Chapter 17
“ W hat? Who ran you off the road?” Nathan asked, struggling to hold back his own reactions to Alan’s panic.
“I-I don’t know. I don’t remember if I saw their face. All I remember are the bright lights, high beams in my mirror, and the sound of a horn. They rammed the bumper of my car, and I lost control. I-I hit the guardrail, my car went through it, but my back tires caught on the rail itself. They, oh God, they…” Nathan saw tears racing down Alan’s cheeks. He locked eyes with Nathan. “They forced me over the edge by hitting my car again.”
“What do you remember about the other car?”
A sob caught in Alan’s throat. “It was a big black truck.”
“Do you remember what make or a model? Anything distinctive about it?” Nathan felt bad pressing Alan so hard after he’d discovered something so horrible, but they needed as much information as they could get.
Alan shook his head and then halted. “I… Wait. I remember something hanging from the rearview mirror. A chain. There was an angel or something with wings on the end. It hit the windshield when he rammed into my car.”
Nathan repeated everything to Troy. “Jesus,” Troy said. “Nate, this is serious shit. If someone murdered Alan, we need to tell the police.”
“Oh, right.” Nathan snorted. “ Hey, officer, this guy I never met was run off the road two years ago. How do I know that? Well, see, I can see and talk to ghosts. They’d cart me back to the mental hospital, Troy!”
Troy winced. “Maybe we can come up with something else.”
“Like what?” Nathan asked. “What exactly can we tell them where they would believe us? Also, we don’t even know who did it. So, what are we going to tell them, anyway?”
Alan shook his head. “I can’t ask you to get involved any further, Nathan. It’s too dangerous.”
“What? No. We started this. We need to finish it!” Nathan protested.
“Someone killed me. They wanted me dead. I don’t know why, but if they find out you know anything, they could come after you. I won’t risk you being hurt because of me.”
“Alan!” Nathan cried when Alan suddenly disappeared. “Shit!”
“He’s gone?” Troy asked. Nathan explained what Alan had said before he faded away.
“We have to find out who did it, Troy.” Nathan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He kicked a nearby rock and watched it skitter over the edge. He’d never even considered Alan having died in such a heinous way. What the hell could he do to find the person if Alan wouldn’t let him help? “I’m not giving up,” Nathan growled.
“What do you want to do?”
Nathan didn’t know what to do or where to go next. Why had someone wanted Alan dead? Had Alan seen something he wasn’t supposed to? Had he maybe pissed someone off and triggered a person’s road rage? That happened a lot nowadays. People shooting each other in anger because one cut the other off or some shit like that. Maybe he could find out who Alan was friends with or knew from Erik? But the idea of pumping Erik for information on his dead fiancé sat like a stone in his stomach. There hadn’t been many people mentioned in Alan’s blog posts, but maybe looking them over again might give him some new ideas of people around Alan.
“Let’s go back to my apartment. I need to look over the blog posts again. See if there is anyone Alan mentions at all who may even be worth a second look.”
Troy gave Nathan a worried look. “Maybe Alan’s right, Nathan. We aren’t cops and if someone does figure out you know more than you should, they could target you next.”
“Whatever is going on may be tied to Erik, too, Troy. I can’t just let this go without knowing the truth. What if they are a threat to Erik? One of Alan’s posts mentioned telling Erik about something. Maybe they’re connected.”
“And maybe they aren’t. It’s been two years and Erik is still alive and breathing. I don’t think whoever it is could be a threat to him if they haven’t done something to him in those two years.”
Nathan walked over to Troy’s car and climbed into the passenger side. “Please, Troy. I need to know. I can’t let anything happen to Erik.”
Troy sighed and got in the car. “You’re lucky you’re my best friend and I love you. I still say we should tell the police.”
Ignoring Troy, Nathan looked out the window while Troy pulled away from the crash site. Someone had deliberately run Alan off the road. The coincidence of the accident and Alan’s post just didn’t sit well with Nathan. His nerves caused his leg to bounce during the drive and he hopped out of the vehicle the moment Troy pulled to a stop in front of his building. His leg almost gave out on the way up the stairs from the abuse he’d put it through that day. All the walking and then the attempt to rush up his stairs made his knee protest. He caught the railing, swearing, and hoisted himself up the last couple of steps.
Troy huffed behind him. “You’re not gonna find anything out if you fall down the stairs and break your neck, Nate!”
He ignored Troy’s words and frantically unlocked his apartment. Troy followed him in, closing the door behind them. Nathan hobbled to the table and picked up the pile of papers, divided them into two piles, and handed a stack to Troy. “Just look for names besides Erik’s or Alan’s.”
