There was a collective gasp around the table from everyone except Chase, who was grinning from ear to ear. “And I kept it a secret!” He looked around, seemingly very pleased with himself.
“Chase, hush.” Jean waved a hand in his direction. “Let your brother finish telling us about this man. Who is he? Where is he from? When can we meet him?”
Benji blinked. “Not even an oh my God, you’re bisexual? Just straight into the game of twenty questions?”
Jean Carhart rolled her eyes and made an expression that every single one of her boys had inherited. “Really, Benjamin? Look around the table. I would’ve been more surprised if you’d brought a woman home. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, either. But I know my boys. I’m just glad you’ve finally met someone. Now, tell me some details.”
Benji laughed, the sound echoing in the otherwise completely quiet room. At least he’d figured out a way to get everyone else to shut up, for once. He’d have to remember that for future reference, although the coming out thing probably lost a little bit of punch after the initial time.
“His name is Reign, and he lives in Dallas. He owns the bar there where Chase played last month.”
“I wondered why you were jetting off to play in a bar,” Jean said. “And you said it was just for charity.”
“It was for charity,” Chase and Benji said at the same time.
“But also for me,” Benji added. “And it helped Reign’s business out, too, I’m sure. But anyway, none of that really matters, because I’m not going to see him again.”
There was another collective gasp around the table, but this time it included Chase.
“What? Why? Did you two have a falling out?” Now Jean looked worried for a completely different reason. “You don’t need to worry about that, Benji. Every relationship hits those little bumps in the road. You just get through it.”
“No, it’s not like that,” Benji said. “We decided we couldn’t really make it work with him in Dallas and me in Nashville. It’s just… not possible.”
“Not possible?” Riley shook his head. “It’s possible. It sounds like you’re just making excuses. I get why he wouldn’t want to leave his business behind, but… what’s keeping you in Nashville?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Chase, who suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights.
Benji spoke up before anyone could make it awkward for Chase. No need for both of them to feel the heat. “I’ve got obligations and responsibilities, believe it or not. Chase and I are a team. I can’t just pick up and leave.”
“Yes, you can.” Chase’s voice was quiet but unmistakably firm. “In fact, I insist that you do.”
“What?” Benji blinked. “No, I really can’t. It doesn’t work that way, bro.”
“Don’t make me fire you, Benji.” Chase sounded serious, but the corners of his lips twitched and gave him away. “You know I don’t want to do that. But we can figure something out. You don’t have to be in Nashville.”
“But it’s what we’ve always done.” Benji was completely thrown off guard. The tables had been turned, and he was the one who was in shock.
“Then we’ll just do something else. My schedule has slowed down since I got married, so you might even have time to take some other up-and-coming singer under your wing. I’m sure there’s lots of people in Dallas who would give anything to be represented by someone with your knowledge and contacts.”
“Holy crap,” Benji said, doing his very best to remember not to swear at the table in front of his mother. “You’re really serious?”
Chase nodded. “I don’t want to be the thing that holds you back from being with the person you love.”
“Yeah, bro,” Riley joined in. “Go get your man!”
Benji really couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m just… shocked, honestly. By all of this. All of you.”
“We just want you to be happy,” Riley said.
“That’s right,” Jean clasped her hands together, beaming at Benji. “And now, you need to finish that cake in a hurry.”
“Why in a hurry?” Benji furrowed his brow.
“Because when we’re done here, your father and I are going to drive you to Savannah.”
“Savannah?” No matter how hard Benji tried to keep up with the conversation, it seemed to be turning more and more bizarre.
“Yes, and we’re going to put you on a plane to Dallas when we get there. Tonight. And don’t even think about telling me no.”
Benji’s eyes widened, and then he laughed, louder and harder, until it had spread around the table.
For the first time in weeks, he was happy. He was smiling. Laughing, for God’s sake. Because for the first time in a long time, Benji had a feeling that everything was actually going to be okay.
It had to be. He had the Carharts on his team.
28
Reign
Reign looked up from the computer at his desk as Jenny opened the office door and poked her head in.
“Please, please tell me you’ve done last call already,” he said.
It had been a busy night, but the kind where everything seemed to go wrong at once. One of the beer taps had stopped working halfway through the night, but as if that wasn’t bad enough, it had gone out in a blaze of glory, spraying everyone nearby with beer.
Reign had thrown himself in front of it, and luckily he’d only had to buy a couple of rounds of drinks for the affected customers who’d been unlucky enough to be sitting within a few feet of the craziness, but that had just started a chain reaction of bad luck that had seemed like it might never end.
Finally, when the night was nearly over, he’d simply gone to the office and locked himself in, hoping that he could just wait out the clock without doing any more damage.
“I did,” she said, giving him a sympathetic look. “About ten minutes ago. But we got a last-minute customer who is asking for you.”
Reign rolled his eyes. That was literally the last thing he’d wanted to hear.
“Tell him I’m not here. Or that I’m busy. Or dead. Whatever,” he waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t care what you tell him, but I’m not going out there again until it’s time to lock up.”
