Page 52 of Mine

He said nothing.

I waited.

“I cheat on my wife, yes,” he acquiesced.

I scowled at him. “Make no mistake, you cheat on your kids too.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I arched an eyebrow at him. “One day they’ll learn the truth, and they’ll know the whole damn thing was a lie.”

“What are you—”

“The marriage,” I told him. “One day your kids will find out it was bullshit, and then they’ll wonder, was anything he ever said real? If he didn’t really love her, does he really love me?”

“That’s ridic—”

“I know about lying. I’ve met a lot of liars, seen them doing their thing. You need to fix it now, make it right for everyone, plus you, and give your wife a shot at the happiness she deserves.”

“She’s happy!” he shouted at me, upset and defensive. “She has everything. Cars, a house—a mansion—jewelry. She’s not an idiot. She likes her life, and she’ll play along until the kids are grown, and then as long as I’m always discreet, she’ll give me my divorce and take the settlement I give her.”

I stared at his eyes and could see what Landry had found alluring. The man was blond and handsome, and his eyes were soft, and so was his mouth. “That’s so fuckin’ sad.”

“You’re not listening. You—”

“I’m listening,” I assured him. “But you’re talking out of your ass.”

“I—”

“No doubt you’ll be able to keep a boy who will be discreet, but what I’m saying is that you won’t be able to have a partner because no out and proud gay man will live his life in a closet. You will always have a boy who belongs to you but never a man who walks beside you and holds your hand.”

He took a shuddering breath. “And Landry’s life is, what, so much better than mine because of that?”

I shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Because you’re such a fuckin’ catch,” he scoffed.

“No, man, it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with how he is. He’s true to who he is, and he doesn’t hide, and he can walk in here and be gay and not give a damn if people care about that fact. He’s real.”

“I’m real too, and so is my family.”

“Listen, I have a lot of friends in the closet for one reason or another, but don’t stand there and tell me that you or them are living a real life. How can you be?”

“I will not stand here and defend my life to you!”

But he was standing there doing that exact thing.

“I’m happy!”

“Yeah, you look it.”

“You’re just trash, and that’s all that comes out of your mouth.”

I smiled slowly. “You’re gonna be dreaming about my mouth tonight, thinking of it sliding over your ex-boyfriend’s beautiful cock and what his face is gonna look like when I do it.” I sighed deeply because suddenly I felt really bad for him. He was obviously still very much in love with Landry Carter. “I feel so fuckin’ sorry for you.”

He backhanded me hard, and I took it because I’d pushed him and my last comment had been totally shitty and rude. Unfortunately, two things happened at the same time. First, my lip started bleeding again, and second, Landry saw him hit me.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he roared, outraged and furious, coming fast.