Page 41 of One Chance to Stay
“Cara left me without a reason. We weren’t unhappy, but I remember her saying, ‘I can’t make you happy the way you need.’”
My heart broke for Seamus. I had spoken to dozens of men at the bar in a similar situation. Married to their high school sweetheart, they followed in the steps of their parents. Many were held in place by their sense of loyalty. It wasn’t an uncommon story.
“Do you think she knew?”
He nodded.
I had a thousand questions, but I bit my tongue. This moment wasn’t about me, and I needed to choose my words carefully. What started as pestering him for a smile had taken a sharp turn. The walls had crumbled, and I didn’t want him to thrust me out as that steely exterior reformed.
“Are you happy?”
Seamus pulled back, eyes soft as he stared. Three simple words should come with an equally simple answer, but that was never the case. We stumbled our way through as if the solution required equations from high school calculus. Three words asked for a tally sheet of our accumulated emotions.
“I’m happier.” Seamus’s fingers squeezed my hand. His confession eased the tension in my chest. I was about to ask him what made him happy when reality set in.
Me.
Seamus trusted me enough to share something he had never spoken to another soul. More than that, I had been the person to move the needle. I feared this revelation would come with added pressure. Perhaps it did, but it seemed our stories weren’t so different.
“What happened to Tom Strickland?”
He shook his head.
“Another time.” I moved in for another kiss. We had gone from hesitant gestures filled with fear tothis. He held my neck, not letting me come up for air. The firmness of his grip was enough to get my engine roaring. Having Seamus in control, using the strength in those arms… okay, maybe I saw the appeal of being a bottom.
“I never thought—” He put a finger to my lips.
He pushed me back before getting up on his knees. His underwear had caught around his knees, forcing him to waddle down the bed. The goofy movements left me with an equally goofy grin. The more I saw the other side of Mr. Serious, the more I found myself… enticed? Curious? The emotions in my chest would need serious unpacking.
“My turn,” he barked.
“Don’t you mean my turn?”
Seamus reached for the button on my jeans. How did he make it look so easy? He pulled the zipper down, each click making me more excited.
“I said what I said.”
Who was I to argue with his logic as he crawled down my body?
BEAUTY IN THE ACTION
Jon: Patrick has a secret.
Amanda: A good one?
Jason: Is this like when you saw Bigfoot?
Jon: I stand by that!
Amanda: Walter forgot to wear a shirt!
Jon: Evelyn says he’s been staying out all night.
Amanda: All night?
Jon: ALL night.
Jason: This constitutes a scandal.
