Leaving Home, Chase, A. [best ereader manga .txt] 📗

rave all you want. Kick the wall or throw things. Hell, get in a fight with Brody. Just try to control your anger when you’re around Peter to begin with.”

Tony nodded. “I get it. He needs us to support him, and it’s not support if I rag on his

boyfriend all the time.”

“Right.” Randy checked his watch. “I have to get back to the ranch.”

“So do we.” Brody stood.

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“Can Yancey stay with Peter the rest of the afternoon? I can be back here around five for dinner.” Les glanced at Tony and Brody.

“Yes. He has to study for finals, and he’ll have fewer distractions here.” Brody shook

his head. “I can’t believe he’ll be graduating in a few months.”

“Has he decided what to do afterwards?” Les asked as they made their way to the

elevator.

“I don’t know. He’s kept things close to the vest, though I’m thinking he might be

heading back east.” Brody shot Tony a knowing glance.

“Of course he is. That’s where Juan is, and I could tell over the summer that Yancey had

decided it was time. I have no objections to them getting together now. They’ve made their own ways in the world, and lived their own lives. If they still love each other, then more power to them.” Tony chuckled.

“Not that either of them need our permission to do anything anymore.” Brody snorted.

The rest of them joined in with Tony’s laughter as they got on the elevator to go up to

Peter’s floor. Les and the rest said goodbye to Yancey, and Les let the younger man know he would be back around five to stay for the rest of visiting hours.

* * * *

Later that night, after Les had returned home and he and Randy were in bed and

cuddling, Randy asked him, “Do you think this will work?”

Les shrugged. “I have no idea. I saw how devastated Chaz was when he saw Peter in

that hospital bed. It was how I thought I’d look if it was you.”

“So that means he’ll do the work and listen to what you say. Do you think he’ll come

back for Peter when he’s clean?” Randy traced a pattern on Les’ chest.

“Yes, I do. He might not be able to get his job back, and, to be honest, I don’t think he’ll care about that anymore. If he can’t be a bullfighter, then he’ll deal with that. But not having Peter in his life would be the worst thing in the world for him,” Les said, covering Randy’s hand with his.

“I think losing the person I love would be the end of the world for me, and for any

other person I know.”

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Feeling the same way was the reason why Les was doing everything in his power to fix

the relationship between Chaz and Peter.

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Chapter Thirteen

Peter sat in his office at Derek’s ranch, staring at the computer screen. He flexed his left hand, wincing at the slight twinge of pain. He’d thought that, after a year and extensive physical therapy, his hand would be better than it was, but everyone kept telling him it

would take time. At least the doctors had said he would regain full movement in it.

He pushed away from his desk before standing. While walking over to the window, he

thought about how different his life was. Shortly after being released from hospital, Peter had talked with Les, and decided to move down to Austin. One of Les’ companies was

headquartered there, giving Peter a place of employment. Derek and Max had opened their

home to him, which had given him a place to live.

It was a way of starting over for him. A way to heal and begin again, somewhere away

from the memories of Chaz. So once again Peter had packed his things and left home,

travelling to a new state and running from a broken heart.

He reached the windows, then stared out over the side yard where the ranch hands

wandered from the barns to the corrals. He saw a van pull up next to the guesthouse, and he wondered if there was a new band coming to record at Derek’s studio. Peter didn’t

remember hearing about that, but he admitted to himself that sometimes he mentally drifted away from conversations.

Max strolled by, a bright smile on his face, and Peter looked to see whether Derek was

out there with him. Max only looked that happy when Derek was around. Sure enough, the

retired singer stood in the middle of the pathway. Max caught the man up in a big hug before placing a kiss on his lips.

None of the people milling around paid them any attention. Of course, the sight of

those two kissing was a common occurrence at the St Martin ranch. Max never hired anyone

who had a problem with who he loved, and Derek did the same with all the people he hired

for his music company.

Peter found he liked living in Austin, or, rather, twenty miles out of Austin proper. He

could drive in to the downtown building when he needed to, but he could tele-commute

from the ranch if he didn’t want to drive anywhere that day. The best of both worlds. He was

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still in charge of Les’ ranch finances and he’d taken over the accounting for both the ranch and the company Derek owned.

All in all, Peter had a good life and he couldn’t complain about anything. He had a job,

his health, and friends who cared about him. Wasn’t that the most important thing? To have people in the world who would notice if he was gone?

Maybe it was, but Peter couldn’t help thinking there was something missing in his life.

Not something. Someone. And he knew exactly who it was. The same person whose face he

saw every night when he closed his eyes. He missed Chaz, even after a year, and he wasn’t sure how long it would take before he forgot how Chaz smelt or the feel of