Page 36 of Taking Chances in Cedarwood

A servant brought the martini, then darted away again.

Cain gritted his teeth. “Well? You haven’t told me what’s wrong with my being gay. Doesn’t it fit your perfect image of me? It makes you feel like you’ve done something incorrectly?” He narrowed his eyes. “I’ve always felt different. I knew when I was fourteen that I wasn’t attracted to women and I wasn’t going to marry a girl. There’s nothing wrong with me and I’m not going to lie any longer. Will my career tank? It might. Will my fans leave? They may, but they might also decide they like the idea of me being gay. I don’t know. What I do know is that I want to be happy. I want to be my own man and I’d love it for you to accept me—warts and all. This is who I am. Love me for me.”

“You’re foolish and throwing everything away.” His mother sipped her drink. “Don’t be stupid.”

He wobbled again.Fine.She wanted him to think of his career? He’d do it. “I need some air.”

“You’re outside and you’re not going to leave this property.” She stepped between him and the door. “Unless you’re meeting with Liam for a run-through or talking to a producer, you’re not going anywhere. I forbid it and I’ve given express instructions to the staff to keep you here. If you so much as think you’re leaving, I’ll know about it.”

“I’m thirty years old.” He couldn’t believe she was behaving this way. “I lived just fine on my own.”

“You pretended and ended up with that man.” Ed shook his head and waved one hand. “You have a job. Do it and don’t bitch.”

“You’re both unreal.” Cain ducked into the house and escaped to his room on the second floor. He flopped onto the bed and his heart ached. He’d become a prisoner. His life was a mess, and no one trusted him. Okay, yes, he’d escaped once, but this was different. He’d tasted freedom and wanted more. No, he needed it just as much as he needed Andrew.

He should have a plan. But what idea would work? He had no life experience with dating or even having a normal relationship. He’d never had either.

“Hi.” Penn ventured into the bedroom. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not in the mood to chat.” Cain continued to stare at the ceiling. Penn was the last person he wanted to converse with, but he had the feeling the younger man wasn’t going away.

“I won’t argue with you.” Penn sat on the bed. “But I’d like to chat. I wanted to apologize, too.”

“You do?” He didn’t trust Penn. “Why?”

“I used to think you were an empty-headed actor, the cookie-cutter Hollywood type,” Penn said. “I used to think you didn’t believe in anything. Then I saw how you stood up to your folks for Andrew. You found something within you. I admire that.”

Penn wasn’t helping, but he wasn’t about to let his frustration show.

“You love Andrew.”

“So?” His gut screamed not to trust Penn, but the more Penn talked, the more Cain wanted to converse. “Are you going to use that against me?” He had to be cautious. “It won’t work. I’m not lying any longer.”

“Who said you should?” Penn sighed. “I didn’t.”

“I know you. Every time you get a little information, you run with it—to Dixon, to my folks, to the producers…” He sat up and finger-combed his hair. “I don’t trust you.”

“I know and I deserve it.” Penn laced his fingers together. “I thought it was being cutthroat, but I helped destroy you and I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry, yet you didn’t say no. You didn’t stop until now.” He left the bed and paced the length of the room. If he wanted to get back to Andrew, he had to be smart. He couldn’t just escape and couldn’t shake Penn. He stopped mid-stride. “Why are you in here? To spy?”

“No.” Penn held his gaze. “I’m here because I want to help you.”

“Really?”God.“Don’t start.”

“Cain.” Penn stood. “Listen to me. There’s a guy I like, and you were the catalyst for me telling him. I want you to be happy in the way I am.”

Cain groaned. “What? Who?”

“His name is Shayne. He’s twenty-six and lives here in Cedarwood.” Penn’s eyes glittered. “The moment we met it was magic.”

“How long have you known him?” He hadn’t been in Cedarwood long and doubted Penn had been there any longer.

“Since you left. I knew you’d escape here because of the movie, so I kept an eye on you. I didn’t say anything to your folks,” Penn said. “They figured it out because of Dixon.”

“So you’re going to blackmail me?” He couldn’t make heads or tails of Penn’s comments.Goddamn it.

“No.” Penn held up his hands. “I’ve seen how it’s killed you to be with people you don’t love. I know how it feels.”

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