by Bella Bennet
Penny reached out, turned him around and pulled him down onto the chair. Ned smiled sheepishly at him. He would kill him. What the fuck was going on?
He was tied to the chair and then tipped back. He glared at the ceiling as he was carried, chair and all into the cabin. David refused to look at Penny. He wasn’t even going to look around. He didn’t know what crazy bullshit was going on, but he was damn sure he would not be happy with whatever it was.
They set him down in the living room, facing the kitchen and then turned him around. To face Henry.
To say he was stunned would be an understatement. Henry looked as shocked as he was. He was gagged and tied to the chair just like David was.
“I’m sorry you guys we had to trick you. But you have both been so stubborn and moping that we had to do something.”
David turned to glare at Penny and Ned who were standing next to each other. Penny had obviously been the mastermind behind this stupid plan. It was her cabin.
“I’m sorry David. This was all my fault.” David was sure that if he could kill with his eyes, it would happen right now. Ned would be blown apart and on fire.
“I thought Henry would just be another short fling, and I didn’t want my friend treated like that. I fucked up. I shouldn’t have interfered. I’m sorry, both of you, I’m sorry. I asked Penny to help me get you guys back together and fix what I fucked up.”
David hoped Ned dropped dead. After bursting into flames.
“We’ll take the gags off and then leave you while we go out for dinner. We’ll be back in a few hours. Aren’t you glad I stopped at the little town not that far away to go to the bathroom?”
David glared so hard at Penny that he thought for sure he would either develop lasers shooting out of his eyes, or a stroke. Penny would regret she ever cooked up this stupid, asinine plan.
Penny looked at Ned. “All right let’s do it.”
They each walked behind one chair. Penny grabbed his gag and counted down. David refused to look at Henry and instead glared at Ned. He hoped he knew how dead he was after this weekend.
“3, 2, 1!” His gag was untied, and they both ran out of the living room.
“You better fucking run you fucking assholes!” The front door slammed and David yelled in frustration.
He refused to look at Henry.
The living room, from what he could see, had nothing he could use to slice through the zip ties. There was also nothing between him and the door to the deck. Where the hot tub was bubbling. David yelled again.
Chapter 9
Henry was calm, considering. He was frustrated, upset, not amused but wasn’t as furious as David seemed to be. David hadn’t stopped glaring, swearing or trying to undo the ties around his wrists. If he didn’t watch it, his chair would tip over and then he’d really be yelling. Henry smiled thinking of David tipped over screaming. Then he laughed.
David quit swearing and looked at him. Henry couldn’t help it that made him laugh even harder. It must be the stress, the oddness of the situation, but it hit Henry as funny. They were tied up, facing each other, in a secluded cabin that their friends would not come back to for hours. They had both been tricked.
“It’s not fucking funny!”
Henry was laughing so hard tears were running down his face.
“Your dipshit friend tricked you, tied you up in the same room as someone you don’t like and all you can do is sit there and laugh?”
That got Henry to calm down. David’s face wasn’t red anymore. He was now trying to get his shoes off. It’s harder than it sounds when your ankles are tied together.
“Well, you have to admit, it is a bizarre situation. And I don’t dislike you.”
“Bullshit.”
Henry was taken aback.
“Don’t sit there and look so surprised. You knew how I felt about you and you brought a date to sign your divorce papers. Who fucking does that?”
Henry narrowed his eyes. The thrill at seeing David was wearing off. “I wouldn’t be the next notch on your bedpost.”
David pulled his head back and gave it a shake. “What?” David stared at him.
Henry thought David was a good actor as he genuinely looked confused.
“Yeah, you have a boy toy omega for a night or maybe a short fling of the week or two and then let them go. You don’t stick around.”
“Did what I said to you mean nothing? I told you how much I wanted to be your alpha, how much I cared about you and you threw it in my face!”
“I did nothing of the sort! I got out of the only long relationship I ever had, one in which he planned to use me from the get go, to fall into one with my divorce attorney? How stupid do you think I am?”
“Stupid? You think it was stupid what I said? That I fucking cared about you? That I couldn’t do anything until I wasn’t your attorney but wanted to be your alpha? You think it was stupid I was head over fucking heels for you? Fuck you!”
Henry was really getting pissed off.
“How do I know you meant it? I was warned about you. I saw men hanging all over you at the club. You loved it! I wouldn’t get my heart hurt again!”
“You didn’t even give me a chance! We went from the hottest sex I’ve ever had to having the door closed in my face! And that was after you wouldn’t return my phone calls or texts!”
“You could feel that way for any of those guys at the club. I will not get my heart ripped out of my chest after losing my entire family, for the second time!”
Henry waited but David said nothing. He turned his head to the living room, trying to slow down his breathing. Henry wished Ned had the courtesy to leave water within reach. With straws. He would kill Ned. And Penny. He didn’t know what they thought would happen, but this was obviously the dumbest idea they could have come up with. What made them think this was a good idea, to put them both in the same room? He’d sit here and stare at the walls all night if he had to.
David didn’t care how long they had been friends, Penny was dead to him. Nothing could overcome this.
