by Toni Aleo
But Matty had pushed Wells away.
Would Wells even want him back?
Swallowing hard, he tried to push the door open just as he heard Wells’s baby sister, Wren, talking. He closed his eyes, and he wondered if he should just leave. Matty’s career was just now taking off, and he was playing for the fantastic Rangers. He was in a good place, but he knew he was empty without Wells. He didn’t have a purpose off the ice, and he was beyond lost without his man. Wells was his best friend, his confidant, and damn it, he loved the guy.
But could he really ruin this wedding?
He didn’t have a choice.
As he pushed open the doors, only a few people noticed as the minister went on, “Okay, wonderful. No objection to this beautiful union—”
Even with his heart in his throat, he managed to get out, “Actually, there is.”
His voice was deep. Unsure. He felt the need for flight, but when his eyes landed on Wells, there was nowhere Matty could go unless that man was beside him. Within seconds, a hush fell over the crowd as Wells’s head whipped toward him. Lord, he was beautiful. He looked like a million bucks, his suit tailored just to him, his face clean-shaven and mesmerizing. His eyes shone that brilliant green that starred in all of Matty’s dreams. As Wells’s lips parted, eyes blazing into his, Matty could do nothing more than gasp, “Wells.”
He couldn’t believe it. He had missed him so damn much, everything about him. Matty almost ran down the aisle to him, but he knew he didn’t have a right. No, he had to convince this man to take him back. “I’m sorry, I am. And I don’t mean to do this, but I can’t let you marry him.”
“Oh, snap,” Matty heard Vaughn say, but neither of them could look anywhere but into each other’s eyes. Letting go of Alex’s hands, Wells parted his mouth a bit, shaking Matty’s confidence as he gazed into his former lover’s eyes, begging him to hear him out. Wanting to do this was one thing, but with everyone gawking at him and Wells looking at him like he had grown a head out of his ass, Matty wasn’t so sure of himself anymore. Hell, was he ever? Matty knew the answer, and even so, he just rushed into this.
Because Matty loved him.
He needed Wells more than he needed his next breath.
But before he could proclaim that, hoping it would be enough to get back the man he loved, Alex yelled, “What? What are you doing?”
Matty wasn’t sure what to say, or even if it would be enough, but he had to try. He had to. “I know I did you wrong. I’m young, I’m stupid, but, Wells, I love you. I love you so much, and I can’t do this. I can’t do life without you. Please. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but don’t marry him.”
A whisper moved through the crowd, yet Matty couldn’t move. He was stunned in place, his eyes burning into Wells’s. Pleading with him. God, he wanted Wells to meet him halfway, to wrap his arms around him and for Matty to know he had won.
But he didn’t deserve that.
“No, we love each other. Get out of here! Someone remove him.” Alex was panicking.
Shaking his head, Matty wished someone would just try to remove him. He wasn’t ready to leave, not until Wells told him to go. Man, he hoped that didn’t happen.
Clearing his throat, he said very low, apprehension creeping into his voice, “I was wrong, I was so wrong. I let you go because I was a coward, and I swear to you, no more of that. I want to be with you, in and out of the closet. I want to love you because you came out of my dreams and made them real, Wells. You are everything I want and everything I need. I beg of you, don’t marry him. Give me another chance, please.”
Wells wasn’t moving nor was he speaking. He was just staring into Matty’s eyes as hushed whispers continued to move around the room. Matty wasn’t sure what that meant.
Did Wells not love him anymore?
A stabbing pain hit him in the middle of his chest as he continued to hold Wells’s gaze. He wasn’t looking anywhere else but at Matty, with a torn and unsure look on his beautiful face. From where Matty was standing, he could see the scar on Wells’s lip, the one Matty had left there after the first time they’d played hockey together. Matty loved kissing that spot, and damn it, he was going to do it again.
“You left him. He doesn’t love you! He loves me! Get out of here, you homewrecker! You can’t have him!”
Matty would kiss that spot again, just as soon as this fucker was out of the picture.
