by A. D. Ellis
Chapter 12
Kyle
My brother’s words stung, but they didn’t surprise me. I accepted hugs from our friends as I requested drinks to be brought upstairs.
“You okay?” Braeton held me at arm’s length, studying me.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I really am. I’m sad to have lost family, but I’m glad to have finality. I can move on now without wondering. I’ve got my friends, the people who truly love me, and that’s truly all I need.”
Excusing myself, I headed up the stairs.
The words I heard as I rounded the corner stopped me in my tracks.
“Adam, we want you to see your nieces and nephews. We want to invite you to family reunions.” Adam’s mother, Lilly, spoke shakily. “I want to know and love your children.”
“All of that is possible,” Adam replied.
“Not if you’ve got some faggot living with you.” Steve, Adam’s father, bit out. “If you have any wish to be a part of our family, you need to make the decision now.”
Adam was quiet for several beats. When he spoke, I heard the anguish in his words. “I want nothing more than to be part of our family.”
For a split second, I panicked. My heart clawed its way to my throat, my breathing stopped, and blood roared through my veins. What if Adam chose his family over me? I loved him, I wanted him to be happy. Could I let him go? He deserved a loving family.
I entered the room, reaching for Adam’s hand, preparing to have my heart ripped out if it came to that.
Adam took my hand and smiled. “Like I said, I want nothing more than to be part of our family. But, our family includes the man I love. If you can’t accept that, it’s your loss.”
Steve’s face burned red, and tears streamed down Lilly’s face.
“Fine,” Steve growled. “Let’s go.” He shouldered his way past me, an ugly sneer on his face as he reached the stairs. “Lilly, now.”
Lilly swiped tears from her face. “I’ll work on him,” she whispered. “Congrats. I love you.”
“Lilly!” Steve bellowed from the stairs.
And, like that, Adam’s parents were gone.
We descended the stairs after them, watching them exit Metro.
“Well, that went well.” Adam laughed.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“You know what? I really am.” Adam scowled. “I guess I thought it would hurt more, but it wasn’t anything I didn’t already expect. And, you’re right, it’s like I can officially say goodbye now.”
“I don’t know, Lilly said she’d work on him,” I hedged.
“She may eventually come around. If she does, great. But, she’ll have to seek me out. I’m not waiting around to see if she can ever accept me for who I am.” Adam shrugged. “And, I don’t think my dad will ever budge, no matter how much Mom works on him.”
With both of us receiving the closure we hadn’t even known we’d needed, we walked back to the love and support of our friends. A large group of men and women were dancing and laughing, and I couldn’t help but smile. Saying goodbye to hatred felt good. But being loved and loving those around us felt even better.
~*~*~*~
By Monday, Adam and I were back to work and settling into married life quite nicely.
“Hey, babe, we’ve got mail.” Adam called out as he closed the door. He struggled to push a large box into the living room while trying to keep a mailing tube from rolling off the top.
“Whoa, what’s that?” I asked as I rounded the corner from the bedroom.
“I don’t know. A courier just delivered it.” Adam stood beside the package and studied it, bouncing the mailing tube against his knee.
“Courier? Like FedEx or UPS?”
“No, like a private courier,” Adam answered.
“Fancy. Who would send us something through a private courier?” I wondered aloud.
“No clue.” Adam was as intrigued as I was.
“Well, let’s not stand around staring at the box.” I grabbed a box cutter and began to slice open the tape.
By the time I’d unpacked the box, Adam had broken the seal on the mailing tube and pulled a poster-like item from the cylinder.
An envelope sat by itself atop of the packing peanuts. Adam & Kyle was scrawled on the front with “Open me first,” written below.
Sliding a finger under the seal, I pulled out a card.
Dear Adam & Kyle,
May your marriage be honored with many, many years of love, laughter, happiness, and fidelity. Please know that you’re welcome to use the apartment anytime you’re in New York. Best wishes and congratulations.
Lennox and Charli
Adam and I exchanged curious glances. Reaching through the packaging, I hefted a large, solid item from the box. As the static-laced foam pieces fell and floated to the floor, Adam gasped when he saw what I held in my hands.
