“Mason,” Cayden said as he stood outside the room. “I know you’re home, it’s Sunday and you don’t have to work. Can you open the door, I need to talk,” he explained. “Mason . . . please,” he begged.

He waited several more moments before sighing and pulling away from the door. He started to return to his apartment, but stopped and glanced across the hall at Devon’s door. Bored and lonely, Cayden stepped across the hall and knocked on Devon’s door.

“Devon,” he called out, “are you home?” He hoped that she was, he didn’t want to spend the rest of the day all by himself. He needed to talk to someone about the feelings and the thoughts that he was having. Depression was slowly beginning to grab hold of him.

“Devon?” He called out again.

A moment later, he could hear Devon unlocking the door. Standing in her apartment with a bed sheet wrapped around her, Devon eyed Cayden curiously. “What do you want?” She questioned nervousness creeping its way into her every word. She glanced over her shoulder, then back at Cayden.

“I need to talk to someone,” Cayden responded. “Can I come in?” He asked.

“I’m kind of busy,” Devon answered quickly. “Can we do this another time?” She began to push the door closed, but Cayden reached forward and pushed it back open.

“I’m depressed,” Cayden admitted. “Why didn’t he tell me that he was married?” Cayden questioned.

“Who got married?” Devon inquired.

“Szymon. He’s married . . . and he has a kid.”

“Get the fuck out of here!” Devon responded, slightly shocked, then realized that she was almost yelling and lowered her voice as she glanced over her shoulder. “Listen, can we talk later? Right now I’m in the middle of something.”

“It’s just so frustrating,” Cayden continued, ignoring Devon. “I mean, he’s been coming onto me for weeks. I thought he was really into me, but I’m just now finding out that he’s married and he had a child.”

“This is all very interesting, and I’m sure we’ll talk about it at length at some point,” Devon said, “but right now I have something really important to do.”

“Oh come on,” Cayden pleaded, “can’t it wait?”

Just as Cayden asked the question, he saw someone enter the room behind Devon and his eyes widened and his face flushed red with embarrassment. A man was standing in Devon’s living room completely naked.

“Devon, are you coming back to bed already?” He questioned as he glanced at the door and spotted Cayden. “Holy shit!” He said as he quickly covered himself up.

“Oh my God!” Cayden said as he covered his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Devon said to Cayden and saw him nod his head with his hand covering his eyes as she closed the door.

Standing in the hall, Cayden couldn’t believe what he’d just seen, but despite the shock of seeing a man completely naked and standing in Devon’s apartment, Cayden King wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

Stepping away from Devon’s door, Cayden shook his head and started for his apartment as Gage Matthews opened the door to his apartment, stepping into the half-naked and searching. He turned and glanced in Cayden’s direction and rushed toward him, holding something in his hand.

The sight of Gage half-naked took Cayden by surprise as his eyes were drawn downward. He felt his face flush an even brighter red as he tried to glance elsewhere, but Gage’s sweaty chest only made him even more embarrassed, but when he saw what Gage was holding, his face turned even redder than humanly possible and glanced at the floor quickly.

“Cayden,” Gage said, nearly out of breath as he approached him.

“Oh my God, what is that?” Cayden questioned as he took a step back and glanced at what Gage was holding. “Is that a vibrator?” He questioned.

“What?!” Gage said, slightly confused. “Oh yeah,” he said as he realized that Cayden was referring to what he was holding. “I need a favor.”

“I’m sorry, I am not gonna show you how to use that,” Cayden replied.

“No, stupid, I need condoms,” Gage explained. “Mason and I found these two kinky chicks. They’re animals, we ran out of condoms,” Gage said with a smile as he waved the vibrator in Cayden’s face. “Smell that,” he said, pleasantly pleased.

“Gross,” Cayden said as he backed away. “That’s disgusting.”

”Whatever,” Gage responded. “So, are you gonna help us out, or what?” He questioned.

“You just got shot not too long ago,” Cayden said. “I thought you told me that you were going to change and start working on doing something positive in your life.”

“Yeah, so?” Gage questioned.

“And you think finding two nympho freaks is something positive?”

“Cayden, I said that I want to do something positive, but I didn’t say that I want to be positive. I’m still working on getting my life together, but I’m not going to stop having sex because of it,” he explained. “And since I’m not ready to catch a sexually transmitted disease and be positive for the rest of my life, I’d really appreciate it if you would give me some condoms. I’d consider it a personal favor, and so would those two hot chicks in my apartment,” Gage said with a smile.

