Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
“You mean other than the knowledge that he’s helping to save and support an institution that serves to educate both children and adults in the area?” Declan chimed in.
Parker groaned. “Yes, yes. Other than that. I’ve got a few exes I wouldn’t piss on if they were on fire. If I felt compelled to do something they would end up benefitting from—even indirectly—I’d need something to wash the bitter taste out of my mouth.”
“Besides, it’s not like Rome is saying he’s going to make this guy do anything illegal,” Simon added. The younger man narrowed his eyes at me and lifted one eyebrow. “You’re not, right?”
“No! Of course not. I won’t ask him to do anything illegal or anything that could jeopardize his job. It’s just pissing him off. Forcing him to do something he finds distasteful—namely, ‘dating’ a man. Especially ‘dating’ me.”
“But are you sure he’s homophobic? Couldn’t it be a misunderstanding?” Byron inquired.
“Not to mention, it’s been twenty years,” Sebastian added. “People do change, particularly from their childhood.”
“Yeah, I know. I mean, he’s not said anything specifically to make me think he is homophobic now, but he also hasn’t said a single word of apology for what happened. Not even tried to explain why he stabbed me in the back and never talked to me again.”
Declan grunted. “Did you ask him?”
I reclined on the sofa, frowning. “Not…really.”
Okay, so maybe I wanted an apology and an explanation, but I was also scared to go poking around for one because I was afraid to discover that he wouldn’t give me one and he was as horrible as I thought he was. There was some safety in existing in this gray area of ignorance that I wasn’t entirely ready to give up. In this gray zone, I could still hope that this was all a misunderstanding, and somewhere under all his geeky awkwardness, he was the friend I’d adored for years.
“We’ve had one date and have four more to go. It wasn’t painful for either of us,” I pointed out.
“What did you do for your date?” Simon shifted on the sofa, putting one leg on the cushion as he turned toward me, leaning against the arm. He was dressed in a slouchy dark blue sweater and a pair of tan slacks, still appearing so much like a college student and not what I’d expect of a professional and celebrated concert violinist. Not that I had even the faintest clue what one of them would look like.
“Liam took me to this place that has vintage pinball machines and other classic video games. Even Skee-ball. We ate pizza and played video games. Talked a lot of trash.”
Parker snorted. “Sounds like you had a great time. How about your date? He have fun?”
“I think he did. He laughed and seemed to loosen up.” A slow, wicked smirk twisted across my lips. “At least he did until I pretended I was going to kiss him good night. He almost fell out of his car trying to get away from me.”
Parker cackled like a loon while Sebastian and Byron groaned.
“I think maybe you should trade in one of your dates for some answers about what happened all those years ago,” Simon suggested.
“You think?”
He nodded. “Torture can be nice, but I think you might be more fulfilled if you can walk away with some answers about what happened that day when you were kids. Good news or bad news, at least you’ll have that knowledge. And if it’s bad news, you know you’ll never have to see him again.”
Simon made a pretty good point. Maybe I could argue for that to be our last date. Just sit down and talk about what happened. Try to keep an open mind. Not walk in full of anger. At least, I’d try not to. That was easier said than done.
“Besides,” Simon continued, as a strange expression twisted his soft features, “you’ve got the benefit of a captive audience. If he wants you to donate the money that will save his job, he has to meet with you and talk. He can’t keep running away.”
Those comments felt more pointed than random advice, particularly with Pierce notably absent from the dinner party, and a heavy silence fell over the room.
Byron cleared his throat after a moment. “I think another thing to keep in mind, Rome, is that you have the power to end this at any time. Make the donation and walk away. You don’t have to go through with the other four dates. No one here wants to see you get hurt by this guy a second time.”
“We all know you’re going to give the museum the money regardless of what happens with Liam,” Sebastian agreed.
It was the truth. I’d contacted the charitable trust to set aside five million for the museum’s natural history department, but to not cut the check until I told them to. Liam had more than earned the money by talking to those kids during the field trip. Seeing all those faces light up when he was talking about dinosaurs. How could I not do everything within my power to protect the museum? Liam could be a dick, but he wasn’t a total asshole.