Page 34 of He's the One

For one split second of horror, Col tumbled back to when he was ten years old before common sense took over. Whatever Robert was about to tell him, it wasn’t that. “Done what?”

“Left Megan and the kids.”

“Fuck it, Robert.” Why was he making this so hard?

“I want you to come back.” Robert took a step towards him. “Everything will be different now. We can be together properly. Make plans. Go on holiday. You can meet my work colleagues.”

“The ones you said were boring, that I wouldn’t like?”

Robert shot him a guilty look. “It was too risky. They might have… We can do stuff at the weekends.”

“When you’ve not got the kids.” Col wanted to bite his tongue off.

“The kids will love you like I do.” Robert held out his hand. “Give me another chance.”

“You shouldn’t have left your family. I told you I didn’t want you to do that.”

Robert let his hand fall. “I’ve done it anyway. It was the only way we could be together. I’ve chosen you.”

Col’s heart was pounding. “No, you haven’t. You’ve chosen yourself.” Had Robert’s wife kicked him out?

“What do you mean?” Robert’s voice had turned sharp.

“You’re not doing what I want. You’re doing it for you. I don’t want to be with you anymore. It doesn’t matter if you choose me, I don’t choose you. Please stop harassing me. I don’t want to see you again.”

As he started to walk away, Robert grabbed Col’s upper arm and pulled him in close.

“You’re hurting me,” Col said quietly.

Robert’s fingers stayed tight around his arm. “I know you’re pissed off that I lied. But you can understand why. Come back to London. For fuck’s sake, I’ve given up my wife and kids for you!”

“I’m not coming back.”

“You fucking—”

“Col!”

That was Theo’s voice. Col turned and saw him hurrying towards them. Robert let Col go. Theo tucked his arm under Col’s, snuggled against him, then pecked him on the cheek, much to Col’s shock.

“Where’ve you been?” Theo asked, then looked at Robert. “Who’s this?”

“Get your hands off my boyfriend,” Robert snarled.

“He doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Theo said.

Robert gave a contemptuous laugh. “Who are you then?”

“His bodyguard who happens to have a black belt in karate.” Theo let go of Col and stood with his arms hanging loose at his sides, his feet shoulder-width apart.

Robert stepped towards Theo and panic surged up Col’s throat. “Robert! Why aren’t you listening when I say we’re done? Leave me alone or I’ll call the police.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, he does,” Theo said quietly. “Fuck off.”

Robert looked from Col to Theo, murder in his eyes, but sucked in his cheeks and walked away.

“You ought to call the police,” Theo whispered.

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