Page 39 of Charmed By Destiny

“You’re wrong. I didn’t ask for anything from you. What you gave me is a gift. One that shouldn’t come with strings. I’m sorry, Foxe, but I can’t keep sending you money if you’re going to blow it in a casino.”

“So, what? You’re going to fucking abandon me like my family?”

“If you want help, the Marwoods have resources. Come to Vegas, they’ll ensure you get what you need to help you fight your addiction.”

“I don’t have an addiction, Luke. You know what it is? You’re jealous. I walked into this casino and made money. Lots of money. You can’t do that. Your ass goes into an office every day, and you can’t earn close to what I have right now.”

“I like my job. Stability is great, and I want that in my life permanently.”

“Well, good luck to you, because I’m not going to deal with your shit. I don’t know how you can live with yourself, honestly. After what I’ve done for you, how can you cut me off?”

Hurt, Luke barely held his tears in check. He’d shed them on his own without allowing Foxe to know how badly he was hurting him. They were supposed to be family. Best friends. But the moment Luke tried to get Foxe to control his spending or be responsible, he lashed out and wanted nothing to do with him. Unless, of course, Luke continued to feed his addiction.

“I’m here for you whenever you want help, okay? But I’m enabling you. That’s what I can’t live with any longer.”

“Fuck you, Luke.”

The call ended, and Luke sucked in a shaky breath. Hopefully, this wasn’t the end of his relationship with Foxe. At some point, he hoped Foxe would be ready to embrace something different for himself. Whenever that time came, Luke would be there for him. But he’d do that with a guarded heart.

Luke swiped a tear from his cheek. Letting go was hard, but he believed he was doing the right thing. He didn’t know if their friendship would ultimately survive Foxe’s addiction. Or if he was fooling himself into thinking that Foxe cared for him, but the lure of the casino was stronger.

At this point, it didn’t matter. Their paths had diverted. That saddened Luke, but he was also grateful. Foxe had led him to the Marwoods. Luke had a stable life, a rewarding job, and even a forbidden crush on a man out of his league.

It was a far cry from the endless whirlwind of countless cities, meager meals, and the consummate guilt from unpaid bills. Pulling himself together, Luke tugged on his jacket to straighten it and slipped his phone into his pocket. The day hadn’t started out well, but Luke refused to allow it to be ruined.

Losing Foxe hurt—and Luke would worry about him.

But Luke had his own life to live.

Chapter 15

Richard’s waterproof mascara was holding up despite the number of happy tears he’d dabbed away with his handkerchief during the lovely ceremony which had officially united his brother and the love of his life in matrimony. The pictures would be incredible. Although Gabriel often concealed his emotions, the way he adored Eric had been plain for everyone to see.

And, of course, Eric’s gaze had never been dreamier as they made eternal promises to one another. The beauty of it was nearly enough to convince Richard that anyone could find the right person if they tried. His eyes slid toward the crowd of people heading out of the room to attend a cocktail hour between the ceremony and reception.

Without any effort, he found Lucas amongst the many guests. Lucas was extra scrumptious in his dark suit, and Richard couldn’t believe he’d allowed himself to develop a crush on someone. Wascrushthe right word? Did thirty-year-olds get those?

“Richard,” Maribeth sang from his side.

Annoyed that he had to stop gawking at Lucas, his ire grew as a flash blinded him. “What the fuck?”

“I wanted to capture the look on your face,” Maribeth said. “Damn, you’re squinting.”

“Hello, you had the flash on.”

“Whoops.”

“You should be taking pictures of Eric and Gabriel, not me.”

“They already snuck out.”

“I know that. I organized this event, didn’t I?” Richard asked.

“Why are you so cranky?”

“I’m not. I wasn’t expecting you to blind me with your flash.”

“Sorry, I wanted to document the way you were mooning over—”

---