Page 49 of His Coveted Obsession

“I won’t be long,” he said to me. “Owen, for some reason, likes me reading to him whenever I’m here.”

“It’s fine.”

“We’ll take good care of Thomas,” Sid said.

Easton narrowed his eyes at him. “Be nice to him.”

“I’malwaysnice.”

I didn’t like being left alone without Easton, but there was little I could do.

When Dalton came downstairs, he stepped into the living room. “Can I get you anything, Thomas?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

I stared at the crackling fire, not sure what to say. Usually, I was a chatterbox when I was nervous, but my mind had gone blank. They were really nice men, but you could tell they were protective over Easton, as they should’ve been. I just wanted to make sure I did right by him.

“How are you and Easton doing?” Sid asked when Dalton sat down on the loveseat next to him, handing him a glass of something amber.

“Really good. He’s so amazing.”

“How much do you know of Easton’s past?” he asked carefully.

“Uhm, he told me how horrible and abusive his parents were. I’m so sad for him.”

Sid smiled softly and took Dalton’s hand in his. “Yes. I found him and have taken care of him since. Easton is… different.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“It’s hard for him to… connect with people.”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but I connect with him just fine. More than fine. Uhm, can I ask why you’re telling me this?”

“Easton can’t love. You realize that, right? I want you to be prepared. If you can’t handle that, I’d like you to move on from him.”

My eyes bugged wide, and my jaw dropped. That was a lot bolder than I expected, but I had to respect his honesty and protection over Easton.

“Sid…” Dalton warned. “Be gentle.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “You know… one of the things that first drew me to Easton was how blunt and honest he was. I like that. My dad… Well, he’s a liar and a manipulator. He’s a gambling addict. It started as a coping mechanism after Mom died, but it’s getting out of control. There isn’t much I can do except remind him how he hurts Annie and me. I’m not sure what it will take to get him to stop, but only he can make that decision. If he’s forced to, he’ll only stop temporarily.” I sighed and rubbed my face because it was so embarrassing to talk about. It was the shame that came with having a parent who had an addiction. “The reason I’m telling you this is I need that honesty in my life. I need to know where I stand with a person. That there aren’t any games, especially with dating. Easton does that for me. He protects me and he cares about me.”

“I’m so sorry to hear about your father,” Dalton said.

“Thanks.”

Sid looked at the fire, playing with his husband’s fingers, sipping his drink, lost in thought, before he turned to me.

“He shows care because you give him what he needs. He doesn’t feel things like you or I do. He’ll never love you because he isn’t capable of it.”

I huffed, feeling the agitation burning at this man. I understood he was protecting Easton, but he also wasn’t giving him enough credit.

I stood and paced, my hand clenching and unclenching as the two men watched me carefully.

“You know, for someone who’s supposed to know Easton really well, you sure don’t see what I do. When’s the last time you saw him in a relationship? Never. He’s already told me he can’t feel love, but how do we know how love works? All we know about it is what society tells us it’s supposed to be. It doesn’t have to be some chemical reaction in the brain. Love comes in all shapes and sizes. All that he does for me is… yeah, it can seem transactional. I get that. Easton meets all my needs.Allof them. And in return, I meet his. Isn’t that how relationships work? So what if it’s not a traditional sort of love?” I patted my chest over my heart. “He loves me in his own special and unique way. I know he’d do anything to protect me. And I will always love him and care about him. I will protect him, too. He’s mine, and I’m his.”

I deflated, plopped my butt on the couch, and sighed. God, they were going to hate me. “Ah… sorry for the outburst.”

Instead of the expected anger, Sid threw back his head and laughed. “I stand corrected, kid. Nice speech, but you’re right. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of love. I know Easton cares for us in his own way. I just want you to understand what you’re in for. Being in Easton’s life won’t always be easy. He’s a very complicated young man.”

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