A Healing Story (Stories Book 3) Read online

  Neil.

  “You going to be okay for a few hours?” Rhys asks.

  “Yeah, unless we suddenly get an influx of walk-ins I’ll be fine.”

  “All right, I’ll see you tomorrow then. I’m leaving Oscar here, Noah will bring him home with him. Come on, Riv.”

  I look up from my computer long enough to wave at River. She lifts her head enough to give me a small smile. It’s more than I would have gotten from her a year ago. A good portion of her progress can be credited to Doctor Linda Presley, one of the country’s leading child psychologists. She specializes in children who have been through some kind of trauma.

  That’s where Rhys and River are headed to today. Which is another point of progression, this time for River’s older brother, Noah. Before he wouldn’t have trusted anyone else with his sister’s care, especially when it comes to her mental health, but over the past year, he’s come to understand that we’re a family here at Snapshot. It also doesn’t hurt that Noah and Rhys are together.

  Alone in the studio now that Rhys and River are gone, and Jamie and Noah are still on location at a shoot, I turn on some music and start to go over the rest of the week’s schedule.

  Though I have the same degree in photography as the other three men, I am employed as Rhys’s assistant. I do the majority of the scheduling for all the photographers, and a lot of the other front of office duties. I also take care of the studio space and sometimes I’ll go to a shoot with them, to help with equipment if needed.

  I love my job. It might not be enough for some, but I get to work in the field that I'm passionate about and that’s the important thing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy being behind the camera, just not as much as the other guys. I prefer taking photos just for myself as opposed to doing them for other people.

  I’m sitting at the front desk, replying to an email from Bas about making an appointment with Rhys to do accounting things for the studio. I don’t even pretend to understand what they mean. It’s why I pay them to take care of my personal finances.

  The front door opens and I plaster my best ‘Customer Service’ smile on and stand. The man walking in takes my breath away. Not because he’s very handsome, but because it was barely three days ago that he had my dick in his mouth.

  “Can I help you?” I’m proud of the fact that my tone doesn’t change.

  He stops halfway between my desk and the door and stares, bright blue eyes wide. I raise an eyebrow and wait him out.

  He shifts uncomfortably on his feet and breaks eye contact.

  “Is Jameson here?”

  It takes a minute for me to remember that Jamie’s full name is Jameson. No one in his daily life calls him that except on occasion Rhys.

  “He’s at a shoot. I can take a message.”

  He sighs and runs a hand through his blond hair. “Can you ask him to call me, please? I need to talk to him.”

  “Okay,” I say the word slowly. “Do I get a name?”

  “Matthias.”

  I suck in a breath. “You’re Jamie’s brother.”

  “I am,” he nods. “So if you don’t mind, please tell my brother to call me. It’s important.”

  He walks out before I can say anything. Not that my brain is fully functional at the moment.

  I know all about Jamie’s homophobic brother. I’ve never had the displeasure of meeting him. The few times he showed up here at the studio I was out, but I was warned when I started working for Rhys that he was a jerk and to let Rhys and Jamie handle it.

  That guy didn’t match up with the one who sucked my dick in a public bathroom. I knew he was a closet case, he has that aura about him, but the stories Jamie and Alex have shared about growing up with him...that doesn’t make sense.

  Sure, a good portion of bigoted assholes are queer themselves and hate it; so they spew their vile words and pray no one looks close enough at them to see the truth. I just don’t see a link between that and my bathroom blowjob.

  I don’t know. Everything is one confusing blob in my brain now. Eventually, I push all thoughts to the back of my mind and focus on getting some work done.

  When Jamie and Noah return I help them unload their gear and get it put away.

  “Everything okay here?” Jamie asks.

  “Yeah. Though your brother stopped by. He wants you to call him, said it was important.”

  Jamie snorts. “Sure it is. Probably wants one more shot at controlling me. Especially since I get access to the trust they set up next year.” He grabs the broom from the closet and begins sweeping the front of the studio. “Sorry you had to deal with him.”

  I shrug. “It was no big deal. He just asked for you then walked out when I said you weren’t here.”

  “Still. I know him. I’m sure he had that haughty sneer on his face when he was denied what he wanted.”

  That wasn’t how he looked at all. I don’t know the man, but he almost looked disappointed. Not that I tell Jamie that. Like he said, he knows his brother.

  Though how well does he really know him? I doubt that the guy who tormented and outed Jamie when they were younger is the same one who took my dick like a pro a few nights ago. We don’t say anything more as we shut the studio down.

  “See you guys tomorrow,” Jamie says as he heads for his jeep. “Say hi to Maribelle and Bas for me.”

  “I will,” I reply, then I wave to Noah as he gets Oscar strapped into his carseat and I get into my car.

  My siblings and I try to spend time with each other once a week or more. It’s easy with Bas. They would take any excuse to drink and gossip. Maribelle is a different story altogether.

  She takes the whole weird, reclusive artist thing way too seriously. I’m proud of her for doing what she wants, it takes guts to make a career out of something you love, something you’re not a hundred percent sure will make you money.

