Out of the Shade by S.A. McAuley

Author:S.A. McAuley [McAuley, S.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: S.A. McAuley, LLC
Published: 2019-05-20T18:30:00+00:00

14

Plans.

Yeah, Chuck had New Year’s plans. To be achingly depressed and wallowing in sorrow while he watched Anderson Cooper and overloaded on carbs.

The drive home wasn’t long enough to soothe his jangled nerves. Jesse’s confession about why he’d let Rachel do as she’d wanted hadn’t shocked Chuck as much as he thought it might—because a part of him had known. No matter what had happened between them behind closed doors, Jesse was always fighting it. Chuck had started giving himself over, piece by piece, but Jesse had cocooned himself in their fake life because he didn’t think he was normal.

He pulled into his condo complex, parked the truck, and tightened his coat around his shoulders, bracing against the cold. The condo he rented was dark. Empty.

He threw his keys onto the table as he crossed the threshold and walked in without flipping on any lights. His place was almost as bare as the day he’d moved in—sparsely furnished, no pictures on the walls, reflecting just how little time he’d spent here since meeting Jesse.

The sound of his phone ringing jolted him. He glanced at the caller ID and accepted the call. “I’m not going out tonight,” he said to Ben without preamble.

“I wasn’t going to ask you.”

“Right.” Rejected twice in the span of less than an hour. Wasn’t this gearing up to be a stellar New Year’s Eve? “So you’re just calling to wish me a Happy New Year?”

“Stop brooding.”

“I’m not brooding,” Chuck replied in a brood-ish tone.

“You’re much cuter when you smile, Charlie.”

“How do you know I’m not smiling?” Chuck answered sarcastically. He opened the freezer door, positioned his phone between his ear and shoulder, and scooped a handful of ice cubes out of the tray.

“I’ll skip the party I was supposed to attend. Just come out with me.”

“I think I’m going to hide in the closet tonight. I hear it’s a magical place. Apparently, real life doesn’t intrude.”

Ben swore under his breath. “Did you see him or talk to him?”

Chuck dropped the cubes into a highball glass and slid the bottle of vodka out of the freezer. “Both.”

“And now you’re drinking by yourself. Smart.”

“I really don’t want to be an asshole here, Ben, but you’re pushing me. Not in the mood isn’t murderous enough in its intent.”

“Fine.”

“Go have fun tonight. Meet yourself a beautiful husband.”

“Call me, Chuck. Okay?”

“Maybe.”

“Not good enough. Have lunch with me on Friday. Promise me.”

“I may be busy.”

“You’re not. I’ll see you at White’s.”

“Noon. Don’t be late this time.”

“So pushy. Happy New Year, love.”

“Happy New Year.”

Chuck clicked off the call and dropped his phone to the counter. He braced his hands against the tile and leaned his forehead on the cabinets. The glass in his hand was half-full of ice and filled nearly to the brim with vodka, the alcohol scent invading his nose, burning an expectant trail into his lungs. He picked up the glass, took a long drink and sputtered, fire licking down his throat and warming his belly. His head swam.

He couldn’t do this.

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