For the next hour, the two of them read through the posts, setting aside any that Alan mentioned someone by name. They had a mere pittance of seven posts by the time they were done. Nathan wondered how many friends Alan had when he was alive. Seemed as slim as Nathan’s own list. He took out a small notebook from his backpack and wrote each name. None of them contained the last names, which frustrated him further. “Richard, Tyler, Katie, Paul, Matthew, Becca, and Owen.”
“How are we going to know who they are?” Troy asked, frowning.
“Richard, Paul, and Katie were people in one of his classes. Matthew, Becca, and Owen are in posts where Alan was at some event for Erik’s company. Matthew is possibly Erik’s cousin. I don’t think Tyler is someone we need to bother looking into. The post about him is about someone he knew in high school, some guy he had a crush on. Let’s start with Richard, Paul, and Katie. See if we might get any records of whoever was in Alan’s classes two years ago.”
“I know someone in the administration office. I’ll see if they can do a little digging,” Troy said. “She works there during her free periods for the experience.”
“Good. Can you call her now?”
Sighing, Troy looked at Nathan. “I still say we should let this go, but I’ll call her.”
“Thanks, Troy,” Nathan replied. “I can try to find out more about the other three from Erik. We’re supposed to go get something to eat tonight.”
Nathan glanced at his watch and saw it was just after six. “Shit. I didn’t realize it was so late. He’ll be here at seven.”
“On that note, I’ll make myself scarce.” Troy stood and stretched. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, Nate.”
“Like what?” Nathan frowned.
“Like try to talk to any of these people on your own.”
He gave Troy an annoyed glance. “This isn’t my first time doing something like this, Troy.”
“Exactly my point. You never ask for help, even when you should. If you try to take this on by yourself now that we know Alan was murdered, I’m going to tell Erik.”
“What?” Nathan demanded. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would. He cares about you and so do I. This is getting into some dangerous territory here. Promise me you’ll let me help you with this, or Erik is my next phone call!”
Anger and frustration coursed through Nathan. He couldn’t believe Troy would do something like that. But he saw the panic and worry in Troy’s face and the anger slowly faded away. He sighed and nodded. “I promise.”
“Thank you. Now, I’m going to get gone, since Erik is on his way here. Call me if you find out anything about the people working for Erik.”
Nathan nodded and watched Troy let himself out of his apartment. Then he spent a couple minutes gathering all the papers and shoving them into his backpack. He didn’t want Erik to see them. Afterward, he headed into his bedroom to change out of his sweaty clothes and into a new pair of jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Most of his clothing was band tees and jeans with rips in them. There were only a few items he owned which could be presentable. Aunt Becky always tried to get him to let her buy him some nicer things, but he always insisted he didn’t need them.
A few minutes to seven, Nathan heard a knock on his door and smiled. His knee still protested heavily during the quick walk to his front door to let Erik in. Erik didn’t even give him a chance to say more than a breathy “Hi” before he swept Nathan up in a tight embrace and a passionate kiss.
Gasping, Nathan grabbed hold of Erik and opened his mouth, accepting Erik’s tongue inside. Erik’s moan vibrated against his chest, sending a shiver of pleasure down his spine. Knowing he affected Erik so much made him forget how totally wrong he was for someone like Erik. When Erik broke the kiss, Nathan panted and his cheeks felt flushed. “Wow,” he whispered.
Erik grinned and winked at him. “That good, huh?”
The blush in Nathan’s cheeks got hotter, and he ducked his head slightly. Erik laughed and tightened his arms around Nathan briefly before letting go and stepping back. “You ready for dinner, my studious friend?”
Nathan nodded, afraid his voice would give out if he spoke right away. The kiss had caused desire to wrap around his body and his skin felt too taut, as if his body just didn’t fit in it anymore. There was an obvious bulge in the front of his jeans as well. He prayed it would go away before they got to whatever restaurant they were eating at.
Erik led the way out of Nathan’s apartment and waited at the top of the stairs for him to lock the door. He held out his hand to Nathan and he happily grasped it, following Erik down the stairs. His leg protested but thankfully didn’t give out.
Once they were in Erik’s truck, Nathan asked, “Where are we going to eat?”
“I thought we’d eat at my house. I make a mean steak and vegetables. If you don’t mind the brief wait while I cook. If that’s okay?”
“Oh, yeah. That sounds good.” Nathan didn’t have to worry about being out in public and possibly having another run-in with a spirit like at the diner.
“How were classes? Did you get a lot of studying done today?” Erik asked while maneuvering effortlessly through traffic.
Guilt stabbed Nathan, and he turned his head to look out the window, hiding the grimace he made. “Classes were the usual. Studying was good. Got through more of my notes today.”
