Page 16 of When Ben Loved Jace (He Loved Him #2)

When I wake up, the world outside the trailer is still dark.

I’m vaguely aware that Jace has just slipped out of bed to get ready.

I want to rise and see him off, but when a cat takes his place, curling up and purring against my chest, I drift off again.

Samson is still there later in the morning.

I blink against the light, roll over onto my back, and laugh happily when I remember the events of the previous night.

I can’t believe Jace moved all this way, just to be closer to me.

It seems too crazy to be true, so I crawl out of bed, put on my T-shirt and underwear, and go to the trailer door, needing to see it with my own eyes.

Jace’s car is gone, the rest of the driveway empty.

Beyond it, an affluent neighborhood is beginning to stir from slumber.

I’m just about to close the door again when a gray blur streaks past me.

“Shit!”

I scurry after Samson, remembering Jace’s warning about keeping him inside.

I chase the cat down the driveway before I manage to scoop him up into my arms. That’s when I notice someone watching me.

A man with swept-back dark hair and a widow’s peak is standing on the porch.

His ramrod thin body is wrapped in a silk robe as he sips coffee.

“Good morning!” I say in greeting while walking nearer.

He raises a critical eyebrow at this. “Oh yes, it’s a simply fantastic morning.” His tones are drenched in sarcasm. “I slept wonderfully knowing that my ex was breaking in his new boy toy on my driveway. What an absolute treat! And on Valentine’s Day, no less.”

I press my lips together, deeply uncomfortable with the situation.

“I’m really sorry. I umm… I’ll be on my way.

” I turn around to consider the empty driveway.

Oh right. Jace drove me here. I’ll have to wait until Allison wakes up so I can get a ride from her.

“Just as soon as I can,” I add sheepishly when facing him again.

Adrien sighs. “Breakfast will be ready in half an hour. I suggest you get yourself cleaned up before then.”

“That’s okay,” I say, not wanting to impose.

“It wasn’t a request. If you’re going to be staying here in the future, on my property, I have a right to know who I’m dealing with. Make sure you aren’t covered in that fleabag’s hair. I’m deathly allergic.” And with that, he spins around and returns inside.

I suddenly become aware that I’m standing in my underwear, out in the open, with a squirming cat in my arms. I hustle back to the trailer, my heart racing as I kick shut the door behind me.

This is awkward! I’m not sure what Jace would want me to do, but I don’t have many options, so I feed Samson, take a quick shower, and try to smooth out my wrinkled clothes from yesterday before putting them on again.

When I approach the front door, it swings open before I can knock.

Adrien is wearing a slim-fitting dress shirt and a pair of pressed slacks. He looks me over before his narrowed eyes move to the trailer in the driveway.

“Ugh! I can only imagine what the neighbors will think.”

“The Airstream is a design classic,” I say, hoping to sell him on the idea.

Adrien sizes me up again. “I can see why Jace likes you.”

The way he says this doesn’t sound like a compliment.

His voice is prissy with a noticeable lisp, which I like, because it’s so transparently gay.

He waves me into the house with a sigh before leading me through it.

I gawk openly. The rooms are spacious, huge windows letting in plenty of light.

The furniture and fixtures appear expensive to my untrained eye, but what I notice most is just how clean everything is.

Spick and span, prim and proper. Like the ornate carpet with perfectly straight tassels, not a single one in disarray.

The books on the coffee table are carefully aligned at the same angle.

I’m led to a modern kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and gleaming countertops.

I doubt I could find a single crumb on the floor, even if I got down on my hands and knees with a magnifying glass.

I’m directed to a small table near a bay window that looks out onto a perfectly manicured lawn.

“Sit,” Adrien commands. “On the other side,” he adds when I place my hand on one of the chairs.

My back is to the rest of the kitchen when I take my seat, but I’m warmed by the sunlight pouring in.

The table has already been set with two bowls full of some sort of granola and an ivory pitcher.

A grapefruit has been sliced in half for us to share.

A number of shining utensils have been dedicated to the task we’re about to engage in.

I’m already nervous about choosing the correct spoon.

“Coffee or tea?” Adrien trills.

“Coffee, please.”

He pours some into a delicate cup. He doesn’t offer sugar or cream, and I don’t dare ask.

