Chapter 29
Mark
Mark lay in his bed, the cool sheets stretching wide and empty around him. The faint hum of the phone pressed against his ear, Ethan’s voice a warm tether through the line. The room smelled of his cologne, a soft glow from the bedside lamp casting shadows on the walls. His chest ached, the weekend’s closeness fading into the quietness of home, and he shifted, pulling the blanket higher.
“My bed feels so empty without you here.”
Ethan’s voice was low and sleepy. “Ranger’s sprawled out next to me. I picked him up from Alex earlier. We’re both beat. Alex said it will take a while to deprogram him, Alex offered other mannequins, and Ranger really is focused on your doppelganger.”
He laughed with a undertone of dread, “Oh great, he is going to eat me.”
“Nah, I protect you,” Ethan replied, a grin was audible in his tone. “This weekend, Mark, it meant everything. I told Mom and Dad all about it, about us. They’re happy for me and scared for you.”
His heart lifted, warmth spreading through him laughing. “Oh, really? It sounds like they know something that I don’t””
“What can I say, I’m an onion, you’re going to have to peel back my layers,” Ethan teased. “They want you over for dinner again soon. Mom’s already planning pork chops and applesauce.”
He chuckled, the sound soft. “I’d like that. Your folks are the best.”
Ethan’s voice softened. “You’re off to Tokyo Wednesday, right?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Diana knows I want to hurry back so she condensed it so that I will be home by the end of weekend.”
“I’m excited for you,” Ethan said, “but I’ll miss you. The house won’t be the same without you hovering and lusting after me when I bend over to paint the baseboards.”
He laughed, rolling onto his side. “Oh really, I lust after you huh?”
“You better.”
“You’re coming over tomorrow to work on some stuff, yeah?”
“Yep,” Ethan replied. “I gotta keep the boss happy. Oh, and speaking of, you’re a jerk. I found another five-thousand-dollar check in my carry-on when I was unpacking. You snuck it in there, huh?”
His lips twitched, a playful edge creeping in. “I’ve been keeping track of your hours and the receipts from purchases. You hit the retainer. So you shush, Ethan. I’m your boyfriend and your boss.”
Ethan snorted, laughter spilling through. “No, you’re just my bossy boyfriend.”
He laughed too, the sound echoing in the empty room, and his chest swelled, the word boyfriend ringing sweet between them. Ethan’s laughter faded, his tone shifting, serious now. “You called me your boyfriend,” he said, voice thick. “First time. I’m so happy. You make me happy.”
His breath caught, Ethan’s words sinking deep, and he pressed the phone closer. “You make me happy too. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d find someone as wonderful as you.”
Ethan exhaled a soft sound, and he heard the smile in it. “Same. You’re everything.”
A flicker of tension stirred, Ethan’s joy so bright it almost felt fragile, and he swallowed, pushing it down. “Hey, hero,” he said, voice softening. “When you’re counting stars tonight, think of me as you fall asleep.”
Ethan chuckled, warm and quiet. “Only if you think of me too.”
“Deal,” he whispered, his hand tightening on the phone.
Their goodnights lingered, voices low and full of promise, a thread of longing stretching across the miles. He set the phone down, the silence settling heavy, but Ethan’s words glowed in him, a light against the empty bed. His eyes drifted to the ceiling, imagined stars there, and he smiled, sleep tugging at him with Ethan’s laughter still echoing in his heart.
The next day, Mark sat at his desk, papers rustling under his hands as he skimmed a brief. The office glowed with morning light streaming through the window, warming the leather chair beneath him. The faint scent of coffee lingered from his mug, a steady comfort amid the work. His mind drifted, Ethan’s laughter from last night’s call replaying, and a smile tugged at his lips.
The door swung open, and Diana breezed in with a grin, her heels clicking sharp on the floor. She shut it behind her, leaning against it with a playful glint in her eyes. “Morning, sunshine,” she chirped, crossing her arms. “Busy day?”
