From, Shower You With Love
Chapter
One
Chris
hummed the catchy melody of a song he’d heard in the store where minutes ago he’d
bought some groceries on his way home from work. He’d chosen his boyfriend’s
favorite wine to drink with dinner in an effort to apologize for being late
again. His meeting dragged on way past the expected time of conclusion, despite
his efforts to curtail it. Surprised there were no lights on in the little
brownstone he shared with his lover, Chris fished in his overcoat pocket for
his house key. He juggled the paper sack of pasta, tomatoes, and wine as he
fumbled the key in the lock. The half-stick of French bread somehow leaped from
the bag and landed at his feet.
Chris
succeeded in opening the door and flipped on the hall lights in a move that had
his key falling to the tiled floor. He called out. “Andrew? Hey, are you home?”
He strode to the kitchen and placed the paper sack on the table, then went back
to pick up his house key and the bread stick. There’d been no answer from
Andrew and he closed the front door. An unfamiliar emotion gripped him and his
heartbeat sped up. Is Andrew sick? Chris
took the stairs two at a time to the bedroom they shared. “Andrew?” He knew in
his heart his lover wasn’t there. He switched on the pendant instead of the
bedside lamp wanting to flood light on what was happening.
A note lay
on the bed.
Sorry Chris. You must know we’re
over. I’ve changed my phone number to avoid any uncomfortable conversations.
Andrew
Chris read
the note twice before he checked the closet. Andrew’s clothes and shoes were
gone. Chris clicked off the light and, note in hand, went down to the kitchen.
Andrew had never brought many belongings into the place other than clothes,
shoes, and a handful of DVDs, but he had bought them both a coffee mug that
proclaimed their love. Chris saw them, rinsed and upside down on the sink
drainer. The sight brought tears to his eyes. Chris went to the fridge and took
out a beer. He slumped on a kitchen chair, still wearing his overcoat, and
heaved a sigh.
He turned
over every loving moment they’d shared over the last six months until his head
hurt. He looked among his memories for signs he could have missed that Andrew
was so unhappy he’d just leave. He found nothing. I wish I’d paid more attention, but I thought I’d shown my affection,
care… After an hour staring into space, he finally drank some of the beer,
placed the bottle on the table, stood, and went to the hall, where he hung his
overcoat on the hallstand.
Chris
wandered back to the kitchen and made a cold chicken sandwich, only half of
which he ate. He gazed around. The place felt very empty. There was work he
could do, but he’d left important notes at his office, meaning to give Andrew
his full attention that night. He went into the living room and put the TV on.
Nothing captured his attention as he flipped through the channels hoping to fill
the hollow that ached in his chest.
Sleep
evaded him that night and he dragged into work the next morning feeling wrung
out. He met his best and oldest friend, Phil, that night for a meal and ended
up staying with him for the remainder of the week in the penthouse Phil rented
with his girlfriend in the city. Phil and Kathy let him drone on about Andrew
until something startling happened. Chris discovered he’d not been in love.
True, he’d enjoyed being with Andrew, cared for him, but although he’d not
expected Andrew to suddenly up and leave, he’d not expected them to last
forever. In fact, he’d not given any thought to their future. He asked Phil as
guilt flooded him, “Is that awful—am I a horrible person?”
Phil had
glanced at Kathy, taken her hand as she sat beside him on the couch, and slowly
shook his head. “If something is going to be forever, you know. It’s there
practically right away.”
Two weeks
later, Chris moved out of the brownstone into an apartment closer to his
office. He’d always worked hard, now he worked harder.
Copyright
E. D. Parr, Evernight Publishing, 2020
Chris
Everhart attends his best friend’s weeklong wedding festivities. He meets
handsome, enigmatic, Owen, and in a haze of attraction ignores the strangeness
surrounding Owen. Convinced he’s falling in love, Chris spends every moment he
can with Owen, until on the final day of his best friend’s celebrations he
discovers a heartbreaking and shocking truth. He and Owen can never be
together.
Traumatized,
lonely, Chris can’t settle into another relationship, and then, after two years
of wishing he could feel the way he felt for Owen with another man, fate
intervenes. He meets gorgeous, gentle Matthew.
Spooked,
Chris is about to run from Matthew who reminds him so much of Owen, but Matthew
asks Chris to dance with him.
In
Matthew’s arms, Chris can’t ignore the feeling of belonging that rushes over
him.
Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/997913
Siren
Bookstrand https://www.bookstrand.com/book/shower-you-with-love-mm
