Chapter 17 Daniel
DANIEL
Walking into the kitchen quietly, I found Elliot sitting on one of the barstools while reading. Strands of hair fell across his brows, and his lips parted slightly as he mumbled the words to himself. He looked utterly gorgeous, so much so that my heart—per usual—missed a beat at his mercy.
“And here I thought you’d be in the guesthouse, getting ready for the party,” I said, causing him to look up from the book and meet my adoring stare.
I’m such a fool around him.
“Oh, Daniel.” A genuine smile spread across his lips as he put the book aside and stood up.
“What were you reading?” I asked while walking closer to him.
“Nothing… just some recipes.”
Stopping in front of him, I eyed the page he’d left the book open on, which was a recipe for financiers. “Do you ever not think about cooking?”
“The other night, I didn’t,” he said in a soft voice, his words catching my attention.
I turned so I was fully facing him, my lips pulling into a small smile.
“Oh?”
Being shorter than me, he straightened his pose, eyes focusing on my mouth before moving up to my eyes.
“Mhmm.” Biting his bottom lip, he nudged closer. “I was too busy thinking about you.”
I wanted to leap in and kiss those perfect lips of his, but instead, I reminded myself of why I’d come down here and pulled a small box from my pocket.
“Happy birthday,” I said, holding the box between us.
“Oh, you remembered,” he gasped, eyes already focused on his gift.
“Of course I did. Besides, it wasn’t a hard task, considering you’ve mentioned it every day this week.”
“True,” he chuckled, then took the light blue box from my hand.
And as he unwrapped the white ribbon, the excitement on his face reminded me, once again, of how young he was—only twenty years old.
The fact that I’d fallen for such a young man made me into a terrible cliché.
While I was somewhat ashamed of it, I took comfort in knowing my feelings were genuine and not some passing fling.
Which was a problem on its own, considering I was a married man.
And yet, all those incredibly rational thoughts faded the second Elliot gasped upon seeing the sapphire necklace I’d bought him.
It was nothing too extravagant, just a modest gesture of my love, and yet, it didn’t stop him from treating it as if it were a Fabergé egg.
Carefully taking the delicate silver necklace out of the box, Elliot stared at the round sapphire pendant that was decorated with two diamonds on each side.
It was a rare piece of jewelry I’d come upon when I visited our jeweler.
I went there to find a watch, but the second I saw it in the shop, I knew this necklace was perfect for him.
“My God, it’s beautiful,” he whispered, studying the sapphire.
“At first, I wanted to buy you something else, but then I saw this, and it reminded me of you,” I said, voice soft, as I remembered the first time I’d seen his eyes, which shone brighter than any gemstone in the world.
Elliot looked up from the necklace; his brows scrunched up while his eyes glittered with tears. “This is the most precious thing I have ever received,” he said, pressing the necklace to his heart. “I will cherish it forever.”
An immense sense of love settled deep in my chest, warming my body from the inside out. I wanted to live in this moment forever, but knowing I couldn’t, I asked, “Would you like to try it on?”
Elliot quickly shook his head, his eyes going back to the necklace. “No. I don’t want to waste wearing it the first time while I’m dressed like this.” He chuckled. “I want to be perfect when I wear it.”
I was about to tell him that he was always perfect when he’d already placed the necklace back in the box.
There would be other times.
With his bottom lip tucked under his teeth, he stayed quiet for a moment until he spoke. “Shouldn’t you get ready for the party now?”
“As a matter of fact, I should. We both should.”
“Y-yes.”
A smile that didn’t reach his eyes took over his lips before his stare dropped to the floor. Worried, I hooked my finger under his chin and nudged his head up.
“Do you not want to go?”
He shook his head, hesitation in his eyes. “I-it’s not that.”
“So what is it?”
He opened his mouth only to close it again, and the suspense was killing me.
Moving my hands to his waist, I pulled him closer.
“What is it that’s bothering you?”
He held my stare, and the worry on his face pained me.
“Claudia, she wanted to introduce me to someone tonight.”
Suddenly, my heart rate increased, but I kept calm. “She does. She wants you to meet figures from the industry so it will help you with your modeling career.” Instead of saying anything, Elliot remained silent, so I went on. “Isn’t it something you wanted?”
