glass Jayden had been holding slipped out of his fingers, crashing to the floor with a sound close to a bomb going off. The noise vibrated through the room, startling everyone, while every single puzzle piece slowly slotted into place. Everything was so much clearer now!
Matt hadn’t come to rescue him , he had come for the kidnappers.
“Wait a minute,” Jayden said, voice eerily calm like the center of a storm. “Dumb this down for me.”
Both men stared at him as if he were a ghost that had popped out of nowhere. It didn’t do any good to Jayden’s already dented ego that they had forgotten he was even there.
When no one rushed to answer, Jayden drew his own conclusions. “You hired a fake boyfriend to keep your real boyfriend safe?” he asked, voice rising slightly with each word.
“Jayden,” Matt tried to say while Scott said at the same time, “Look—”
“No,” Jayden forcefully said, “I don’t care. You lied to me.” He crossed the distance, poking his finger at Matt’s chest to emphasize his point. “You put my life in danger and you didn’t even have the decency to warn me. What were you thinking?”
At that moment, Jayden had to move away, because if he came into any bodily contact with the thoughtless idiot, he would’ve done him bodily harm. And he had sworn to himself he would never, ever , turn into his father.
“Scott….” Matt, of course, managed to say exactly the wrong thing, incensing Jayden even further.
“Scott?” he screamed, arms flailing because he had to channel the need to hit Matt’s face into some sort of body movement. Otherwise he would simply explode. “I don’t care about Scott,” he shouted, sending one swift glare toward the silent real boyfriend. He took a deep breath. His voice was a little bit more even, less distressed, when he continued. “Look,” he said, rubbing his jaw, “I can appreciate the fact that you wanted to keep your boyfriend safe. A noble sentiment, really.”
Matt had the decency to flinch, but Jayden didn’t notice.
“The point remains, though, you didn’t tell me I was going to be in danger. You lied.”
Quite simple, really.
“We’re done here,” he concluded. “I guess you won’t be needing my services anymore,” Jayden added, words flying out of his mouth while he struggled to keep his emotions in check. Anger was the emotion he was trying to focus on, pushing hurt as far away as he could manage.
“Good luck to you.” He nodded politely to Matt and to Scott before he gathered all his strength to walk out of the room with his head held high.
“Jay… Jayden, wait!” Matt shouted after him, but Jayden didn’t stop. When he was already halfway up the stairs, he risked a moment to look back to check if Matt was still trailing after him, but someone had intervened, cornering him. Relief washed over him; however, Jayden didn’t allow himself to wallow in it, knowing he only had a small window of time to get out of the house before Matt managed to extract himself and come after him. Right now he thought that if he never laid eyes on Matt again, he would be the happiest person on the planet!
When he reached his room, he wanted to do nothing more than curl up on the plush bed, burying his head in the pillow and crying his heart out, but now wasn’t the time to fall apart. He needed to get out of there. He needed to get away, and only then could he allow himself to break down.
He had the money Matt had promised him; his pay had been wired into his bank account on a daily basis, and because Jayden didn’t trust easily, he had double-checked it every day. He knew better, after all, than to demand his payment in cold hard cash. Not for that kind of sum.
His eyes landed on the bed again. He heard its siren song trying to lull him, and really, why shouldn’t he give in?
There was no danger coming from Matt, and he was frankly exhausted. His body hurt in places he hadn’t thought possible while
Matt hadn’t come to rescue him , he had come for the kidnappers.
“Wait a minute,” Jayden said, voice eerily calm like the center of a storm. “Dumb this down for me.”
Both men stared at him as if he were a ghost that had popped out of nowhere. It didn’t do any good to Jayden’s already dented ego that they had forgotten he was even there.
When no one rushed to answer, Jayden drew his own conclusions. “You hired a fake boyfriend to keep your real boyfriend safe?” he asked, voice rising slightly with each word.
“Jayden,” Matt tried to say while Scott said at the same time, “Look—”
“No,” Jayden forcefully said, “I don’t care. You lied to me.” He crossed the distance, poking his finger at Matt’s chest to emphasize his point. “You put my life in danger and you didn’t even have the decency to warn me. What were you thinking?”
At that moment, Jayden had to move away, because if he came into any bodily contact with the thoughtless idiot, he would’ve done him bodily harm. And he had sworn to himself he would never, ever , turn into his father.
“Scott….” Matt, of course, managed to say exactly the wrong thing, incensing Jayden even further.
“Scott?” he screamed, arms flailing because he had to channel the need to hit Matt’s face into some sort of body movement. Otherwise he would simply explode. “I don’t care about Scott,” he shouted, sending one swift glare toward the silent real boyfriend. He took a deep breath. His voice was a little bit more even, less distressed, when he continued. “Look,” he said, rubbing his jaw, “I can appreciate the fact that you wanted to keep your boyfriend safe. A noble sentiment, really.”
Matt had the decency to flinch, but Jayden didn’t notice.
“The point remains, though, you didn’t tell me I was going to be in danger. You lied.”
Quite simple, really.
“We’re done here,” he concluded. “I guess you won’t be needing my services anymore,” Jayden added, words flying out of his mouth while he struggled to keep his emotions in check. Anger was the emotion he was trying to focus on, pushing hurt as far away as he could manage.
“Good luck to you.” He nodded politely to Matt and to Scott before he gathered all his strength to walk out of the room with his head held high.
“Jay… Jayden, wait!” Matt shouted after him, but Jayden didn’t stop. When he was already halfway up the stairs, he risked a moment to look back to check if Matt was still trailing after him, but someone had intervened, cornering him. Relief washed over him; however, Jayden didn’t allow himself to wallow in it, knowing he only had a small window of time to get out of the house before Matt managed to extract himself and come after him. Right now he thought that if he never laid eyes on Matt again, he would be the happiest person on the planet!
When he reached his room, he wanted to do nothing more than curl up on the plush bed, burying his head in the pillow and crying his heart out, but now wasn’t the time to fall apart. He needed to get out of there. He needed to get away, and only then could he allow himself to break down.
He had the money Matt had promised him; his pay had been wired into his bank account on a daily basis, and because Jayden didn’t trust easily, he had double-checked it every day. He knew better, after all, than to demand his payment in cold hard cash. Not for that kind of sum.
His eyes landed on the bed again. He heard its siren song trying to lull him, and really, why shouldn’t he give in?
There was no danger coming from Matt, and he was frankly exhausted. His body hurt in places he hadn’t thought possible while
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