Page 12 of The Truth of Loving You

“I know you’re going in the wrong direction because I have a buddy that lives in your building. It stuck in my head.” Cole had the nerve to jog up to me.

He thwarted my determination to leave with an ounce of dignity. A small shred was all I was asking for after my epic panic attack last week and speech tonight. He made me want things I’d never have, but he wouldn’t let me go. Cole was going to cost me a million dollars in therapy bills.

“It’s not your concern.” I paused at the street corner under the light.

Cole closed the short distance between us, and his green eyes blazed with an unnamed emotion. “I’m making it my business.”

Turning, I started back toward the club, figuring the best plan was to ask someone to borrow their phone. I was not the average person, rather a savant, so I’d memorized all the numbers in my phone. Cole fell into step beside me, his arm occasionally brushing mine, and it somersaulted my stomach.

The friend Cole borrowed the jacket from leaned against a building, tossing a piece of candy in the air and catching it in his mouth. I recognized him from Unframed Art. He pushed off the wall as soon as he saw us. “Shane, good to see you.” He smiled at my surprise. “I’m Alec, remember?”

His eyebrows raised as a scowling Cole handed him his jacket.

“Hi,” I said.

“The tat still doin’ okay?” He moved closer. “The mock-up was incredible, but I’d love to see the finished product. Do you mind?” Alec gestured to my shirt buttons. I nodded, and his fingers brushed my shirt.

Cole caught Alec’s wrist. “Do. Not. Touch. Him.”

Alec burst into laughter. “That’s what I thought.”

My too-fast brain was having trouble computing the meaning behind the words. The logical conclusion that Cole was staking some sort of claim on me was immediately banished to prevent any false expectations.

“You two headed home?” Alec grinned.

“No,” I answered as Cole said, “Yes.”

Cole’s eyes bore into me.

“Actually, I’m in a bit of a bind.” I focused on Alec and refused to look at Cole. “Can I borrow your phone? My devious, dead-to-me sister has my phone, wallet, and keys.”

Within ten minutes, I found myself panic ridden in the back of an Uber with Cole on the way to his apartment.

Chapter six

Cole

Shane’sshallowbreathingandtight lips lasted the entire ride to the apartment. I’d touched his bouncing thigh to calm him, but that made his breathing worse. I couldn’t blame him. I almost got into a fight with my best friend and all but marked Shane as mine, all the while making it clear that nothing would happen between us. But the thought of Shane leaving with Alec enraged me so much that my irrational solution was to kidnap him.

“Mr. Branson,” my doorman greeted, “and Mr. Reynolds. It’s nice to see you again.” He held the door open for us.

“Saul, I told you to call me Shane.” Shane smiled.

I couldn’t decide if I should be impressed that Saul knew Shane’s name, or if it should bother me. Reason one hundred to abort mission: save Shane. I’d argued that he’d gotten me home safely, and I was returning the favor. I needed to hold onto that lie.

“Yes, Mr. Shane. Mr. Branson, will you need a grocery delivery?” Saul asked. Saul was quick to anticipate the tenants’ needs, and it’d be good to have food tomorrow morning.

“I’ll text you a list, if you don’t mind.” I let him punch the elevator button for us while I scrolled to find an old grocery text for him.

“No trouble at all.” Saul smiled. “It’s nice to have you back.”

I nodded but didn’t tell him that this was a one-time thing. After Shane finally agreed to come to my apartment, a wave of guilt had overtaken me. I didn’t want to take him to where I was currently living, and Shane had already been to the Greenwich Village apartment. But I shouldn’t have brought him here. It felt wrong.

At my door, I punched the key code in.

“This is new,” Shane observed.

“Yeah, they were waiting for my approval to replace the old lock.” I opened the door, and he immediately approached our floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the view.

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