Tied to Trouble(54)
You don’t even care about your own well-being. Why did I think you’d care about mine?
His smile faded, but he didn’t take his eyes off the helmet.
He’d overreacted to Owen trying to help. Way overreacted. It’d been a long time since he’d had a lover that gave a shit—about what Chad did, about his future, about his happiness. About whether he wore a helmet.
Two weeks’ perspective had Chad thinking that Owen hadn’t tried to smother him—he’d just been supportive. Like a real, caring boyfriend.
He missed Owen. He missed him so fucking bad, he couldn’t stand it sometimes. He missed feeling wanted and he missed wanting. Wanting Owen and his tender smile. He’d been so angry at the club and had said so many things he didn’t mean. But that anger was fleeting. It had faded, and in its place was just sadness. And regret. Owen was worth the complications and the unsettling feelings. He was worth the work. He was worth the commitment.
He was worth it all. And Chad had thrown it away because he’d been scared.
Chad took a deep breath and let it out, then opened the door of the bike shop. A woman behind the counter looked up from the magazine she was reading. She smacked her gum and brushed her red hair out of her face. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah,” Chad said. “Can I take a look at that black-and-green helmet in the window?”
Chapter Fifteen
Owen placed his hands on his hips and looked around Charity Woods Park. He was sweaty and tired and really just wanted to take a shower and lie down, but the whole damn event hadn’t even started yet.
He glared at Austin, who had worked twice as hard as him getting everything set up and didn’t even look rumpled.
Hot, perfectionist bastard.
The entire park and stage were set up like the castle from Aric’s Revenge. The stage was the throne room, and the area in front of the stage was a court. There were magnificent props and real-looking dragons that swiveled their heads on remotes. Owen didn’t even want to know how much those things cost.
This small area of the park was transformed, and Owen truly did believe he was in the video game. It was all very epic, and Austin looked exactly like Aric. It was probably the most amazing proposal Owen had ever heard of.
His gaze kept straying to the stage, where he’d bent Chad over, where he’d worn that bow tie, where he’d had the best sex of his life…
Damn it. He should have told Austin this area wasn’t available to rent. Too many memories. Too many visions swarming in his head that made his tight leather pants even tighter.
Owen blew out a breath and straightened the harness he was wearing—the one Austin had told him to wear and the one Owen had refrained from telling him looked pretty gay.
Austin had a similar one on, and really, he looked straight out of a Leather Daddy of the Year calendar.
Again, Owen didn’t tell him that.
Grant looked pretty hot, too, in a bright blue shirt and with a pretty dark-haired woman whom he’d introduced earlier as his fiancée, Chloe, by his side.
Owen glanced around the park again, listening for the hum of a motorcycle and then kicking himself when he realized he was doing it.
He’d see him today. He hadn’t seen or heard from Chad in two weeks. It was nerve-racking to know he’d be around today.
Two weeks of distance from the situation had given Owen some more clarity. He didn’t think he’d get closure, but he sure wanted it. In his heart, he believed Chad had thought there was something special between them. So Owen wondered if his reaction at the strip club had been one of defense. Or maybe that was Owen’s wishful thinking.
He wasn’t sure, but all he knew was that he thought they needed to talk. When emotions weren’t so high, and Owen hadn’t just thrown up, and Chad wasn’t wearing next to nothing.
Owen wandered away from the stage, needing time to get himself together. He pulled out his phone, scrolling absentmindedly through Twitter, trying to pretend that he hadn’t moved so the parking lot was in his sight line so he could watch for the arrival of one particular person.
Austin walked up to him, not a hair out of place, and his chest glistening like he was oiled up for a photo shoot. Owen ran his hands through his sweaty hair and winced.
Austin’s eyes scanned the park. “I think we’re about ready now.”
“How’s Marley getting here again?” Owen asked.
Austin squinted at him. “That was in the email.”
That damn email had taken ten minutes to read. Excuse Owen for missing a detail. “Uh, sorry, but I might have missed that.”
Austin stared at him for a minute. “Sydney, Grant’s daughter, told her there was a LARP event in the park and she needed a ride. Marley, of course, jumped at the chance to dress up.”