fact that Dury wasn't here to stay. "Right. So where are you going then?"
Dury offered him an enigmatic smile. "It's a secret. But I'll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone."
Luc arched his brow. "Who would I tell?"
Dury shrugged. "I'm going to see my dad and visit a friend."
Luc gaped at him. They'd not really spoken about their families much, although Luc had mentioned his and Simon's in passing. "Your dad?" he repeated.
Dury nodded. "He gets nervous when I'm here for too long."
Luc suppose that by here, Dury meant something mindboggling like "Earth" or "this realm", so he decided not to ask. "Okay, then… when will you be back?"
"No worries," Dury replied. "I'll be back by tonight. Lunch is already ready, and you can reheat."
"Sure. Thanks."
As Dury pecked Luc on the cheek and bounced out of the room, Luc returned to his breakfast. The thought of Dury's imminent departure turned the delicious taste of his housemate's cooking into dust.
But as he sat there, thinking about Dury, Simon, and the many things he'd seen and done in the past few days, Luc knew he could no longer hide and curl into bed like a loser. He could become Lucas Black, bestselling author once again. For himself, for Dury, for Simon, and for his own gift, he would not give up.
Nodding to himself, Luc drank a bit of the cooling coffee and decided to get ready for the day. He took a shower, allowing himself to linger a little and make good use of his hand in the process. Finally, once he felt a bit calmer, he sat down at the desk. He booted his laptop, opened his word processor and started typing.
Part Two:
The Sculptor
Chapter Five
"Will you listen to what I'm saying? He's bad for you," Susie said for the millionth time in the past half hour.
Simon rolled his eyes. "Why do you feel the need to repeat that? I got it the first time."
Susie glared at him as he retrieved a cigarette pack. "When did you start smoking? It's his fault, isn't it?"
Simon groaned and buried his head in his hands. The day before they'd run into Luc and Luc's current boyfriend at Café Mont Blanc. Since then, Susie had been even angrier and more unreasonable than ever. Simon now regretted not giving Susie the real details of their break-up. She seemed intent on hunting Luc down and bringing an end to his existence.
"Okay, Susanne, listen up," he said, voice serious. Her eyes widened as he addressed her by her full given name. "This whole thing isn't Luc's fault. I was the one to break up with him."
"What? But you said—?"
"I never said anything. You just assumed. Some of it was his fault, some of it mine. We tried; it didn't work out. End of story. Please let it go."
Susie's eyes filled with tears. "But Simon… you love him," she said softly. "And you've given up sculpting for him. How can I possibly let that go?"
"I don't know," Simon replied. By the look in Susie's eyes, she knew he didn't refer to her emotions, but to his own.
For the first time in many years, an awkward silence stretched between them. Finally, Susie looked at her watch and said, "Oh dear. I'm sorry, Simon. I have to pick up the kids. See you later?"
Simon nodded and smiled. "See you. Kisses to the children."
The relief he felt at watching her go made him angry and frustrated. He lit a cigarette and brought it to his lips, allowing the smoke to fill his lungs. Slow death, he knew, but the scent somehow reminded him of Luc. Simon had always loathed smoking, but for some reason, Luc could make even that sexy.
Simon cursed and extinguished his cigarette in his most recent addition to the house, a crystal ashtray. He got up and went to the bar, his entire being itching for something he could not define. As he poured himself a shot of whisky, he distantly thought that at this rate, he'd be dead of cancer by the age of forty.
What the fuck was wrong with him? He'd been the one to end things with Luc. It made sense that Luc would move on, find someone else.
But that
Dury offered him an enigmatic smile. "It's a secret. But I'll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone."
Luc arched his brow. "Who would I tell?"
Dury shrugged. "I'm going to see my dad and visit a friend."
Luc gaped at him. They'd not really spoken about their families much, although Luc had mentioned his and Simon's in passing. "Your dad?" he repeated.
Dury nodded. "He gets nervous when I'm here for too long."
Luc suppose that by here, Dury meant something mindboggling like "Earth" or "this realm", so he decided not to ask. "Okay, then… when will you be back?"
"No worries," Dury replied. "I'll be back by tonight. Lunch is already ready, and you can reheat."
"Sure. Thanks."
As Dury pecked Luc on the cheek and bounced out of the room, Luc returned to his breakfast. The thought of Dury's imminent departure turned the delicious taste of his housemate's cooking into dust.
But as he sat there, thinking about Dury, Simon, and the many things he'd seen and done in the past few days, Luc knew he could no longer hide and curl into bed like a loser. He could become Lucas Black, bestselling author once again. For himself, for Dury, for Simon, and for his own gift, he would not give up.
Nodding to himself, Luc drank a bit of the cooling coffee and decided to get ready for the day. He took a shower, allowing himself to linger a little and make good use of his hand in the process. Finally, once he felt a bit calmer, he sat down at the desk. He booted his laptop, opened his word processor and started typing.
Part Two:
The Sculptor
Chapter Five
"Will you listen to what I'm saying? He's bad for you," Susie said for the millionth time in the past half hour.
Simon rolled his eyes. "Why do you feel the need to repeat that? I got it the first time."
Susie glared at him as he retrieved a cigarette pack. "When did you start smoking? It's his fault, isn't it?"
Simon groaned and buried his head in his hands. The day before they'd run into Luc and Luc's current boyfriend at Café Mont Blanc. Since then, Susie had been even angrier and more unreasonable than ever. Simon now regretted not giving Susie the real details of their break-up. She seemed intent on hunting Luc down and bringing an end to his existence.
"Okay, Susanne, listen up," he said, voice serious. Her eyes widened as he addressed her by her full given name. "This whole thing isn't Luc's fault. I was the one to break up with him."
"What? But you said—?"
"I never said anything. You just assumed. Some of it was his fault, some of it mine. We tried; it didn't work out. End of story. Please let it go."
Susie's eyes filled with tears. "But Simon… you love him," she said softly. "And you've given up sculpting for him. How can I possibly let that go?"
"I don't know," Simon replied. By the look in Susie's eyes, she knew he didn't refer to her emotions, but to his own.
For the first time in many years, an awkward silence stretched between them. Finally, Susie looked at her watch and said, "Oh dear. I'm sorry, Simon. I have to pick up the kids. See you later?"
Simon nodded and smiled. "See you. Kisses to the children."
The relief he felt at watching her go made him angry and frustrated. He lit a cigarette and brought it to his lips, allowing the smoke to fill his lungs. Slow death, he knew, but the scent somehow reminded him of Luc. Simon had always loathed smoking, but for some reason, Luc could make even that sexy.
Simon cursed and extinguished his cigarette in his most recent addition to the house, a crystal ashtray. He got up and went to the bar, his entire being itching for something he could not define. As he poured himself a shot of whisky, he distantly thought that at this rate, he'd be dead of cancer by the age of forty.
What the fuck was wrong with him? He'd been the one to end things with Luc. It made sense that Luc would move on, find someone else.
But that
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