Page 76 of The Bargain

Holy shit! My picture was up there!

26

SEBASTIAN COURTLAND

I’d been standing thereas Kaylan had taken Byron’s call.

Of course, I might have also gotten a quick call from my mother hours earlier telling me her plan to woo Byron into taking the COO job at Stanton Holding and that if I promised to not fuck it up again, shemighttry to sneak in a good word for me.

I’d planned everything to the second days ago with help from Rome, Pierce, and Declan, but I’d been stuck in a holding pattern until I could find the perfect moment to spring it on Byron.

Kaylan might have enjoyed his part of trying to talk Byron out of coming back to me a little too well, but he’d gotten what I needed—a timeline for Byron’s arrival and the reassurance that he would cut through Fountain Square to get to the office.

Now he was standing in the center of the downtown park, staring openmouthed at the jumbo screen as it scrolled slowly through more than a dozen pictures of my sweet Byron. Most of them were taken from corporate events where people had snapped candid shots of him smiling and laughing. There were even some more recent pictures of him helping at my mother’s charity fund raiser.

And then there was the picture that threw our life off track.

When you stepped away from the turmoil and chaos, all you could see was the love and the happiness. They were beautiful pictures of two men seated on a park table framed by dark-green leaves, sharing a tender, intimate moment.

I wanted to include them here to remove the stain that had inadvertently tainted their beauty. I just hoped that Byron could see their perfection as well.

As the pictures flashed by one after another, the apology I’d recorded played on the outdoor speakers for all the city to hear.

“Byron Graham is the most honorable, amazing man in Cincinnati. He started working for Courtland Enterprises three years ago as the executive assistant for the CEO. During his time there, he exemplified determination, hard work, compassion, and courage. There was no task too big or too small. Everything he touched, he gave his all to make sure that it was the best it could be.

“But most importantly, he touched countless lives at Courtland Enterprises. Everyone who worked with him remains in awe of his dedication and thoughtfulness. For him, it was more than getting a job done. It was about supporting and protecting his coworkers when times were tough, while never asking or expecting the same support. Byron’s only mistake was daring to date a man who wasn’t worth a tenth of him…”

I walked up behind Byron, barely listening to the audio. I’d spent days writing it and going over it, trying to word the apology just right. There were three little words missing to it, and those I wanted to say to his face. He was such a private person. I was afraid he’d hate this. Yet, our lives had been torn apart in a very public way. It felt right that the entire world would see my apology to him.

My eyes were locked on his stiff form as he watched the screen. He was in the suit I loved him most in—a lovely charcoalgray with a pale-blue-gray button-down shirt and understated tie. But his suit was wrinkled and drenched with sweat. His normally perfect hair was also soaked in sweat, and his face was bright red. Had he run here?

But even in all his flushed sweatiness, he was still perfect. My arms ached to hold him, to gather him close and tell him I loved him with everything I was.

A murmur of noise was building in volume. People had stopped watching the video and had now turned toward Byron. They were pointing and whispering as they realized that the person the video was intended for was standing amongst them.

The audio stopped, but the pictures continued to scroll. A ragged gasp from Byron gripped my heart and squeezed.

Taking an unsteady breath, I spoke. “Byron?”

He swung around, his eyes wide and shimmering, with tears poised to slip down his face. I dropped to my knees and held out my empty hands in front of me.

“My life is nothing without you in it. Just a great black emptiness where my heart used to be. I don’t deserve a second chance. I’m sorry for failing to protect you. I’m sorry for not taking the danger to your livelihood as seriously as I should have and not fully considering the weight that rested on your shoulders. If you give me a second chance, I swear I will do better. I won’t treat every problem as something to be solved with my checkbook. Your feelings and the well-being of your family will always come first. Byron Graham, I love you and I swear I will love you until the end of my days. Please, will you take me back? Can we try again?”

Byron covered his mouth with one of his hands, his tears finally breaking the dam that held them and slipping over his fingers. The audience we’d accumulated was calling out helpful suggestions. And not so helpful suggestions.

“Take him back!”

“Say yes!”

“Say no! Make him suffer!”

“Give the poor guy a second chance!”

Thankfully, my sweet Byron didn’t leave me to hang in uncertainty for too long. He extended one of his hands to me as he nodded.

“God, yes please,” he choked out as he lowered his other hand from his mouth.

I’d barely made it to my feet when Byron launched himself at me. His lithe body crashed into mine, wrapping his arms behind my neck as my arms closed on his waist. The first touch of his lips was heaven. Thunderous applause broke out across the square, drowning out the rush of cars that echoed up the tall buildings. Now that I had Byron in my arms, everything else faded away. There was no one else that mattered to me.

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