“Well, what if I don’t want to give you any condoms?” Cayden asked.

“Why not? It’s not like you’re going to be using them,” Gage responded. Cayden eyes widened with embarrassment and he took a step back and shook his head.

“I’m sorry,” Gage apologized. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No,” Cayden said defensively as he shook his head. “I get it. Maybe I’m not as freaky as you and Mason, and maybe I don’t have naked Greek gods standing in my living room like Devon, but . . .”

“Devon’s getting some?” Gage interrupted as he glanced at her door. “It’s about freaking time.”

“That’s not the point!” Cayden interjected. “We’re talking about me right now!”

“Okay,” Gage responded. “Okay . . . what were you saying?”

“Forget it,” Cayden sighed. “I’ll get the condoms.” What he really wanted to do was reach out and choke Gage for having the audacity to be having sex. The truth was that he was jealous. He was jealous of Devon for being with someone and he was jealous of Gage and Mason for finding people to hook up with. He felt even lonelier as he entered his apartment and went to the bedroom where he kept his condoms in the bedside table.

He pulled open the drawer and caught a glimpse of Julia’s diary. “Even a dead girl got more action than me,” he whispered to himself as he reached for the box of condoms. Shaking his head, he laughed incredulously as he realized that the box was still unopened. It felt like a metaphor for his life.

With a sigh, he reached for his coat and threw it on. Returning to the hall, he saw Gage still standing there with anticipation.

“You got ‘em?” Gage questioned.

Cayden threw the box of condoms at Gage in frustration, causing him to drop the vibrator in an attempt to catch them.

“Take all of them,” Cayden grumbled. “I won’t be needing them anyway,” he said as he locked the door and started down the hall for the elevator. He had to get out of the building as quickly as possible. He couldn’t sit in his apartment knowing that Devon, Gage and Mason were all having sex around him.

Bending over, Gage picked up the vibrator as Mrs. Mulberry opened her front door in time to catch a glimpse of him from behind, wearing only a thong. Her eyes widened with shock and her jaw dropped.

“Fucking pervert!” She exclaimed as she slammed the door shut.

Gage laughed uncontrollably and shook his head as he returned to his apartment. Waiting impatiently for the elevator, Cayden saw Gage walk to his door.

“Hey!” Gage called out as he stood in the doorway peering into his apartment. “I thought I said not to use the handcuffs until I got back?!” He questioned as he stepped inside and shut the door.

Cayden King rolled his eyes as the elevator doors opened.

Cayden stepped off of the elevator in a hurry and nearly knocked an elderly man over. The flowers the man had been holding fell to the floor as the man stumbled. Cayden reached out the help the man from falling and apologized.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he bent over to retrieve the man’s flowers. He glanced down at them apologetically. “They look okay,” he said as he handed them to the man.

With a nod, the man reached over and grabbed the flowers, inspecting them himself. “I have to make sure that they’re okay. Everything has to be perfect,” he said as he glanced at them.

“You giving them to someone special?” Cayden questioned.

“Oh yes,” the man said with a nod. “I have a date. I’m a bit nervous, if you can’t already tell. Maybe I should have had that extra drink, you know, to toughen me up,” the man admitted.

“Why are you nervous?” Cayden asked as he glanced at the flowers and wished that someone would bring him flowers once in a while.

“Well, it’s been almost six years since my Martha passed on,” the elderly man responded. “Martha was the first girl I ever loved. Married her right after high school. I haven’t been on a date in almost fifty years.”

“Oh,” Cayden responded. “Well . . . just relax. I’m sure you’ll do fine,” he said as he gave the man a pat on the back. “Just be yourself. If she doesn’t like you then she’s just crazy.”

The elderly man nodded his head. “She certainly is crazy, but I think that’s exactly why I like her. She’s bold and she’s a bitchy. She makes everything a challenge.” the man explained with a smile.

Cayden nearly choked while laughing. “She sounds incredible.”

“Oh she is,” the man said, “Louisa Mulberry is one fine lady.”

Cayden’s eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. “Did you say Louisa Mulberry?” He questioned.

“That’s right, do you know her?”

“I think maybe you’re right,” Cayden admitted, “you should have had that extra drink.”

The man chuckle. “Then you’ve met her,” he said with a nod. “Well, how do I look?” He questioned.