David stared out the patio door to the hot tub on the deck. He could be out there sitting in the hot tub, reading and making notes for his cases. But no, he was stuck inside, tied to a chair with the most idiotic, stubborn, mule headed omega ever. Here, all this time David was worried his family would scare lovers away, but no it was his inability to find someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. How stupid of him to not settle down with the first omega he met just to show Henry that he didn’t sleep with every man he saw.
David looked at Henry and wished he was looking back just to see the glare. David ground his teeth and looked back out the patio door. What should he have been, a monk? Celibate? Are you kidding me?
The skin on his wrists hurt. His ankles hurt. He had probably rubbed them raw trying to get out. Penny had better run the second she cut him loose. He’d zip tie her to the deck and leave her there all weekend.
David was thirsty. There was nothing anywhere for them to drink. Their ‘captors’ sure didn’t plan this out well. Though he was pretty surprised they got both him and Henry up here and zip tied with no trouble. David shook his head. He was never, ever telling his family about this. They’d disown him for being such a patsy.
David narrowed his eyes as he thought about his family and looked at Henry.
“What did Ned tell you about me?”
Henry kept looking away at the living room. If David was any closer, he’d kick his chair. But then he remembered his legs were tied to the chair. Dammit.
“Come on. This whole nightmare is all Ned’s fault as far as I can tell. We were great, better than great and then you ghosted me. What the fuck was that all about?”
David wasn’t sure he wanted to know what Ned said about him. It would hurt, but it was better than just sitting here stewing all night avoiding the only man that ripped his heart out of his chest. And who didn’t realize he had done it. David snorted.
Henry turned his head to
face him. “Did you snort?”
David glared. He was tempted to not answer him, to be a dick, but he couldn’t do it. He still loved Henry, the pig headed, stubborn omega.
“Yeah, I did. I thought it was funny you ripped out my heart, shredded it and don’t even realize you did it.”
David looked away at the deck so he could stop the stinging in his eyes. He would not cry. He thought he had cried himself out that week he drowned his sorrows. Apparently not.
He watched the sunlight sparkling on the water, herons flying to land near the shoreline, the smell of fresh clean forest air, the warm enticing smell of a hot toddy. He clenched his teeth. Why did Henry have to smell so good? He was at his breaking point. He could handle this, being so close to his omega, but the only thing he couldn’t handle would be to hear Henry say he thought David was playing a game. Or you couldn’t trust anyone associated with the mob. It would just destroy him.
David looked down and counted the wooden boards that made up the floor. Anything to prevent him from tearing up.
“You look sad.”
David stilled. Well, he had nothing to lose and probably hours left to go before they were ‘rescued’. Might as well just bare his heart again. Maybe it won’t hurt so bad the second time.
Henry’s fear he had been wrong, that David really had cared about him, that he wasn’t just a temporary toy, was crawling through his chest and stomach. He was feeling ill. He had a horrible feeling of dread. Henry wanted to be wrong, but he also wanted to be right, that he had screwed up.
“Of course I’m sad.” David kept looking down at the floor. Henry almost didn’t want to breathe.
“I found the most amazing man, the man that would be my omega, the one I thought I’d never find. I thought he wanted me too. Turns out it didn’t mean the same for him.”
Henry’s chest was hurting more. A horrible acid feeling in his stomach. This feeling was worse than when he couldn’t ignore the facts anymore about Greg. Because this one was all his own doing. He had fucked up.
“Ask Penny about the week I had the flu if you don’t believe me. Which you won’t.” David muttered that last bit, but Henry heard it all the same. He didn’t want the torture to continue, but he knew the only way through this mess was to keep going, no matter how much it hurt. And if David was right, he deserved all the pain it would bring.
“What flu? Were you sick?” Henry’s chest tightened. The thought of David being ill for a week scared him. Henry closed his eyes. His own body was even telling him what he tried to deny. He cared for David. It had never gone away. No matter how much he had tried.
“After… I stopped by your house… I went home. I felt like you had ripped out my heart. There was a hole in my chest. I stayed in bed for a week. Told Penny I had the flu.”
Henry couldn’t imagine the David he knew, strong, able to handle everything, tough, suave, gorgeous, in bed all week. It didn’t match. Something wasn’t right. Either Henry’s view of David was wrong, or what David was saying was wrong. Henry swallowed. Since their friends had conspired to get them together to talk, Henry’s horrible feeling grew as he knew, but didn’t want to admit, which one was probably correct.
“Were you really sick?”
David looked at him. A shock went through him as he realized there were tears in David’s eyes.
“I wasn’t sick. I was drinking. I spent the entire week drinking. In bed. I don’t even remember the week. I wanted to be so drunk that I couldn’t remember or think about how you closed the door in my face and destroyed any hope for us.”
The brutal truth smacked Henry so hard that he jerked back. Oh God. It was worse than he had imagined. Tears were forming, overflowing and running down his face. He put his head down and closed his eyes, sucking in his lips, trying to prevent the sobs from breaking out. His body wracked with sobs. He was drowning in misery. Pain consumed his entire body. He had been wrong, so wrong and hurt David.
