Page 43 of One is Never Enough

“I wanted to introduce you?—”

“I thought I made myself perfectly clear the last time you were here. I don’t want anything to do with you or your new family. You lost that right when you insulted Oliver.” I look at who I’m assuming is Darlene. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt here and assume you’re a good person. If that’s the case, get the fuck away while you can. And everything he’s told you about our relationship is a lie. We don’t have a relationship because he doesn’t like that I’m gay.” Her eyes widen, and I laugh. “You didn’t know that, did you? That’s all you should need to know then. Get away while you still can.”

“Aiden,” my dad grits out. “Now isn’t the place.”

I look around the empty lobby and at Molly, who sure as hell knows that I’m gay. Then I look back at Dad. “Are you that ashamed of me that you couldn’t even tell your fiancée that your son is gay? Or you didn’t want to tell her that you call me a faggot every chance you get? I want you to leave me alone. I don’t want to play your pretend game that we’re a happy family. I have a real family now, and it sure as hell doesn’t include you.”

“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” Dad growls, stepping toward me.

“Jace?” Jace and my dad had words years ago when I was still in college. To this day, I still have no idea what was said. All I know is that Dad didn’t contact me again until the last time in my office. Jace has always been huge, so my guess is that he put the fear of God in him. “No. It’s because of you. You have no one to blame but yourself.”

Dad storms toward the elevator, leaving Darlene standing there. “I asked him to bring me here because he said you couldn’t travel right now,” she says quietly. “I had no idea this is how things were between you guys.”

“Now you do. Like I said, run while you can. That’s not someone you want to be associated with.”

Darlene looks at the hallway he disappeared through. “No. I suppose not.”

“Do you have kids?”

She turns back to look at me. “I have two sons and a daughter.”

“That’s not the man you want in their lives.” She nods, and I see tears welling in her eyes because she’s seeing him for who he really is. “Do me a favor. If any of them ever come to you and tell you something that will change their whole lives, don’t shut them out. Be there for them.”

“Aiden, I’m so sorry.” She grabs my hands, and it’s the most motherly thing I’ve felt in a long time. “I promise to always be there for my kids.”

“Good. Do you need a ride home? I can send you in a car so you don’t have to ride back with him.”

“You’re a good man. If it’s not too much trouble, I think I’ll take you up on that.”

I pull out my phone and text my driver, who says he’ll be there in ten minutes. I relay that information to Darlene and head back to my office. I call security when I get there and tell them not to let my father back in the building. After all that, I dial Oliver.

“Hey,” he answers on the second ring, and I relax in my office chair.

“I just needed to hear your voice.”

“Is everything okay?”

“It is now, Darling. What are you up to?”

“Me and Leland are watching Jace work out.” I hear Leland laugh at that in the background, and it makes me smile.

“You are, are you? Is he all sweaty?”

“Who knew sweat could be so hot? He’s all bulgy and muscly right now.”

“Send me a picture.”

I hear Oliver fumble with his phone, and then my phone vibrates with a message. I put the call on speaker and pull up Oliver’s chat screen. Sure enough, Jace is mid deadlift with more weight than I can lift. He has sweat pouring down his shirtless chest, and I totally get why Oliver’s watching him.

“He does that so he can throw you around,” I say with a laugh.

“He can throw me around any time.”

“Where’s Toby?”

“He had to meet Zac and Vince at Inferno. Will you be home soon?”

“Yes, Darling, I will be. I’ll bring dinner. Will Leland still be there?”

---