He turned to look back at the computer, but could still feel her standing there after a few seconds had passed. Reign didn’t want to get annoyed with Jenny, but his patience was already dangerously thin. And he reeked of beer. Whoever wanted to see him would probably change their mind the minute he got anywhere close.
“You’re still here…”
She nodded. “He was pretty insistent that he talked to you. I… think you’re gonna want to at least say hi.”
Reign sighed. “Seriously? He’d better be a regular that spends a boatload of money.”
Jenny grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. “Yep, he’s the best. You’ll see. Just hurry up.”
He was still muttering under his breath when they turned the corner. Reign scanned the bar, trying to let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting as he looked for this guy who was so damn special.
When he saw him, Reign stopped dead in his tracks. “Holy shit,” his hand flew to his mouth as the man’s face broke into a wide, bright smile and his laughter rang out across the bar. “Benji? What are you—”
Whatever he’d been about to say didn’t matter. Benji had crossed the distance between them, or maybe Reign had, or maybe the earth had shifted. All that mattered, all that Reign knew was that he was in Benji’s arms.
And when Benji’s lips found his? Reign didn’t even think twice. Didn’t stop to care that it wasn’t supposed to be happening, or what they’d agreed upon. Benji was kissing him, and Reign was kissing him back.
His whole world narrowed to those lips, that smile, that face, that body. Benji.
Only after the initial shock and frenzy wore off did he stop to breathe, to think, to back up and really try to wrap his head around the fact that Benji was actually standing there in front of h
im.
Reign kept a hand on his massive chest, just to make sure it was all really happening.
“I hope I didn’t come too late,” Benji said, finally, grinning.
“Oh my God, shut up. I can’t believe you’re actually here. What are you doing here? I didn’t even know you were thinking of coming to visit.”
“I wasn’t thinking about visiting.”
Reign’s brow furrowed at the statement. When Benji only smiled wider and didn’t offer anything else, Reign cocked his head to the side.
“O-kay. You’re… not visiting? I know it’s been a crazy night, but I’m almost certain you’re actually here right now. Oh my God, if this is some sort of hallucination, I don’t ever want to wake up. Just double my dosage of whatever it is.”
Benji laughed, and in the background, Reign could hear other people laughing, too. Oh, right. People. Employees. Customers. Whatever. He really couldn’t be bothered with anything or anyone that wasn’t Benji at that moment.
“I wasn’t thinking about visiting,” Benji repeated, “because I was thinking about staying.”
“What?”
“Here. In Dallas. With you.”
Reign blinked. “What? In Dallas? With me?”
Even though he’d just repeated what Benji had said, he couldn’t quite believe the words he was hearing and saying.
“I’m gonna need you to um, be a little more specific,” Reign said. “I need you to break it down for me. Slowly.”
Benji took Reign’s hands in his and planted a kiss on his forehead. “Okay. I can do that. Reign, I love you. I’ve loved you from the minute we met, but I’ve been too stupid to admit it. I hope someday you’ll forgive me for waiting this long to say it, but I didn’t know how to make it work until now.”
Reign swallowed hard and blinked harder, trying to hold back the tears that were welling up. But fuck it. Those tears weren’t stopping. It was a lost cause. “And now? You know how to make it work?”
It was really the only thing that had kept them apart, and Reign knew it. They both had separate lives and separate careers, with a thousand miles between them. If Benji had figured out the secret to finally being together, there was nobody who would be more excited than Reign.
“Well, I’m still a little fuzzy on a few of the details,” Benji admitted. “But I know that I can make things work here in Dallas, as long as you’re with me. And together, we can figure out the rest. I’m certain of that.”
“You’re… certain?”
“Absolutely. And if you’ll have me, I want to be with you, Reign. I want your face to be the first thing I see when I wake up and to kiss your lips before I fall asleep at night. I want to live together and laugh together and, God-willing, grow old together. Whether it’s here in Dallas or anywhere else in the world doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I’m with you. But it all comes down to you. It only works if you want those things, too. So… do you?”
Reign didn’t even hesitate for a second. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes of course, are you kidding? You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of and the only man I’ve ever wanted like this. You’re the only person I can picture forever with, Benji. I want it. I want you. Us. Together.”
Anything else he’d been about to say was nearly crushed out of him by Benji’s embrace. Reign didn’t mind at all, though. And when Benji kissed him again, long and slow and deep, Reign knew that they were both right where they belonged. And wherever they were going, it would be together.
Forever.
About the Author
Parker Elliot is a recent college graduate trying to find his way. A shy guy, he spends most of his time in his tiny apartment with his cat Gemma and a Kindle full of MM romance novels.
Other than reading and attempting to write, Parker enjoys hiking, baking and dreaming of vacationing somewhere sunny with his very own Prince Charming. One day…
* * *
Join my Mailing List for updates on my latest releases:
http://eepurl.com/coub7n
* * *
Find me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ParkerElliotAuthor/
Afterword
Thank you for reading Where I’m Going.
* * *
If you enjoyed it please consider leaving me a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Where I'm Going Page 16