When the Planets Align by Kate McMurray

Author:Kate McMurray
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2014-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Present Day

SIMON WOKE up early on a bright sunny morning. Michael had gone to bed still upset about Trevor and their phone call the night before, and Simon had tried to support him through it, though he’d felt useless as Michael struggled.

He decided he’d go get bagels. Michael was still passed out on the sofa bed, sort of scrunched over on the side of the mattress, his body contorted in one of his odd sleep positions. Simon slipped out and walked to the bagel place they’d gone to on his first day back in the city.

There was a guy in front of him in line who was really cute and exactly Simon’s type: tall, thin, dark hair, a clean-shaven pretty face. He turned slightly when he moved to grab a juice from the display on the way to the counter, and he caught Simon’s eye and smiled. That was promising. Simon smiled back.

Simon didn’t think much of the guy’s order, vegan cream cheese on a whole-wheat bagel—life was too short for that flavorless nonsense—but he was still willing to go with it until the rough-looking guy behind the counter asked Simon for his order. He ordered a bagel for himself—an everything bagel with normal, full-fat cream cheese a centimeter thick the way God and New York delis intended—and one for Michael—poppy with strawberry cream cheese, long Michael’s standard bagel order. It wasn’t until after the order was placed that Simon realized what he’d done. He’d ordered a bagel for Michael as if he were Simon’s lover.

The cute vegan made eyes at Simon, who was suddenly confused and disgusted. A month ago, when he’d been in Chicago, Simon would have chatted up this guy without a second thought. But now that he was back in New York….

Michael had been so sad the night before. At Simon’s gentle urging, he’d talked a lot about Trevor. Eventually Michael had called and video chatted with Trevor, and then pulled Simon over to see. Trevor had shown his toy trucks to the screen and giggled through all of it. He was a cute kid, yeah, and clearly talking to him made Michael happy. But after the call ended, Michael had descended right back into his funk. Simon had gone to bed early to give Michael space.

Simon had lain awake for hours wondering if he had it in him to forgive Michael. For six years, things had been rough between them. For six years, Simon had traveled and met other men and lived his life. Dubai had been a rough, closeted experience for him, but in London, San Francisco, Chicago, or any other place Simon had found himself, he’d given himself permission to pick up cute vegans in bagel shops because he could. And none of those relationships had given him anything nearly as fulfilling as just talking to Michael on the phone late at night.

Simon smiled at the guy again.

It occurred to him, though, that perhaps he’d betrayed Michael too. He’d left. The last

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