Made In Manhattan (Made In Series Book 2)

by Ana Newfolk

  “Hi, Filipe, I’m Max. It’s very nice to meet you. Did you know my best friend used to have a Superman doll just like this?”

  “He doesn’t have it no more?”

  Max shook his head. “No, his Superman went on adventures to help other people that need it the most.”

  Filipe leaned toward Max as though he was telling him a secret but I could still hear him from where I was standing.

  “Do you think my Superman can help Bruno? He needs help so he can keep me forever.”

  Max looked up at me and I smiled. Filipe was a little whirlwind. It surprised me how much more chatty he was today compared to the last time I’d been at the café to see Bruno.

  Bruno came out from the kitchen area holding a carton of juice that he handed to Filipe as he told him to sit at the table and draw on his pad. Teresa and Mário were just behind him.

  “Oh, you must be Max.” Teresa wrapped her arms around him, her head only reaching his chest because she was so petite. Mário extended his hand and also greeted Max.

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” Max said. “David speaks about you all the time so I feel like I’ve met you before.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too, dear. How are my boys? Are they eating well? Are they safe? Oh god I worry so much. The news on the television always talks about these horrible shootings in America and I get so worried.”

  Max reassured Teresa both David and Joel were okay and it wouldn’t be long until they were back.

  “The last time I spoke to David on Skype he told me he was finishing a course. They are planning on traveling before coming back,” I added.

  I was looking forward to seeing my friend. He’d been busy before going to Manhattan with Joel I hadn’t had a chance to have a proper heart-to-heart. I still felt terrible for the night at the club. When I’d left Max that night I’d also left David and Joel.

  David and Joel had broken up that night and even though I knew they were now back together and happy, I still felt selfish. I hadn’t been there for my friend when he really needed someone.

  “Tiago told me you spoke to the family lawyer.” I turned the conversation back to Bruno.

  “I did. He told me it would be difficult to get full custody of Filipe because I’m so young. He said it’s good that I have a job, somewhere to live, and a network around me, but he’s afraid the judge won’t see past my age.”

  I’d thought about it and also wondered if it would be the case but I hadn’t wanted to say anything to Bruno until he’d spoken to the lawyer.

  “Did the lawyer suggest a solution? Surely having Filipe back in an abusive household is worse.”

  “Yes, Filipe’s teacher called me to the school two days ago. Apparently he’d been disruptive in class for a while but his behavior had changed. She’d noticed it was since I started picking him up so she asked if Filipe was living with me.” Teresa put a reassuring arm around Bruno as small tears fell down his cheek. He cleared them before Filipe could see he was upset.

  “Apparently, when one of the other children touched Filipe’s back he cried in pain so his teacher took him to one of the other teachers who used to be a nurse. He had some really bad bruising on his back. He said he’d been naughty and had been playing where he wasn’t supposed to.”

  Teresa intervened to finish the story.

  “I was with Bruno when he saw the lawyer. This evidence from the school could help to sway the decision from the judge.”

  Teresa looked up at Bruno, who despite being shorter than me was still taller than Teresa, and caressed his face before hugging him. Then she looked at Mário.

  I stopped in my tracks at her next statement.

  “We’re going to adopt Bruno and Filipe.”

  I saw in Teresa’s eyes this was a decision they hadn’t made lightly. David had told me once years ago how they couldn’t have children. Maybe they saw this as their opportunity, especially now that David had started a new life with Joel.

  We stayed in the café for a little longer, hearing about all the adventures Filipe’s Superman went on while he was asleep at night. I told Teresa Max was staying with me so he wouldn’t need David’s apartment keys after all.

  She gave me a knowing look before we parted, but it was Mário’s words that floored me.

  “Isaac, I haven’t had a chance to apologize to you. There is nothing that can excuse how I behaved toward you that night at David’s apartment. I will have to live with the knowledge I caused you so much pain for the rest of my life.

  “Life dealt you a shitty hand; you made the best of it and look where you are now. You are a much better man than I’ll ever be. I’m so sorry, son. I truly am.”

  Chapter Nine

  Max

  As I chased Isaac down the road I wondered what had gone so wrong that he’d nearly run out of the café. He hadn’t been rude or anything. He’d said his goodbyes to Teresa, Bruno, and Filipe. I saw Mário say something too but I couldn’t catch it because Filipe asked if I could make him and Superman fly high in the sky.

  The little boy had been so excited at being lifted up over my head that he’d been screaming in delight.

  I wondered if Mário had said something that had upset Isaac.

  He was heading toward the beach so once I caught up I walked silently beside him until we reached the sand.

  I thought Isaac might want to walk off whatever he was upset about so it surprised me when he took his shoes and socks off and walked a few feet in the sand until he came to a stop and sat down.

  I sat behind him, placing my legs on either side of his, and pulled him into my chest.

  “What’s wrong?” I said in his ear.

  He leaned back into my chest and sighed.

  “I don’t know. Lots of things. I’m so frustrated, Max.”

  “Talk to me, what’s frustrating you?”

