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“Or, like, at all?”
He chuckles. “Delivery offers everything I need.”
“I would’ve done that. Got what I needed. You shouldn’t spend money on stuff you don’t use.”
“Perhaps I will use it now. I have more reasons to be home, don’t I?”
Smiling, I lean against the island. “I don’t want to disrupt your life though.”
“You are the furthest thing from a disruption. I don’t have any friends here. Sure, people are nice to me, but I know it isn’t genuine. They want something from me. I’m not stupid enough to trust any of them, but you, Eli, you’re different. You were a friend when I had nothing to offer you in return.”
“You offered me a lot, Michel.”
He scoffs, turning his attention back to stocking a cabinet with plates. “Hardly.”
“We had fun, didn’t we? The kind I couldn’t have with anyone else.”
He glances at me, his lips pursed, before putting another glass on the shelf. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you remember? The movies we watched and games we played. We took walks in nature and swam in the lake. With you, I never had to be what other people wanted. Mostly my parents.”
He turns slowly, nodding. “Yes, I remember. I always wondered if you just said those things so I wouldn’t feel guilty taking up your time.”
“Nah, I meant it. I considered you my best friend. The only real one. The guys who said they were my friends called me names and picked fights for stupid shit.”
“Me. They did those things over me.”
“Yeah, but that’s stupid shit. If they were real friends, they would’ve tried to learn more about you. Maybe I expected too much maturity from them.”
Right in front of me, Michel’s eyes darken, his face turning hard. “They still haven’t matured. Ben, Nial, and Garrett, still the three musketeers of bullying.” He lifts his eyes to me and my breath hitches from the sight. “Back then I wasn’t strong enough to defeat them. I didn’t have the right tools, but I do now.”
He turns around abruptly, gripping the edge of the countertop so hard I almost expect it to crack. I can see the strain in his popped neck muscles, the way the veins in his hands are pronounced, but in the blink of an eye, he suppresses his rage, exhaling slowly.
“Anyway, they’ll pay for their bad behavior and Neubrook will take its place amongst great places to live.”
Nodding, I take a step back, even though some weird part of me wants to push forward, run my hand down his back, and soothe his anger.
“I’m sorry, Michel.”
He turns to face me again. “For what?”
“Not realizing how much they traumatized you. I feel really bad.”
“Please don’t.” He approaches me, stopping so close that I can feel his warm breath on my face. “That trauma motivates me. I’m going to make this a great place to live, and they are going to be sorry for what they’ve done, then and now.” He smiles, dragging a hand down my bare arm. My cock bounces under my clothes and I really hope he didn’t notice. “I’m just glad you’re here to witness my finest hour. You’re partly responsible.”
“How?”
“Fond memories of you never left me. You showed me all the good parts of Neubrook. Your parents still live here. So do mine. I knew that, no matter what, I had to protect it.”
His words make my stomach flutter, and he glows with happiness. “I’m glad I’m here to witness it too.”
“Front row seat.” He takes his hand off my arm. “You must be hungry.”
“Starving.”
“Good. Let’s go out. I can put this stuff away later.”
“Yeah, let me get changed. Do I need a suit?”
