Chapter 26 - Micah
Just as I was packing up and heading home for the day, my phone buzzed with an incoming text. I glanced at it and saw that it was from an unknown number.
Unknown Number: Is this Micah?
I frowned and stuffed my phone back into my pocket, deciding to ignore the text altogether. It was probably a scammer, anyway. To my surprise, by the time I’d gotten home, the number had texted me a couple more times.
Unknown Number: You used to date Phillip Mercer, didn’t you?
Unknown Number: I need to talk to you about something.
The weird messages piqued my curiosity enough that I waited for Kieran to get home to show him what was happening. Of course, he wanted to talk about what he’d caught us doing that day, which I’d almost forgotten about until he walked in the door.
“Knock knock,” he called as he opened the front door and let himself in. “Just making sure you’re not fucking the mailman or something in the living room.”
I rolled my eyes, but the implication that I might be sleeping with someone other than Asher tightened my chest. “I’m alone, so you’re safe.”
He toed his shoes off and kicked them aside. Back to me, he continued talking. “I don’t know, maybe you’re jerking off in here.”
I threw a couch pillow at him and hit his back.
Laughing, he picked up the pillow, turned to face me, and tossed the pillow back in my direction. “So…”
“So?”
“You and Asher are still seeing each other?”
Heat crept up my neck and throat. “We’re just having fun.”
“I could tell,” he said with a laugh. “It looked like you were having a lot of fun in the trailer today. Is it getting serious?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Be real.” My phone vibrated again. Another text.
Unknown Number: Please, I just want to talk. I can meet you anywhere you’d like. Seriously.
I turned my phone to show Kieran. “I’ve been getting texts from this unknown number all evening.”
He peered at my phone, scrolling as he read the messages. “Weird. Do you know who it is?”
“Not a clue. Should I meet them?”
“Absolutely not. Not alone, at least. Take me along. For protection.”
I laughed. “You really want to go?”
“Hell yeah. Safety in numbers. Plus, I want to know what they want.”
“Fine.” I texted the number back and asked them to meet me at HQ, one of the gay bars in Port Grandlin.
Unknown Number: Deal.
A little while later, once Kieran and I were seated at the bar, each with a bottle of beer, someone came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see a guy about my age, long, blond hair pulled back in a thick braid, his brow furrowed.
“You’re Micah?”
I nodded and tilted my head to my left. “This is my friend, Kieran.”
The guy looked a little uncomfortable, shifting his weight and drawing his lips tight together. “Okay. I’m Matt. Can we…” He gestured toward a booth. “Sit?”
“Yeah. Sure thing.” I followed him to the booth and slid in, Kieran tucking in next to me. “What’s this about?”
Matt’s gaze darted around before he settled back on me. “You can’t tell him I talked to you.”
“Okay, what’s going on?” Frustrated, I huffed out a breath. “What is this?”
“I just wanted to warn you.”
“That he’s an asshole? Yeah, a little late for that.”
“No.” Matt shook his head and sighed softly.
“I dated Phillip about four years ago. When we were together, he tried everything he could to manipulate me. Isolate me from my friends. Convince me he was all I needed. And then when I saw the light, I broke up with him. Afterwards, he tried to coerce me into coming back. I know this is going to sound completely unhinged, but he tried to trick me into marrying him.” He swallowed and drummed his fingers on the table rapidly.
“He what?” Kieran’s brow was furrowed and he shook his head. “You’re fucking with us. What really happened?”
“I’m not—”
I turned to Kier and put a hand on his shoulder before looking back at Matt. “He tried to trap me into marrying him, too. I was just having my attorney draw up a new contract so we can sell the condo we bought together without his… stipulations. You’re right—it is completely unhinged.”
Kieran turned to look at me. “You didn’t tell me that.” He sounded hurt, his voice tight.
I shook my head slowly and took a breath. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I didn’t tell anyone. Except the lawyer. Well, he told me, I guess.” I looked back at Matt. “So… how did you get out of it?”
“Same as you, sounds like. I had a real estate lawyer draw up a contract that gave me half the money from the sale of the house we’d bought together. Look, I just wanted to try and let you know before he trapped you. I didn’t want you to get stuck.”
I took a sip of my beer and nodded. “You’re about a week too late to warn me, but I figured it out when he wouldn’t let me read the whole sale contract. He just wanted me to sign the last page and move on.”
Matt let out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t beat him to the punch. I’m glad you’re safe though.”
One question was still bouncing around in my mind, though. “How did you find me?”
“His social media. I unblocked him a few weeks ago, when another of his exes contacted me about the same thing. I wanted to try to protect anyone who came after me. Before it was too late. He posted that he was going to be down here, and then it was just a matter of talking to people who run in the same circles he does.”
“Thanks,” I said softly. “I really appreciate it.”
He stood then and nodded at us. “I’m going to get out of here before he finds out I’m in town. Thanks for meeting me.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “Of course.” With that, Matt was gone. Once he’d disappeared, through the crowd and out into the warm evening, I turned back to Kieran. “Now what?”
“Now you let that piece of shit know that he can’t fuck with you anymore.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s a good idea, but how?”
“The only way you can. Take the contract to him, tell him what you know—minus Matt—and make him sign. And then you ride off into the sunset with your new, straight boyfriend, happily ever after.”
The word boyfriend hit me square in the chest. “That’s not what this is,” I protested. “We’re not—”
Kieran patted my arm twice. “You will be. Mark my words.”
“Kier, we’re leaving when the show is over. We’ve had this conversation, you and I. What do you expect from me?”
His tone softened when he spoke again. “You look happier these days. Way happier than when you were with Phillip, at least.” He said the name like it was bitter on his tongue. “I expect you to embrace it while you can.”
I took a long swig of my beer and sighed. “I’ll let you know. Thanks for coming here tonight. I appreciate you being my backup.”
He shrugged. “Anytime. You know I’m here for you. Now…”
“Now what?”
He smirked and tapped my bottle with his. “It’s still early. Go get your man.”