“Like you’re about to get your heart ripped out and stomped on,” Cayden responded as the elevator doors opened again.

“That’s fine,” the man responded as he stepped onto the elevator, “because Louisa Mulberry already stole my heart,” he said as the doors closed.

Shaking his head, Cayden turned away from the elevator with a smile on his face. His smile, however, soon turned to a frown. Even mean old Mrs. Mulberry was getting some action while he was standing there not getting anything.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, staring at it for a moment. He felt bad about how he’d left things with Szymon. He didn’t even give Szymon a chance to explain himself. Cayden found himself dialing Szymon’s number.

He placed the cell phone against his ear and felt his heart skip a beat as he heard the phone ring. He paused. What was he doing? Szymon was married? Even if he did have an explanation, did it matter if the man was married? As stupid as it may have sounded, Cayden wanted Szymon but he didn’t want him if he couldn’t have all of him, and the fact that Szymon was married meant that he had already pledged his heart to someone else.

With a sigh, Cayden ended the call before Szymon could answer. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe a relationship with Szymon Skubisz was impossible. Maybe Cayden was just destined to be alone.

“I need to get out of here,” Cayden said to himself.

Sitting in his police car, Detective Szymon Skubisz stared down at his telephone in silence. Cayden King’s cell phone number was prominently displayed on his phone.

“Who was it?” Cecilia Nakamura asked as she set about devouring her cheeseburger. She glanced over at Szymon, her mouth half full.

Szymon slipped the cell phone into his pocket and shrugged. “No one,” he responded softly as he glanced through the files he was holding in his lap.

“It was Cayden, wasn’t it?” Cecilia questioned.

Szymon glanced over at her for a moment and nodded his head before he glanced away. “So . . . I was thinking that we should go back to that crime scene we saw the other day. There’s something about that bathroom that bothers me,” he explained.

“Screw the bathroom,” Cecilia replied. “You’re bothering me.”

“Why?” Szymon asked, slightly confused.

Putting her cheeseburger down, Cecilia sighed and rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe that I’m about to say this, especially since I told you to stay away from him, but you should call him,” he admitted.

“Call who? Cayden?” Szymon questioned.

“No, Santa Claus. He wants to know what you want for Christmas,” she responded sarcastically. “Of course I’m talking about Cayden. You know you want to call him, so just do it.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Szymon said softly as he shook his head.

“Well, I told you that it wasn’t a good idea to get close to Cayden, but you did that anyway. Look,” she said with a sigh. “You’ve been walking around and moping lately and frankly, it’s annoying the hell out of me. You love him,” she explained. “I don’t understand it, but you do. So call him. Explain it to him. Shout it from the rooftops, but do something because I’m getting tired of this Dawson’s Creek angst bullshit already.”

“It’s not angst, it’s frustration. You think I don’t want to go to him and tell him everything?” He questioned. “Do you really think that I’d rather be sitting here having this conversation, Cici?”

“No, I think you’re scared,” Cecilia admitted, “because for the first time in your life, you may have found the one person that can truly make you happy. Forget about all of the bullshit. Forget about Andrea. What do you really want?” She questioned.

Szymon fell silent as he listed to Cecilia’s question. He couldn’t bring himself to glance away from the files that lay in his lap. “I want Cayden,” he said softly.

“Then fight for him.”

“Szymon, all you need to do is explain the situation to him. I’m sure he’ll understand,” she said softly.

“He’s not like you and me, Cici,” Szymon explained. “He wants the fantasy. He wants the fairytale, and nowhere in the fairytale does the prince have a wife and a boyfriend.“

Cecilia paused as she regarded Szymon. “What makes you think that you’re the prince?” She questioned as she tossed her half-eaten burger into the backseat of the car. “Maybe Cayden is the prince that enters your life and makes you realize that you deserve something better,” she said as she started the car. “It’s just a thought.”

As he left the elevator area, Cayden caught sight of Kathryn Hayes. “Kathryn,” he called out, causing her to search around the lobby until she saw him. She smiled as he approached her. “Hey, what’s up?” He questioned, hoping that Kathryn would be able to help him work through his problems.

“Oh, you look awful,” Kathryn said as she took a step forward. “Are you sick? Have you been going outside without a coat again?” She said as she reached forward and zipped up his open coat. She glanced at his face. “You should have a hat,” she said. “My cousin Lucy, that one that was kind of psychotic, got pneumonia once because she went outside in the cold and didn’t have a hat. She didn’t have any clothes on either, though. I don’t know what was up with her . . .”

