face.

Zack wasn’t listed.

My breath left in a rush, and I stared where he used to be in the alphabetical lineup of available escorts. I clicked through the site in search of his name.

He’d been removed entirely. His page. All of the rave reviews that promised satisfaction.

I’d been sick imagining him pleasing other clients, finding release beneath men who paid for the use of his body in ways he hadn’t allowed with me. Possessiveness wasn’t something I was new to. I felt it daily with Landon. But having Zack thrown into the mix inside my head and heart had only intensified the feelings.

Insecurity, perhaps?

Definitely a desperation I didn’t know how to deal with. Landon looked up to me to be the sturdy one, and I struggled on a deep level, same as he did. I just managed to hide my heartache while he owned it. Lounged in it as though unwilling to move on.

Not that I was either.

Fuck, no.

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