Page 84 of A Minute More

“If I moved across the state to be with you, everyone would think I’m insane.”

I peek up at him and then look away, not wanting to do this now. I asked and he refused. It’s fine.

I don’t need to discuss it.

“It’s okay. I get it.”

His arms fall to his sides and he steps up behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“I… Fuck it. I’ll do it.”

My lips part, and I find myself slightly lightheaded. “What?”

“I’ll do it. I don’t have anything here…and why the fuck not, you know? Life is short. We need to do what we want when we want.”

So simple for him. Everything is so damn simple. His smile widens as I just blink at him in the mirror and he presses his lips to my neck, right against my thundering pulse.

“I feel you. Feel how nervous you are, but what do we have to lose?”

Everything, I think, but I let him turn me around and kiss his way to my mouth, let him set me up on the counter and make out with me until I forget my own name.

It’s only when I hear the pounding on my front door that I’m wrenched back to reality and stumble to my feet.

John.

I shouldn’t have ignored him.

“Simon! Let me in!” John bellows, and I wrench on some boxers and rush to the door, pulling it open and seeing a disheveled man standing before me. He reminds me so much of James, of what James would have looked like had he lived.

But he’s gone.

John’s bloodshot eyes swivel down to my unkempt, barely clothed state and then travel behind me to where Wesley stands.

“What the fuck? Who is this? You with him?” he asks, his voice broken and raspy.

I swallow and nod, not sure what to say.

“He’s barely cold in the grave and you’re with this guy now?!” he’s shouting, losing his shit, and Wesley is at my side, looking so fucking confused.

“Why’s he here?” Wesley asks, looking concerned.

“You’ve been fucking him!” John roars, pulling on his hair, looking like he’s going to crumble. “James hasn’t been gone for six months! You whore!”

I flinch, feeling tears begin to sting my eyes. Fuck, I didn’t want Wesley to find out like this. I wanted to tell him in my own time.

And John’s not wrong. It is too soon, and yet here I am…captivated by another man. Captivated by him.

I shouldn’t want him, didn’t plan on it, but I did it anyway.

I took something I wanted for the first time in my life.

“Don’t fucking talk to him like that,” Wesley says, puffing up a bit and standing in front of me, but he has nothing to worry about. John wouldn’t hurt me. He’s never laid a hand on me. I was good to his son, even when he didn’t deserve it.

He knows this.

“John. Go home. Or I’ll call the police,” I say, and John swivels his eyes to me. I can smell the alcohol on his breath, can sense how wasted he is just by looking in his eyes.

“He’s barely dead and you’ve forgotten about him,” he whispers, his voice breaking.

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