Page 20 of Past Lovers

He gave Clay a few minutes to get out of there, wondering if his legs would even work if he tried to move. Once he was sure Clay’d had time to get into his car, he wandered over to Jesse. “I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

Jesse turned to look at Adam. “I figured this was one of you guy’s usual fights… and you just needed a kick in the ass to clear the air.”

“I realize you had the best of intentions, but leave this one be,” Adam said before wrapping an arm around Jesse’s shoulder. “Time heals all wounds.”

Does it? Does it really? Maybe not in this case.

“What the hell happened?” Jesse said.

Adam took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Bad shit, Jesse. The kind friends don’t get over.”

Jesse tilted his head some, a questioning look on his face. “I suppose you’re not going to tell me anything more.”

Adam shook his head. “Nope. I’m not. Like I said. Leave it be. Maybe after the wound heals, we can learn to be around one another again, but that’s going to take a long, long time.”

“We’ve all been friends for too long to just let things be. If it’s this bad, you guys need to talk it out.”

“Stop,” Adam said.

“I don’t want to end up having to choose between you. You’rebothmy friends, and you need to fix this.”

“Maybe we can… but forcing us both into the same room isn’t the way to make that happen.”

Jesse frowned.

“Promise me you won’t do it again.”

“I promise,” Jesse muttered.

“Good,” Adam said. He released Jesse’s shoulder and glanced out the glass doors. “I think he’s likely gone now. I’m heading out.”

“If he’s gone, youcouldstill come hang with us. You said you needed something to drag you out of this funk.”

Adam smiled, faking it. He felt utterly exhausted. All he wanted was his bed… “Not tonight. Maybe next time.”

He headed out, the fake smile slipping from his lips as he crossed the parking lot. Adam slid behind the wheel and sat there a moment, not ready to drive.

Not when his mind was a whirl of thoughts.

After a couple of minutes, he started the engine.

He didn’t want to go home.

He wanted to find Clay.

Bad idea.

Adam headed home, the safest place for him that night.

* * * *

Clay sat in the lot, drumming his hand on the wheel as he watched Adam crossing to his car. He desperately wanted to talk to the guy—to ask the questions that had kept him up at nights since learning of the deception.

Ultimately, he couldn’t move.

Adam drove away, putting more miles between them than already existed.

He gazed down at the fortune in his hand.

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