  “Bruno’s situation. Can he just have a fucking break? His grandparents stopped him seeing his little brother because they didn’t want him to be a bad influence, but when it suited them they were happy to have Bruno look after him full time. Bruno works so damn hard. Trust me. David wouldn’t have shared the secret recipe for his custard tarts unless Bruno had earned it.”

  “You mentioned a lawyer earlier.”

  “We have a few lawyers that specialize in family law who volunteer for us and do some pro bono work.”

  “I’m sure they’ll do whatever they can for Bruno and Filipe. Is that all that’s upsetting you?”

  “Yes.” He paused. “No.”

  I wrapped my arms around him until both our arms crossed in front of him and I used my thumbs to caress his skin.

  “Mário apologized. I knew he probably would so it didn’t come as a surprise. I saw it in his eyes, he is genuinely sorry for how he treated me all those years ago.”

  “It’s hard to forget, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  We sat on the beach in that same position watching the sun getting lower and lower on the horizon.

  “Can I buy you dinner?” I asked. “Joel took me to this amazing seafood restaurant when I was here last time.”

  Isaac turned his face to me and I couldn’t resist caressing his stubble and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

  “Actually…” He blushed a beautiful shade of pink that made his already tan skin look even more appetizing, and I knew I had to make sure that despite the occasional kiss, we wouldn’t fall back into more than friends.

  “Actually?”

  “My brother invited us to have dinner with them.”

  “Us.” Fuck, how I loved the sound of that.

  “He knows you’re here so when he told me to come over for dinner he said to bring you along. I mean, you don’t have to go, we don’t have to go. I have dinner with them all the time so it’s no big deal. I mean, Joana is making her mom’s Portuguese stew, which apparently is the best thing you’ve tasted but—”

  “It’s not.”

  “What?”

  �
�It’s not, I mean, it won’t be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Oh, yeah, I guess you’ve been spoiled by David in the last few months.”

  “Nope, it’s not David’s food. You, Isaac, you’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  His lips crashed into mine, taking my breath away. I’m not sure how he managed to turn completely around to face me without breaking the kiss. My brain was short-circuiting to a point that I wouldn’t know my name.

  There were no coherent thoughts, just the feel of Isaac’s lips pressed against mine, his gentle biting, and his seeking tongue. Fuck.

  A whistle and some cheering got us adding a few inches between us.

  Isaac’s eyes were lidded like he was being consumed by lust and had forgotten where he was. When they finally focused on mine he stared for a moment, running his hands across my short hair.

  “Why did you have it cut?”

  “For different reasons, mostly practical but also whenever I looked at myself in the mirror I saw your hands running through it, and it was too painful to think about. I didn’t know if I would ever see you again.”

  “Will you let it grow now?” I closed my eyes as his blunt nails ran across my scalp, making my skin tingle all the way down my spine.

  “Yes.” I breathed out. “Isaac?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’d love to meet your brother.”

  As it turned out, Alex only lived a couple of miles away. I don’t know what I expected but definitely not a small house with a garden full of flower pots and a couple of fruit trees.

  Joana explained that it had been her grandparents’ house. When her grandmother had passed away Alex and Joana had just got married so the family decided it would be the perfect place for them to settle in and raise their family.

  I could see they had put their stamp on it with some modern furniture, but had also kept some of the older items. It was cozy. A proper home where the love was so palpable you could almost squeeze it with your hand.

  Portuguese people were very hospitable. I’d felt it from the day I first met Joel’s parents, to when I came to Portugal earlier in the summer, and now with Isaac’s family.

  There was one small difference. With Joel’s family his grandmother had insisted on us taking a seat and watching her do everything for us, which was a concept I struggled with.

  In Joana’s household it was an entirely different story.

  “You got to get these boys in line, Max,” she said to me while I helped her with dinner and Alex and Isaac were laying the table. “They’re good but if I don’t give them jobs to do they’ll disappear into the garden and chat all day. They’re worse than two old ladies.”

  I thought it was adorable how Isaac and his brother got along. They looked so alike with their curly hair and unique-colored eyes. I didn’t have any siblings, so when my parents kicked me out there was nothing left for me to go back to, or fight for.

  “Do you have any siblings, Joana?”

  “No, I’m an only child. My parents were older when they had me. Isaac kinda became my brother when Alex and I got together.”

  The sound coming from the baby monitor told us Sofia was awake from her nap.

  “Want to come meet the princess?”

  “Definitely.”

  When we walked past the dining room toward the bedroom we noticed the table only half laid and Isaac and Alex in the garden picking weeds from the flower pots.

  “Guys!” Joana cried out and they both jumped.

  I laughed. They looked so guilty I wondered what they’d been talking about.

  Sofia was the most adorable baby I’d ever seen. She’d been giggling and chatting in her baby speech ever since she’d woken up.

  “She’s normally okay with strangers but I think she’s totally smitten,” Alex said as I bounced Sofia on my lap after finishing my dinner.

  “I think I’m totally smitten back. I mean, look at her.”

  Joana and Alex looked at each other with such pride and love.

