Page 62 of Just a Bit Guarded

The thing was, he did believe Gadiel. He knew him. He knew how stubborn he could be. He wasn’t bluffing.He really wanted Will to leave.

Or stay and fuck him.

“Yeah,” Scott said, a little snidely. “It’s a bit messed up that you expect me to give you advice on whether you should fuck the guy you stole from me.”

Will bit off,“He was never yours.”

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening.

“Well, well, well,” Scott said at last. “Last month you told me thatGadiel wasn’t a thing that could be stolen. Am I the only one noticing how much your answer has changed? Caveman much?”

The back of Will’s neck felt hot. “I’m not—you misunderstand.”

“No, for once, I think I’m the one understanding it perfectly, and you’re the one failing to understand something.” Scott started to sound amused, the fucker. “For once, I’m the smart one here. I told you a week ago to put distance between you, that the guy had it bad, and you didn’t listen.”

Will pushed the balcony door open and stepped onto it. The night air cooled his face a little as he dropped himself into the plastic chair. The view wasn’t much, but he hadn’t chosen this apartment for the view.

“Oh, shut up,” he said tiredly. “I know perfectly well that it’s my fault I’m in this mess.”

“All right, let me ask you a question. If you aren’t into him, why don’t you just leave? He’s basically begging you to leave. And don’t feed me the bullshit that you’re staying because you’re concerned for his safety. No matter how good you are, you aren’t irreplaceable. If you left, his brother would find a replacement within half an hour.”

Will chewed on the inside of his cheek, staring unseeingly at the dark sky.

Scott was right. He wasn’t irreplaceable. Thinking that he was the only one who could protect Gadiel would be the height of arrogance and delusion.

But the mere idea of leaving Gadiel and having someone else in charge of his safety made him feel... on edge. He didn’t like the thought.He hated the thought. He hated the thought of not knowing how Gadiel was doing.

“I don’t like loose ends,” Will said, which was true enough. But it felt like a lie in this case.

Scott scoffed. “Oh, come on. It’s hardly the first time you stopped bodyguarding someone mid-gig. It’s just a job. Unless itisn’t.”

Grimacing, Will ran a hand over his scruffy jaw. “All right, I’ve grown to care about him. It isn’t a crime.”

Scott hummed. “It isn’t,” he conceded. “But at some point you need to cut your losses. You know he has feelings for you.And believe me, it fucking sucks to have a thing for a straight man.Sticking around will just make him more attached to you. You should have left a month ago, a week ago, but leaving now would still be kinder than dragging it out until his wedding.”

Will stared in front of him unseeingly.

Everything Scott had said was true. Gadiel hadtoldhim himself that he was fucking him up.

Leaving now would be kinder.

But.

He didn’t want to leave.

Christ, what was wrong with him? Last month, he’d been somewhat reluctant to leave too, but noweverythingin him protested at the idea. He was too used to being Gadiel’s bodyguard. To being around him 24/7. To cooking for him, to feeding him, to making him safe and happy. Too used to Gadiel’s bright, pretty eyes gazing at him trustingly. To the hugs and cheek kisses Gadiel gave him all the time. To the need in Gadiel’s eyes. He’d never felt so damn needed in his life.

“I can’t,” Will said roughly. “Leaving feels wrong.”

Silence fell over the line. “Let me get this straight,” Scott said. “Gadiel basically told you that if you stay, he’s going to take it as an invitation to crawl into your bed and ride your dick. And yet, you feel like leaving would bewrong?”

Will sighed, closing his eyes. “It’s not that simple.”

“It’s actually that simple, cousin mine. Like, if a woman gave me that ultimatum, I’d be hightailing it out of there ASAP. Women are awesome, but I’m not going to fuck them. Pussies are icky, no offense. The same logic should apply to you. Should.”

Will didn’t say anything.

“Wait,” Scott said, suspicion creeping into his voice. “Have you had sex with him already?”

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