Page 29 of Due Dilligence (Takeover)
“Nope. Only you, until you left.” He paused. “I know what was said about Susan and me. There was a night I crashed at her place—on the couch—because we’d been up talking too late. She was gay, too. Well... lesbian, but we had something in common, and it was worse for her, so we let those rumors fly. It protected her. From her family. From the jackasses.”
Well, didn’t that just make him feel lower than the dirt. His chest felt like shredded glass. “I’m sorry seems so trite.”
“That’s because it is.”
Fazil flinched. “I don’t know what else to say. What do you want me to do?” He paused. “You were always so good at deciding things for me.”
“I don’t want you to sayanything,” Todd said. “Just understand thetruth, Z. Accept it.”
Fine.Fazil rubbed his temples, which hurt like hell. He had no choice, because itwasthe truth. “Where does that leave us now?”
“Sitting in a restaurant in Seattle,” Todd said. “Where do you want to go now?”
Home. Or back to the hotel. Away from this—except the pain and his past were part of his skin and bones now. He couldn’t trust his memories, couldn’t trust what he’d remembered of Todd.
I never lied to you about anything.But Fazil had lied to Todd. Lied to himself, too.
If he couldn’t trust himself, maybe he could trust Todd for a change. He’d always had their best interests at heart, even when his plans stretched out years into the future. “I could use a beer.”
Todd flagged down the waitress, but rather than order a drink, he asked for the check. “Change of scenery. You want to see some of Seattle? I’ll take you to my part of town, then you can figure out what you want to do from there.”
Once more, Todd paid, but rather than go directly back to the car, he took Fazil’s hand. “Let’s walk a little. It’d be good for both of us.”
Warm fingers and a soft grip. Fazil’s heart somersaulted, and his chest ached. “Okay.” It came out as a whisper. He’d follow where he was led, like old times. Todd’s fingers entwined with his, and Fazil’s muscles unwound as they explored the market. Bright colors, interesting scents, and plenty of cool things to look at. Sometimes Todd pulled him to a stop—other times Fazil did and they chatted about whatever was in front of them. Food. Knickknacks. Carvings.
Their tastes overlapped, as before. Todd tended toward more colorful items that bordered on garish, while Fazil enjoyed more sedate things. The funny, the whimsical, and the stunning? They both enjoyed those.
If Fazil had met Todd in a bar or a coffee shop, he’d have been taken immediately by his charm and smile.
But they had this past that choked and tightened and threatened to drown Fazil.I have it all worked out, Z. You go to college nearby, and go into teaching. I’ll take over my father’s garage. We can be like this forever.
Some plans were wrong from the start.
They wandered into a comic shop, and for a moment, Fazil was back in high school, buying books for Todd. The memory was like an ice pick to his spine, because everything waswrongnow. He’d been a horrible, awful, cheating person. Fazil had broken his own heart. So easy to run from Todd, but how could he get away from himself?
He couldn’t find the breath he needed.
Todd gripped his shoulder. “How about that beer?”
“Sure,” Fazil whispered.
“It’s going to be okay.”
Fazil followed Todd from the shop. No, it wasn’t. It would never, ever be okay. Everything was broken.