Matty refused to listen to Alex’s words. He could see it in Wells’s eyes. He still loved Matty. Matty knew he did. A love like theirs didn’t just go away. It was like a fire consuming both of them; he just hoped Alex wasn’t the rainstorm that would take it away. Matty couldn’t even grasp that idea. It hadn’t happened, he knew it hadn’t. Closing the distance between them, he came to the stair below Wells, his head tipping back as he looked up into those beautiful green eyes. His heart was beating so hard he was sure the whole room could hear it.
“I love you, Wells. You know I do,” he whispered, his eyes insistent. Wells just stared at him, a pained expression on his face.
“He doesn’t love you,” Alex yelled before looking up at Wells. “Wells, tell him. Jesus, are you mute?”
But still, Wells said nothing, his eyes boring into Matty’s. Matty took a step forward, causing Wells to step back slightly. Yet, their bodies were so close that if one of them moved even in the slightest, they’d be touching. And then God help everyone, because they’d get a show.
It had been a very long time without Wells’s kisses, and Matty was due.
“Wells!” Alex yelled, but Matty didn’t move. He didn’t care about this guy, this rebound asshole. All he cared about was Wells.
“Please tell me you still love me. Because no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop loving you,” Matty whispered. Then he could finally see it.
The fear in Wells’s eyes.
He was scared.
Scared of Matty, and he couldn’t blame him.
“Wells! Damn it! What are you doing?”
Tears welled up in Matty’s eyes as he swallowed hard, his hands shaking with the need to touch the one man who meant everything to him. With his voice in almost a whisper, he promised, “I swear I’ll never hurt you again. I’m sorry. But you are mine, baby, remember? You told me that. That I was yours, and I am.”
Wells’s eyes started to fill with tears, and Matty came undone. He wanted to touch him, but he wouldn’t do it without his permission. Without his affirmation of love.
Damn it. He knew Wells still loved him.
Didn’t he?
He wasn’t sure what was going on beside him, and Matty heard Jensen say something, but then Alex was yelling once more.
“Do what? You better be kicking him out! This is insane. Why are you just standing there? You don’t love him, do you? What kind of best friends are you? This dude hurt him. Kick him out!”
Matty wasn’t sure what Wells saw in this dude, but he was beginning to hate him even more even as Vaughn yelled, “We’re the kind of best friends who want the best for our brother. Let him think!”
Alex went to argue, but then a deep and commanding voice filled the room, “Son, that’s enough. You need to say something.”
It was Wells’s father.
Wells’s eyes widened as he tore them from Matty to his father. He was conflicted; it was all over his face, and it was killing Matty. Had he really hurt this guy that much? He was a fucking cunt. How dare he hurt someone so beautiful, so perfect. Man, he’d really fucked him over.
But then Wells looked back at him. Wells’s eyes focused on Matty’s as he swallowed hard, a lone tear rolling down his chiseled face. “Your family?”
Just two words.
Two words that held the weight of the world.
Commotion broke out, but Matty nodded firmly, hoping Wells could see he meant every single word that was about to leave his mouth. “I’m telling them. Even if you don’t want me, I’m telling them. I promise. I just want you by my side when I do i
t, because I love… I love you so much, Wells, please.”
Matty hadn’t even realized that was the truth until that moment. He was tired of not being who he was. He wanted to live life as a gay man; he didn’t want to hide anymore. He just wanted Wells beside him while he did it. It wouldn’t be easy, but if he had the love of his life by his side, it could be.
Wells paused, his lips trembling. “Why now?”
Alex yelled something, but Matty wasn’t done. “I wanted to tell you earlier, but I was scared. I’m still fucking scared, but I couldn’t let you do this without you knowing that you changed my life. You make me want to be a good man, and I know I can do it without you, but I don’t want to. You’ve made me want to fix things with my sister because of how much you love yours. I want to tell my brothers and my parents because I want to be myself. I want to be me instead of lying all the time. But, Wells, I want you beside me, with me, loving me. Please, say you will. Take me back, let me love you as you always loved me because, Wells, you own my heart. The whole damn thing and you know I don’t do this kind of thing, but I can’t stand by and watch you marry this guy. I can’t.”
