Uniting the Souls Page 7

  “That’s great. I hope we’re able to help her,” Matt said. “So, did you have fun with Hudson?” I started to choke on my bite of sandwich at the fast change of subject and had to grab my drink to wash it down. I looked up at Matt who was wearing a devilish smirk.

  “Excuse me?” I finally managed to get out.

  “I meant did you have fun when the two of you went to dinner?” he clarified.

  “I did,” I answered honestly. The gleam in his eye told me that Matt had been trying to get a reaction out of me so I decided it was only fair if I got one out of him. “He’s very charming and fun to be around…Oh, and he’s an incredible kisser.”

  I picked up a chip and popped it in my mouth nonchalantly. It was quiet for a few seconds while I waited for Matt’s response and I wondered if he’d be angry or shocked. I peeked through my lashes and my mouth went dry at the hungry look in his eyes.

  “Is he now?” Matt’s usually deep voice had lowered another octave and the sound sent a ripple of goose bumps over my skin. I was pleased with his reaction and it gave me the courage I needed to push him a little further. Hudson had issued his own invitation and it couldn’t hurt to let Matt know where I stood on the topic.

  “You know, I’m still disappointed that you didn’t go to dinner with us that night. I think the three of us could have had a very good time together.” My heart was thundering in my chest, but somehow, I managed to hold his stare and I noticed the way his eyes darkened right before he answered me.

  “Maybe I will, next time.” The inflection in his voice coupled with the way he was looking at me had me very hopeful that we were talking about the same thing. “Isaac…” Matt began, but his words were cut off by the ringing of my office phone.

  “Sorry,” I muttered, frustrated at the interruption. “Yes, Allison?” I said quickly, speaking into the phone. I listened as she explained the reason for the call. “Okay, I’ll be right there.” I looked into Matt’s beautiful gray eyes, sorry to have to cut our lunch short when it had begun to get very interesting, but I had no choice.

  “Another teen just showed up, this time a boy and he’s got visible bruises,” I explained. Matt’s entire demeanor changed as he switched into business mode.

  “I’ll come with you. We may need to get Seth in here to take a look,” he said, referring to the center’s on-call doctor. I nodded my agreement as I stood from my desk, tossing the remains of our lunch into the garbage.

  “Thanks again for lunch,” I told him.

  “You’re welcome. We should do this more often. I like spending time with you,” he responded. He’d said it casually, but it still caused a fluttering in my stomach.

  “I like that too,” I told him as I followed him to the door and then a thought popped into my head. “Matt, are you going to the sendoff party for Carter’s Creed?” He turned around to face me, his hand on the doorknob.

  “I was considering it, but I hadn’t made up my mind yet,” he said.

  “I hope you do. I’ll be there…and so will Hudson.” I let that information linger in the air as he stared directly at me. His gaze ran over my face as if searching for something and I wondered if he were looking for an excuse to turn me down. Finally, he spoke.

  “I might just have to do that, then,” Matt said simply then he swung the door open and stepped out of my office. I felt a smile curving my lips and I resisted the urge to pump my fist in the air as I followed him down the long hallway to the front desk. It wasn’t the definite confirmation I’d been hoping for, but it was closer to a yes than Matt usually gave and I decided I’d take it and hope for the best.

  The next several hours were spent talking with the police and children’s services as well as having Seth come in to take a look, determining that the boy did in fact suffer from several abrasions and small burn marks which looked suspiciously like they came from the tip of a cigarette.

  The boy was reluctant to tell us what had happened, but once he was fed a decent meal and given time to shower and change into new clothes, he seemed more at ease. Eventually, he told the authorities enough that they were able to launch an investigation into the boy’s parents as well as begin the proper legal paperwork to ensure that he could remain at the center until a foster home became available.

