Page 29 of Rocking Cedarwood

Chapter Nine

Michael wanted to grab Niall and hug him until everything made sense, but he knew better. Niall needed time to process.

“I’m supposed to meet Bandit. If this is your job, impersonating him so he can be out in public, then that’s awesome and I can totally understand why you can’t tell anyone what you’re doing.” His eyes sparkled and he clapped his hands. “Very cool.” He reached for Michael. “For a moment, I almost thought you were Bandit.”

Michael paused for half a breath to think through how he wanted to do this. “Why don’t we sit? I asked Dex to bring food. Burgers, I think.” He waved his hand at the couch. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Niall leaned in close for a kiss. “Miss you in my bed and our conversations after school. Texts are good, but face-to-face is better.”

“They were great conversations and sexy messages.” Michael eased onto the couch beside Niall. The excitement in Niall’s eyes wasn’t lost on him. His heart broke. He was about to not only crush Niall’s spirit, but destroy Niall’s trust.

“So.” Niall rested his head on the back of the couch. He glanced over at Michael. “I’m looking forward to the concert. Think they’ll play anything off theAtomicalbum?”

“Niall,” he said. “We need to talk.”

“Okay.” Niall placed his hand on Michael’s thigh. “What’s on your mind?”

“Remember how you said you could be yourself with me?” Michael stuffed his hands under his legs to hide the trembling. He wished he could be having this conversation anywhere else but at the concert venue.

“Uh-huh. I feel like I’m myself when I’m with you.”

Fuck. He knew this wouldn’t be easy, but Niall’s honesty and sweet smile made things worse. “Niall, I’ve been lying to you.”

The smile faded and Niall’s eyebrows knotted together. “What—what do you mean?”

He paused but forced himself to look Niall in the eye. Being honest would kill him and destroy his chances of having a relationship with Niall. “I wasn’t around until right before the school year started because I was off doing something else.”

“Because you’re busy being Bandit.” Niall sat up straight. “I can see why you’d keep that away from the school folks. They’d have a shit fit.”

“Niall.” He grasped Niall’s hand. “I don’t know how to say this.”

“You’re pregnant?”

Niall’s ridiculous question made him pause again. “Why would I be pregnant? I’m a guy.”

“It was a bad joke to get you to smile.” Niall rubbed his thumb across the back of Michael’s hand. “If you don’t stop tensing, you’ll blow a vessel.”

He couldn’t smile. The emotion evaporated from him. He composed himself again. “Remember you asked me about a phone call? You said someone warned you about your future being screwed up?”

Niall nodded slightly. “Yeah. I thought the guy was a kook.”

“He wasn’t.” He swallowed against the lump of emotion in his throat. “I do have a carefully constructed facade.” He placed his finger over Niall’s lips. If Niall said something, he’d never finish. “When I was in college, I was in a band. I didn’t expect it to go anywhere but the rest of the band was ready to go all the way. I got my degree and played in the band. Right after I graduated, we hit it big. I wanted to teach, so the Blackhearts went out on their own. Most of the venues wanted me.” Unable to contain the nervous energy, he bounced his foot on the floor. “I waited two years before I started at Cedarwood because I was on tour. Remember the Axis tour? We played Cleveland like five times.”

“Yeah. I was at the second show.” Niall shook his head. “I don’t understand. You’re playing the role of Bandit. You’re not the real guy.”

“I am.” He touched his arm. “The tattoo, the piercing…shaving my head…it’s all part of the other half of my life. I don’t really have a tattoo—I hate needles—and the piercing was real, but I don’t keep it in. I’d rather cover the hole with my chin fuzz.”

Niall frowned but said nothing.

“I knew I wanted to be in a band, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be Bandit for the rest of my life. The job at Cedarwood came along and I refused to pass it up because I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, too. Only Dexter and my manager knew. Even the rest of the band thinks I sit in my mansion and write music. They have no idea I’m a teacher and I don’t have a big-ass house.”

“I don’t believe it.” Niall stared at him. “How? Why?” He winced and eased away from Michael. “Why would you lie about something like this?”

“I didn’t exactly lie,” Michael said. “I omitted the truth.” Only a big, crazy omission that could screw up everything he’d worked for. He could lose Niall.

“Same thing.” He stood and paced the length of the room. “I don’t understand.”

“I know.” Michael rubbed his hands over his head. His scalp tingled from the fresh shaving. “I don’t know how to explain this any better.”

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