Beneath This Mask by Victoria Sue

Author:Victoria Sue [Sue, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay Romance
ISBN: 978-1-64080-128-8
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2018-01-16T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

JAKE KEPT glancing over at Gael as he drove back to his house. Gael was quiet. Too quiet. He had barely spoken after Louise had dropped her bombshell. He had made all the right noises, possibly arranged a visit for later in the year, and assured her he wasn’t hurt or upset, but Jake knew better.

It was killing him.

It was bad enough that his mother left and never came back, but the assumption was that she had left because she valued the well-being of her unborn child over her current ones. Jake never wished ill on anyone, but it was beyond him how someone could do that, how a parent could value one child more than another.

Jake couldn’t see Gael’s face because it was turned to the window. The complete crapshoot was that Gael had no one to ask that question to. They would never know if it was choice or something else that stopped her from coming back for him and Wyatt. The only small silver lining was that she had left before Gael had gotten his mark so he couldn’t blame himself. Jake knew he would try, though.

“You okay?” It was a silly question, but Jake didn’t know what else to say.

Gael turned to look at him. “I can’t decide if it’s better or worse.”

“Because she left knowing she was pregnant?”

“Yes. I mean, that makes things hard. I’m never gonna know why she never came back…. Except, maybe I kind of do?”

Jake gave him a quick glance as they slowed for someone making a right.

“Louise said it herself. She needed a protector and was unable to function without one. The only thing she ever did for Louise was leave, and it could be that he gave her no choice. He might have just told her to get lost, threatened her, and she just wasn’t strong enough to do anything else.”

“There’s a chance her new husband might not have even known about you two. From what Louise said, he was a good man.”

Gael nodded. “Thanks for going with me.”

“Anytime,” Jake said and meant it.

Both their phones bleeped and Gael fished his out of his pocket. “Oh,” he said, clearing his throat. “Amy emailed their client list. She’s included their current ones and all the old ones going back three years.”

“How many?” Jake asked, glad for something else to talk about.

Gael scanned his phone. “Jesus. Over a hundred and twenty that left, but of that, seventeen restarted. Mmm,” he said. “She’s noted when a house sale caused the contract loss, so I guess that helps, but even with that, we’re looking at over sixty.”

“You hungry?” Jake asked when traffic slowed, and Gael finally looked at him. Jake caught his breath at the hurt in Gael’s eyes. He was barely keeping it together.

Gael nodded and seemed to shake himself a little. He looked at the clock on Jake’s dashboard. “Do you mind if we swing by the soccer match? It’s at Manygates Middle. The parents do food for after, and I’d like to go.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.