Conned

by Charity Parkerson

  Army didn’t play dumb. “I love you.”

  Brit pressed his forehead to Army’s while still holding his stare. “I love you too,” Brit whispered, somehow doing what he always did best, making every moment between them beautiful.

  Chapter 5

  Valentine’s Day…

  Time moved in a blink of an eye. That’s how damn happy Brit made him. All the ways Brit had taken over his life were apparent everywhere Army looked. From Army’s redecorated office, complete with rotating bookshelves that held four times the books, that Brit had given him for Christmas, to the new kitchen table they sat at, showed how Brit spoiled him. Army wished he could give Brit even a quarter of what Brit gave him. The present burning a hole in his pocket also scratched at the back of Army’s brain. He’d wiped his sweaty palms on his thighs too many times to count.

  “I can’t believe you did all this for me and managed to do it without me knowing,” Brit said, eyeing the flowers, champagne, food, and candlelight covering their new kitchen table.

  “Linda helped,” Army reminded him for the fifth time. If she hadn’t agreed to coax Brit to the hairdresser with her to help her pick a new style for her date tonight, Army never would’ve pulled off the surprise dinner.

  “This is delicious,” Brit said, digging into the chocolate volcano cake Army had made for him.

  “I like cooking, but you usually beat me to it,” Army said, hoping he wouldn’t be sick. He’d never been more nervous in his life. “Which is fine with me,” Army added with a laugh.

  Brit set his spoon aside and gave Army his full attention. “I have to be honest with you. After going a bit overboard for Christmas, I wasn’t sure what to get you for Valentine’s Day. I know you liked all your gifts, but I also know I made you uncomfortable.” Brit’s mouth lifted in one corner in the self-deprecating way Army couldn’t resist. “I didn’t want to make you feel that way today. So, my gift is super underwhelming, but it’s from the heart.”

  Army’s nervousness fled. “Having you sitting across from me right now is all the present I need.”

  “Still,” Brit said with the world’s sweetest smile. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and slid it across the table. Their fingers brushed as Army reached for the paper. That one-time touch went straight to Army’s heart. He unfolded the pages. It was a note. There were tiny hearts drawn in the margins. A smile pulled at the corners of Army’s mouth at the corniness of the gift. It was a love note. Brit couldn’t have given him anything better.

  Army,

  Sometimes it’s hard for me to pull back. I want to buy you all the things. You have no idea how tempted I was to take you house shopping. Jesus, you make me a mess.

  Army glanced up. “I’m so glad you didn’t buy me a house. My pride would never recover.”

  Brit sipped his champagne. The candlelight shimmered off his gorgeous eyes. He looked so damn hot. Army tore his gaze away and focused on the note to keep from dragging Brit to the bedroom.

  The day we met, I knew right away I’d met someone who would change me. There was a ripple in the air. A shift in my chest. Then we kissed. There hasn’t been a thought in my head other than you since that first brush of lips. It took me a few months to realize it was love that consumed me. I’d never been in love before you. You’ll have to forgive me when I’m too much. I don’t know how to half arse anything. If I haven’t told you lately, then Valentine’s Day seems the perfect day to do so—I love you. You’re amazing. There’s no excuse for no one to have set the world at your feet before me, but I’m damned glad everyone you met before me was too stupid to give what you deserve. I can’t imagine going a day without you in my life. There’ll probably come a day when you realize I’m a complete piece of shit, and you’ll rightfully toss me out on my ear. When that day comes, please keep this note somewhere you can revisit it, because I need you to know nothing is as permanent as the way I feel about you. That can’t be faked. This thing between us is the realest reality that’s ever existed. The world could strip everything else away from us, even our names, and the way we feel would still stand. So, refold this note, find a safe place for it, and let’s go to bed.

  —Brit

  Army blinked several times. He’d never had anyone love him the way Brit did—not even his own mother had put him above all else. As he refolded the letter, Army came to his feet. He set the note on the kitchen counter, making a mental note to find a place for it tomorrow. Army’s feet carried him to Brit’s side. His plans for the night took a backseat to his raging emotions. Brit always left him too full.

  He held his hand out to Brit. “Let’s go to bed.”