He shrugged, keeping his tone casual. “Same as always. You?”
Her grin widened, stupidly happy, and she stepped closer, hands on her hips. “Oh, come on. Don’t play coy with me. I’m dying to hear about your weekend.”
He leaned back, folding his arms, his face a mask of nonchalance. “It was fine. Good trip.”
She narrowed her eyes, not buying it. “Fine? That’s it? You’re killing me, Mark.”
He smirked, picking up a pen to twirl it. “I don’t kiss and tell, Diana.”
Her brows shot up, a laugh bursting out. “Oh, so there was kissing?”
Heat crept up his neck, his cheeks flushing pink, and he dropped the pen, rubbing his jaw. “You’re relentless,” he muttered, but his grin betrayed him, excitement bubbling up.
She clapped her hands, practically bouncing. “Spill it. I want all the dirt. Every detail.”
He laughed, shy at first, then gave in, the joy too big to hold back. “Okay, fine. Ethan, he’s, God, he’s incredible. Funny, sweet, strong. We went to Seattle and hit the market, the Space Needle, and the waterfront. He’s got this energy, you know? Lights up everything.”
Diana perched on the desk’s edge, grinning wide. “Sounds like a dream. Did you two cross any boundaries?”
His blush deepened, and he shifted in his chair, voice dropping. “Lots of kissing. Lots of petting. Some casual fun stuff that, uh, made me have to rehydrate. Four times.”
She screamed a high-pitched squeal and clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. He laughed, the sound echoing in the room, and she joined him, their laughter spilling over. “Four times?” she gasped, fanning herself. “Mark Jensen, you dog!”
He rubbed his face, still chuckling. “It just happened. We couldn’t stop.”
She leaned in, her smile softening. “I haven’t seen you this happy in so long. You deserve it, you know.”
His chest warmed, her words sinking in, and he nodded. “Thanks.”
“I’m proud of you,” she added, voice steady. “Not being afraid to take these steps with him. It’s big.”
He smiled, gratitude, mixing with the glow of Ethan’s memory, but her next question shifted the air. “Was he curious about the lavish weekend? Private jet, Ritz, all that?”
He nodded, picking at a paper edge. “Yeah, a little. The client meeting you set up kept it from being a complete lie. Made it believable.”
She tilted her head, eyes sharp. “When are you going to tell him the truth?”
He went quiet, his hand stilling. The room felt smaller, her words pressing in, and he swallowed, voice low. “I don’t know. What do I say? ‘Oh, by the way, I have money, just thought you should know’?”
She crossed her arms, leaning back. “Mark, you’re one of the wealthiest men in Brookings. When he sees your net worth is close to a billion dollars, he’s going to have a reaction.”
He frowned, correcting her quickly. “I’m not close to a billion. Around seven hundred million.”
She snorted, waving a hand. “There’s not a big difference.”
“I don’t know, Diana,” he said, his tone dropping. “I don’t use that money often. I did this weekend to because I needed it to be special for him. You know I keep things low-key most of the time.”
“I get that,” she replied, softer now. “But if things get serious between you two, he’s going to find out. It’s best to get ahead of it.”
I should’ve told him.
Guilt gnawed at him, a cold twist beneath the warmth of Ethan’s memory, and he stared at the desk, her suggestion sinking in. He wanted Ethan to know him, all of him, but the thought of that truth, the weight of it, tightened his chest.
He glanced up, looking at her steady gaze. “I’ll think about it,” he said, voice quiet.
She nodded, standing, but her smile lingered, proud and knowing. “You’ll figure it out because you’re crazy about him.”
I really am.
He huffed a laugh, the tension easing a fraction, and turned to the window as she left, sunlight spilling over the coast outside. Her words echoed, a quiet resolve stirring beneath his joy. Ethan’s laughter danced in his mind, battling the fear of truth, and he sat there, caught between the thrill of their love and the shadow of what he hadn’t said, teetering on a choice that could shift it all.