Chapter 128 Unexpected Reunion
Daniel: POV
I couldn't believe my eyes. Alex Hamilton was standing in front of me, his fingers clutching my collar like I'd committed some terrible crime. His face was flushed with anger, eyes wild with something that looked suspiciously like jealousy.
"What the hell is this?" he demanded, jerking his chin toward Jamie, who was practically unconscious against my shoulder. "Who is he?"
For a moment, all I could do was stare. After our blowup at his apartment—after he'd slapped me and made it crystal clear he wanted nothing to do with me—Alex was the last person I expected to see in a gay bar, let alone one as notorious as The Rainbow Room.
I'd spent countless nights since our fight composing texts I never sent. Can we talk? or I miss you or even just I'm sorry.
But every time my thumb hovered over the send button, I'd remember the look of disgust on his face when I kissed him, the decisive way he'd pushed me away, and I'd delete the message.
Now here he was, looking equal parts furious and confused, demanding explanations like he had any right to them.
I fought the urge to pull him into a hug—partly because I was still supporting Jamie with one arm, but mostly because I knew it wouldn't be welcome.
Jamie was a regular at my restaurant, a fellow top who'd become a friend after we discovered our mutual appreciation for fine wine and our similar romantic frustrations.
Tonight, he'd drunk himself into oblivion after the shy, innocent-looking guy he'd been pursuing for weeks had practically run away from him again.
Jamie had confided in me earlier that evening, lamenting how the object of his affection seemed to deliberately maintain as much distance as possible despite their obvious chemistry.
I shifted Jamie's weight and used my free hand to grab the back of Alex's head, pulling him close enough that I could speak without shouting over the music.
"What's this? You claim to be straight, yet here you are in a gay bar," I said, my voice low and dangerous even to my own ears. "Who I'm with is none of your business. Didn't we agree to complete radio silence?"
I watched his face carefully, saw the flicker of uncertainty cross his features before he doubled down on his anger.
"Or are you jealous?" I continued, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "Because you've realized you have feelings for me?"
Even as I said it, I had to laugh at myself. How pathetic. Of course Alex wasn't jealous. Of course he didn't have feelings for me. He'd made that abundantly clear.
But then why was he here? Had his sexuality crisis deepened? Was he experimenting? And why, if that were the case, hadn't he come to me?
Alex's face contorted with what looked like embarrassment. He released my collar, then swatted away the hand I had on the back of his head, nearly causing me to lose my balance with Jamie.
"No," he snapped, but his voice lacked conviction. "I just think you've moved on awfully fast. Your feelings seem... pretty cheap."
His words hit me like a physical blow. Cheap? Was that what he thought of my feelings for him? The love I'd carried silently for years, watching him flirt with woman after woman, always being the supportive friend even as it tore me apart inside?
I laughed bitterly, anger coursing through me. With my free hand, I gripped his chin, forcing him to look at me.
"If you can't give me what I want," I said, my voice barely controlled, "then don't interfere. Don't forget, you're the one who ended things between us."
I readjusted Jamie against my side and pushed past Alex, heading for the exit. I needed to get Jamie home—he'd given me his address earlier—and I couldn't deal with Alex's mixed signals right now.
Once outside, I helped Jamie into my car. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at a modest apartment building.
I half-carried Jamie to the door he'd specified and knocked.
After a moment, the door opened to reveal a slender young man with wide, startled eyes—clearly the object of Jamie's affection.
"He's been asking for you all night," I explained, as the young man's expression shifted from panic to concern. "I think he's had enough rejection for one evening."
"I—I wasn't rejecting him," the young man stammered, his eyes softening as they landed on Jamie's face. "I am just afraid..."
"Look," I said gently, "he really likes you. Maybe just give him a chance? Take care of him tonight, and see where things go?"
The young man nodded, helping me maneuver Jamie inside. Before I left, I caught a glimpse of tenderness in his eyes as he looked at my friend—a softness that belied his earlier panic. Maybe Jamie's feelings weren't so hopeless after all.
As I drove home, my mind drifted back to Alex's unexpected appearance. What was he doing at The Rainbow Room? The question gnawed at me, distracting me so thoroughly that I almost missed the headlights that had been following me for the past ten minutes.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror confirmed my suspicion—a silver sedan, keeping pace about half a block behind me. The same car that had been parked across from the bar when I left.
Alex. It had to be.
A reckless idea formed in my mind. If he wanted to follow me, fine. Let's see how committed he was.
I accelerated suddenly, pushing well over the speed limit, then slammed on my brakes without warning. In my rearview mirror, I saw the silver sedan swerve violently, the driver clearly surprised by my maneuver.
There was a screech of tires, and then a soft thud as the car bumped into my rear bumper.
Got him.
I put on my hazard lights and stepped out of the car, feigning ignorance as I approached the sedan. The driver's window was already rolling down, revealing exactly who I expected to see.
"Alex," I said, injecting surprise into my voice. "What are you doing here?"
His face was a mixture of panic and embarrassment as he realized he'd been caught. Now it was my turn to demand answers.