“We just worry about you so much. You’re our only son and we love you.”

And he knew they did.

Gavin’s guilt started gnawing on his bones again—not over who he was, but by him baiting her. He’d said those things knowing they would upset her. He paced Braden’s living room. Well—his living room, he guessed. “I know. I’m sorry. I love you, too. How is he…? Dad?”

He heard movement through the line and he imagined his mom wiping her tears, trying to be strong. “As good as can be expected. He has his good days and his bad. Dementia is a horrible disease. I know he’d like to see you, though. He misses you, even if he can’t always express it.”

The thing was, as much as it hurt to see them, Gavin missed his family, as well.

CHAPTER FOUR

“You’re never going to be able to forgive me, are you?” Isaac sat on Mason’s couch as Mason leaned against the wall by the door. He shouldn’t have been shocked to open his door and see his ex standing there. It wasn’t the first time he’d driven down from Denver since Mason moved to Blackcreek. In the beginning, it was when he wanted to fuck. Ever since Mason completely called things off, it was to give him hell.

Isaac scratched his knee while Mason decided how to respond to the question. He’d spent three years of his life with this man. They’d been great together in a lot of ways. Neither required a lot as far as relationships went. They were fairly open, put work first, and were happy that way. Then Mason discovered Isaac lied to him the same way his family had, and suddenly Isaac couldn’t leave him alone.

Obviously getting antsy, Isaac pushed the sleeves up on his shirt. Here it was early summer and he wore a long-sleeved button down.

“It’s not a matter of forgiveness. Was I pissed? Of course. In some ways I still am.” Mason crossed his arms.

“It wasn’t my place to tell you. It—”

“I was your lover, and your closest friend. It was your place. I never would have kept secrets from you. Not something that big. Not when you know how I feel about lying.” Not when he knew Mason already questioned who he was. The anger started to rise in him again, heat scorching his body. How could his family, and lover, keep something so big from him?

Mason shook his head, tired of dealing with it all. He’d spent most of his life feeling different, following dreams that weren’t his, and he was finally moving on. “If it’s the words you need to hear, then I forgive you. But that doesn’t change anything.”

Half of Isaac’s mouth rose. “Yes it does.” He stood and walked over to Mason, didn’t stop until their bodies touched. Mason didn’t move away. “I want you back.”

“You can’t have me.” They eyed each other, neither man backing down.

Isaac cursed. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought it was the right thing.”

Mason didn’t doubt that. “I know, but it doesn’t change anything. That wasn’t me—the life we had in Denver. I don’t want the same shit you do.” Even when they’d been happily together Mason had known that. He’d just been willing to pretend back then. He wasn’t willing any longer.

“Right now, all I want is to fuck you.” Isaac reached for him but Mason grabbed his wrist in a tight hold.

Wanted to play that way, did he? Mason didn’t let go of Isaac’s wrist. He leaned in closer. “You didn’t get to call the shots on that before and you don’t get to now, either. When I’m in the mood to be fucked, it won’t be you I’m telling to do it anymore. Now, I have to get to the bar.” Mason let go and slid from between Isaac and the wall. His ex groaned.

“You’re killing me, Mason.”

“You never did like to lose.” He grabbed his wallet from the table and pushed it into his back pocket.

Isaac laughed. “I’m not giving up.”

Mason knew that was coming. Like he said, Isaac never liked to lose, and the fact that Mason walked away was a loss to the man. “I didn’t figure you would, but you know I don’t back down, either.”

Isaac adjusted himself and then opened the door, signaling for Mason to step out. He did, followed by Isaac. They both walked over to their vehicles—Isaac to his Lexus and Mason to his Expedition. “Hey,” Mason called to him. Regardless of what went down between them, Mason still considered Isaac his friend.

Isaac turned to look at him before Mason spoke again. “I really do forgive you. We’ve been friends too long not to.”