Page 25 of A Soul to Steal

I was scared for no reason.He never needed to hide anything, and all his wild fantasies of being kicked out were unnecessary.

The hug they’d shared after the truth came to light had been filled with sobs, not just from him and his mother, but his fatheras well – who had been the biggest instigator for their group cuddle.

And rather than making Gideon face Emerie, they did it.

He wished he just had faith in them and had come forward in the beginning, but he heard a few horror stories and just wasn’t able to. When he finally did, it was the most agonisingly stressful day of his life, but it was also the day he was able to truly step into it.

It reshaped him.

Emerie, however, was hit hard by it all, and she was sour with him for quite a few weeks – especially since she felt like he just ripped her whole life away from her. She had plans, and him leading her on only solidified them.

However, what blossomed between them afterwards was powerful. They truly became brother and sister, and their relationship grew strong. She became his best friend, and Gideon hers, and they were there for each other through tough times.

She was also the first person he’d introduced Beau to a few months later since he’d broken up with Thomas. Gideon just couldn’t look at Thomas the same way after he’d ditched him when Gideon needed him most.

A small, sad smile curled his lips, only for them to twitch with humour.

Gideon had never seen Beau coming. Especially since he’d been working alongside the man for two years.

Once the truth was revealed to his parents, Gideon did not give a single fuck who found out afterwards. Why should he when he was accepted by the people who mattered most to him in the world? Word slowly spread, especially between those who knew him.

Beau was tall, large, heavily muscled, covered in hair, and much older than him. Yet, he was so shy and awkward in hisattempts to get closer to Gideon, even just by proximity. He was a quiet man, who didn’t share about himself with anyone, to the point he often became an invisible bystander despite his overbearing size. It was no wonder Gideon didn’t realise he was attracted to men, or that Beau secretly had a crush on him.

One thing eventually led to another, and they formed a really healthy, strong, and loving relationship with each other. One that had persisted for nearly four years.

There were some awkward encounters with others. People had a tendency to pry in such rude ways that it made him want to be violent.

Everyone assumed Gideon was the one often on his back since he was the smaller one of them, when that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Gideon liked to conform to his partner and their desires, since he found pleasure in both receiving and giving.

So many times he wanted to punch the daylights out of someone who asked them who was the top and the bottom, but his follow through only remained at zero because Beau would hold him back with a mature chuckle. He never understood why Beau didn’t get angry by people’s rudeness, especially since it was the equivalent of asking a straight couple about their sex life.

Their private life was no one’s business, and he wished others would give him the same respect he gave them.

Still, regardless of any ups and downs, he’d been happy the day they moved in together. He’d even made plans for the coming autumn to get down on one knee and ask the man to marry him.

Emerie had been helping him plan the perfect proposal with all her heart.

I really hope he found someone after I died. Someone who treats him well, makes him happy, knows that he likes thecolder months because he runs so hot, and that he absolutely hates tomatoes.

Even though his thoughts had sunk to a darker place, they weren’t as... hurtful as before. Pain lingered, but it didn’t feel anywhere near as hollowing or despondent. Instead, a small smile curled his lips.

He probably did. Beau is a good guy, and someone else will have seen that.

His love for the man had ebbed in the wake of realising that they probably just weren’t meant for each other. Gideon didn’t know if he believed in fate, but if it truly was his time to die, he hoped there was a damn good reason for it. He wanted there to be, simply because it made him at ease with all this.

Maybe he was always meant to be Aleron’s friend, in the same way it had all happened so that Ingram and Emerie could meet.

That tickled his chest with relief.

“Gideon?” Aleron asked, tilting his head as he crouched over him.

Shit,he thought, thankful that Aleron had yanked him from his barrage of thoughts. Although, he had to admit he was pleased he was beginning to truly let go of the past.

He cracked the best smile he could muster, only for it to fall when he saw white orbs staring down at him. His features wrinkled into a deep frown. “What’s wrong?”

“I asked you what they are doing now, and you did not answer. I thought... I grew worried that you had faded.”

He scratched at the side of his neck. “Sorry about that.” He tried to laugh it off. “Are they done yet?”

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