Page 18 of Entwined

Chapter Seven

As Darby entered his apartment, he slammed the door behind him. The end of another grueling work week had arrived, and it had been more than ten days since his glorious, amazing, mind-blowing visit from Bram.

He’s never coming back.

Darby glared at his bed then hurled his book bag onto the tangled covers. It wasn’t as if he’d be using it for anything beyond sleeping in anyway. As more days had passed since his all-night lovemaking session with Bram, the more he’d been coming to grips with the fact that he’d made up his dream man in his head. He’d been so upset after Nathan’s rejection that he’d invented the perfect fairy tale romance to fix his dreary love life. The glittering dust, Bram’s endearing laughter and smile, his sweet lips—everything had been the result of a desperate longing for true love.

Or maybe Bram is just a love ‘em and leave ‘em kinda guy.

He doubted it. If someone like Bram actually did exist, he wouldn’t have abandoned Darby the way he had.

Darby shook his head in a futile effort to rid himself of obsessive thoughts of Bram. Becca’s play was still running, so her Friday and Saturday nights were taken, as well as Sunday afternoons. He loved her a whole bunch, but he didn’t think he could sit through another modern retelling of Brigadoon again. He hadn’t understood it the first time around.

But he had to get his mind off magical twinks who came to visit him in the nighttime hours so they could have their way with him, or else he’d completely lose his sanity.

At least one twink in particular.

Maybe he should go away for the weekend, take his focus off the craziness that had been his life lately. Santa Barbara wasn’t too far away. He could leave after rush hour traffic then spend the night, go to the museum and visit the art galleries. Get some seafood on the pier.

Yippee. Sounds great.

Going places alone had never bothered him before. But ever since he’d met—or hallucinated—Bram, all he cared about was being together with him. And while the sex had been fantastic, he craved the peace and completeness he’d felt with Bram even more.

Darby puttered around his apartment, the walls seeming to close in on him as the evening wore on. He made a half-hearted attempt to organize his cluttered desk drawers, but after a while, sorting paper clips lost its appeal. A glance at the clock revealed that only an hour had passed.

Too early to go to bed.

The fact that he’d be tossing and turning all night and that going to sleep would only remind him of Bram anyway, it seemed that another round of vodka was in order.

Just not as much.

Then he could pick up where he’d left off with Game of Thrones and pass out on the love seat. He’d taken to sleeping there for the past few days. At this point, he wondered if he should simply move. But then he’d get a twinge in his gut and pretend it wasn’t due to his fear that Bram wouldn’t be able to find him anymore.

He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Vodka it is.

Whispered words of love echoed somewhere in the back of Darby’s mind. Warmth filled him, and for the first time since he’d last been with Bram, he believed that everything would be okay.

Bram.

As always, the unending thoughts of the beautiful fae invaded his dreams and he was awakened. He opened his eyes, the pain of an already mounting hangover building in his temples. He peeled his tongue off the roof of his mouth and mused on the fact that he needed about a gallon of water. Glancing at the TV, he noted that his gaming system had gone to sleep, and the TV had automatically shut off.

Must’ve passed out a few hours ago.

The last thing he remembered was blood, swords and that damn dragon.

Dragons. Wizards. Fairies. All bullshit.

“Darby?”

“Aaah!”

Darby jerked up from the sofa with a start, his toes catching the bottom of the folding tray he always used for his meals, sending it and the remnants of the delivery pizza he’d ordered tumbling to the ground with a thunk.

“I’m sorry! Oh no, I scared you again.”

“You… How… Where…?” Darby’s heart felt as though it was punching a hole through his chest, but all he cared about was that Bram was there. He yanked him into his arms. “Oh my God, Bram. Where have you been?” He clutched him tighter. “I’ve been so worried that something bad had happened to you or that you didn’t want to see me again, that I’d done something wrong or…” Darby held Bram away from his so he could gaze into his eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”