“Do we need to bother with introductions?” he asks when sitting. “I assume Jace has at least mentioned me before. I’ve certainly heard enough about you.”

“I know who you are,” I confirm. “Thank you for letting him move his trailer here.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” Adrien says with a sniff. He gestures at the pitcher. “Don’t worry, it’s almond milk.”

I cover my granola with it and try a smile. “This looks great!”

He nods as if satisfied.

I’m already desperate to get out of here.

“So what has he told you about me?” Adrien asks.

“That you were college roommates. And that you used to date.”

I hope this pop quiz doesn’t have many more questions, because I’ve already exhausted my knowledge.

A smile plays about Adrien’s lips. “Humble beginnings. I had requested a dorm room transfer, unable to tolerate my roommate anymore, who did little more than pick at his own acne between bouts of flatulence. Imagine my delight when I met my new roommate. I knew the moment Jace walked in the door that I had to have him. And I most certainly did. Repeatedly. Does that bother you?”

“No,” I say, wanting to be polite. “It gives us something in common.”

He considers this. “I suppose it does. We even lived together, for a short time, after I graduated and got an apartment. Do you love him?”

The question is sudden and direct, but after last night, my response is especially raw. “Yeah. He’s the first guy I’ve loved in a very long time. And maybe the first one to ever love me back.”

Adrien’s steely expression wavers momentarily. “I loved him too.”

“So what happened? ”

He perks up at this, as if pleased by the line of inquiry. “He didn’t tell you?”

I take a bite of the granola and shake my head.

“Everything was going swimmingly. We couldn’t have been happier. I honestly thought I’d found the man I would someday marry. Is that relatable?”

He’s either reading me like a book or playing me like a fiddle. Maybe both, but I’m hanging on his every word. I nod again.

“I’ve been there too. Until one day, out of the blue, Victor comes strolling into our lives.” He’s studying me intently. “I can see that you’ve heard of him already. Quite a bit, I would imagine. He’s one of Jace’s favorite subjects.”

I swallow, but not because of the food. “What did you think of him?”

“Not much,” Adrien says venomously. “Jace had built him up as some sort of legend. The reality was quite different. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw for myself. Victor was malnourished, grubby, and had the fashion sense of a hobo. Although I will admit he had a certain appeal that came from being on the streets, like a male hustler does, but personally, I wouldn’t have touched him without making him soak in a tub for a few hours first. Even then he’d need to get a rabies shot, because the boy was absolutely feral. ”

“How so?”

“Where do I begin? He ate out of garbage cans. Did you know that? He was rather proud of the fact. He even invited me to go dumpster diving with him. The audacity!” Adrien nods at the food in front of me.

“Try the organic grapefruit. It’s from the farmer’s market.

Anyway, in addition to his unkept appearance and atrocious eating habits, Victor was always smoking.

Funny how poor people are so fond of the habit.

The homeless too. You’d think they would have more important things to spend their money on.

Then again, they didn’t end up that way by making good decisions. ”

I can’t imagine Jace dating this man. Or even being his friend.

But I intend to set aside our differences in the name of keeping things civilized, because Jace can’t park his trailer at the apartment complex where I live.

My car has already been broken into twice.

Which is especially desperate, considering the condition it’s in.

“So what was Victor doing down here?” I ask, my mouth puckering, because there’s no sugar on the grapefruit and I’m too intimidated to ask for some.

Adrien is eating his like it’s candy. “Oh who knows,” he replies.

“Victor had literally hopped on a boxcar to get here. I’m not sure why he went to all that effort, because he didn’t seem particularly interested in getting back together with Jace.

For all his faults, he was cordial enough.

I didn’t feel threatened. I could tell that Jace still had a thing for him but chalked it up to Victor being his high school sweetheart.

If you can call a dropout that. He simply came and went. I thought nothing of it.”

Adrien eats in silence a moment before he sets down his spoon. In conspiring tones, he says, “Then we got the call.”

I’m almost scared to ask. Should I be hearing any of this? Maybe not, but it would be impolite to not show interest. Or so I tell myself.

“From who?”

“Greg,” Adrien says, perking up again. “Have you met him?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t he delicious? The things I would do to that man! And what I would let him do to me. Anything and everything, in fact.”

I laugh. “He’s insanely hot. Did you pass the test?”