A perfect replica of the LOVE sculpture we’d had our picture taken with in New York.
I placed it on the coffee table and brushed the remnants of packing materials from its shiny red exterior.
“It’s beautiful.” I breathed, taking a step back to admire the artwork.
“Like our own little piece of New York right here in the living room,” Adam agreed, wrapping his arms around me.
“Let’s see what was in the tube,” I suggested.
Adam walked to the dining room table and unrolled the paper.
“How the hell…,” I muttered. Turning to Adam, I questioned, “Did you give him that?”
Adam shook his head. “No, I’ve not even gone through all the pictures yet.”
We stood, side-by-side, and stared down at a stunning color print of the two of us beside the LOVE sculpture. Where had Lennox gotten that picture?
Adam pulled out his phone as he stared at the photo in a daze.
“Pat, it’s Adam. Wanted to thank you again for helping us while we were in the city.” Adam smiled and made small talk for a moment. “Listen, I’ve got a question for you. We just got a courier delivery of a piece of artwork and a poster-sized print from Lennox.” Adam paused briefly. “Yeah, it’s a very nice wedding gift. I’m just curious about where he got the photo.”
Adam watched me as he listened to Pat’s words.
“Okay, sounds good. Thanks for the advice.” Adam nodded curtly before disconnecting the call.
“What’d he say?” I asked.
“Pat said, ‘Don’t question Lennox. He’s got connections, let’s just leave it at that.’” Adam responded.
“So, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious gets even more mysterious?”
“Guess so.” Adam shrugged.
“Well, I say we take the advice and enjoy the artwork and poster.”
“Agreed,” Adam stated as he pulled down two wine glasses. Opening a bottle of wine we’d been saving for a while, Adam poured us each a glass. “We’ll have to send a thank you card for Pat to deliver to Lennox.”
“We could just ask for his address,” I said.
“We could, but I have a feeling Lennox doesn’t give his address to just anybody,” Adam replied.
“True, true.” I nodded.
Pulling me into his arms, Adam cocked an eyebrow. “A toast?”
“Of course.” I agreed with a smile upon my face. “What are we toasting?”
“Us.” Adam held his glass up. “To us. To love, and laughter, and fidelity within our marriage.”
My eyes stung as I lifted my own glass. As the two clinked together, I smiled at the love of my life. “To us. Forever devoted.”
We sealed our promise with a kiss as we looked forward to the rest of our lives together.
~THE END~
Notes
Metro--
Metro is a real bar in Indianapolis. I appreciate Chet allowing me to use Metro in stories set in Indianapolis. I like how using real places gives the story a more authentic feel. And Metro is about as authentic as you can get. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check it
out http://metro-indy.com/
Shapiro’s--
“Shapiro's Kosher-style Delicatessen has been serving the Indianapolis community for 110 years. Created from four generations of recipes steeped in tradition, Shapiro's delicious food is made with the highest quality and freshest ingredients available. One family, full of rich heritage, since 1905.” If you’re in the Indy area, Shapiro’s is a must! http://www.shapiros.com/
Continue reading in Infidelity World!
Inheritance by T.C. Winters. Find T.C. Winters on Amazon and Facebook
Insider by Jillian Jacobs. Find Jillian Jacobs on Amazon and Facebook.
Suspicion by Donya Lynne. Find Donya Lynne on Amazon and Facebook.
Manor by Ted Persinger. Find Ted Persinger on Amazon and Facebook.
Sacrifice by Rae Riley. Find Rae Riley on Amazon and Facebook.
Illegitimate by LuLu Astor. Find LuLu Astor on Amazon and Facebook.
Indiscretion by D.D Lorenzo. Find D.D. Lorenzo on Amazon and Facebook.
Incentive by Pam Godwin. Find Pam Godwin on Amazon and Facebook.
Infidelity series by Aleatha Romig. Find Aleatha Romig on Amazon and Facebook.
If you enjoyed Adam & Kyle’s story, don’t miss the rest of the Something About Him series by A.D. Ellis. (I also have a contemporary romance series titled Torey Hope and Torey Hope: The Later Years.)
