Never. I just want what's best for you. Surely you believe that."
Yes, Luc believed. Somehow, this no longer seemed only about the books. Dury wanted him happy, and Luc couldn't push the young man away, not while knowing that.
Luc crossed his arms against his chest and stared out the window. The drive was silent and uncomfortable. When the car stopped, Dury paid and opened the door. He hesitated before stepping out. "We can go back to the house if you like," he told Luc.
Luc didn't answer. Did he want to go back? No. Something told him this needed to be done.
"Come on, people," the driver growled at him. "Get in or get out."
Luc glared at the man, then turned to Dury. "Let's go. One more time."
Dury nodded, green eyes shining with pride and concern. They stepped out in front of the café and for a few seconds, Luc experienced an incredible sensation of déjà vu. In this same place, he and Simon had met for the shortest first date in history. Like back then, the sun shone brightly and there were several couples sitting at the tables in front of the café.
Luc's gaze was immediately drawn to a particular one. An auburn-haired man dressed in a business suit sipped his coffee, and across from him, a woman gestured wildly at him.
"What's wrong with you, Simon?" the woman said. "Why are you doing this? Sculpture used to be your life. Why have you suddenly turned corporate?"
"Art consumes you whole, Susie," Simon replied. "One day, I'll wake up and realize I am old, all alone and with no one to hold my hand on my deathbed. Sculpture is beautiful, but I have to choose between it and having a real life. I choose life."
"Oh, Simon," Susanne said. "Don't make such a radical decision. I know you were hurt when Luc broke up with you, but he's just one guy. He wasn't the right one. You'll meet someone else."
"I might, and for that reason, I need to get my act together and be human once again."
And then suddenly, he looked away from Susanne and his gaze met Luc's. His eyes widened and all color drained out of his face. "Simon, what's wrong?" Susanne asked, instantly alarmed.
She turned, and once again, Luc was struck by the resemblance between her and Simon. He'd already met Susanne, of course. With her and Simon being so close, Luc had ended up going to barbecues and helping children with homework. He'd never minded, and he'd begun to love Susanne's family as well. That had all come crumbling down. Why? Why had he let them drift apart?
"You," Susanne said, glaring daggers at Luc. "What are you doing here?"
When Luc didn't reply, her gaze fell on Dury. Luc wouldn't have thought it possible, but she seemed to turn even more furious. "So this is your new squeeze? This is the whore you replaced my brother with?"
She got up, apparently ready to attack and defend her twin. Simon caught her before she could take any measures against them. "Susie, calm down. You're making a scandal."
"I will not calm down," Susie cried. "Are you forgetting what he did to you?"
In that moment, anger flooded Luc. Yes, he'd made mistakes, but Simon had cheated on him. Luc could well remember the male voice he'd heard over the phone that day. Susanne apparently didn't know about that little thing. He hadn't thought Simon such a two-faced bastard. "That's between Simon and me, Susanne," he told her coolly. "You have no right to interfere."
"I can't believe this," Susanne said, staring at him. "I simply cannot believe this."
Luc ignored her, too busy looking at Simon now. His ex-lover had changed in the months they'd spent away from each other. His hair was shorter, cut in a respectable, classic way. He wore a suit that screamed office job, and his eyes looked so sad it cut Luc to the core. And he was still so very handsome, the same man Luc had fallen for.
"Hi, Simon," he said.
"Hi." Simon's gaze fell on Dury. "Introduce us?"
"Right. Dury, this is Simon Roth. He's the sculptor I told you about. Simon, this is Dury…" He paused, realizing he
Yes, Luc believed. Somehow, this no longer seemed only about the books. Dury wanted him happy, and Luc couldn't push the young man away, not while knowing that.
Luc crossed his arms against his chest and stared out the window. The drive was silent and uncomfortable. When the car stopped, Dury paid and opened the door. He hesitated before stepping out. "We can go back to the house if you like," he told Luc.
Luc didn't answer. Did he want to go back? No. Something told him this needed to be done.
"Come on, people," the driver growled at him. "Get in or get out."
Luc glared at the man, then turned to Dury. "Let's go. One more time."
Dury nodded, green eyes shining with pride and concern. They stepped out in front of the café and for a few seconds, Luc experienced an incredible sensation of déjà vu. In this same place, he and Simon had met for the shortest first date in history. Like back then, the sun shone brightly and there were several couples sitting at the tables in front of the café.
Luc's gaze was immediately drawn to a particular one. An auburn-haired man dressed in a business suit sipped his coffee, and across from him, a woman gestured wildly at him.
"What's wrong with you, Simon?" the woman said. "Why are you doing this? Sculpture used to be your life. Why have you suddenly turned corporate?"
"Art consumes you whole, Susie," Simon replied. "One day, I'll wake up and realize I am old, all alone and with no one to hold my hand on my deathbed. Sculpture is beautiful, but I have to choose between it and having a real life. I choose life."
"Oh, Simon," Susanne said. "Don't make such a radical decision. I know you were hurt when Luc broke up with you, but he's just one guy. He wasn't the right one. You'll meet someone else."
"I might, and for that reason, I need to get my act together and be human once again."
And then suddenly, he looked away from Susanne and his gaze met Luc's. His eyes widened and all color drained out of his face. "Simon, what's wrong?" Susanne asked, instantly alarmed.
She turned, and once again, Luc was struck by the resemblance between her and Simon. He'd already met Susanne, of course. With her and Simon being so close, Luc had ended up going to barbecues and helping children with homework. He'd never minded, and he'd begun to love Susanne's family as well. That had all come crumbling down. Why? Why had he let them drift apart?
"You," Susanne said, glaring daggers at Luc. "What are you doing here?"
When Luc didn't reply, her gaze fell on Dury. Luc wouldn't have thought it possible, but she seemed to turn even more furious. "So this is your new squeeze? This is the whore you replaced my brother with?"
She got up, apparently ready to attack and defend her twin. Simon caught her before she could take any measures against them. "Susie, calm down. You're making a scandal."
"I will not calm down," Susie cried. "Are you forgetting what he did to you?"
In that moment, anger flooded Luc. Yes, he'd made mistakes, but Simon had cheated on him. Luc could well remember the male voice he'd heard over the phone that day. Susanne apparently didn't know about that little thing. He hadn't thought Simon such a two-faced bastard. "That's between Simon and me, Susanne," he told her coolly. "You have no right to interfere."
"I can't believe this," Susanne said, staring at him. "I simply cannot believe this."
Luc ignored her, too busy looking at Simon now. His ex-lover had changed in the months they'd spent away from each other. His hair was shorter, cut in a respectable, classic way. He wore a suit that screamed office job, and his eyes looked so sad it cut Luc to the core. And he was still so very handsome, the same man Luc had fallen for.
"Hi, Simon," he said.
"Hi." Simon's gaze fell on Dury. "Introduce us?"
"Right. Dury, this is Simon Roth. He's the sculptor I told you about. Simon, this is Dury…" He paused, realizing he
Similar Books
