Room for Rent by Nicole Stewart

Author:Nicole Stewart [Stewart, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-08-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Mason was listening to his favorite pop singer and the volume was loud, as his parents were out of the house. They had gone with Robert, Belinda and the wedding planner to scout venue locations for the reception, and he was happy to have the house mostly to himself. He refused to think about the man above him or Riesling’s assertion that Caleb had reacted jealously to them.

The ballad playing in the background—with its romantic undertones and sappy lyrics—had nothing to do with how he was feeling. At least that was what he told himself as he hummed the melody. The knock on the door startled him.

Caleb leaned against the doorjamb. “I have something for you.”

Mason closed and locked the door behind him. Caleb handed him a check. “What’s this?”

“Your payment from me. It’s the full amount. I don’t need you to pose for me anymore.”

Mason put the check on his writing desk with shaking hands. He kept his back to Caleb as he tried to steady himself. “Did I do something wrong? Is it Riesling?”

Caleb snorted softly. “No. I talked to Gregoire. He loved the first three images from the series, and he wants me to come to New York to finish the rest. By the way, he…uh…he hasn’t heard back from the agent who expressed interest in working with you.”

Mason glanced over his shoulder. “You’re leaving?”

“That’s not important. The important part is I think you need to reconsider your travel plans. If you don’t have an agent, you don’t have a leg up. Why don’t you talk to your father and see what job opportunities might be open to you at his company?”

“When are you leaving?”

“Mason,” Caleb sighed.

“When?” He stared at the typewriter. Caleb’s arms slowly came around him from behind. Mason tried not to be affected, but Caleb’s touch sent electricity sparking through him. He closed his eyes. “Just tell me when.”

“In another month,” Caleb whispered against the back of his neck. He held him like a fragile vase. “You’ll understand it better when you’re older. I don’t want to leave but sometimes we must sacrifice what we want to get what we need. It’s best for me to leave—best for both of us.”

“You don’t know what’s best for me.”

Teardrops fell between the keys of the typewriter, and Mason regretted the show of emotion. He smoothed his face. Caleb squeezed him tighter with one arm and used his free hand to wipe away the tears, but more fell in their place. “Mason, don’t,” he whispered.

Caleb’s lips brushed the side of his neck, and Mason flinched, then turned to face him. “I’m fine,” he sniffed, dashing his tears. “I knew you’d leave at some point. I’m fine. Thank you for the payment.”

Caleb studied him. “She seems right for you.” A tiny smile hovered and disappeared before it could form fully. He sighed and looked at the floor. “I’m not right for you.”

Mason tried to resist the urge to cup his face, but he needed to touch him one last time.

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.