Page 17 of The Fault Next Door

All the bathroom doors were open, which freaked him out. He never would have left the doors open. When he stepped into his bedroom, he held his breath, wondering if the person was under the bed. He didn’t really want to get down on his knees to look, but he would have to.

Before looking under the bed, he moved into the bathroom but couldn't find anyone there. It was now or never. If he didn't check under the bed, he would lie awake all night just waiting for someone to shove a knife up through his chest. Not that a knife would make it through his box springs and mattress, but that didn't stop his imagination from working overtime.

He needed to stop watching crime shows. No one was under the bed. He hadn’t heard anyone since he’d entered his house.

Slowly, he dropped to his knees and then bent, peering under the bed. Right then, his back door opened, and Ryder called out.

Nolan screamed as fear pumped through him. Ryder ended up in the hall, staring at him on the floor.

“What are you doing? Did you scream?” Ryder asked as he laughed.

“Someone broke into my house.”

The smile on Ryder’s face disappeared. “What? How do you know?”

“The cabinets were open.”

Ryder narrowed his eyes like he didn’t believe that would be a sign the house had been broken into. “Did they take anything?”

Nothing obvious was missing. The TV was still in place, and his stereo equipment wasn't missing. He glanced at his nightstand and saw that Andrew's photo was missing. Whatever he'd felt before dwarfed in comparison to the panic he was currently experiencing.

“Fuck!”

Nolan hopped up and moved to his closet, grabbing the box with his memories of Andrew. He didn’t stop to think about Ryder being in his room as he grabbed the urn with Andrew’s ashes, seeing that it was still sealed and hadn’t been disturbed.

Nolan hugged it to his chest as he checked the items in the box. They were all still there. Nothing else mattered. Tears spilled down his cheeks as relief filled him.

Ryder knelt beside him. Nolan met his gaze and saw that Ryder’s expression was serious. He froze. Could Ryder tell this box of memories was for his husband? What would he say if he knew?

An excuse that would explain having stuff for a guy in this box was on the tip of his tongue, but it felt like acid, and he couldn’t say it. Ryder squeezed his shoulder and didn’t let go.

"I have a box like that for Amy." Ryder pulled out a photo. It happened to be the one of him and Andrew right after they got married. They were looking at each other like they were the only two people in the world. The love Andrew showed in the way he stared into Nolan's eyes had been nearly magical. It hurt to lookat that photo now. He could almost hear Andrew saying, "I love you, my husband," if he stared at the photo for too long.

Nolan let loose a loud sob, and Ryder set the photo back into the box, then pulled Nolan into a hug. They clung to each other for a long moment, and he wasn't sure what he would say when the hug ended. He hadn't wanted anyone here in Texas to know he was gay.

He opened his mouth to say something that would get him off the hook, but Ryder spoke first.

“He looks like a good man. Was he military?”

Nolan gulped, then nodded. Why deny the truth? He hoped Ryder didn't hold it against him or spread it around town. Why had he moved here to Texas? He should have taken the job in Los Angeles. Sure, he wouldn't have been able to afford to buy a house, but he would have been able to be out and live the life he was supposed to be living.

"Was there a reason you came to this box? Like, wouldn't a thief have taken something else?"

Nolan tried to talk but had to clear his throat first. “The photo beside my bed is gone.”

“It was a photo of him?” Ryder angled his head toward the box.

Nolan nodded. “Yeah. I’d just put the photo of Andrew out last week.”

“Who would want any of this stuff? I mean, I would die if someone took my box of stuff from Amy, but I can’t imagine anyone going after it.”

Nolan closed the box and moved to stand. Ryder helped him up, holding on to his arm even after he was standing.

Pain circled his chest. “Andrew’s mother called. She wanted his ashes, and I thought…”

“Do you think she would break in and steal them?”

"I wouldn't put anything past her. Andrew made me swear I would never let her have his ashes or anything else from him." Nolan's head whipped up, and he met Ryder's gaze as the need to explain filled him. "Andrew was Special Forces. His job was dangerous, and he didn't pretend it wasn't. He made me promise that if he died on a mission, I would never allow his parents to have anything. His mom was an asshole and almost got him in real trouble with the military. She kept showing up on base to try to convince him to leave me and date a woman. He got a restraining order, and she was barred from entering the base. He was so angry that she pulled shit like that. Then I came home, and the photo was missing."

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