Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Hop’s arms came around his waist. “Neither did I.”
“Spend the day with me?”
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Both. I need space.”
Rafe didn’t like that idea. Not. One. Fucking. Bit.
But what could he do about it?
No matter how close they’d become, there was still so much history between them. And so many obstacles. Hop was still his father’s son. And Rafe was still struggling against the current that had carried him farther and farther away from who his father had raised him to be. Until he signed the contract, Roland Lockwood would stand between them—a threatening storm too dangerous and too clever to circumvent.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sunday night at Ansel’s, Hop was quiet. Conversation flowed around him, but he didn’t pay attention. It was a good thing there were so many people around. Otherwise his silence might have been noticed. As it was, Z and Ansel bickered. Tam and Jae talked dance and the boyfriends discussed everything from motorcycles to renovations.
All these years, he’d thought Rafe had given up on him. He’d blamed Rafe for keeping him from his father, blamed him for replacing him, and even blamed him for saving him and then disappearing from his life.
Now he knew that not only had Rafe known about his crush, he’d also lied to his father to protect him. This along with knowing exactly how far back Rafe’s rebellion went meant...
Maybe it started because of Hop.
His heart kicked hard, did a jump split, and landed in a spin.
Ansel elbowed him, bringing him out of his musings. “What’s up with you?”
Everyone was looking at him like he was a bug under a microscope. “What do you mean?”
“This is your intervention,” Z said.
“What the hell?”
“He’s kidding,” Tam said.
“No, I’m not.”
“We’re concerned for you. Where did you go last night?” Ansel asked.
“I fail to see how that’s your business.”
“Did you have a date with Sugar Daddy?”
“Why do you care?”
Ansel moved to sit on Fitch’s lap. “You deserve to be someone’s Sunday not just a Saturday night.”
Whether he knew it or not, Ansel’s remark hit Hop where he was most tender, square in the chest. “Thanks for your concern, but if I want to get screwed into last week, it’s my life. Besides, I’m not looking for dinner parties and back massages.”
“If it’s just sex, why don’t you talk about it?” Ansel asked.
“Because it’s...private.”
“Is he fugly?” Z asked. “You don’t want us to know how low your standards have gotten?”
“Please, bitch. I’ve got heels higher than your standards, you’re one to talk.”
Connelly’s eyebrows rose. “Hey.”
“Sorry, not you. You’re cool.”
“Uh, thanks?”
“Don’t get distracted, Hot Fudge.”
“Azariah, babe, maybe you need to lay off. Hop doesn’t seem like he wants you prying into his private life.”
“Did you forget what happened when I pushed everyone away?”
“That’s not what I’m doing,” Hop said. “I’m just... I...it’s personal.”
“Is he married?” Jae asked.
“No, I’m not a complete idiot.”
“Then why the secrecy?” Tam asked.
“There are reasons, let it go.”
“Anyone who insists on keeping your relationship hidden probably isn’t in it for the long haul,” Fitch chimed in.
“Long haul? Who cares?”
“You do, stupid.” Ansel shook his head.
Ansel was right. He did care, but he still wasn’t sure how to deal with it. Denial? Not exactly. More like self-doubt and these new weird emotions he hadn’t had time to get a handle on.
“Like I said, thank you all for your concern, but please lay off.”
“We only meddle because we love you,” Tam said, hugging Hop’s shoulders.
“I know. That’s why you’re not dead.” Hop laughed to take the sting out.
“Like you could take us, remember Ansel knows a dozen ways to kill a man with his bare hands.”
“Maim, not kill.”
Z waved a hand in the air. “Same difference. You were trained by an ex-Navy SEAL. Hop would be toast.”
After that they debated who’d win against whom in various battle scenarios, with Hop always losing. He didn’t let his brain drift again, doing his best to participate in the conversation. It wasn’t as if he wanted to lie to them, but they weren’t just his secrets to spill. Plus, his friends would never understand what drew him to Rafe, not after the incident at their audition.
* * *
Much to Hop’s consternation, Rafe did as he’d asked and gave him space. No text at all on Sunday meant Hop had barely slept. Then Monday morning, he’d gone to work to find five different people had the flu.
Tuesday night he started feeling like shit. Little sleep and a persistent virus did that, he guessed. But what really upset him was how much he missed Rafe.
He didn’t need a man to make him happy. He’d been perfectly fine before he’d gotten involved with Rafe. So why now was his mood tuned to Rafe’s? It wasn’t fair.
Somehow, he dragged himself out of bed on Wednesday morning and into the kitchen to find a note his mother had left for him. Right. He’d forgotten she was out of town until next week for a work retreat.