“That’s good to hear. I’m sure you’ll do great on your exams.” Erik paused for a second and then asked, “Are you free the Sunday after next?”
Nathan had to think it over. His scheduled hours on Sunday were from eight a.m. to noon, usually, but he wasn’t sure if he had anything else planned. “I have to work in the morning, but I’m off at noon. Why?”
“Your exams are over next week, right? We’re having our annual company picnic on that Sunday, and I would love to have you there.”
Surprise had Nathan turning his head to look at Erik. “Really?”
Erik furrowed his brow. “Of course, really. I want you there.”
“But… you hardly know me.”
Erik leveled a disgruntled expression at him. “I know enough. It’s just a picnic.”
It would give Nathan a chance to meet the people who worked for Erik. He was just surprised Erik already wanted to introduce him to people he knew. “Are you sure? I mean…”
“I’m sure,” Erik replied, strength and determination in his tone.
Nathan bit his lip and then said, “Okay. Sure, I’ll go.”
Erik smiled widely. “Good. The picnic starts at noon. I’ll pick you up at noon at the store.”
“Don’t you have to be there when it starts?” Nathan asked.
“Nope. That’s why I have capable people who work for me setting everything up.”
Nathan knew Troy wouldn’t be happy when he told him, but Erik would be there with him. “How many people will be there?”
“About sixty. Mostly my employees and their spouses and kids.”
“Wow.”
“Are you nervous?” Erik asked, frowning.
“No. Of course not. Just a lot of people to meet at once.”
Erik chuckled. “Don’t worry. There won’t be a pop quiz afterward.”
Nathan gave a weak laugh, but he wasn’t worried about there being a test. He was more concerned about there being a potential murderer there. But he couldn’t share that with Erik. The longer he held on to his secret, the deeper in the hole he went. Would Erik ever be able to forgive him when he finally told him the truth?
The drive to Erik’s didn’t take long. When they entered the house, Nathan spotted the table set for two along with a bottle of wine and… He stopped when he saw the long-stemmed rose lying on one plate.
Erik placed a hand on Nathan’s lower back and urged him toward the table. “Have a seat. Pour yourself some wine. I’ll start getting the steaks and vegetables going.”
“I can help,” Nathan said. He wouldn’t touch the wine. He’d sworn off ever drinking alcohol after his parents had died.
“Nonsense. I invited you to dinner. Just have a seat. If you want to do something, talk to me.” Erik opened the fridge and took a container out, setting it on the counter nearby.
“What do you want to talk about?” Nathan asked, leaning a hip against the counter while watching Erik.
“When are you playing at that café again?” Erik started the oven broiler preheating and put a dish with mixed vegetables on the stove.
“Saturday night and then again Sunday night.”
“Do you always play there?”
“Usually. Things have been a little hectic lately, but yeah. Curtis has been letting me play there for a couple of years now.”
“Curtis is the owner?” Erik asked.
Nathan nodded. “I met him when I did one of their open mic nights.”
“When did you first get interested in music?”
“When my dad bought me my first guitar. I was twelve.”
“Early starter. Did you ask him for it, or did he just give it to you?”
“My dad loved the greatest guitar players like Eddie Van Halen, Slash from Guns ‘N’ Roses, Jimi Hendrix. He used to listen to them whenever he was having a rough time with a case. He always said Nothing soothes the soul quite like the sound of a B major on the E string at the 7 th fret. Of course, it took me a long time to even understand what he meant.” Nathan laughed softly. “Every time I hear the chords, it reminds me of him.”
“You miss him.”
Nodding, Nathan swallowed to clear his throat, which had suddenly grown tight. “Yeah. Every day.”
“Troy said you have an aunt you lived with after the accident. Do you still see her?” Erik opened the oven and slid the dish with the vegetables inside.
“Sometimes. Actually, it’s my aunts, plural. My aunt Jessica married my aunt Becky a couple of years before my parents died. They took me in until I was old enough to get a job and eventually my apartment.”
Erik frowned while setting a pan on the burner and turning on the heat. “They made you move out when you got a job?”
“Oh, no! Nothing like that. They gave me so much and I didn’t want to remain a burden on them forever.”
“I hardly think your aunts were going to think of you as a burden.” Erik dropped a tablespoon of butter into the pan and slid it around with a set of tongs to coat the bottom.
Nathan crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the floor. “There’s just some things that made them taking me in more stressful than just me being a teenager thrust on them.”
“Like what?” Erik asked, obvious curiosity in his voice. The steaks made a sizzling sound when Erik added them to the pan.
He tensed and tried to think of a way to get around Erik’s question. When he remained silent for too long, Erik set down the tongs. He approached Nathan and cupped the back of Nathan’s neck. “You never have to be afraid to tell me anything, Nathan. Nothing you tell me will ever change the way I feel about you.”
