Page 16 of Veiled

I shrug and stand up, but don’t move toward him. “It’s not about business, and you know it.”

His eyes lock on mine, nearly making me stutter and fall as I start toward the porch railing. I catch myself quickly and make it to the edge, letting my hands rest on the railing as I look out. “Is this because...?”

I don’t bother turning to look at him, but I shake my head. When he stops talking, I know he must have been watching me. “No. That was a mistake.”

I feel him tense next to me and know it wasn’t a nice way of putting it, but there’s just no other way to describe it. I shouldn’t have done it. I knew it then. Although... I don’t regret it.

Even though I should.

But it can’t happen again.

I need to help him get settled in whatever it is that will finally make him happy. And then I need to get the hell out of here and back to my life.

“Then why not just let me fuck up so you can say I told you so?” he asks bluntly, and I can’t help smiling at the fact that he didn’t shrink back in the slightest, despite my words being sort of shitty.

“Because you may not believe this.” I turn to face him. “But I want you to be happy. I need to know you’re doing what you love and you’re safe.” His eyes are intense as they remain on mine, sending an unwanted shiver through my entire damn body that I force myself to ignore.

It can’t happen again.

Which also brings me to the next thing on my agenda. “Did you come here so you could...” He’s waiting for me to be as blunt as I usually am, and for some reason, I can’t seem to get the words out. My fingers grip the railing, and I look away from him.

“I could what?” he asks carefully. I can feel his eyes boring into the side of my head, but I refuse to look at him.

“You weren’t exactly out then . . .”

He lets out a harsh laugh, understanding what I’m asking. “You think I came to the hills of Tennessee to live my best gay life?”

I roll my eyes at him, but my fingers only grip the railing tighter, thinking about him doing just that. I mean, he should. He absolutely should if that’s who he is and what he wants. I want that for him.

I do.

Sort of.

Damn it.

“Or bisexual life,” is the only response I can come back with.

“I am bisexual,” he confirms, and I nod, even though his identity doesn’t make a difference to me, one way or another. Just as long as he’s able to be as open and loud about it as he wants to be.

“I understand this may not be the best place to hook up, but if you’re wanting this veil of privacy you’re talking about, maybe that’s because you want more freedom to do that.”

He shakes his head, sighing deeply and looking out at the horizon. “It’s about the music for me. That’s why I’m here. Not the fame and not hookups. I want to be free. Can’t you get that?”

I can.

I don’t say it though. I don’t say anything for a while as I look out at the trees and absolutely no traffic, cars, or people of any kind. “I’ll help you. And then I’ll leave.”

He doesn’t say anything at all, but I see the subtle nod he gives me.

That’s good enough for me.

Chapter Eight

JUSTIN

This is all you could find?” I grump as we climb out of Waylon’s rental car, and I look at the tiny bar in front of us. The parking lot is gravel, and the bar is on the outskirts of the last town we drove through about five minutes ago.

Off an old dirt road, and you wouldn’t even know this place was here if the one neon sign outside wasn’t flashing blue and red. There are several cars parked here though.

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