When another tear rolled down Wells’s face, Matty’s own started to fall, but then Wells’s groom was yelling some more. “Then leave!”
The thing was, Matty would never leave Wells’s side again. Without looking at the guy, and with his voice strong and true, Matty said, “I can’t. I’m sorry, Alex, I am. But I love him.”
“Wells, tell him to go!”
It was his chance. Wells could tell Matty to hit the road, and as much as it would kill Matty, he knew Wells had that right. Holding his breath, Matty watched as Wells swallowed hard and looked back at Alex before saying, “I’m sorry, but my heart beats for this man.”
Matty couldn’t wait a moment longer.
He wrapped his arms around Wells, and he did the same as their mouths crashed together with heated eagerness.
Now that Matty had Wells back, he’d never do anything to lose him again.
Six
For the first time in Wells’s life, some people, well, actually just Alex, would call him a selfish man.
But he didn’t care.
Because he would completely agree, even if Alex would never understand. Wells hadn’t talked about Matty with Alex. He couldn’t. It was too hard, and he knew Alex would throw a fit. But now it didn’t matter. After spending nine months without the man he was now holding in his arms, it was easy to say he had been empty. He had tried to fill that emptiness with friends and family, but he had ached. So Wells jumped headfirst into a relationship with a man he had no business being with. It was easy sex—easy, mind-numbing sex that he’d decided kept him from thinking of Matty. But it was a lie. Even when Wells was with Alex, he thought of Matty.
All he wanted was for Matty to want to be with him, in and out of the closet, and now there he was.
In his arms.
Moving his fingers through Matty’s hair, Wells almost didn’t believe his eyes. The same eyes that held his heart. A pair of turquoise eyes that knew everything there was to know about Wells. Eyes that belonged to someone he couldn’t stop loving.
No matter what happened.
No matter how many texts or calls he ignored.
No matter whom he tried to marry instead.
Wells loved Matty with every beat of his heart.
How stupid could he be? He couldn’t let go of this man. He’d tried. God, he’d tried. He was going to marry someone completely different, but it wasn’t real. He hadn’t been honest with himself, and how hypocritical could he be? He’d left Matty for not being honest, but then he’d done the same. It wasn’t often that Wells Lemiere was stunned to silence, but what Matty had just pulled, coming out to everyone in the room and professing his love, stunned Wells to the core.
“Jesus Christ, Matty,” he muttered against his lips as the room went insane. “Really?”
“Really,” Matty promised, his lips moving against Wells’s. Matty ran his thumbs along Wells’s cheeks, causing butterflies that only flew around when Matty was near to go insane in his gut. One would think they would stop with the people screaming and yelling, mostly his now ex-fiancé Alex, but they didn’t. Probably because Wells didn’t care. How could he when he had his forever in his arms? He knew he should feel guilty, awful for hurting Alex, and he did. But then again, he didn’t. He felt complete in Matty’s arms, and if that wasn’t right, he didn’t give two fucks. “I should have done this months ago. I’m sorry.”
Matty pressed his head to Wells’s, looking older than his twenty-three years, which he always had. Wells hadn’t even believed Matty was as young as he claimed the first time they met. Made him prove it by showing his ID. But it was true; Matty was eleven years younger than Wells, and that alone should have had him running for the hills.
Instead, he ran right to Matty.
Wells didn’t know what he was doing when he first met Matty. The kid wasn’t even gay—or so he thought—but it didn’t matter because Wells had to have him. He needed those lush lips against his, that strong, angular jaw in his grasp, and that hotter than hot body pressed to his. They just clicked. The sparks fired off like cannons, and Wells had never felt so good with someone. He didn’t get it. This kid was a kid, but something inside told him maybe Matty was feeling him too.