  Her gallery does well for itself, the shows she hosts are always successful, it doesn’t matter if they feature already established artists or up and coming.

  Her apartment isn’t that far from Snapshot, so after taking a quick detour to the store for beer I’m only a few minutes late.

  The first thing I hear when I walk into the apartment is, “I will cut your balls off and wear them as earrings!”

  I roll my eyes and bypass the small living room for the kitchen. Bas retaliates with, “don’t be jealous that mine are bigger than yours.”

  My siblings are so mature.

  “Did either one of you remember to order the food in between your bickering?” I call out as I grab a bottle of beer out of the carton and set the rest in the fridge.

  “It’ll be here soon,” Maribelle says, “you’re paying.”

  I sigh but don’t argue.

  Walking into the living room, I take a seat on the small sofa next to Bas. “Did you go to work today?” I ask them.

  “Nope.” They reply, “I didn’t feel like listening to more bullshit, so the boss and I thought it’d be a good thing to work from home.”

  I was just curious because they’re wearing pink and black pajama pants with hearts on them and a matching shirt. I know they wouldn’t have had time to go home and change after work, so I wanted to know if they brought clothes with them or that’s how they dressed for the day.

  “That asshole is still giving you problems?”

  They shrug, “he stopped for a while after the sensitivity training, but yesterday was not a good day.”

  “You should quit. Or make that brainless boss of yours fire him. Something,” Maribelle says, whatever ridiculousness they were arguing about now forgotten.

  Bas shrugs again, “I can handle myself. And it’s not Pieter’s fault. He’s doing what he can to defuse the situation.”

  “It’s such bullshit.” Our sister says. “You shouldn’t have to work from home because you don’t feel comfortable in the workplace. You were there first. If I were you I would give Pieter an ultimatum, either he goes or you go.”

  “I like my job
.”

  “And they like the money you bring in. It’s simple math really.”

  Bas snorts, “math is my job. One I’m very good at and that makes me a lot of money. I’m not leaving my job because of some homophobic dick who probably doesn’t even know what the prostate is. Thank you for being concerned, but I’ll be fine.”

  Before Maribelle can say anything else there’s a knock at the door. Maribelle jumps up, her long skirt twirling around her legs.

  I pull out my wallet and hand her a few twenties.

  When we’re settled in with our food Bas says, “so, how’d it go with your closet case the other night?”

  I shoot them a dark look and they grin. “What closet case?” our sister asks.

  “Some blond cutie from the bar. Neil here tried to pick him up Saturday night.”

  “You picked up a closet case?”

  I groan and throw my napkin down on the coffee table. “If you must know, he just blew me. Bas and I have seen him around and it’s easy to tell that he is not okay with where he falls on the rainbow. But he gives good head, so,” I shrug.

  “I am surprised.” Bas says, “after you struck out when you tried to hit on him I thought that was it.”

  I shrug again, “you know how it is with those types. Denial even when they’re following you to the bathroom.”

  Bas hums and I resist the urge to look over at them. I don’t know how they do it, but they always know when there’s more to what I’m saying. But I don’t want to get into it tonight, or ever, so I ignore them.

  Whatever Matthias Harthron is, it’s not my business to tell or analyze.

  Neil.

  “Lunch?” Rhys asks. “Jamie’s buying.”

  “Sure, where from?”

  “Bob’s, you want your usual?”

  “Please.”

  He nods, “okay, I’ll be back soon.”

  After he leaves I go back to checking the appointments on the schedule, making sure what’s on the computer matches up with what I have written down. Rhys makes fun of me, but being as diligent as I am has saved our asses more than once.

  I’m on the phone with a prospective client when Alex walks in. Jamie’s husband is tall, blond, and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.

  Instead of heading to the back of the studio where the sets are, along with Rhys and Jamie’s office, Alex goes to the little waiting area where River sits doing schoolwork on her laptop.

  When River lifts her head and sees Alex her whole face lights up in a way it doesn’t with most people.

  “Perfect, I’ll email you a confirmation before the end of the day. Thank you.” I say into the phone as I pencil in the date of the consultation.

  When I’m off the phone, Alex leaves River on the sofa and comes over to lean against my desk.

  “James said that his brother came by yesterday?” He says, voice low.

  “Yeah.”

  “How’d he seem?”

  I shrug, “normal to me. But I don’t really know much to judge him by. Just what y’all have told me. I don’t know… it could be just me, but he didn’t seem like he was here to pick a fight.”

  Alex lets out a breath. “Jamie will kill me for saying this, but I agree. I should be one of the last people willing to give that asshole a chance, but it’s been a year. Why now, you know? Anyway, I just wanted to see if you noticed anything, I know what James is like when he makes his mind up about something or someone. It’ll take something big for him to change his mind about his brother.”

  “I get it.”

  Alex gives me a soft smile, “I know. That’s another reason why I’m asking. Out of all of us, you would know.”

  Alex is the only one of us who has a normal family. Whatever the hell normal is. While it’s not a competition on who has the most fucked-up family, I think that Jamie and I are pretty even on that front. So yeah, I know better than most what it’s like to not have the support of the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally.

