Page 68 of Until the Day You're Mine

Something about his attitude spoke to Tayida on a very personal level. While Cyril had been teaching him to harness his bitterness into doing something good, Sullivan simply dared him to set fire to that sky-high shit-pile of insecurities weighing him down.

Get angry.

Get even.

Get your man and your life back.

When they first met, Ty had been horrified and suicidal. It didn’t take long for Sullivan to identify the signs of someone on the brink of a desperate decision. He had done everything in his power to slowly drag Ty away from the ledge and show him how to trust again. Feel safe. Heard. Understood. Accepted.

“Hey. Hey. Hey buddy!” Sullivan is snappy his fingers practically under his nose.

Ty jolts back startled. This stealthy fucker gets him every time. He must have been standing there way too long zoning out thinking about shit.

He groans, “What?”

“You see something you like, pretty boy?” Sullivan mocks him with a hand on his hip, arching his back a bit. “You into this domestic discipline shit? I’m happy to put out, but no spanking, okay?”

Ty arches an eyebrow, then smirks, “Not getting in bed with you if my life depended on it bud. No offense, but I don’t think I can handle your level of perviness, okay?”

Sullivan gives him an outraged head-to-toe look, seemingly considering the possibility of them ever crossing that line. After a beat, he snorts in mock offense, “Suit yourself. Too big and way too sweet for my liking anyway. I prefer my guys mean and mouthy, with a solid dash of kinky. It takes a lot to handle this much…stamina.” He’s pointing to his dick of course. Ty rolls his eyes. Yes, he has seen his dick, and Sullivan is unfortunately right. Someone really fucking crazy would be down to get their insides rearranged by the anaconda he’s hiding in his pants.

Well, that settles it.

He walks over to Sullivan and grabs his own mop.

“I'm sorry,” Ty mutters after a while. They’ve been laughing and joking like it’s not their last day together.

Sullivan looks up forcing a small smile. “What for?”

Ty shrugs his shoulders.

Right.

Because I’m leaving you behind and it seems that’s all I’ve ever done.

Walked out on my dad.

Left Cyril to deal with his pain alone.

Deserted Rian when he needed me the most.

What’s one more friend to abandon?

But I have to go. I must.

They work in silence for a while, their earlier conversation forgotten, each lost to his own thoughts. As they move out into the hall, getting ready to lock up, Sullivan clasps his arm and Ty looks up to see his eyes are a bit watery. Tayida drags him into a fierce hug and crushes him to his chest. He is fully aware that after tonight after their work is finished and they share their last evening meal together, he’s not going to see Sullivan again.

His friend breathes out in a rush, “You never deserved to be here. Don't ever visit. Don't call. Don't write.”

Ty tucks him in even closer. “You know I can’t do that. I need to make sure you get all the dirty magazines you require to survive in this place. Getting you that subscription forKinky Twinksas soon as I get out of here.”

Sullivan huffs a laugh and shoves him away. Ty looks at him for a long while, contemplating his next words. There is something he might actually need to saysorryfor.

“I need to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it.”

* * *

They are roundingup a corridor in an area they’re not supposed to be in. If they get caught, they have exactly zero excuses to justify their presence there. Ty has tried to convince Sullivan to go back to the mess hall, but his friend has simply led the way to the meeting point without so much as slowing his pace.

---