“I’m not sick,” Cayden said with a smile as he shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Well, you look like death,” Kathryn admitted.

“I feel like dying,” Cayden grumbled.

“Don’t say that,” Kathryn said as she swatted him on the arm. “That’s not cool. You shouldn’t think about things like that. What’s wrong? You’re upset about something, right? I can tell. My Aunt Agnes always used to say that when someone’s upset, you can see it in their eyes. Your eyes look sad.”

“I’m just a little bummed,” Cayden admitted.

“It’s winter,” Kathryn explained.

“What?” Cayden asked, slightly confused.

“It’s winter. People get all bummed out in the winter. They start thinking crazy thoughts,” she said as she mimicked a crazy person, her eyes darting left and right as he head rolled around.

“It’s not that,” Cayden admitted, “it’s Szymon.”

“Szymon? What did he do now?”

“He forgot to tell me that he’s married with a child.”

“He’s married to a child?!” Kathryn asked, slightly confused.

“No, he’s married to a woman, but they have a child together,” Cayden corrected.

“Whoa . . . that’s kind of . . . Jerry Springer.”

“It’s totally Jerry Springer,” Cayden agreed.

“No wonder you’re bummed out,” Kathryn realized. “The guy’s been after you for months and then you find out that he has this whole secret life. Well, I guess it’s better that you found out now, you know, before you guys really got together.”

“I suppose,” Cayden sighed.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kathryn said with a smile. “You’re cute, you won’t have a problem finding a nice guy. I mean, come on, have you seen some of the ugly people that walk around? And trust me, there are some really ugly people out there and they have relationships.”

“Thanks a lot,” Cayden replied, “even ugly people are hooking up. Everyone but me.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to upset you, but have you ever noticed that there are some really ugly women out there with babies? It’s like . . . who in their right mind would ever have sex with them?”

“I don’t get it. Ugly people hook up all the time. I mean, I’m not conceited or full of myself or anything, but I know I’m not ugly,” he explained. “So why am I still alone?”

“Because you’re hot, you’re a ten,” Kathryn responded.

“I’m alone because I’m hot? That makes perfect sense,” Cayden said as he shook his head and regarded her with a strange look on his face. Kathryn was quirky, but now she was starting to act just plain stupid.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Kathryn said with a smile. “It makes perfect sense. Being hot is a double-edged sword,” she explained. “On the one hand, because you’re hot, people are going to come after you because of it, but all they want is your looks. They want to be with someone that’s hot, and those aren’t the kind of guys that you want to be with, right?” She questioned.

Cayden nodded in response.

“But on the other hand, because you’re hot, a lot of people might think that you’re just way out of their league, so they don’t approach you because they’re just average guys that don’t think they’ll have a chance. That’s why ugly people hook up all the time,” she explained, “they have less expectations. Their goals are lower.”

“That’s really insightful,” Cayden smiled in disbelief. He couldn’t believe how freely Kathryn was approaching the subject.

“It’s not politically correct,” Kathryn said with a shrug, “but it’s true.”

“So what are you doing tonight?” Cayden questioned. “You wanna go get some coffee and talk more about your wonderfully entertaining and insightful thoughts?”

“Oh, I can’t,” Kathryn said, “I have a date.”

“You’re going on a date?” Cayden questioned. “With who?”

Just as he asked the questioned, Jesse Martinez stepped out of the elevator and walked over to Kathryn. “You ready?” He questioned with a smile.

“I sure am,” Kathryn said as she hook her self around Jesse’s arm.

Cayden noticed to intimate gesture and glanced over at Jesse.

“We’re going down to Madison Square Garden,” Jesse informed him, “for a concert.”

“A concert?” Cayden questioned with excitement. “Sounds cool. I think that just might be what I need tonight,” he admitted, “a distraction.”

“Yeah, if you can find a ticket,” Jesse said.

“What do you mean?”

“That concert was sold out weeks ago,” Jesse explained. “Kathryn was lucky to get the tickets, but she only got two. I’d love for you to come, but I’m sorry man.”

“No, it’s cool,” Cayden responded. “You guys go and enjoy yourselves,” he said, faking a smile. He watched in silence as Jesse and Kathryn left the building, arms locked. With a sigh, he shook his head as once again he was left alone.

