Silver & Black by Tyler May Page B

knew he was advocating, but a lot of people do: gay and straight. I just never got that vibe from him. How’d you guys meet?”
    “He was my high school teacher.” But he was homeschooled according to the Wiki page.  
    “Where’d you go to high school?” I test his truth.
    “I was homeschooled.” And he passes. Good boy, Silver. “I had some difficulty adjusting to mainstream schools so my mom hired Marcus; uh, Professor Mullins, to teach me from home.”
    “Why’d you have problems? Sorry if I’m interrogating you.” He smiles at me.
    “Please, Greyson, ask as many questions as you want. That’s how we get to know each other. I had some problems with my eyes. I still do, but it’s gotten better.” That explains the sunglasses in all the pictures. “I just couldn’t take all the laughs and stares at the bandages as the doctors experimented with surgeries. And I missed a lot of school, so Mom thought it was better to hire him. He taught me from basically ninth grade until my last year in high school. I never went to college.” I give him an evil eye because he is on me so much. “I know, but it was hard enough for me in high school. I studied privately and Marcus assisted in that as well. I started Silver Inc . and everything education-wise is history.”
    “So did Professor Mullins start seeing you when you were underage?” Professor Mullins must be in his early forties, but I’m not quite sure. I know he’s older than Silver and way older than me.
    “Oh, no. He made it clear that he liked me and I him, but he waited until I was eighteen and then he asked my parents.” He laughs. “It was kind of weird how it all went down.”
    “Your parents were ok with it?” I say with a shocked voice.
    “No, not at all. They basically ripped him up and tossed him out. They haven’t ever associated with him since. Not even when we were together.” He gets up and clears the plates and rubbish from the coffee table.
    “So you still went out with him?” He’s walking in and out of the kitchen.
    “You know how it is; the rebellious teen and I thought I loved him.”
    “Did you? Do you?” My heart suddenly feels a little heavy. Jealousy?
    “No―to the do part. That was over a while ago.” How long? But I withhold my question. “I think I did love him at one point. I loved the idea of him, for sure. He was obviously older and he taught me a lot, but he wanted things from me I wasn’t willing to give him.”
    “Like what?” Do I really want to know?
    “Like marriage. He must have asked me at least a dozen different times.”
    “Why didn’t you?”
    He looks me in the eyes. “I knew there was another man waiting for me and I wasn’t going to give Marcus what I needed to give to him.” Him? Me? “He wasn’t that man to me.” His tone is honest and I can feel a flush in me. Was he talking about me? His eyes pierce through me. I can’t help myself; I meet his gaze and gently lean into his lips. Honestly and sincerity are something I’m not used to. I find these qualities in him so endearing.
    “I need to study. How about we go up to your bedroom? I can study and you can snuggle next to me. You look exhausted.” I comb my fingers through his hair. It is late and he had said he was in meetings all day.
    “I am.” He stands taking my hand. I love that he is always doing that .
    In his room, he changes into his lounge pants and keeps his shirt off. Fine with me, I love his chest. We crawl into bed. I sit upright against the headboard with my book. He curls next to me and lays his head on the side of my chest. A few minutes go by and I feel his steady, slow breaths on my skin. I glance down; he’s sound asleep. He looks comfortable, peaceful even. I make him feel this way. He said I held the power and I didn’t know what he meant; until now. Heart please slow down; I don’t want you broke again.

~Chapter Eleven~
     
    I purposely didn’t set my alarm this time and I wake up as the sun creeps