He couldn’t hold them in anymore. Sobs, great big body wracking sobs. He sat there, tied to his chair and just cried.
David supposed he should feel vindicated. Feel happy or something at the sight of Henry sobbing his heart out. But he didn’t. He still loved him. It hurt him to see Henry hurting so bad. But he also knew Henry had done it to himself. Still, David didn’t like seeing Henry in so much pain.
David realized tears were running down his face. He didn’t know if he could survive another occurrence of giving his heart to Henry and having it ripped out. David was sure he had never gotten his heart back. He still felt hollow inside but hope was rearing its golden head in his chest. He tried to control it, to squish it down because he knew it was stupid to hope. But the feeling wouldn’t go away, it couldn’t be contained. David wanted to protect himself, but he wanted Henry more. If there was a possibility, a chance for the two of them, he wanted to grab it. He couldn’t deny that feeling anymore.
David watched Henry calm down after sobbing and crying his heart out. The poor guy was a mess. His face was all blotchy. Snot running out of his nose. Henry had his head down but looked up at David through his lashes. He looked so much like a sad puppy that David smiled and had to look away or he’d laugh.
He knew it was a messed up response, but it struck David as funny. Here they were tied to chairs, facing each other, both with tears running down their faces and Henry looking so much like a sad corgi puppy he wanted to hold him, comfort him and make him feel better.
The urge to laugh had run its course, so David looked back at Henry. He really looked sad. Big whiskey brown eyes pleading with him. David wanted to make him feel better but his self preservation was too strong. Henry had to make the first move.
David had laid his heart out again today, well not really, but he had told him how destroyed he was after Henry closed the door on their relationship. David’s smile fell as he remembered how destroyed he had been. He didn’t know how they could get to a point where they could trust each other.
Henry’s shoulders were slumped and his head still bent forward. David forced himself to look around the cabin they were in. If he kept staring at Henry, he knew he’d talk first and probably end up begging Henry to give them a chance. He couldn’t do that. He had more self respect, plus he knew himself pretty well. David knew he’d take Henry any way he could get him and that didn’t lead to a healthy alpha omega pairing.
So he looked beyond Henry at the big rock fireplace, some animal head with antlers above the mantel, hardwood stairs going up to the loft, the rustic furniture and black metal lamps and chandelier. It was a nice cabin. He had no idea what wood was used, but it had a nice golden honey color that matched that lighter part of Henry’s eyes. David closed his eyes and sighed. He had it bad. It never went away did it?
Chapter 10
Henry saw David’s tear tracks and felt hope. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe there was some way he could convince David that he believed him, believed David would not play with his heart. Henry looked down as a wave of shame ran through him. He couldn’t think about that now. He had believed a friend, and believe him, Ned would get an earful. Hopefully Henry hadn’t ruined what could be an amazing relationship with a wonderful alpha.
Henry didn’t know much about David, only what he had seen himself and heard from Ned. Maybe that’s where he could start. Tell David what Ned had said and apologize. That would also give David a chance to talk if he wanted to. A stab of fear traveled up his body as he thought that. He swallowed and hoped it wasn’t too late.
“I’m sorry.” Henry paused, not sure what to say next. All his courage had just run off and deserted him. Henry looked down at his feet.
“What are you sorry for?”
Henry looked up at David. David didn’t look mad, didn’t look happy either, but at least he was speaking to Henry.
“I’m sorry I didn’t communicate with you. Told you what I was worried about. Heard it from you about…” Henry wasn’t sure how to phrase it. How do you tell someone you tho
ught they were a man whore? Or thought they had been investigated in the past for being unethical? At least that’s what he got from what Ned had told him. And therein lies the problem.
“I’m sorry I listened to rumors and didn’t talk to you about what I heard. That I imagined things and decided I knew how you felt and thought about me. I was an idiot. I’m sorry I hurt you so bad. I… I was just scared.” Henry swallowed as tears ran out of his eyes and down his cheeks again.
He didn’t look down at his shoes though. He stared at David. Stared and begged, pleaded with his eyes for forgiveness. He didn’t know if it was possible to forgive him. From what David had said, Henry had messed him up. More tears were pouring out of his eyes now. He felt the warm drops of saltwater running over his cheekbone, down the side of his face, under his jaw and down his neck. It tickled. He moved his right shoulder trying to dry his neck against his shoulder but he couldn’t quite reach it. He was miserable.
“What were you scared of?”
David’s voice was soft, and that made Henry feel more ashamed. Here was David, whose heart Henry had destroyed, being so nice and caring to Henry. He should have known David was nothing like Greg. David had always respected him, cared for him. If Henry needed proof, it was right there in his actions. He was the complete opposite of Greg. Henry was such a dumb ass.
“I was scared of getting hurt. Scared of trusting someone, opening myself to them and getting hurt. Of being used again. I thought it wasn’t possible, it was against the odds, to find the perfect alpha for me, the perfect man right after learning my current alpha had used me.” Henry shook his head. “I was an idiot. I’m sorry.”
Henry looked down again. He wouldn’t ask for David’s forgiveness. He didn’t think he deserved it. At least without suffering more. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t quite seem to cover the pain he had put David through.