Chapter Twelve
A FEW MINUTES later, Daniel stood outside Aaron’s apartment in a puttering daze. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t form words. He barely remembered the elevator ride, his manic thoughts pinging around the walls of his skull like a gymnast on a trampoline.
“Leaving? No? Suit yourself,” Corey had said as he held the door for him, then winked as he slipped through. “See you around, Daniel Greene. Cheers.”
Cheers.
His mind replayed the night he met Aaron over and over. The kiss he’d shared with Corey. To the way Corey had spoken to him— I don’t care if it’s made from holy water, it’s not your job to stand here and drink it. Now he stood at Aaron’s door with a defrosting pizza. My friends and I pass him around like a spit bucket at a wine tasting.
Cheers.
He quietly knocked on the door.
“What’d you forget?” Aaron answered with a toothbrush poking from his mouth. Maybe he hadn’t meant to say that, or maybe the expression Daniel wore was that alarming, but a shade of color evaporated from Aaron’s face. “Daniel.”
What’d who forget? Daniel chewed his lower lip, his voice barely there. “Expecting someone else?”
“No. Uh, what a nice surprise. Come in.” Aaron rushed to the sink to rinse his mouth. “And you brought a pizza? How thoughtful. Here, let me take it.”
Like a spit bucket at a wine tasting. He scanned the apartment as Aaron took the pizza from his arms. One chair at the dining room table was twisted askew like someone had just sat there. Probably reviewing his contract, which lay scattered around the table next to two half-empty tumblers. He tried to keep his voice steady as he said, “What kind of law do you practice?”
Aaron was punching numbers on the oven display in a haste. “What’s that? ”
“Law. I asked what kind of law you practice.” He cleared his throat, rubbing an arm. “I don’t think you mentioned it.”
Aaron’s back was turned to him, but his shoulders bunched around his ears and his breathing had changed. Quickened.
“You do practice law. Right?”
He didn’t turn around. He didn’t speak.
“Aaron. Look at me.”
When he finally twisted around, his skin had paled even more. He almost looked sick, like he might throw up at any moment. He tossed the pizza onto a counter, his voice deep and uneven. “No. I don’t practice law.”
“So, what do you do?”
“Please sit, Daniel.”
“I don’t want to sit.”
Hands bracing the sink and head drooping, Aaron sucked in a sharp breath. “What I do is offer people my companionship. In return, they pay me for my time.”
Like a spit bucket at a wine tasting. It wasn’t that it hit him like a tidal wave. A tidal wave usually had more warning. This was more like an undertow, strong and slick, sucking the truths about his world from beneath him in an instant.
“You’re—” The words stuck in his throat began to trickle out cold and thick. Even as he asked it, there was no way the answer could be yes. “You’re a prostitute?”
Aaron’s blue ice flashed to his. He nodded. “But I prefer escort.”
The swelter in his body pooled in his ears. He suddenly didn’t know what to do with his limbs, which twitched enough to start throbbing.
“Daniel. I’m so sorry.”
“I can’t believe you—you lied to me.”
“I know.” Aaron rushed to him, hesitating to reach for him. “I’m sorry. If you want to hate me, you’re entitled to hate me, but—”
“I don’t hate you.” Daniel scrunched his brow, eyes widening. “I would never. I could never hate someone for what they do with their body. It’s your body, and you get to do whatever you want with it, but how dare you not tell me. How dare you lie to me this entire time.”
“I didn’t lie! Okay, yes, I did, but not the entire time.”
“What? What does that even mean?”
“I thought you knew at the party. I swear I thought you knew. ”
“How would I know that?”
“Because!” Aaron’s arms shot out to the sides. “Everyone at that party was either an escort or someone paying for an escort. Why’d you think I was an attorney?”
“Why?” He shrugged with his whole body. “Well. The guy.”
“What guy ?”
“You know, the—” He flittered a hand about, but his brain was a hazy mess, the party an even hazier mess. Something about a yellow jacket. Something about floor popcorn. If he’s wearing a shirt, he’s an attorney and an asshole. A bunch of older men lounged about his memories, surrounded by their beautiful young companions. A game of shirts versus skins with the only part worth remembering being the special kiss with the special boy. “Guy.”
“Look, I would never intentionally hurt you.” Aaron’s voice was so earnest. So pained. “I had planned to tell you in a note and leave it for you to find. Then I just….” He trailed off, gesticulating in the air with his hands.
“What?” he asked. “You just what ?”
Aaron gazed up through his lashes. “I couldn’t.”
Daniel raised his eyebrows.
“I know how it sounds. I know it wasn’t fair, but I couldn’t because, well, I couldn’t , and so I let you think I was an attorney because if you were going to be gone the second you found out anyway, then at least I got to see you for a little while longer.”
His body was betraying him, because that shouldn’t have sounded romantic, and yet a part of him wanted to melt, so he wrenched his arms. “You more than let me think it. The contract? The tickets?”
Aaron bared his palms. “I said I’d get it taken care of, and I did. I took care of everything.”
“ You didn’t take care of shit.” Daniel jabbed a finger toward his chest. “You had Yellow Jacket do it.”
Aaron’s confused eyes zigzagged around. “Wait, what ?”
“Ugh!” Daniel punched his arms by his side. “I broke up with my boyfriend for you.”
“Are you serious?” Aaron’s eyes rounded. “How magical of a relationship could it have been if all it took was five minutes in a bathroom to break you guys up? ”
“Enjoy the pizza.” Daniel patted around his jacket in a tizzy for the thank-you card, then slung it onto the table. He whirled for the door. “I also wrote you that for being so fucking wonderful.”
“Wait. Stop. No, no, no.” Aaron rushed to the door and blocked it. “Don’t leave. I’ll answer all your questions if you’ll just stay. Please stay. I like you! Kid, I like you so much. I’ll do anything you want, but please don’t go—”
Daniel whipped his hand away as Aaron tried to grab it, glaring at full force. “ Don’t fucking touch me.”
It’d be impossible for Aaron to look more hurt. He hugged himself. “Sorry.”
“Move.”
Aaron stepped aside, and Daniel didn’t hesitate. He stormed down the hallway without a glance back.