Start with another FREE short story (The Beginning https://instafreebie.com/free/84Cxr)
Then continue with the other stand-alone titles in the series:
Bryan & Jase
Brody & Nick
Barrett & Ivan
Braeton & Drew
Ryker & Gavin
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From the Author
THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you enjoyed; please take a moment to leave a review. If you’re reading on a file/device that doesn’t take you to a review option, please consider finding the book on the platform of your choice and giving a star rating and a short review. It doesn’t have to be long and drawn out, just a few sentences about how it made you feel, what you liked/didn’t like. THANK YOU!!
If you are interested in my male/female contemporary romance series (Torey Hope) or my other male/male romance books, please check out my website to find information about all of my books. Or, search your favorite book platform for my name and see if something tickles your fancy.
A.D. Ellis
About the Author
A.D. Ellis spends the majority of her days loving and wrangling two school-aged children and a husband before heading to the inner city of Indiana to teach a challenging group of alternative education students in grades third through sixth. Most days she hits the gym after school in hopes of running and lifting away the stress and headaches of the day before picking up her children and squeezing a whole day’s worth of loving and living into the too-short hours before bed. It’s no wonder Ms. Ellis lives for the slower, easier days she gets to enjoy on breaks from school.
Growing up in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. is grateful to her mother for passing along the love of reading. With her nose constantly stuck in a book, Ms. Ellis became accustomed to friends and acquaintances snickering and shaking their heads at her love of reading.
A.D. never dreamed of being anything but a teacher, although there are certain times of the year when she laments her career choice. Ms. Ellis had a story idea floating in her head for about a year. After persistent prodding from a friend, A.D. put pen to paper and began writing her first story in October 2013. From that moment on, she was hooked. Taking the people and stories from her head and sharing them with readers is a scary, exhausting, rewarding, and fulfilling experience, which A.D. plans to continue until there are no more stories banging around in her mind.
A.D. Ellis’ work can be found on most major platforms. Please contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.
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Acknowledgements
The biggest thank you has to go to Aleatha Romig for inviting me to write in her world. In 2012, I got a Kindle and discovered the world of ebooks and independent authors. A friend told me about Aleatha’s Consequences series, and I was hooked. When I started this author journey, Aleatha was beyond gracious and helpful when I had five million questions. Having Aleatha as a friend and fellow author is amazing. Being asked to write in her Infidelity World was a true honor.
Thank you to the other talented authors writing in Infidelity World. I appreciate the assistance and support we’ve all shared with each other. Having my book and my name listed among such great writers is truly a privilege.
Thank you, Becky, for helping me get the New York information right! I’m glad you live in Indiana now, but I greatly appreciate your East Coast experience and background.
Thank you, JJ, for catching my errors and being a second set of eyes for me.
To my dear beta readers. Your input, feedback, and encouragement has proven invaluable to me! I truly trust you all and value your opinions more than you’ll probably ever understand. Thank you to my newest betas as well. When I needed fresh new eyes who had never read any of these characters you were there for me and helped me so much!
To my READERS!! You are what keeps me going. You are the reason I write some days. When I don’t feel like I have it in me, I’ll get a message or comment from a reader about how a story of mine has touched them, and that will be the inspiration and motivation for me to write. As long as these stories are in my head, I’ll keep sharing them with you.
To the BLOGGERS who read and review and share my books!! You are beyond a shadow of a doubt some of the most dedicated and selfless people I’ve ever known! Thank you so much for being such a support to those of us who have stories to tell. I love BLOGGERS!
To my Juice Box ladies! Thank you so much for welcoming me into your crew and sharing your knowledge, experience, advice, and fun with me! Having some real-life authors/friends I can collaborate with is a great feeling. Dance parties, lunches, movies, videos, wine, painting, pizza…the list goes on and on! Thank you for letting me be a Juice Boxer!
Cheryl Brooks, thank you for working your magic on my blurbs.
To my fellow authors. Those of you who read my work, share your work with me, cross-promote with me, and offer advice and support, THANK YOU! You make this a little easier and enjoyable.
Connect with A.D. Ellis
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