The Dragon Bond by Elizabeth Coldwell

Author:Elizabeth Coldwell [Coldwell, Elizabetth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBTQIA+, estranged couple, holidays, tattoos, tear-jerker, reunited, contemporary m/m romance
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2021-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

He found someone else. The words resounded like a mantra in Rainn’s mind as he trudged away from Trey’s home, the tears he’d managed to keep bottled up until now cascading down his cheeks.

It didn’t really matter that the someone else was a woman. Trey had confessed to having a couple of steady girlfriends before he’d met Rainn, and he’d always said he was bisexual rather than gay. That didn’t bother Rainn. You loved who you loved, and nobody should judge you for it.

Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about the happy family unit Trey had built for himself while Rainn had been in prison. Like Craig Styles, the class goof-off, landing himself a job with a six-figure salary, it all seemed so unfair, and yet somehow, he should have expected it. People moved on, got on with their lives. He shouldn’t have expected Trey to put everything on hold for him, but seeing the woman and the baby, and the obvious love Trey had for them both, couldn’t help but feel like a betrayal.

By the time he arrived back at Marcie and Dave’s house, he’d stopped crying, but he still took a moment to wipe his face with the sleeve of his coat and center himself before he put the key in the lock.

“Hey, is anyone home?” he called as he walked in through the door.

“In here.” Marcie stepped out of the living room, clutching a handheld vacuum cleaner. “Did you get all your shopping done?”

“Yes, thank you.” He kept the bag containing all his purchases behind his back, afraid Marcie might somehow spot her present nestling inside it. “I stopped by the Christmas market in Prospect Square.”

“Oh, it’s lovely, isn’t it? This is the fifth year they’ve been running it, and every year it gets busier. Dave and I went there on Sunday after church got out. So many pretty things for sale.”

“Is Dave back yet?” Rainn hung up his coat.

“No, but he shouldn’t be too much longer. I’ll make us some lunch when he gets home.”

“Thanks. I’m just going to go upstairs and freshen up.”

“New boots?” Marcie inquired as Rainn unlaced them.

“I got them at the thrift store on Main Street. They’re so comfortable I don’t want to take them off, but I also don’t want to trail muddy boot prints down your nice clean hall.”

Marcie smiled. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it. Come down when you’re ready.”

Marcie disappeared back into the living room, and a moment later Rainn heard the low whine of the vacuum cleaner start up again. He padded upstairs in his stocking feet, still doing his best to keep all thought of Trey at bay.

*

Rainn dozed on and off for most of the afternoon, only waking fully when he was called down for dinner. His dreams were confused: reindeer and candy canes danced in a wintry landscape, while Trey and a blond-haired toddler made a snowman that, when finished, erupted like a volcano in a shower of snow.

He spent the evening watching television with Dave and Marcie—Jeopardy!—followed by an old episode of Murder, She Wrote.

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.