  “No, no, no. Give her to me,” Isaac said, taking her from my lap onto his. “Who’s your favorite uncle, my little popcorn?” Sofia giggled. “Yes, that’s right; Uncle Isaac is your favorite. Aren’t you so smart. Yes you are. Beautiful and smart, like your mommy.”

  “You’re still doing the dishes,” Joana said. “Who’s up for dessert?”

  A collective “me” got Sofia clapping her chubby hands.

  We left Joana and Alex’s place after helping them clear up from dinner while Joana put Sofia to bed for the night.

  “I can see how Sofia has you wrapped around her chubby little finger,” I said as we got in the car, heading toward Lisbon.

  “Right! I think Joana’s parents were really happy they decided to have children quite young.”

  “They’re a lovely couple.”

  “I’m so proud of Alex. He’s always been so strong, even after our parents kicked me out he found ways to see me. He reassured me that whatever happened we would always be brothers.” Isaac let out a chuckle.

  “What?”

  “Do you want to know how they got together?”

  “I’m guessing it’s a good story.”

  “Alex and Joana were in the same class at university. Alex worked in a bar in the evenings so one evening I was keeping him company because I didn’t have anything better to do when this beautiful girl came in. She was all long dark hair and big brown eyes. The bar was quiet but after assessing her surroundings she came to sit next to me. She was quite chatty so I thought she was trying to flirt with me. I was about to tell her I bat for the other team when Alex came over and basically told her I wasn’t interested and that he’d love to take her out.”

  “I take it she said yes.”

  “She told him if he wanted to ask her out he’d have to try harder and then she left the bar. As it turned out, they’d both been secretly crushing on each other. She took the first step by going into the bar and pretending to be interested in me to make him jealous and he fell for it.”

  Listening to the story and seeing firsthand how much love Isaac had around him made me feel so happy for him. He thought his brother was the strong one but I would disagree. He didn’t let all the shit from the past get in the way of him making a family, and fuck if I wasn’t proud of him for forgiving Mário.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off Isaac as we went up to his apartment. He smiled every time our eyes met but didn’t let it linger.

  There was no doubt we had amazing physical chemistry but he was becoming a whole person in my eyes, which just validated the strange feelings I’d had at Christmas, and why I had wanted to follow him to Portugal.

  I realized then I was fucking in love with Isaac and there was nothing I could do about it. In a few days I would be heading back to Manhattan and he would stay here where he belonged, with his family, and doing amazing work for the Center.

  When Isaac unlocked the door I ran straight to my room.

  My chest was tight and I was struggling to draw a breath. Tears ran down my face. I couldn’t believe after everything that had happened I’d gone and let myself fall in love with him.

  I stripped and got in the shower, hoping it would help wash away the anger I was feeling toward myself, as well as the tears.

  Not long after, the shower door opened so I looked up from where I was sitting on the floor under the water spray.

  Isaac looked really worried. Also really naked. I had to look down and shake my head. All I needed now was to start having visions too. I laughed. Maybe that would help me when I was miles away and could pretend he was there with me.

  A hand stroked my head and rested on my neck.

  “Why are you crying?”

  I looked up and those blue-green eyes were staring back at me.

  “Seeing you with your brother, Joana, and Sofia. They’re all so great. I’m so fucking happy for you, Isaac. You have a beautiful family.”

  “I do have a beautiful family,” he
said as he adjusted our positions so I was sitting with my legs extended and he could straddle me, “but can we not talk about them when we’re both naked in the shower?”

  Water was falling on us, still running warm even after all this time.

  I pulled Isaac into a hug. It didn’t matter that we were both naked or that his erection was pressing against me, I just wanted to feel him close.

  “Talk to me, Max,” he whispered in my ear.

  I shook my head. I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t put that burden on him. I didn’t know how Isaac felt about me, but I knew that if he left everything behind to follow me to Manhattan I would never forgive myself for putting an ocean between him and his family.

  “Didn’t we say no more misunderstandings, Max? We promised we’d talk to each other. Don’t shut me out.”

  I couldn’t tell him I loved him but I could show him instead.

  “Isaac, will you spend the night with me?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” His lips crashed onto mine with fierce want. My dick responded to Isaac’s assault, seemingly having forgotten how upset I was moments before.

  “Max, fuck, I need more. Let’s wash and go to bed.”

  “Second best idea you’ve had all day.”

  We washed like water was going to run out. Isaac took me by the hand to his bedroom, claiming his bed was bigger and more comfortable.

  “Where’s Max?”

  “You’re here! Right where you need to be. And naked, which is a big plus in my opinion.”

  “Not me, your cat.”

  “Oh, he was all curled up against his boyfriend so I left him with the neighbor until the morning.”

  Isaac pulled me into a kiss until we fell on the bed, me on top of him.

  “Wait, hold on,” I said.

  “You okay? You don’t want this anymore?”

  “No, I definitely want. Your cat is gay?”

  “Yes, he’s in love with Tico, my cat sitter’s dog.”

  “Your cat sitter has a dog.”

  He pushed me off him and managed to turn us so I was on my back, and in two seconds my cock was engulfed in the heat of his mouth.