Roger that, sir. And target appears hostile. Proceed with caution.
“Hi, Neil,” I said, leaning against the frame and crossing my arms.
He didn’t reply. He did slam the cupboard door shut hard enough to rattle plates inside another.
“So—”
“Your friend paid me a visit at work,” Neil interrupted.
“My friend?”
“Detective Winter,” he retorted, turning to look at me.
“Ah-ha.”
“Don’tah-ha, Sebby. You told him. You fuckingtoldhim!”
“That I had an alibi that would keep me out of jail?” I argued back. “You’re damn right I told him, Neil! And where do you get off like this? I was at a murder scene today, and you didn’t even stay to make sure I was okay!”
“What did I say to you this morning?” Neil asked as he approached me. “I told you not to go to Mike’s. You promised, and what did you do? You got yourself involved!”
“Technically I never promised…. Besides, I could have been hurt—!”
“That would have been your own damn fault!”
I was stunned speechless for a beat. No matter how angry I could have been at Neil, if he had been in trouble, I know I’d have not given one single shit about arguments in the past. What would have mattered was his health and safety.
“You’re unbelievable,” I said.
“Fuck you, Sebastian,” he said through clenched teeth. “You told a cop that I was gay. That’s official now! That’s in the books! Do you know how quickly it will get around? You’ve endangered my entire livelihood!”
I threw my hands up. “Right, I forgot. This is all about you, Neil. This entire relationship from the start has been what’s best for you!”
“Sebby—”
“Stop calling me that! God! I hate it!”
Neil shook his head and made to move around me in the doorway.
I stopped him by taking a step forward. “No,” I demanded. “You’re not going to just leave the room without talking to me.” I reached out to put a hand on Neil’s chest, but he shoved me.
Hard.
I hit the doorframe as he barged past me. “How do you think I feel?” I called as he went toward the bedroom. “Being someone you’re ashamed of forfouryears. I can’t even walk too close to you in public without you getting weird.”
“Shut up, Sebastian.”
“I needed you today, Neil!” I followed him into the bedroom. “I was scared and could have been thrown in jail. I needed my partner, and you justleftme!” I watched him shove clothes into a bag. “Where the fuck are you going?”
“I’d rather sleep in my car than look at you right now, Seb.”
“That’s nice. Really nice,” I snapped back. “We’re at a critical juncture in our relationship and you’re walking out.”
“That’s right,” Neil said while looking up. “I am. I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to listen to you. You’ve made me so angry, Sebastian, that—I can’t even yell because I’m beyond it.”
“What does this say about us, Neil?”
What was happening? Did he honestly expect to have our relationship stay a secret forever? I couldn’t live like that. The reality—having to give Neil up if he didn’t get comfortable dating me—hurt a lot.