  With nothing left for me to do, I decided to go home and begin getting ready for the party that night. I rarely went out and when I did, it was usually just to a movie by myself, not to a club. I didn’t have any friends outside of the staff and volunteers at the center. There was no way I’d ever be able to bring myself to go to a club alone, so most nights I spent curled up at home with a good book.

  That night, however, I could feel the excitement thrumming through my veins as I showered and got dressed. I wasn’t convinced that Matt would show up at the club, but I couldn’t help but be hopeful. The fact that he had brought me lunch and wanted to spend time with me was huge and the way he had looked at me was even better. The whole experience had left me wishing for things that I had long since given up on where Matt was concerned.

  I enjoyed getting to know Hudson and if that’s all I ever had, he was more than enough to make me happy, but the thought of having both him and Matt, left my mouth dry and my cock growing stiff. I pressed the heel of my hand against the hardness in my pants as I willed myself to calm down so I could leave the apartment.

  I checked myself in the mirror one last time. I’d allowed myself one small splurge and I’d bought a new pair of dark blue jeans and a black, silky dress shirt that I thought looked nice on me, even if it was a bit tight. I just hoped Hudson liked it and Matt, if he was there, too. I leaned towards the mirror, trying to smooth down my hair, but I gave up after the third try when it refused to stay tamed.

  Satisfied that I looked decent enough to go to the party, I grabbed my wallet and stuffed it and my phone in my pocket before heading out the door. I’d made up my mind to go into the night with no expectations and to just enjoy myself no matter what happened. As long as I remembered to do that then I was sure it would be an amazing night, regardless of who showed up.

  “Are you all done?” I asked, watching as he popped the last bite of chicken in his mouth.

  “Yep. Can I have some ice cream now?” Nicholas asked.

  “Hmmm. That depends,” I told him, scratching my chin like I was giving the matter serious thought.

  “On what?” He quirked his head at me.

  “On how fast you get your bath and pajamas on. You know you have to be in bed before your mom gets home,” I reminded him. “Do you think you can get all of that done quick enough to still have time for ice cream?” He grinned at me, the front two teeth missing from his happy smile. His brown eyes were bright and trusting and I felt my heart trip over itself as I gazed back at him.

  “I know I can, Uncle Hudson,” he said so solemnly that I had to fight back a laugh.

  “Okay then. How about I start your bathwater while you pick out your pajamas?” I suggested.

  “Okay!” he exclaimed, jumping out of his chair and running out of the kitchen. I sat there for a moment, enjoying the sounds of his little feet as he raced down the hallway to his bedroom. He was singing to himself as he went and it was such a happy, carefree sound that I felt myself smiling.

  My mother had taken off shortly after I was born, leaving my grandmother to raise my older sister and me on her own. I knew it couldn’t have been easy for Nonna to take on a five-year-old girl and her newborn brother, but she’d been determined to hold her family together and to keep us from going into the foster care system.

  At sixty-five years old, Nonna should’ve been able to relax and enjoy her golden years, but instead she took on a job working in the laundry room of the local hospital to make ends meet. While we barely scraped by at times, she never complained. She’d taught us to love God and to help others whenever we could and she did it all by the examples she set forth in her own life. In all my years with her, I never heard her say a cross word about a
nother person, choosing instead to look for the good in everyone.

  Our family might have been small, but my sister, Aysha, and I were extremely close and Nonna made sure we never doubted how much we were wanted and loved. That’s why it had been such a difficult decision for me to go to Los Angeles for college. As much as I wanted to set out on my own and see a new part of the world, I felt like after all the sacrifices she’d made for me, I owed it to Nonna to stay and take care of her.

  She wouldn’t hear of it though, insisting that the biggest gift I could give to her would be to accept the full-ride scholarship I’d received and go to college to become a doctor like I’d always dreamed. So, with Aysha’s assurance that she would watch over our grandmother, I left.

  It was an experience that I was grateful to have, making many friends and enjoying being a young man out on my own for the first time. Nonna and Aysha were both there to cheer me on when I graduated at the top of my class, and celebrated with me when I got an internship with a well-known group of therapists.