Maybe Matty was bisexual.
Either way, Wells wouldn’t leave that night until he had a taste of Matty’s lips.
They had been in a hall, Wells didn’t remember where or even why they were there, but he couldn’t handle it anymore. He had never had that punch to the gut need to kiss someone, but with Matty, he had it and then some. So with no hesitation, Wells leaned into him, pressing his lips to Matty’s, slowly at first, testing the waters. But then Wells found himself flat against the wall, Matty’s mouth on his and his hand down Wells’s pants.
To Wells’s utter and beautiful surprise, Matty wanted him just as much as he wanted Matty.
If not more.
Cue, the yearlong relationship that followed.
It wasn’t easy. Matty was playing for the Rangers, while Wells played for Colorado, but they made it work. Or at least, Wells thought they had. He thought he was enough to come out for. He thought they were forever material, but that wasn’t the case.
Until now.
“Are you sure? Your family?” he found himself asking, but Matty’s lips just quirked as he moved his thumbs along Wells’s cheeks.
“Yes. I can’t live without you. I can’t, Wells. I’ve tried, and it just doesn’t work.”
Wells’s heart sang, and soon he was crashing his mouth to Matty’s once more, needing it all. Wells knew his family was there. He knew he had an explanation to give, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to face the fact that he had just wasted a ton of his parents’ money, he definitely didn’t want to deal with the fact that his sister and his best friend were fighting, and he positively didn’t want to deal with Alex. It was awful, he knew that, but he didn’t want to.
He just wanted Matty.
“We—”
But even Matty knew it couldn’t happen so easily. Pulling back, he kissed Wells’s nose. “Later. Later, we can talk more.”
Swallowing hard, Wells ran his thumb along Matty’s jaw, his heart fluttering in his chest. Taking a deep breath, Wells smiled as he turned to face his family, his friends, and everything else.
With Matty by his side.
He found he was being very selfish that day, because when his sister declared she was going to marry his best friend—again—Wells wasn’t even shocked. He probably wasn’t even there mentally, because he found himself memorizing every new thing about Matty. He was clean-shaven now, smooth and sexy. Wells wanted nothing more than to run his tongue along Matty’s jaw, following it with his thumb before doing it all over again. More than once.
While Wren did marry Jensen, again, Wells didn’t even pay attention. His eyes were locked on Matty’s. He
was happy for his sister and his best friend, but he loved the way Matty’s hair had lightened some. Maybe he had been at the beach this summer. Wells wasn’t sure, but good lord, the man was beautiful. So beautiful that Wells almost didn’t believe this was happening.
That Matty was his once more.
But for how long?
Would it be like before? Where things were so damn good he couldn’t imagine Matty not coming out of the closet for him? Would his words hold true?
As everyone made their way to the reception hall to celebrate his sister and Jensen, Wells pulled Matty off to the side where they embraced, quickly and needfully. They somehow made it out into the hall and then into a closet before they started to strip each other’s jackets off, the need to be close too great to sit through a dinner. Wells was aware how extremely selfish that was, but he couldn’t help it. He needed Matty.
Frantically.
Matty went to pull Wells’s tie off, but Wells stopped him. Meeting Matty’s heated gaze, Wells pushed Matty into the door, inhaling hard. “You’re serious?”
“Absolutely,” Matty muttered, pressing his rock-hard cock into Wells. Wells’s eyes drifted shut as he drew in a sharp breath. Fuck, he wanted Matty.
“You won’t hurt me again. I can’t do it again, Matty.”
“Never.”
“When?”
“As soon as possible,” Matty said, grabbing Wells by the back of his neck and crashing his mouth to his. Wells yanked his tie off as their tongues played, and they somehow got Wells’s shirt open before Matty’s mouth trailed down his neck, his chest, biting and nipping in the most erotic way. Matty’s body was shaking, his cock so hard he was seeing stars. “I want to tell my sister first.”
Meeting his gaze, Wells could see the hurt in Matty’s eyes. “I think that’s right.”