The dark, lonely sidewalk kept Cayden company as he walked through the streets. It seemed that everywhere he went, he saw a couple that made him even more depressed. He saw a guy on the side of the street waving at him and waved back, but a woman behind him ran forward and hugged the man, making Cayden feel stupid for even thinking that anyone would be waving at him.

His hand had started to freeze to the point where he couldn’t feel his fingers and his ear were frozen stiff. He cursed himself for not listening to Kathryn and putting on a hat. Silently, he watched the man and the woman on the corner walk off hand in hand.

Turning around, he caught sight of a diner and stared into the window. Maybe what he needed was to warm up a bit before continuing on. He felt a rumble in his stomach and realized that he was hungry. With a sigh, he walked into the diner and sat down at the counter.

A moment later, a blond waiter approached with a smile on his face. "Well hello there," he said, "What can I get for you today?" He questioned.

Cayden ordered his coffee and a donut, he glanced around the place. In the far corner sat another couple that caused Cayden to roll his eyes and look away. When he did, he spotted Elijah Montessori sitting in the other corner.

Smiling, Cayden paid for his coffee and donut and headed over to Elijah’s table. When Elijah Montessori saw Cayden approach him, he literally jumped out of his seat with surprise.

“Cayden,” he nearly gasped, “what are you doing here?” He questioned as he glanced around the diner.

“I’m getting coffee,” Cayden responded as he held up his cup. “What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing,” Elijah responded nervously. “I’m just studying for finals,” he explained as he motioned to his table where his schoolbooks lay.

“God, I hate finals,” Cayden admitted. “I wish school could be like on all the television shows. You know, where the characters are college students but you never actually see them go to school or even mention it until they have finals,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah, but this is reality Cayden, it’s not a television show, but it would be nice,” he agreed.

“So . . . I know you’re studying,” Cayden said as he decided to take a chance, “but would you like to do something tonight? With me?” He questioned. He remembered the way that Elijah looked at him in his apartment on Thanksgiving. He couldn’t help but to feel like Elijah wanted to say something to him and despite the fact that Cayden still had feelings for Szymon, he figured that Elijah would help him forget.

“I would love to,” Elijah said with a smile. A moment later his smile faded as he realized something. “But I can’t,” he said quickly as he glanced around the diner. “This class had been kicking my ass all semester,” he explained. “I really need to study for the final.”

“It’s okay,” Cayden said, slightly disappointed. He understood that Elijah needed to study, but he couldn’t help but to feel a little selfish. He wanted someone to actually want to spend time with him.

“I’ll see you around then,” Cayden said, excusing himself. Suddenly, he didn’t want to stay at the diner anymore. He felt like an idiot for taking a chance and asking Elijah out and getting turned down.

The blond waiter approached Elijah's table with a pot of coffee. He shook his head as he warmed Elijah's cup. "You always seem to get all of the cute guys at your table. One's not even gone for two seconds before the other shows up," he noted with a smile before stepping away.

Standing outside on the street once again, Cayden shook his head. “I don’t get it,” he said to himself. “I thought he was into me.” Glancing through the diner window, Cayden caught sight of a tall blond man exiting the bathroom and sitting down next to Elijah at his table. Taking a step forward, Cayden saw Elijah and the other man laughing. “No wonder he doesn’t want me,” Cayden said to himself, “not when he had a guy like that.” He felt a twinge of jealously as he shook his head, never feeling more alone.

As he turned to walk away from the diner, Cayden bumped into yet another person. Stumbling backward, he glanced at the ground and mumbled an apology.

“As cute as you are, you can bump into me anytime,” the man said.

Glancing up, Cayden looked into Dominick Perrotti’s eyes and smiled. “Dominick,” he said, slightly embarrassed. “I’m not usually this clumsy.”

“It’s okay,” Dominick said with a shrug, “I forgive you.”

“Thanks,” Cayden beamed.

“So what are you doing out here all by yourself?” Dominick questioned. “Shouldn’t you be snuggled up with that guy you told me about?”

“Oh sure, that would be nice,” Cayden said with a nod. “Just me and him and his wife.”

“His wife?” Dominick questioned. “Ouch. That sucks.”

“It sucks big time,” he said with frustration. “You know what? I don’t understand men,” he said as he shook his head and began a little mini-meltdown. “They say that they like you and you get all the signals, but then they lie to you. And now everyone around me is hooking up and I’m standing on the corner of the street with frozen ears! I just wish that for once, someone would choose me,” he admitted. “I wish that just once someone would kiss me,” he emphasized as he pointed to himself.

