Thank you again for a wonderful evening on Friday. The event exceeded all my expectations, and I'm so grateful for the work you and your team put into making it happen.
Zach and I had a wonderful time; he said he was very glad to finally meet you. He's heard so much about you from me over the months and was thrilled to put a face to the name.
Looking forward to our next project together.
Best,
Jacob Webb
Adriel read it once. Twice. Three times.
The frown started slowly, creasing his forehead. Then deepened. Confusion bubbled up inside him, pushing against the walls he'd built, the certainty he'd wrapped around himself like armor.
What?
He looked up.
His eyes found Landen. Landen, who was standing there looking like he hadn't eaten or slept or done anything except exist in the same kind of gray hell Adriel had been living in. Landen, who stepped forward now, carefully.
"He's not my friend," he said. "I met him when you saw us. I didn't know who he was before that night. I didn't know he was your…" He stopped. Swallowed. "I didn't know. I swear."
Adriel shook his head.
He looked from Landen to Jenna, to the phone in his hand, back to Landen. His mind was spinning, trying to reconcile what he'd seen with what he was being told, trying to find solid ground in a world that kept shifting beneath him.
He wanted to believe him.
God, he wanted to believe him so badly it hurt. He wanted to let go of the fear, the suspicion, the voice that whisperedyou're being stupid again, you always fall for it, you always believe and then they laugh.
He wanted to step forward and fall into Landen's arms and pretend the last three days hadn't happened. He wanted to feel those hands on him again, that mouth, that voice in his ear telling him he was good, he was perfect, he was wanted.
But he just...couldn't.
Not yet. Not without being sure. Not without knowing this wasn't another trick, another game, another carefully constructed lie designed to break him open.
"I never lied to you, Adriel.Ever." Landen's voice was shaking now. Adriel heard it, felt it land somewhere deep in his chest.
"You are everything to me. I would never hurt you like he did. I would never…" He stopped. Swallowed again. His eyes were red-rimmed.
"I lo…" Landen stumbled. The word caught in his throat, seemed to stick there. He tried again. "I love you, baby. I love you so much."
The words hit Adriel like a wave.
Love you. I love you.
No one had ever said that to him. No man.Ever. Not once in his entire twenty-four years on this earth. He'd gone through life without hearing those words from someone who meant them.
Adriel's eyes were burning. He blinked, and tears spilled over, hot down his cheeks. He couldn't stop them. Couldn't hide them. Couldn't do anything except stand there and cry while Landen looked at him like he was the most precious thing in the world.
Then Landen was right there. In front of him. Close enough to touch. His hands came up, pressed against Adriel's cheeks, cradling his face like something fragile, something worth protecting. His thumbs wiped at the tears, gentle and careful, even as more joined them.
"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Adriel," Landen said. His voice cracked on the words, broke apart and came back together. "The best thing."
Adriel's throat was too tight to speak. He swallowed, tried anyway.
"No one knows though," he managed. His voice came out thin. "You don't want anyone to know. Because I..." He trailed off, unable to say it. Unable to put words to the fear that had been living in him for so long. "You are ashamed, right?"
He was past feeling embarrassed now. Past caring how pathetic he sounded, how needy, how desperate. He was so tired. So tired of fighting, of doubting, of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
