Page 45 of Waiting for a Prince

God, yes.

Mark forced himself not to imagine Sam in his arms, kissing him, touching him… He inhaled sharply. “But you’re not. So yes, I’ll be your friend.” He gave Sam a wry smile. “I could use a friend right now, too.” He extended his hand and after staring at it blankly for a moment, Sam took it. They shook, Sam’s grasp firm.

“Friends,” Sam repeated, more confidently this time.

Mark smiled brightly. “Friends.” He was not a mean-spirited person, but in that moment, he found himself wishing fervently that Sam had never laid eyes on Rebecca.

Because Mark wanted him.

If he hadn’t been sitting on a bench with tourists walking past him every few minutes, Sam would have got up and danced.

It’s going to be okay.

If they could go on as before, meeting up on Sundays and Mondays, with maybe the bowling night or karaoke thrown in for good measure, that would be enough.

Except he knew deep down he was only fooling himself.

Aren’t you forgetting something? Well, someone.

In the hour since they’d arrived at Steephill Cove, Sam’s phone had vibrated in his pocket about five times. He’d left it there.

He didn’t want to look.

Didn’t want to see her name.

Sam knew he was only postponing the inevitable.

Maybe I should just stand up to her.He’d found the courage to tell Mark how he felt, hadn’t he? Surely he could dig deep and find some more.

Yeah? And where will that lead?

He already knew the answer to that, and the thought of how that conversation would go made his stomach churn. The same way it roiled every time his dad spewed more hate, and with every word Sam saw him for the homophobic, transphobic, racist man he was. Dad was good at keeping his feelings hidden, but Sam had heard him often enough when he spoke with his friends on the phone.

There were more of them out there, and Sam wanted to keep the hell away from them. Living on the island put a barrier between him and his dad, although Sam knew his dad wanted him in London.

There was no way he was going back.

Not now he’d found Mark.

“Hey, where did you go?”

Sam gave himself a mental shake. “Sorry.”

Mark peered at him. “I meant what I said. Anytime you need to talk, don’t hesitate.”

Sam sighed internally.And if you learned the truth, you’d never look at me the same way again.

Sam had enough of a problem looking at his reflection. Because sometimes the man in the mirror seemed to glare at him.

To demand how he could let this whole fucked-up situation continue.

Sam didn’t have an answer for him.

Chapter Sixteen

Saturday, September 14

The hairson the back of Mark’s neck were standing to attention.