His eyes searched mine for a second before his brows pulled tight with worry. “What if it will make you like me less?”
His confession moved me, but knowing it came out of fear made me cup his face in my palms and hold him close.
“This decision shouldn’t be about me, Elliot.”
“But you get jealous when someone looks at me, and I—” His breath hitched. “I don’t want you to hurt.”
And while he was right, considering I didn’t want anyone else but me to admire him, I couldn’t be that selfish. Not with him.
With my thumbs caressing his soft cheeks, I smiled at him. “Like I said, this isn’t a decision regarding me but you and only you, Elliot. If you want to be a model, then do it. Talk to Claudia’s friend and start chasing your dreams.”
He leaned closer. “What if I want to keep working as your chef?” His lips curved up in a nervous smile. “You will need a private chef back home, too, right? You like my food, and I get along with Maya—”
I cut his rush of words off with a tight embrace, which he quickly submitted to. With his face nestled in my chest and his arms wrapped around me, I held him tight.
“I would love for you to stay with me, but only if it’s truly what you want.”
He nodded. “It is. I just want to stay close to you.”
When Claudia had brought up the idea to my mom, I was terribly scared Elliot would leave.
Learning that he shared my fears made me more comfortable in my feelings for him.
And while I knew him staying as our private chef wasn’t a realistic solution for the long term, I’d have to think about it later. For now, I had him by my side.
With champagne flowing freely and Beluga caviar being carried around by the pounds, my parents’ Fourth of July party was in full swing.
Just as expected, it was an A-list-only event that went from movie stars to famous singers, politicians, bankers, and other millionaires, all here to enjoy and celebrate the luxury of life.
With the men dressed in black tuxes and the women in evening gowns, it was hard to tell us apart.
Which was rather funny, given the fact that each outfit cost a fortune, only to end up looking the same.
After shaking too many hands and being one small talk away from drowning myself in the champagne fountain Mother had imported all the way from Italy, I snuck away from the party and went upstairs for some quiet before the fireworks show.
I hated parties and events, mostly because I felt fake on top of fake.
It was one thing to hide who I was daily, but to go overboard and pretend I was living a perfect life was too much.
But it seemed I was the only one in my family to feel this way.
Now standing on the balcony on the second floor of the house, I looked down at the celebration taking place in the yard.
The first I spotted in the crowd was my sister, Catherine, thanks to her booming laugh.
It looked like she’d made herself a few more male friends who’d entertained her tonight.
Not far from her was my brother, Andrew, whose face was red from all the wine he drank, and his balance?
Well, given the fact that he used a marble statue for support, I figured it wouldn’t be long before Mother, who was busy bragging to her friends about her new diamond ring, would call it a night for him.
My eyes then tracked down Claudia, who looked lovely in the white dress she wore tonight, one that reminded me of our wedding.
She was so lovely that day that I falsely believed I might just be able to fall for her.
Now, more than eight years later, I realized what a fool I’d been.
Because no matter how charming she was, it wouldn’t change the simple fact that I was gay.
Shame clenched my stomach, and my throat dried as I reflected back on all those times I’d lied to her, to everyone, in an attempt to hide this part of me.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath that didn’t help chase away this horrible feeling.
There are many things that feel wrong, even though they aren’t… especially love. But it doesn’t mean they are wrong, just complicated.
Elliot’s words returned to me, and I opened my eyes, my body not as tense as it had been only a few moments ago.
When I came upstairs, he had yet to arrive, which was odd.
Now wishing to see if he was here, I looked back at the party, eagerly searching for him in the crowd.
There were so many people, and yet I knew I’d spot him easily.
His face was simply too magnificent to miss, even in a crowded room.
I stepped closer to the rail, eyes narrowed as I jumped from one guest to the other, when—
“All this just for my birthday?”
A smile spread on my lips upon hearing French, and I quickly turned around to see Elliot standing only a few steps away.
“Did I go overboard?” I teased, one brow raised.
Pressing his lips together, he shrugged. “Not at all. If anything, I’d expected more.”
I stepped closer to him while examining his clothes. Unlike the rest of us, he wasn’t in a tux. Instead, he wore trousers that seemed too big for his size yet suited him, and a simple shirt. He was definitely going to stand out.