He’d already made his decision.
“You have a whole career here, Reece. And I have mine. We’re following separate paths. We had a good time while it lasted, but we both knew there was a finish line. And we reached it. No bad feelings.”
“But, Nicky, I l-”
“Don’t.” Nick cut him off sharply, his blue eyes dark and icy, and Reece couldn’t stop his tears from falling.
He thought that he could handle it, that having Nick for even a moment would be worth any amount of pain if and when it ended. But this pain was worse than death. It hurt so deep that Reece couldn’t comprehend it.
And Nick turned away from him as if he couldn’t even stand to look at him.
It was over. The best thing that had ever happened to him was crushing him beyond repair and Reece was trying to keep it together, trying not to cry, but the sobs were tearing out of him unbidden.
“I’ll leave you to get your stuff together. I have some things to take care of.” He walked out of the kitchen, toward the door, and Reece was cold. He was cold and hurting and scared. He was so scared. “And Reece…” He couldn’t turn to look at Nick, feeling as if even that would shatter whatever was left of his soul. “Thank you for everything.”
* * *
Nick walked out and Reece crumbled right there on the kitchen floor. He hugged his knees to his chest, rocking himself as he cried. And he cried in a way he never had before because he’d never experienced a heartache like this. It went too deep. It was so overwhelming that he groaned and pleaded to whatevergreater power there might’ve been to help him. To take it away. To just put him to sleep so he wouldn’t have to hurt anymore.
It was forever before he was able to drag himself off the floor, and even then, everything set him off and made him cry harder. Nick expected to break his heart and then have him get his stuff together and…
…and leave.
No more Nick. No more hugs. No more kisses. No more sweet nothings. No more cocky flirting. No more late nights. No more Nick.
It took him a full hour to get the few things he had in Nick’s living room. The thought of even walking into his bedroom was too much for Reece to bear. So, he got his phone out of his pocket, hands shaking so bad he could hardly open it and find Alex’s contact.
“Reece?”
“A-Alex,” Reece choked, the hand not holding his phone to his ear on his face. His nose was stuffy and running at the same time, his face and neck wet with his tears. “I n-need help.”
“Where are you?”
And Reece couldn’t tell him, couldn’t utter Nick’s name because even opening his mouth to attempt it set him off all over again.
“Is Nick okay?”
“Alex, please,” Reece sobbed.
It wasn’t even ten minutes later before Alex was walking into Nick’s place, and with his help, Reece managed to get all his clothes and products packed up. He only ran out of tears when he walked out of Nick’s place. The place he’d somehow started to consider his home. The place he’d been living for the better part of three months now.
Nick wasn’t wrong. It was good while it lasted. It had been beautiful and perfect, and he had so many memories that hewould cherish forever. Nick really had given him more than he ever expected when they started hooking up, so Reece counted his blessings and promised himself that no matter what, he would continue to love and support Nick forever.
If that meant letting him go, then Reece could do it. If being without him is what would make Nick truly happy, then he would accept it.
30
Chapter 30 - Nick
It was sometime in the middle of the night before Nick made it home, Declan supporting most of his weight.
“I can’t believe this shit. Look at your ass.”
He had too much to drink. Nick had been pissed at the world and needed an outlet, and when playing ball with Declan hadn’t been enough, he turned to alcohol, and that hadn’t gone over well at all. He’d gotten into a fight with somebody, but couldn’t remember who or why. But he was about to fight Declan, too, if the bastard didn’t back up off him.
Nick shrugged free of his hold, stumbling forward and into the kitchen where he’d watched Reece start crying. He wasn’t there.
He wasn’t in the bedroom. He wasn’t in the whole apartment.
