Page 24 of Back to You
“Not when it comes to his boyfriend.Nothing I’ve said has helped.Maybe it’s time you try.”
“As long as you’re sure it’s a good idea.”
“I am.You’re in my life to stay, aren’t you?I’m not going to lose you again?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Ronan promised.
He reached for Vincent but stopped before touching him.It made Vincent want to scream, just like he’d been tempted to do after the almost kiss.There was nothing he wanted more than to feel Ronan’s lips on his.
Maybe it was time to take a chance.Vincent stepped forward, moving so close that Ronan had no choice but to put a hand on his hip.Vincent pressed even closer, but before their lips could meet, Ronan shook his head and stepped away.
Vincent’s heart broke.He wanted to ask why Ronan didn’t want to kiss him, but he was afraid of the answer.Ronan had just said he wasn’t going anywhere, but that didn’t mean he wanted a relationship.The fact that they were mates didn’t mean they had to be together, and maybe things had changed too much between them for them to be.
“I’m sorry,” Vincent said as he tried to move away.
“Wait.I want to kiss you,” Ronan said.
“Then why don’t you?”
“Because there’s something I need to tell you before I do.You should know everything that’s going on because it wouldn’t feel right otherwise.”
Vincent hadn’t needed any more complications, dammit.Couldn’t things go smoothly and easily in his life once?“What is it?”he asked, expecting the worst.
“I told Cam about you and the conversation we had the other day.I also told him we’ve been communicating regularly and that I believe you had nothing to do with what your father did.Unfortunately, that’s not enough.Cam is going to ask someone to dig into your life and ensure that you really weren’t working with Fulton.I didn’t try to stop him.It’s not my place, and he doesn’t have the same faith in you as I do.”
Vincent frowned.“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.Can you tell me what else is stopping you from kissing me?”Vincent wanted the conversation to be over so they could get on with the program.
Ronan cocked his head.“That was what was stopping me.”
“What?”
“I couldn’t kiss you without telling you all of that.It’s not that Cam doesn’t trust you.He just has to think about his people first.”
“Of course he does.Did you think I would react badly to it?”
Ronan hesitated.“He’s going to have someone dig into your life.”
“I don’t have any problems with that.I’m not hiding anything, Ronan.If your alpha finds something, it’ll be something I’m not aware of.”He hesitated.“You knew my father.You know the kind of man he was, so honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he found a way to fuck up my life from the grave.Will your alpha listen to me if I try to explain myself?”
“You think Braden will find something?”
“I want to say no because there’s nothing to find, but Fulton has ruined my life too many times already.”No matter how many times Vincent told himself that he wouldn’t allow Fulton to do so again, he might not have a choice.
“Cam knows your father.Not as well as you do, but I’m sure he’ll be willing to talk to you if Braden was to find anything.”
Vincent nodded.“Good.Can we kiss now?”
“You’re really okay with this?”
“He’s looking out for his people.Considering what my father did to them, I’d have been surprised if Camdidn’tlook into me.I’m not too worried, not about that anyway.Iamworried about the fact that you seem to be making excuses not to kiss me.I realize it’s been a while for me, but I don’t think I’m that rusty.”
The smile that bloomed on Ronan’s lips was worth the awkward joke.He pressed closer again, and since Vincent wanted to make sure he wouldn’t change his mind a second time, he wrapped his arms around Ronan’s neck.He grinned, and Ronan’s answering smile was fond and happy.It brought Vincent back to other times, but he pushed the memories away.
It was time to make new ones.
