Page 2

Chapter two

Flyn

T his is the best day of my life. I’m having coffee with Jade Freeman. The sweet, lovely man who I thought I had lost forever.

It was devastating when he simply stopped coming to work and vanished into thin air. When I tried calling him, a recorded voice said his number had been disconnected. I thought I’d never see him again.

Yet here he is, right in front of me. Sitting across a coffee table. I’ve found him, and it feels like a miracle.

He looked so flustered while he was babbling something incoherent about a family emergency being the reason he disappeared. I’m glad I swiftly changed the subject. He is entitled to his secrets. I’m just glad he is safe and sound. And back.

Though he looks a little haunted. It is hard to be sure through the dark sunglasses he is wearing, but I think there are more shadows there. He has been through some shit since I last saw him. It’s such a shame. Nobody deserves shit less than Jade. He is the kindest, sweetest soul.

I hate that he clearly went through hell long before I ever met him. The look in his eyes was always unmistakable. As was his wariness. And the way he flinched at any sudden movement.

I really hope he is okay now. I’d love to beat the crap out of whoever is fucking things up for him. But I have to earn Jade’s trust first. Or he will never tell me who his enemies are .

Jade fidgets with his empty coffee cup. His gaze sweeps over the crowded shop and the people hunting for a table. Any minute now, he is going to make his excuses and leave.

“Can I have your number?” I ask.

His eyebrows rise and then furrow. “My phone is broken.”

Ouch. Talk about shooting me down. It’s okay, I’ll just have to try to run into him again and up my charm offensive.

“No, really!” Jade says hurriedly. He scrambles in his pocket and pulls out a very smashed up Android phone. “It’s why I’m at the mall, to get a new one. So I don’t know what my new number will be.” He sighs sadly. “It’s going to be a nightmare getting everyone’s contact details again.”

I blink in surprise. “You don’t have to change your number, or lose your contacts. Just pop your sim into a new phone.”

Jade stares at me. He looks at his battered phone and then back at me.

“Really?” he says hopefully.

Gosh. He really is the sweetest. I grin and give him a confident nod.

He sighs. “I’m so clueless about this stuff. The outside world is overwhelming.”

He draws in a sharp breath and shoots me a panicked look. He opens his mouth, but I cut in before he has to scramble for an explanation.

“Religious parents?” I say.

It’s long been my assumption about him. He has strange gaps in his knowledge and he doesn’t seem to get any pop culture references. Which is a shame because most of my jokes are based on those.

His cheeks flush. He nods and looks away.

Poor guy. I didn’t think we had anything super religious, like the Amish, in the UK, but I don’t know everything. There are probably all kinds of things going on that I know nothing about .

“Hey,” I say brightly. “Why don’t I come with you and make sure you don’t get ripped off?”

He stares at me for a long moment. So long that I start to get nervous. Then he smiles, and it’s like the first sunny day after a long winter.

“That would be great.”

I jump to my feet and grab all my shopping bags. I can almost hear my mother’s teasing voice calling me an over excited puppy. When I look at Jade, he has a soft smile on his face, and it makes my heart flutter. He doesn’t mind my exuberance.

We weave our way out of the coffee shop and I lead him to the phone shop. An assistant with immaculate hair pounces on us as soon as we step through the door.

I tell her that we are looking for a sim free unlocked Android, and then back off to give Jade some space. Once he has found a couple of phones that he likes, I’ll help him choose. In the meantime, he doesn’t need me breathing down his neck and hearing all about his budget.

I wander off a short distance and poke at some of the phones on display. The new folding ones look amazing. Maybe one day I will treat myself.

I glance back at Jade. His glasses are off and his hood is back. He is holding one of the display phones and nodding keenly while the assistant shows him all the features.

He is coping well and doesn’t look bamboozled. Maybe he won’t need me after all. And that’s great. I still got to tag along and hang out with him for longer.

I drift over to the tablets. Someone has left an art App open, so I pick up the stylus and start doodling silly faces.

Chuckling to myself, I look over at Jade. Maybe he will appreciate my terrible art?

He has two assistants helping him now. And they are practically pawing at him. I frown. Flirting with Jade is one thing. He is absolutely gorgeous, so it’s understandable, but can they not see how deeply uncomfortable he is?

