Page 13 of Once Upon An Ever After
Beau’s eyebrows hit his hairline and he stared at the handsome man in front of him. It looked like Dawson but it didn’t sound like Dawson. Mostly because he had never once in the entire year that he had known the man, seen him angry. But that’s exactly what he was now and it threw Beau so completely that he couldn’t find his voice and Jonny was left to speak first.
“Hi, I’m Jonny, Beau’s date for the evening. You must be Dawson Frost.” He extended his hand but Dawson only looked at it and then at Beau.
“You brought a date?”
“I…” Beau swallowed hard when Dawson’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Can we talk? Somewhere private?”
“I don’t think…” He tried again but Dawson wasn’t listening.
He grabbed Beau by the arm and all but hauled him away. Beau didn’t even think to tell Jonny that he would be back in a second. He had no idea what he’d been expecting when he saw Dawson tonight but this wasn’t it.
Dawson wouldn’t be so upset if he didn’t care, right?
Down a small hallway under the stairs, Dawson pushed open a door and pulled Beau inside. He shut the door behind him so hard it rattled in its frame. Beau had only a second to take in the small bathroom they’d entered because as soon as he turned around Dawson was in his face, so close in the tight confines of the tiny room that Beau could see the ring of silver around his blue eyes and smell the mint on his breath when he spoke.
“Why did you bring a date?” Dawson demanded but as soon as Beau opened his mouth to answer Dawson shook his head, “I’m supposed to be your date. You’re my date. We planned this entire wedding, together. We were supposed to come together. I thought you knew that.”
Beau frowned, “Yeah, well, I thought I knew a lot of things that turned out not to be true this week.”
“What?” Dawson blinked and then his eyes widened. He stepped back, putting only a few more inches between them but still, Beau was grateful for them. Dawson cursed, “Dammit. I’m an idiot. Bran is a fucking idiot and I never should have listened to him.”
“Huh?” Beau questioned.
“My brother. I went to him for advice and he told me to give you space after that night at your apartment. He said to give you time to get over your panic and not to push.”
“Mypanic?” Beau scowled at the words.
He wasn’t the one who had panicked. Was he? He thought of how he’d locked himself in his bathroom and refused to speak for Dawson for days. Okay, yeah, maybe he had panicked but he hadn’t been the only one.
Dawson continued, “I knew I should have just come straight back to your apartment and banged on your door until you opened up and talked to me. I needed to just come right out and tell you the truth that night but Bran convinced me to wait.”
“The truth?” Beau was trying to keep up, really he was, but it was hard to think with Dawson so close to him, all that intensity coming off of him in waves, and it was pointed straight at him this time with no distractions.
“I love you.” Dawson went still as he met his gaze, as solid and steady as he always was. “I’m in love with you. I think I’ve always known, I just didn’t know what it meant for us but I do now. We’re meant to be together, Beau. You and me. I want us to be together.”
Beau’s stomach twisted and he forced himself not to fall on Dawson right then and there. All the words were right but the timing was all wrong. He’d wanted Dawson, wanted this, for so long, but not like this. He shook his head, causing Dawson to frown at him.
“Dawson…”
“Don’t tell me you don’t want it to.” He cut him off.
“Dawson.” Beau repeated softly, “You don’t want to be with me, not the way I want to be with you, you’re just scared you’re going to lose me and you hate losing people.”
“That’s not true.” Dawson tilted his chin up and then sighed. “Okay, it’s partly true. I’m not good at losing people but it’s not just anyone. It’s people I love and I love you, Beau. Do you hear me? I love you. I’m in love with you.”
“You’re not even gay, Dawson.”
“Yeah, about that, it seems my sexuality isn’t as straightforward as most people.” Dawson’s lips curled at the edges, “Turns out my sexuality is you.”
Beau was dreaming. Clearly this was another elaborate fantasy. He wasn’t really tucked away in a small bathroom with Dawson Frost. The man of his dreams had not just told him that he wanted to be with him. But if it had been a dream, he wouldn’t have argued and he couldn’t seem to stop himself from reminding Dawson of the cold hard facts, even if they hurt.
“You can say that, but you weren’t attracted to me that night. In my room, in the heat of the moment? You weren’t into it.”
“That’s not true.” Dawson raised his voice and then lowered it again, stepping close so his words were soft and intimate. “I was. I was so into it. I fucking loved touching you, Beau. Seeing you come? Knowing it was because of me? It was a rush like I never knew was possible.”
“Daws…” He tried to step back, the intimacy too much to bear, but there was nowhere to go and his back hit the wall.