  Brit blew out the candles before accepting Army’s hand. Army could feel the man’s heat at his back as they headed for the bedroom. Before he reached the door, Brit’s lips brushed the back of his neck. Army sucked in a ragged breath, barely holding himself together. Brit would never understand how much it meant to have someone love him the way Brit did, and all the revelations in the universe didn’t change the fact that one day Brit would have to return to his life. Even Brit’s letter hinted at the lack of permanence between them.

  He stripped Brit’s clothes from his body, trying to focus on the present and what he could have now. No amount of talking himself down or counting his blessing quelled the ache blooming in Army’s chest. He loved a man destined to leave him. Once Brit was gone, Army feared what would be left behind—ghosts, a tattered soul, and nothing else. Sometimes, he wondered if the light Brit had brought into his life was worth the darkness he’d leave when he was gone.

  Two hours into working, Army knew he wouldn’t make it the entire day without seeing Brit. No doubt, Linda was probably getting tired of Army skipping out for lunch, especially since he rarely made it back on time. Thankfully, she didn’t say a word as he clocked out and headed for the door. It took ten minutes for him to get home, and it would take ten more for him to get back. That left Army forty minutes to do as he pleased with Brit. What Army wanted was to leave the man panting. He didn’t realize he was smiling until he felt the expression slip away. A black SUV sat in the driveway, and Brit’s rental was missing. Since the front door stood open, Army assumed Brit was home. The only scenario that made sense was Brit changing rental cars again. He’d done so three times already, since he’d been in town much longer than they’d anticipated. A spark of hope lit Army from the inside out. Maybe Brit had finally bought a car and planned to stay for good. Army knew it was a longshot, but lying to himself about getting to keep Brit was how Army made it through most days. He parked his car on the other side of the SUV and headed inside.

  The screen door slammed behind Army as he came cleared the doorway. “Hey, babe. What happened to your car and why is there a huge SUV out fron—” Army froze at the sight of a blond stranger in his living room.

  The man turned at Army’s appearance. “Hey, sexy. That’s my security detail. They’re here to pick me up.” He held up a slip of paper. “Twenty-five thousand, as promised.” He set the check on the bar.

  Army stared hard at the carbon copy of Brit standing in his living room. They were exact clones, except this man was maybe an inch or two taller and his hair was lighter. “Who the fuck are you?”

  The man blinked, as if confused by Army’s question. “Tanner.”

  His voice was too deep. Army shook his head. “You don’t sleep next to someone every night and wake up beside them every day without recognizing them. So, I ask again. Who the fuck are you?”

  The blond rolled his eyes and repeated his earlier answer. “Tanner.”

  Realization dawned on Army—like he’d been living in a cave and stepped into the light. This was Tanner—the actor, the star… the drugged-out ninja. “So who’s been living with me?”

  One corner of Tanner’s mouth lifted in a smirk. Army had never wanted to put his hands on someone in anger like he did this man who mocked his confusion. “My cousin, and doppelganger, Brit. Really, we do look amazingly
alike, do we not? Of course, some of that is due to colored contacts and other artificial means, but still.”

  Army couldn’t respond. They didn’t look as much alike as they should, considering they’d fooled him at the convention. The door flew open behind Army, startling him, and saving him from finding words other than all the cursing rising in his throat.

  “What the fuck are you doing here—” Brit froze. His gaze moved from Tanner to Army and back again before finally landing on Army. “Army, hey. You’re home early. I didn’t see your car in the driveway.”

  Without acknowledging Brit’s greeting, Army moved to the couch and sat. His legs didn’t want to hold him any longer. “I parked next to Tanner’s SUV,” he said, barely hearing the words, even though he was almost certain he’d said them. His gaze moved between them. Side by side, they looked more alike than Army wanted to admit. Tanner was taller—more polished. His hair was lighter and styled to perfection. Even the man’s teeth gleamed like a million bucks. Brit was younger. While standing next to each other, the age difference was more than apparent. But people only saw Tanner on TV, where he was caked in makeup and looked younger than in reality, playing a vampire trapped forever in an eighteen-year-old body. Army fought the urge to put his head between his knees and suck air. He’d never questioned Brit’s age, because he’d believed he was Tanner. Tanner’s age was a computer click away. He was twenty-six—like Army. The man had been born in Lanchester Village in England. Everything about Tanner was a click away, except the fact that his cousin obviously spent his days pretending to be the famous actor. Fuck.