  But I also know what it’s like to make your own family and have those people stand by your side no matter what.

  My siblings and the family I’ve found here amongst my co-workers are more than I ever asked for. That thought has me wondering, who does Matthias have?

  The Matthias from the bathroom only partly lines up with the man I’ve been warned about. It’s obvious that Jamie and the others only know half the story. But Alex is trying at least, he wouldn’t ask if he wasn’t looking for a way to reach out. I know how fiercely they protect one another. He wants to know what I see, to determine if he should give Matthias a chance; if he’s safe to be around his husband.

  “Even assholes can grow a conscience,” I tell Alex. “I only know what y’all have said and what little I’ve seen; but the man that came in here yesterday looked discouraged when Jamie wasn’t here.”

  Alex nods, “thank you. That’s helpful. I know you won’t because unlike some people you’re not a gossip, but I still have to ask that you don’t tell James or Rhys that I’m asking about this. Let me know the next time he stops in or calls.”

  “I will.”

  Rhys comes back with the food and we break apart, heading for the seating area to eat.

  The whole time my mind is spinning. I don’t know why I’m stuck on this guy. One bathroom blow job and brief interaction at my place of employment means nothing. Nothing but an orgasm and a shock.

  But there was something in his eyes that night and again yesterday. Pain and something unidentifiable that I wanted to drag out of him so it couldn’t hurt him anymore. Which is the stupidest fucking thing ever considering I do not do closet cases. At all. That’s how you get your heart smashed.

  Matthias.

  After a long week, I’m back at the bar. I must be a glutton for punishment because no matter how many times I tell myself I need to stop, I can’t force myself to do so.

  I sit on a stool at the bar, but instead of turning around like normal, I stay facing it. The last thing I need is to see what’s going on around me. I would like to think I’m strong enough to resist the temptation, but I know better. I’m just delaying the inevitable, but at least I’m pretending to try.

  I finish my first drink and order another when I really shouldn’t. I should leave, I have alcohol at home or I could go to a different bar if I want the illusion of not drinking alone.

  Taking a few deep breaths, I try not to let my wayward emotions get the better of me. The last thing I need is someone asking me questions. New drink in hand, I vow to leave after it’s gone.

  “Fancy seeing you here.”

  So lost in my own tumbling thoughts I didn’t even realize that someone took a seat next to me. Turning to him, I come face to face with the man from the bathroom last week, the receptionist from my brother’s studio.

  I move to shove away from the bar when his warm hand clamps down on my arm. “It’s okay. I won’t tell.”

  My eyes meet his and I can read the sincerity in them. I shouldn’t trust him, but I want to.

  “What’s your name?” I ask, “I’m sure you know mine, it’s only fair.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” A grin crosses his lips, “I’m Neil.”

  Neil. I roll the name around in my head, curious to know how it’ll feel on my tongue. Such a plain name for someone who is anything but.

  “I didn’t expect you to be here,” Neil says.

  “Why’s that?”

  He shrugs, “I thought you would want to avoid another run in.”

  That’s what I should have wanted. What I told myself I wanted when I was trying to convince myself to leave, but it was a lie. I’m fairly good at lying to myself.

  “I don’t do repeats,” I tell him, “so it didn’t matter if I saw you again or not.”

  “You and I both know that’s not what I meant.”

  My stomach twists and the one and a half drinks I’ve had threaten to come back up. My palms sweat and it’s through sheer willpower that I’m able
to take steady breaths.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pride myself on the fact that my voice only wobbles a little.

  Neil shrugs, “I’m not here to make you talk about things you don’t want to.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “Because if nothing else you could use a friend. No,” he holds up a hand to cut off my protest. “Think about it. Having someone on your side is more fulfilling than sucking guys off in bathrooms, even if they are fun once in a while.”

  “Why?” I ask again, hating that my voice breaks.

  “Because I get it. This offer has an expiration date, I don’t have time to be jerked around by someone like you. But I want to help as well.” He shrugs again, “this could come back to bite me in the ass, but I know how this works, whatever happens will be between us no matter what.

  “I don’t do this lightly, Matthias. But like I said, having someone in your corner is beneficial.”

  With that, he walks away. I don’t watch him leave, instead, I pick up the scrap of paper he left on the bar and stare down at it.

  My whole body trembles because of this strange offer made by a virtual stranger who has the power to make everything come crumbling down around me.

  Neil.

  “That was risky,” Bas says once we’re both safely locked in their car.

  “I know, but I had to try.”

  “Why? You could have been punched in the face, or worse. All for some closet case you have no connection with.”

  “I…” I have no idea what I’m doing.

  Going up to Matthias tonight wasn’t planned. But I saw the war in his eyes. More than that I saw the defeat in his body language before I even decided to go up to him. I might be wary of getting burned by him, that doesn’t mean I don’t care about where his head’s at.

  I might not have the same history as Bas, Jamie, and Rhys, but I’ve seen my fair share of tragedy in the community. Whatever Matthias is or isn’t, neither he nor Jamie deserve the pain of what’s to come if he’s left alone. It’s the least I could do for them both.