Without a second thought, Dominick Perrotti leaned in and planted a kiss on Cayden King’s lips. The shock of the occurrence took Cayden by surprise. With Dominick’s lips firmly pressed against his, Cayden closed his eyes.

After a moment, Dominick pulled away and smiled as he looked at Cayden’s face. Cayden’s eyes were still close and his was frozen in place. Blinking his eyes open, Cayden looked at Dominick and smiled slightly.

“What was that for?” He questioned softly.

“To get you to shut up,” Dominick replied, “and because that’s what you needed,” he added. “So listen, why don’t you come with me?” Dominick questioned.

“And do what?”

“Well, I’m actually headed to a jazz bar,” Dominick admitted. “It’s open mic night. They’re doing poetry readings. It might be fun. I mean, if it’s not we can always laugh at the poor suckers,” he explained.

Cayden stared at Dominick for a second before nodding his head. Maybe Dominick was what he needed. He knew that the guy had a thing for him and what was wrong with going on a date with him? Cayden wasn’t tied to Szymon anymore, Szymon’s wedding announcement had take care of that. He was free to pursue anything and anyone he wanted. “Dominick is a good choice,” he told himself.

“Sure, it sounds like fun,” Cayden said to him.

“Okay,” Dominick said with a smile, “but I have to warn you, it’s probably going to be really bad poetry, or angry lesbian stuff."

“I think I can deal with bad poetry,” Cayden smiled.

“Well good,” Dominick said as he reached down and grabbed Cayden by the hand, leading him down the street, “because I really don’t think I can go through it alone,” he admitted, “not tonight.”

“I think I know just what you mean,” Cayden replied.

Stepping out of the diner, Elijah Montessori glanced over his shoulder. “So, do you really think I have a shot with him, Isaiah?” He questioned once his companion joined him on the street. “He’s the nicest guy I know. I mean, he let’s me stay over his apartment and everything, but I don’t know if he’s into me or anything.”

Isaiah rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I already told you that you’ll never know until you try, but knowing you, you’re probably going to mess everything up anyway,” he added with a smile.

“You know,” Elijah said as he laughed, “If you weren’t my older, much stronger brother, I’d kick your ass all over this sidewalk,” he said as he pretended to punch his brother in the arm. “But I won’t,” he continued because I’m grateful that I have someone to talk to about these kinds of things.”

“I had no other choice,” Isaiah admitted. “I thought you were in serious trouble when you call me, then you dragged me out to this diner to talk about your love life. You really scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” Elijah said, “I didn’t mean to worry you, I just needed to talk to someone about my feelings for Cayden. I’m not used to feeling like this,” he explained. “You know me, you know that I’m not the kind of person who settles down. Relationships are like kryptonite for me. But Cayden is different,” he explained. “He makes me want to be a better person.”

“I should shake his hand,” Isaiah joked. “Anyone who can straighten you up deserved a lot of respect.”

“No, but seriously,” Elijah said. “He’s all that I’ve been thinking about lately. I even had a dream that I brought him flowers and we made love on a bed of rose petals,” he admitted.

“Okay, now I’m going to throw up,” Isaiah commented.

“Shut up, I’m being serious here. What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing,” Isaiah admitted. “You’re growing up. You found someone that challenges you, someone that makes you want to be a better man. It’s not a bad thing, Eli, it really isn’t.”

“You don’t think I’m getting whipped here?” Elijah questioned. “I mean, what are people going to think if they see me falling head over feels for this guy? I’m not exactly known for being monogamous, but I really want to be the only man in Cayden’s life,” he explained. “They’ll all just be salivating and waiting around for me to mess up.”

“Look,” Isaiah said with a sigh as he shook his head. “I had to deal with the fact that my brother was gay. I didn't understand it at first, but I came to terms with it and now I accept it. Do you remember what you said when you came out to me?” He questioned.

Elijah nodded his head in response.

“You said that you don’t care what I think, you were going to do what made you happy. If being with Cayden makes you happy, then that’s what you should do. Forget about what everyone else thinks. Just go for it,” he said as he reached out and placed his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. “Or you’ll miss your chance.”

Elijah stared into his brother’s eyes and nodded. Smiling, he turned to head down the street and paused as he caught a glimpse of Cayden and Dominick walking hand in hand down the street.

“I think I just missed my chance,” he said softly.