  “How old are you?” Fuck all. He had no idea why that was the first question to breach his lips, but he had to start somewhere.

  To Brit’s credit, he held Army’s stare without looking away. Too bad the man hadn’t been braver before now—when it mattered. Before the lies piled up. “Nineteen.”

  Army’s eyes fell closed. Goddamn. The guy wasn’t even old enough to drink.

  “I’ll wait in the car,” Tanner said, obviously intent on leaving with Brit.

  Army had words for him too, but not as many as he had for the betrayer standing across from him. Silence filled the house until Tanner left them alone. The ticking of the clock was the only sound cutting through the tomb-like quiet.

  Brit broke first. “Say something.”

  To Army’s horror, his throat swelled. He swallowed past the pain. “You’d better get your things. Tanner is obviously waiting to take you away. Job fulfilled, or whatever I was.”

  “Army, I—”

  “Grab Tanner’s check on your way out,” Army said, cutting him off. He couldn’t listen to any more lies. “You already paid off my car.” The pain was real and choking.

  Brit crossed the room and came to stand over Army, forcing Army to tilt his head back to hold the man’s stare. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

  Army shook his head, fighting the tears that wanted to consume him. “There’s nothing to say. You asked for a place to stay. I’m guessing whatever the real reason was for you hiding out is over.”

  Brit squatted between Army’s knees. “Goddamn it, Army. There’s a lot to say. Yell at me. Anything.”

  “I don’t even know you.” Army choked on the words. Everything he’d thought was real was a lie. “Why would I yell at a stranger?”

  “I’ll send you a resume,” Brit said. He squeezed and rubbed Army’s thighs, as if trying to soothe him.

  “Why? Do you impersonate librarians too?”

  Brit’s chest expanded as he sucked in a deep breath. “It was a joke. I do that when I’m nervous.”

  “It seems everything is a joke to you, including me,” Army said, uncaring how spiteful the blow had been.

  “Fuck, Army. You know that’s not true.”

  “The thing is, I don’t,” Army said, finding his words. “When I walked away from you…” He took a breath, and started over. “When I walked away from Tanner, I never thought I’d give you another shot. I never wanted another addict—like my mother—in my life. But then, you showed up at my door and proved you were different. I thought maybe I’d been wrong. Made a mistake. I thought you’d had an off day, and… fuck you,” Army said, sounding tired to even his ears. “If you knew me at all, then you’d know whatever this is you’re doing, I probably would’ve accepted it, if you’d just been honest with me.”

  Brit’s lips were pressed together in a tight line. He gave Army a sharp nod. “I have a non-disclosure contract with Tanner,” he said, as if coming to a decision. “Even if I didn’t, I’m still not sure I would’ve told you.” Brit pushed to his feet. He stared down at Army. “I loved the way you looked at me the first time we met, but you thought you were meeting him. Just like everyone else.” A sad smile touched his lips before disappearing again. “If you’d met Brit Murray instead, I don’t believe for a second you would’ve looked at me the same. I should go,” he said, heading for the bedroom.

  Army watched him go. He wanted to chase the man down—force him to explain. Instead, he stayed put. Army’s gaze followed Brit’s every move as he gathered his things. When Brit had everything in hand and stood at the door, he glanced Army’s way one final time. The air seemed to hold its breath as they stared at each other.

  “I’ll send someone to pick up my rental. Cash that check,” Brit said, delivering a final blow. “You earned it.” Without another word, he left Army staring after him, bleeding on the inside.

  Reggie, Tanner’s largest security guy, jumped from the car at Brit’s approach. He relieved Brit of his bags. Brit slipped inside the vehicle before he changed his mind. A huge part of him still wanted to rush back inside the house. He needed to beg Army to understand and forgive him. Army’s expression had said it all. He’d never forgive Brit. Too many lies stood between them. Brit wished there was a way he could make Army understand. Things between them had grown right alongside his lies. There’d never been any malice in Brit’s heart. He hadn’t set out to hurt Army. Brit had fallen in love with Army so easily. He’d forgotten all his deals with Tanner just as easily. It was like they’d been inside their own tiny world. Everything he’d been and done before Army no longer existed. Now, it did again. His two realities had collided with the appearance of Tanner. Brit had no one to blame but himself.