Nathan had to bite back a snort. Somehow, he wasn’t sure he could believe that. It’s not every day someone says they can see ghosts, including their boyfriend’s dead fiancé. Finally, he ignored the small urge he had to tell Erik the truth. “I was just angry and depressed a lot.”
“Did you ever talk to a therapist about what happened?”
This time, the snort broke free. “More than one. They just thought I was nuts.”
Erik surprised Nathan when he slid a finger under Nathan’s chin and urged his head up enough until their eyes met. “Then they weren’t very good therapists. You are far from nuts, baby. Sad, maybe. Taking more on your shoulders than you need to by yourself, definitely. But you are not nuts.”
“But you don’t know everything,” Nathan whispered, his heart in his throat.
“Someday you will trust me enough to tell me everything. Until then, just know that I am here for you.”
A sharp sting hit the back of Nathan’s eyes and he blinked furiously. He wanted to believe Erik so badly. Most of his friends had abandoned him after the accident when they’d thought he’d lost his mind from the trauma.
Erik dropped a quick kiss on Nathan’s lips and stepped back over to the stove to flip the steaks. “Why don’t you pour us both a glass of wine? The veggies have a little longer to go and then we should be ready to eat.”
“Um, do you have anything else to drink?” Nathan asked hesitantly.
His question must have made Erik realize he didn’t drink alcohol when Erik let out a small oath. “I’m sorry, Nate. I didn’t think. There are a couple of sodas in the fridge, or I can make you some coffee.”
“It’s okay. You didn’t know.” Nathan went to the fridge and took out a can of Sprite.
“Grab me one of those, too.”
“You don’t have to because of me,” Nathan protested.
Erik shook his head and went to the table. He took the bottle off the table and put it into a small fridge with a glass door underneath the counter. “I shouldn’t be drinking and then driving you back to your apartment, anyway.”
“If you’re sure,” Nathan said, eyeing Erik.
“I am.” Erik smiled at him.
Before long, they were sitting down to eat, and Nathan just about died at the way the steak almost melted in his mouth. He couldn’t quite stifle the moan he let out at the taste.
Erik gave him a heated look. “I certainly hope I can make you moan like that.”
A blush flooded Nathan’s cheeks, and he gasped, heat blossoming in his lower belly. The heat pushed farther down, causing his cock to harden slightly. “Erik,” Nathan murmured, unable to meet Erik’s gaze.
Erik’s tanned fingers came into view when Erik touched the back of his palm. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
Nathan shook his head. “You didn’t exactly.”
“Oh?”
Biting his lip, Nathan peered through the strands of his hair, which had fallen into his eyes. “I’m not good at this.”
“Good at what?”
“Flirting.” He wanted to sink through the floor when Erik smiled softly.
Erik took hold of Nathan’s hand in his. “You’re doing just fine, Nate.”
He squeezed Nathan’s hand briefly and let go. Nathan hemmed in any additional noises he may have made over the food. Erik continued to ask him about his music, his favorite songs and bands, and Nathan had relaxed by the time they’d finished eating. Erik refused to let him help with the dishes, instructing him to remain at the table while he cleared everything and filled the dishwasher.
Afterward, they moved to the couch and Nathan got nervous again. Would Erik expect more tonight? A shiver raced down Nathan’s spine at the memory of their frotting session. He wanted more, but he also was afraid of disappointing Erik.
“Relax, angel. You’re thinking too hard.” Erik nudged him with his shoulder. “You have some time to watch a movie before I have to get you back home, Cinderella?”
Nathan chuckled and wrinkled his nose. “I hardly think I qualify for Cinderella status.”
“And why not?”
“Wrong parts for one.”
Erik chuckled and slid his arm around Nathan’s shoulders. “That’s a fact I’m happy about.”
Nathan leaned against Erik’s side and rested his head on his shoulder. “What do you want to watch?”
“Anything you do.”
He shrugged. “I don’t really know many movies. Between work, the café, and school, I don’t spend a lot of time watching movies or anything.”
“What genres interest you then? Horror?”
Nathan shook his head. “No. No, horror movies.” He had enough horror in his life that he didn’t need to see any movies with it.
“What about action movies?” Erik asked.
“I’m open to anything you want to watch. You choose. Oh, except Lifetime movies. My Aunt Becky loves those, and she forever had them on when I was living there.”
“Okay, I have an idea.”
Nathan watched him scroll through several areas before landing on a movie called A Knight’s Tale . Erik leaned forward to set the remote on the coffee table and then he tugged Nathan tighter to him. “There’s some great music in this film. I think you’ll like it.”