I watch for a few heartbeats as Jade squirms under their attention. He pulls his hood back up and puts his sunglasses back on. The women either don’t notice his discomfort or think they can win him over by perseverance. It’s pissing me off.

I leave my bags on the floor and stride up to them. They both scowl at my interruption. I sling my arm over Jade’s shoulder.

“Can I have my boyfriend back yet?” I say with my biggest grin.

The assistants both pale and their jaws go slack at the implication that they have been harassing a gay man.

“Um…yes…I think he’s chosen,” one of them stammers.

The other scurries away with some mumbled excuse about checking stock.

Jade shows me the phone he has been looking at. His cheeks are pink and it is the most adorable thing I have ever seen.

“I was thinking of this one?”

I give him a smile. “Yeah, that’s a good phone. The camera is good enough, unless you are hoping to be an Instagram influencer.”

He shakes his head with a wry smile. Yeah, he is far too sweet and shy to be an influencer.

I check the price with the assistant and let Jade know it’s a good deal. He trails after the woman to the counter to make his purchase while I gather up all my bags. Cara is going to go wild at me for buying Sorcha so many birthday presents, but hey, I only have one niece to spoil.

Jade walks up to me with his new phone in a shiny bag and together we escape the store.

“Sorry if I embarrassed you,” I say as soon as we are well away from the phone store. “I thought it would be the quickest way to get them to back off.”

Jade chuckles softly. “Thank you. The look on their faces’ was priceless. ”

I sneak in a shaky exhale. Phew! I’m glad I didn’t overstep and upset him. It’s a terrible habit of mine to act first and think later.

“Shall we grab that bench over there and I can help you set your new phone up?” I say.

Jade nods enthusiastically enough to make my pulse race. I have to temper my happy grin as we walk over and take a seat.

I put all my bags down again and quickly get to work. It doesn’t take long to extract the sim card from his broken phone and pop it in his new one. I get him started on the set up interface. He is a damn quick learner and is soon whizzing through it without any help from me.

When he’s done, he looks up at me with a triumphant smile that melts my heart.

“So, can I be the first number you put into your new phone?” I grin.

He flushes and agrees. He quickly taps my number in and then calls it so that I have his. He’s not bad at this outside world stuff at all.

“Can I see you again?” I ask.

Even through his dark glasses, I see his eyes grow impossibly wide.

“As friends,” I quickly add before he gets the wrong idea.

I used to flirt with him something crazy, so it is more than understandable if he leaps to that conclusion. But I have no intention of being pushy.

He flinches and his lips curl downwards.

My heart flings itself against my ribcage. Oh gosh. Does he really want me to take him on a date? This is amazing. But I need to tread carefully. He is a gentle soul, I can’t barge in all guns blazing.

“I do like you that way, Jade!” I blurt. “But I understand it’s not mutual.”

I mean, I now strongly suspect it is, but this is far more tactful than saying he is a fragile, delicate flower who needs time .

“I won’t hassle you. Gay guys can be friends!” I attempt to clarify, horribly.

Jesus Christ. Why couldn’t I have said something sane? Something like, I really like and respect you and it would be great to take our time and be friends first.

I bite back my sigh. Too late now.

Jade’s brows are furrowed. “I thought you said you were pan?”

He remembers that? That’s incredible. This really is the best day ever.

My hand lifts, it clenches and it thumps my chest like some sort of gorilla. “Yep, that’s me! Hearts not parts!”

Jade laughs. A full on peal of amusement.

“But,” I say, because apparently it’s one of those days where I’m incapable of shutting up. “The point still stands, people of attractable genders can be friends.”

Oh lord, I really am babbling nonsense now. Nevertheless, Jade is grinning at me. His whole face is glowing. He doesn’t seem to mind my buffoonery at all.

“Yeah, everyone I live with is gay, and we are like brothers.”

“That’s so awesome!’

It really is. Sounds like the best flatshare ever. Their parties must be wild.

“So, can we be friends and hang out?” I press.

Jade flashes me a sweet smile. “That sounds great.”

Yep. I was right. Best day ever.