  “Judging by your friend’s reaction, he wasn’t thrilled to learn you aren’t me.” Tanner wasn’t a mean-spirited person, but he didn’t think before he spoke. This was no different.

  “That was our deal,” Brit reminded him, barely hanging on to his shit. “No one knows I’m not you.”

  Tanner didn’t respond right away. Brit met his cousin’s gaze. The way Tanner eyed him, as if searching for some tidbit of information, set Brit’s teeth on edge. He kept his cousin’s reputation intact. Brit didn’t owe the man anything else. If Tanner wasn’t such a fuck-up, Brit might feel differently, but Tanner didn’t make it easy to keep his name clean.

  “I’ve never seen you with a man before this one.”

  Brit ground his back teeth. “What of it? It’s not like you’ve spent a lot of time with me in the past few years.”

  Tanner shook his head. “I know we have a deal, but I’d never expect you to lie to someone you love and know you can trust. This was never meant to be a permanent arrangement.”

  Despite his best efforts, Brit’s temper snapped. “No shit, Tanner. It was supposed to be very temporary. You were supposed to get your shit together. I didn’t agree to this for the money, and I sure as fuck didn’t agree to do this for the rest of my bloody life. You were supposed to get clean. I never wanted—” Brit bit off his words before he gave away more of himself than he already had for Tanner’s issues. No one understood what it was like. He loved Tanner. They were cousins, but closer than brothers. Growing up, Tanner had been his best friend. Now he was an addict and nothing else. The shit the man put in his body had stolen the person he’d been, replacing him with an addict no one could love. No one und
erstood, but Army. Brit’s eyes fell closed at the thought. Army had already survived life with an addict. Then Brit had shown up and dragged another one into his life.

  “Jesus, you really do love this guy. I never expected, I mean, you’ve always been…”

  Brit met his gaze. “Straight,” he supplied.

  Tanner nodded. “Yeah, when I told you’d have to invite a few guys back to your room occasionally, since it’s what I would do, I never thought this would happen.”

  Brit blew out a breath. “Honestly, I never thought it would happen either. I mean, I’ve always known I’m on the sexuality spectrum, but I’ve always been sort of apathetic about sex itself.” He scrubbed his hands through his hair. Heat rushed to his cheeks. “Fuck.” He couldn’t believe the confessions racing to his lips. He thought the world of his cousin, but he wasn’t one to talk about his personal life.

  A bright smile stretched Tanner’s lips. “You just hadn’t met the right person.”

  “Obviously,” Brit grumbled. The memory of the day he’d met Army slammed into him. Butterflies stirred in his stomach just as they did that day. All embarrassment fled. “He’s the one and I just fucked up any chance of ever being with him again.”

  “Never underestimate my ability to weasel my way into someone’s good graces,” Tanner said with a laugh. “I’ll fix this.”

  Brit nodded, even though he didn’t put much faith in Tanner. After all, the man he’d grown up with had disappeared inside a pill bottle long ago, leaving Brit alone. He changed the topic. “How was rehab?”

  Tanner shrugged. “It was rehab. Don’t worry. It’ll stick this time.”

  Army’s words came back to haunt him. That’s exactly what my mom said every time right before I ended up in a new foster home. “Yeah, of course. You got this,” Brit agreed, even though he knew better. Army might have been horrified over Brit’s true age, but Brit felt he had no reason to be. Tanner had made him an old man a long time ago. Loyalty was a hell of thing. Sometimes, Brit wondered if he’d ever stop bashing himself against the rocks in hopes of saving Tanner. He was tired of being Tanner’s face at conventions, because the man was too far gone to handle things himself. Brit was fucking exhausted with smiling and losing—like the way he’d lost Army. “Maybe this is a good time for you to reclaim your place at conventions. You’ve been gone a few months. It would be easy for you to slip back into the role without anyone noticing.”