Page 6 of Poles Apart
Actually, Jacob didn’t think it was for the best. He wanted to talk, and he was damned if he would leave without saying something at least.
“Could we meet for a coffee, maybe? Talk about things.” Jacob couldn’t believe he was brushing him off.
“I don’t think so. Let’s stick to me teaching Abby and leave it at that. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to go.” Dom bent and started to pack his things away.
“Seriously, Dom? After all these years, you can’t give me the time of day?” Jacob’s emotions were all over the place. It had been eight fucking years! He’d always fantasised about seeing Dom again, but it never went like this.
“Look, I don’t know what you expected, Jacob. We had fun. It ended. Deal with it. Now, if you don’t mind, I have someone waiting for me.”
Oh, that was how it was then. He’d obviously got a boyfriend, husband maybe? Jacob shouldn’t have been surprised. He was still as gorgeous now as eight years ago. Why had he thought he’d be available?
“Fine, I’ll see you next week then.” Jacob all but ran from the room. He felt humiliated, his mood sinking as he got in the car.
“What was all that about? Do you know him, Jacob?” Abby asked.
“Yeah, we went to college together before I left. You probably don’t remember him. He only came round to the house once.” Abby knew something had happened for Jacob to move away, but she didn’t know the reason why, only that he’d gone to stay with their Aunt Karen and didn’t return until their parents died two years later.
“He seemed nice and a great dancer too. Did he dance when you knew him? Did you know him well?” She never stopped with the questions.
“Enough. I don’t want to talk about it. Yes, he’s a great dancer, and yes, you can continue with lessons. Now drop it, please.” She turned away from him, mumbling something under her breath.
“Stop it. You know I don’t like it when you mumble.” Jacob had had enough today. He just wanted to go home and sulk. He had lessons to plan for the coming week and homework to mark, but he felt so pissed off, he could hardly think straight.
He parked outside their house, and she got out, slamming the door behind her. Fucking great. Now he had to deal with a pissy teenager. It was his own doing, though. No, it was fucking Dom’s doing. If only he’d have spoken with him properly, things could have gone so differently this afternoon.
Jacob walked into their mid-terrace house. It was small but adequate for their needs. There were only the two of them after all. The narrow hallway led into a family room, where they spent most of their time, and a small archway led to the kitchen.
It was about wide enough for one person with workspace on either side. The bathroom was through a small hallway at the end of the kitchen. Jacob had been able to decorate it how he’d wanted to. Light, airy and modern was the look he’d gone for. He hadn’t wanted a house that needed much doing to it when they moved in. With a ten-year-old who he’d not seen much for the past two years and who was mourning the death of her parents, he’d needed to spend as much quality time with her as possible.
Did Jacob mourn the death of his parents? Maybe, but he’d not lived with them for two years before their death, as they’d shipped him off to Durham to live with his aunt. The only reason he’d returned was because of Abby. He hadn’t wanted his sister to go into care, and he was of an age where he could take care of her. So, he’d decided he would come home to Chester.
They’d sold the family home, neither of them wanting to live in the house after the tragedy that had occurred there. No, he didn’t need to dwell on those thoughts today. He had enough to think about after having seen Dom.
He closed the front door and went to find his sister to apologise. It wasn’t her fault Dom had ignored him. He needed to fix this thing with him. Hewasgoing to explain what had happened, why he’d moved away, and maybe then Dom would forgive him. If he couldn’t have anything more with him, he needed him to understand, to see that he had loved him and maybe, just maybe, they could be friends again.
Chapter Three
Dom
The last person he’d expected to see today was Jacob, and all those pent-up emotions, the hurt, the mistrust, the fucking heartache had knocked him for six.
He hated the way he’d behaved towards him, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. He’d known he was being an arsehole. Jacob had tried, he’d give him that, but he hadn’t seemed as upset to see him as Dom was. Maybe that was becausehe’dlefthim, raw and broken.
He’d never admitted to anyone how much it had hurt him when Jacob had left. He’d played it off like it’d been nothing, no big deal. The thing was, they’d kept their arrangement so secret that no one, not even Jordan, had known what was going on.
So, he’d dealt with it, carried on as if his heart hadn’t been broken into a thousand pieces. Although he’d never forgotten him, there was no way he was going to live like a monk. Going to university had been a revelation for him. He’d been amazed at the amount of sex he could get. He’d never been a shrinking violet, and if it was offered, he took it.
Dom laughed out loud as he drove home.Who’d have fucking thought it?Jacob had waltzed back into his life, expecting him to forgive and forget. Not fucking likely. He did wonder what had happened to his parents, though. Jacob and Abby hadn’t mentioned them today, and Jacob had cut him off quickly when he’d talked about their old house. He was curious, but he didn’t need to know. As long as he was being paid, that’s all he was bothered about.
God, he seemed shallow, but he wouldn’t go back there again. Talk about Seb’s heart being fragile; Dom’s heart was exactly the same at this point.
But seeing Jacob again, his blue eyes, his square jaw... Fuck, he was still as attractive as ever. He’d obviously been working out, his shirt stretching over his biceps, his trousers hugging his thighs. Dom’s arse clenched at the thought.
He finally arrived at the apartment, grabbed his stuff out of the car and made his way to their place on the third floor.
He crept in quietly in case Jordan was asleep but was pleased to see him looking more rested, sitting comfortably watching one of his favourite Stargate episodes on TV.
“Hey, how are you doing this afternoon?” Dom asked him, ruffling his hair. If people didn’t know better, they’d say that Dom was the eldest, but Jordan had three years on him.