  A couple of years later, Aysha got married and had a little boy. I was working as a therapist at a private clinic in L.A. and it seemed that everything was going well for us. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. I will never forget the phone call in the middle of the night, informing me that the woman who had been like a mother to me, my nonna, had passed away. I’d been filled with guilt and regret for not having been with her when it happened, but Aysha told me that I had nothing to feel badly about and that Nonna had always been so proud of me for becoming a man that helped people.

  I’d returned home for the funeral and it was during that time that Aysha found out that her husband had been cheating on her. Heartbroken and a single mother to a young boy, I could see her scrambling to figure out where to go next. That’s when I decided it was time for me to come home for good. I quit my job and moved back to Chicago two weeks after we laid Nonna to rest. I may not have been there when she passed, but I was determined to help hold together the family that she had worked so hard to protect.

  Aysha and Nicholas moved into Nonna’s house and she got hired as an office manager at a dental office. I took on several clients privately while I was working on getting my own practice up and running.

  Being back in Chicago and near my sister and nephew had filled me with a sense of belonging and purpose that I hadn’t realized had been missing in my life up until then. Aysha had spent so much of her teenage years cooking me dinner, checking my homework, and driving me to and from football practices when Nonna had to work. I knew she had to miss going out with her friends, but she never once complained.

  I finally had the chance to give back a little of what she’d always given to me and I was glad I could be there for her when she needed me. Not to mention how much I enjoyed spending time with the sweet little boy that had just left the room. Still smiling, I headed towards the bathroom and began filling the tub with warm water. I gathered a clean towel and washcloth out of the linen closet and then walked down to Nicholas’s room to check on him. I found him standing in front of the open drawer of his dresser, with his hands on his hips.

  “Your bathwater is almost ready, little man. Did you pick out which pajamas you want tonight?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, his face scrunching up in concentration.

  “Well, what are our choices?” I asked. Ever since he’d started kindergarten that year, he’d insisted on doing things for himself and so I tried to respect his independence.

  “Batman and Ninja Turtles,” he told me, pointing to each of the sets of pajamas that were folded neatly in the drawer.

  “That is a tough decision. Which one is your favorite?” He looked at me with such a helpless expression that I ran my hand over the top of his head, hoping to soothe him. “I know, that’s a tough decision, too. You know, Batman was my favorite when I was your age.”

  “He was?” Nicholas asked, smiling up at me.

  “Oh yeah. He had a cool costume and an even cooler car and he always fought the bad guys and won,” I told him.

  “He is cool,” he agreed, pulling the Batman pajamas out of the drawer and shutting it. “I’ll wear these tonight since they’re your favorite and you’re my favorite uncle.”

  “Thanks, little man.” I grinned down at him. It didn’t matter that I was his only uncle, the fact that I was his favorite anything made me feel warm all over. I didn’t think I could love him any more if he was my own son.

  I helped him get a bath and dressed in his pajamas and then settled him down with a bowl of ice cream while I cleaned up the kitchen. When he was finished, he picked out a book and then climbed into his bed and snuggled underneath the covers. I sat down next to him and he curled into my side as I read him a bedtime story.

  He was asleep before I reached the last page and I climbed out of the bed, careful not to wake him and switched on his nightlight. I turned back when I reached the door, taking one last look at him. He looked so peaceful as he lay there dreaming and it made my heart feel full. Nicholas was an incredible kid and I would do anything in my power to make sure his childhood was as carefree and joyful as possible. I flipped off the light switch and shut his door, leaving it open a crack in case he needed me before I went to the kitchen and washed out the bowl he’d used for ice cream.

  “Hey there!” Aysha said, startling me as she walked up behind me. “How was your night?” She began digging through the fridge, looking for something to eat.

  “I made dinner. Sit down and I’ll warm it up,” I told her, moving towards the microwave.

