Page 16 of Just a Bit Guarded

Throwing his head back, Gadiel laughed. “I’ll pay you a million dollars if you do it in front of him! He’ll have a stroke!”

Will snorted, imagining Zain’s face. He’d be less than impressed for sure. “You don’t have a million dollars, baby,” he said. Over the past week, he’d come to realize that Gadiel wasn’t actually swimming in money. His brother gave him a small allowance, and Gadiel was very careful with it.

“So what do you think about this outfit?”Gadiel said after giving him a strange look.

“I think this pair of jeans is completely identical to the previous one,” Will said honestly.

“It’s not!” Gadiel said with an incredulous laugh. “Are you blind? The fit is completely different!” He turned to the mirror and looked at his ass. “My ass looks better in this one, I think.”

Will looked at said part of Gadiel’s anatomy. He’d always been an ass guy, and there was no denying that Gadiel had a cute bubble butt.

“What?” Gadiel said.

“It’s just strange seeing you in clothes like this. You don’t look like an Arab at all when you wear regular clothes.” It was true. Seeing Gadiel in tight pants seemed almost obscene, probably because he wasn’t used to it.

“I know. I look like my mother.” Gadiel smiled crookedly. “Apparently. I don’t remember her face well.”

Will gave him a long look, taking in his forced smile.“I thought your mother was still alive.”

“Oh, she is,” Gadiel said lightly. “I just haven’t seen her since I was six. I barely remember her.”

“Your father doesn’t allow her to see you?”

Gadiel let out a snort. “Don’t be silly, why would he bother? It would require him to actually remember about my existence more often than every other week. Besides, he doesn’t need to do it. She never tried to contact me after leaving.” His voice sounded very light and carefree. “Can’t blame the woman. She never wanted me. She just couldn’t abort me—father didn’t allow her to. No wonder she hates him—and me. I’m the reason she was forced to marry him after all.” He gave a tight smile. “That’swhy I’m absolutely pro-abortion. Women shouldn’t be forced to give birth to babies they don’t want and can’t love.”

Will grimaced on the inside.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

Gadiel’s throat bobbed. He shrugged, avoiding Will’s eyes. “It’s fine. Itruly barely remember her. Even when I was a kid, I barely saw her around. On the rare occasion I saw her, she seemed either withdrawn or resentful.” Gadielpursed his lips tightly and smiled again. “It was a relief, really, when she finally ran away to her home country and petitioned for the divorce.”

“And your father granted it?”

Gadiel shrugged again. “Why not? There was no love lost there. I’m the result of a drunken hookup. Father married her because Islam doesn’t approve of having children out of wedlock. He didn’t want me either, but he had appearances to keep up, so he was forced to marry her. He seemed as relieved to get rid of her as she was eager to leave us.” He crossed his arms over his chest, all but hugging himself. “It’s fine. It isn’t like I miss her or anything. I never really had a mother. I can’t miss something I never had.”

Will tried not to frown. Gadiel wasn’t the first rich boy with neglectful parents that he’d met over the course of his career; far from it. It was actually surprisingly common. Rich people had some fucked-up relationship dynamics, and Will considered himself immune to that sort of thing. He’d always been good at keeping his distance from his clients. But now he felt uneasy as he imagined a small, blue-eyed little boy waiting and hoping for his parents’ affection in vain. Will found himself thinking about what Gadiel had told him when they’d first met.No one wants me.

Will looked away, struggling with an almost painful wave of sympathy.

“Your brother said you were going to start studying at Oxford after your wedding,” he said. “Are you hoping to reconnect with your mother?”

Gadiel laughed a little. “To reconnect with someone you need to have a previous connection. I wouldn’t expect to see her at all even if I went through with the wedding and left for the UK as planned.” He lifted his chin. “But I have no intention of doing it. I’ll leave the country long before the wedding. I’m going to America with Scott. I’ll—I’ll be happy there—as long as I can.” There was desperation in Gadiel’s eyes. Desperation and aching loneliness.

Averting his gaze again, Will got to his feet. “If we don’t leave now, Romeo, we’ll be late for your date.”

“Fuck!” Gadiel said, glancing at the screen of his phone. “We’re running late! Why didn’t you tell me? I didn’t even finish picking my clothes yet!”

“I just told you,” Will said dryly. “You look fine. Let’s go.”

“Fine? It’s not enough to look fine!”

Will rolled his eyes. “You look great. You’re the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen. Happy now?”

Gadiel blushed. “Really?” he said, a small, pleased smile tugging at his lips as he looked up at Will, almost shyly.

What an odd reaction.

Will stared at that bashful little smile and cleared his throat. “I’m hardly an expert, but you’re objectively very attractive. For a guy.”

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