Bad Boy Billionaires 1 : The Ivy League Rake(59)

"Don't you push me around," Kyle said.

"I'm not pushing you around. I'm trying to get you to listen."

"I'm just as strong as you are and I'm not afraid of you," Kyle said, clenching his fists.

Elroy ran his fingers through his hair and said, "What are you talking about? I'm not going to fight with you. I don't want you to be afraid of me. I only want you to listen. I didn't know Jeremy was your stepbrother when I first met him."

This made Kyle unclench his fists and look up at Elroy. "What kind of bullshit is that?"

"I didn't meet Jeremy for the first time in Vermont at Christmas," Elroy said. "I met him the night you went to the Halloween party. I met him in Provincetown and he told me his name was Ricky. I had no idea he was your stepbrother. I never would have done anything with him if I had known."

Kyle seemed confused. "Jeremy is the married guy you've been seeing all along?"

Elroy walked over to where he was sitting on the bed and he got down on his knees in front of him. "Yes. I didn't even know his real name until we went to Vermont."

Kyle glanced at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. "Well, that explains part of the story. But what about last night? And how many times have you been with Jeremy since you found out he was my stepbrother." Elroy started to beg. He grabbed Kyle's hands and told him how Jeremy wouldn't leave him alone. He didn't go into detail, and he said he'd only been with Jeremy a few times since he'd found out; he didn't lie this time. While he begged, he felt a sting in his eyes for the first time since he'd watched his mom and dad being buried. He told Kyle he knew he'd made a mistake and pleaded with Kyle to forgive him. When he finished and there was nothing more to say, he rested his head on Kyle's lap and cried so hard his entire body trembled.

By that time Kyle had tears streaming down his face, too. He remained still, with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes focused on the window, while Elroy cried on his lap.

Elroy hadn't cried that hard in years, and he wouldn't cry that hard for years to come. Each tear that fell came from his heart; he'd never felt that vulnerable or alone in his life. He knew Kyle had no reason to forgive him for what he'd done with Jeremy. He wasn't sure he would have forgiven himself if he'd been Kyle. Each time he sobbed the words, "I'm so sorry," his chest caved in with the kind of emotion he'd never experienced before that night. This was real. He knew he'd lost Kyle and wouldn't be able to get him back again. And for that, above everything else, he was truly sorry.

then he felt Kyle's palm caress the top of his head. He heard Kyle sobbing and a tear drop landed on his cheek. With a wrecked voice that was barely audible, Kyle said, "I only wanted you to love me."




 

 

Elroy's head went up. He wiped his eyes. "But I do love you. I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much I can't sleep at night. Look at me. I'm on my knees begging now. I haven't cried since my mom and dad were killed in the accident. Just tell me what I have to do and I'll do it. Please don't give up on us. We're too good to end it now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to marry you, I want to have a family with you, and I want to grow old with you."

Kyle started to cry even harder, but he continued to caress the top of Elroy's head. "I love you just as much. But how can I believe that? How can I trust you again?"

"Let me make love to you," Elroy said. "Let me hold you like I've wanted to hold you since the day I saw you carrying that ugly footlocker. I promise I'll never do anything to hurt you again. Please, let me show you how much I love you once and for all."

"What about Jeremy?"

"That was nothing," Elroy said. "That's why I never took it very seriously; you already know that because I told you that when I first started seeing him and thought his name was Ricky. And I made it clear to Jeremy last night that nothing would ever happen between us again. Please tell me you believe me, and let me make love to you."

For the first time since they'd met, Kyle seemed to put down all the invisible walls he'd built. He wiped his eyes and noddes. His body relaxed and he wrapped his arms around Elroy's shoulders. As Elroy slowly stood up so he could join Kyle in bed, Kyle buried his face in Elroy's neck and kissed him gently. That one gentle kiss, mingled with Kyle's tears, sent more energy through Elroy's body than anything any man had ever done to him.

When Elroy was in bed on top of Kyle, he said, "I want to know you believe me." He needed to know this for the sake of them as a couple.

Kyle caressed the back of his head and kissed him. "I know nothing is perfect. And yes, this time I do believe you. This time, for the first time, I think you're the man I always knew you could be. I love everything about you, even the bad things. But I love the strong, decent man I see deep down most of all. The man you keep hidden from everyone."