Page 28 of The Hot Shot

“Nothing happened,” I said, hating having to lean against her. I felt like I’d lost all sense of my power as I used her strength to rely on. “It was just me pushing myself too hard.”

“I’m not stupid. I saw the way you and that guy were with each other. Now Walker, hear me out loud and clear…” she said as we approached her office and opened the door. The moment she managed to get me inside and sat down in the chair, she let out a breath and knelt down on the floor, grabbing the arms so she could look straight into my face. “Whatever you say to me stays with me. I’m not someone that thrives on idle gossip and trust me, your brother won’t have a clue. Okay?”

I nodded as she stood up and went over to the fridge in the corner and grabbed a cold water out for us both before moving her chair closer.

“Now, how long has something been going on?” she asked.

I was gobsmacked by Chelsea’s lack of sensitivity. She wasn’t scared to beat around asking about my sexuality; she just came right out with the blazing truth and didn’t seem at all fazed by it.

“I… there’s…” I began before I dropped my hands into my head and let out a gut-wrenching sob. Chelsea’s hand was soon comforting me, drawing circles across my back as I took in a breath and realized that she was here and not pushing me. What did I have to lose? The woman was already planning to use our firm next week for her relaunch and she hadn’t mentioned defaulting on that agreement or contract. I only had one way to know what would happen. “Chelsea… I’ve never told anyone.”

“It’s okay Sebastian, just take it at your pace. You don’t have to tell me but it seems you may need to talk about whatever happened back there.”

“So, this week has been hell. You know with the new business opening,” I began. “I’ve not had any time to talk to Walker, so I sort of ghosted him.” She smiled when I said his name, making me feel the redness creep up my cheeks. “I just didn’t want to risk being caught by Jace and I wanted my mind focused.”

“But it only takes two seconds to message. I take it this thing between you is new?” she questioned, pulling her seat in front of me so we could just talk without feeling like it was a business-orientated meeting with only a desk separating us.

“It is. I’m fully in the closet and Walker… Well, Walker is the first guy I’ve ever felt like I can fully commit to…” I admitted.

“You’re scared and worried about other people’s opinions,” she said, finishing the sentence as I nodded. “Have you thought about how he may have been feeling? Have you thought that maybe he could have thought that maybe he wasn’t enough and that avoiding him was better than telling him that?”

“Fuck! Do you think he would’ve thought that?” I was astonished at her remark. “He did have his best friend with him and damn, he looked so confused.”

“Yeah, you could tell he’s never stepped foot inside a gym before, Sebastian.” She chuckled before she reached over and tapped my knee, making me cringe as I grimaced and wheeled the chair back slightly. “Oh…”

“Yeah… I know what it is… Fuck!” I ran my hand down my face before I gazed at her grief-stricken face as the same thought hit her. “He thought that I was fine with you having your hands all over me.”

“And you weren’t?” she replied, dropping my shoulders down. “You didn’t want to make a scene because no one knows your situation.”

“Right! I’ve just made the guy who I care deeply about and who I’ve shown I have no time for this week fucking jealous when all he did was make an effort to come and see me. I know it could have gone horribly wrong if Jace had been with me today, but you know what?” I let out a loud sigh from the bottom of my chest. “He made an effort, and I basically just told him to fuck off in the worst possible way.”

“You didn’t know though…” Chelsea tried to placate me as I held my hand up to stop her.

“Fuck that. I did. I knew what I was doing and I was a dick and now my guy is hurting because I couldn’t gently tell you no or give him the time of day.” I stood up from the chair and headed toward the door, grabbing the handle before turning around to face her. “I need to head home and change, then go and apologize for being such a dick to him, even if that means getting on my knees and begging.”

“Sebastian…” She raised her brow. “Go get your guy…”

“Trust me, I’m going to,” I said as I made my way out of the room, on a mission to ensure that Walker knew how truly sorry I was for being such an idiot.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

WALKER

I decided to take up Dee on her generous offer and stay at her place tonight after I’d paid Hardin a visit at North Avenue Live. I may be acting like a coward, but I didn’t want to risk Sebastian coming crawling back to my place, even if it was with an apology in tow for his behavior. I knew the moment I saw him it would be all forgotten and I’d let him straight into the apartment and forget about what had happened, just so I could have him in my arms and bed.

I was a glutton for punishment and I knew that if I didn’t make him think long and hard about what had happened, then whatever the pair of us shared together would not exist much longer. It was the one thing I dreaded happening, but I knew that I had to show him that I was no pushover. I said I would wait for him to come out and I still stood by that statement but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be faithful and true to me. I needed Sebastian to still have that commitment with me, even if that couldn’t be shown to others. I know that it scared him but he had to try.

“Walker Kennedy, I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight, especially after the last time.” Hardin wiggled his eyebrows at me before pulling out a barstool, indicating to me to take a seat. He snapped his fingers at Jed—one of the guys working behind the bar—and held up two fingers at him with a nod of his head. “Beer, okay I take it?”

“Yeah, that’s fine with me. Thanks,” I replied, grateful that I’d have something ice cold to quench my thirst and hopefully start to fog my brain shortly. “I may end up having a few of these.”

“That bad? Not got that hot guy with you that you went chasing.” I raised my brow at that comment, speechless. I shook my head, trying to take in Hardin’s words. “That guy from when you performed. The one you locked in my bathroom?”

I felt my cheeks redden as the heat traveled up my neck at the realization that Hardin knew what had happened between us. How had I not thought about the cameras that were set up? Now I was panicking who else had seen the footage.

“I-I’m sorry…” I began. Hardin slapped my shoulder and took a drink of his ice-cold beer that Jed had just delivered in front of us both. He shook his head as he took me in and it was as if Hardin could sense my panic. I was lost in a multitude of crazed thoughts as I struggled to find a direction to escape. “It wasn’t planned and I couldn’t switch off.”

“Hold on. It’s okay. I get it, I really do. Some people are just not as confident as others in themselves and I understand that better than most. I’m not going to hold that against you, hell if anything it was hot watching you both. It was just a pity I didn’t get a glance at him or his reaction. That would have been amazing.” Hardin licked his lips before leaning in and crooking his finger for me to move closer toward him. “It made me think about the fuck up of my own life with a guy I wished I had the guts to explore more with.”

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