  “Oh my God, you are the best, Hudson,” she praised as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the table, kicking her shoes off and propping her feet up on the chair next to her with a sigh.

  I leaned my hip against the counter, crossing my arms and studied my sister as I waited for her food to be ready. She was a beautiful woman, but the weary slump of her shoulders and the small frown line that had formed between her eyes showed evidence of the strain she’d been under during the past couple of years and I renewed the promise I’d made to myself to do anything I could to alleviate that stress.

  “My night was great,” I said, finally answering her question. “Nicholas is such a sweetheart,” I said with a smile and her face lit up at the mention of her son.

  “He is, isn’t he? Thanks so much for watching him. I know you probably have a million other things you’d rather be doing on a Saturday evening,” she said. The microwave dinged and I pulled the piping hot plate out, setting it in front of her then I sat across from her, keeping her company as she ate.

  “You know how much I love spending time with him any chance I get,” I assured her.

  “I know, but you’re a handsome man in the prime of your life. You should be going out and having fun,” she scolded.

  “Don’t worry about me, I’m doing just fine.” She shot me a doubtful look. “I’m serious. In fact, I’m going to a party tonight,” I informed her.

  “That’s great! Are you taking a date?” I laughed as she waggled her brows at me. I felt a fluttering in my stomach as I pictured Isaac and Matt. I wasn’t about to tell my sister about the two men though. It wasn’t that I was afraid she’d disapprove. As a matter of fact, Aysha had been nothing but supportive of me since I first told her I thought I was gay when I was thirteen years old. She and Nonna had both assured me that the only thing that mattered was that I found someone who made me happy and who treated me right. The reason I didn’t mention the two men to her was simple. I needed to figure out what was happening for myself first, and I wasn’t even sure at that point if anything would happen.

  “No, I’m not taking a date,” I assured her, not bothering to explain that I was meeting Isaac at the party. Her expression was so disappointed that I laughed again as I looked at my watch. “I better get going or I’m going to be late.”

  “Okay, have a great time,” she said as I stood and placed my glass of water in th
e sink.

  “Call me if you need anything.” I walked back over to my sister and leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll pick you guys up around noon tomorrow, if that’s alright. Maybe we can grab lunch before the movie.”

  “That sounds wonderful. Can we please go to a restaurant that doesn’t give away prizes in the meal?” I laughed when she clasped her hands in front of her and gave me a hopeful look.

  “Sure, maybe we’ll even go somewhere with plates and real silverware,” I joked.

  “My hero,” she teased, batting her long lashes at me. I could still hear her laughing as I walked out and it put a smile on my face.

  I hurried home and took a quick shower then rummaged through my closet, picking out a dark pair of jeans and gray V-neck sweater. I topped off the look with a pair of biker boots and grabbed my black leather jacket as I headed out the door.

  Traffic was lighter than usual so it didn’t take me very long to get to the club. I’d met with Rylie, who was the drummer of the band and a close friend of mine, earlier in the week for a counseling session and he’d invited me to the party. He’d told me that his husband, Lachlan, had rented out the entire club for the evening and had security in place so that no paparazzi or overzealous fans could make it into the private party.

  Still, I was surprised by the sheer number of screaming fans and photographers lined up outside the building, hoping to get a peek at their favorite rock band. I pulled up alongside a stern-looking guard who took my name and scanned the list of names he’d been given. Once he saw I was on the approved list, he let me inside the parking area where another guard waited to escort me from my car into the club. The whole thing seemed so bizarre to me, but I supposed it was the way of life for the rock stars inside.

  The guard left me at the door and I took a moment to let my eyes wander around the club. There were easily over a hundred people there, all friends and family members of the band. I recognized a few faces from the grand opening of Agape House and some I had met when they came in to volunteer. I scanned the crowd for Matt and Isaac, but didn’t see either of them. I turned when someone shouted out my name and I grinned widely when I saw Micah Hamilton approaching me along with his husband, Landon Greene.