Cassius?


    About...Cassius? The things he could never possibly know?


    Every word was like a seductive poppy, blooming wildly, making his head spin, addicting, impossible to resist.


    And all because he loved him. Loved him so deeply it was almost pathetic.


    And that love—it was the easiest way for the other man to hurt him.


    "How long will this take? I need to get home. It''s my partner''s birthday." Chasel finally relented, his voice t but tense.


    "Not long."


    The other man''s eyes, shadowed and unreadable, flicked sideways as he gestured with a single hand, "Come on. My car''s this way."


    A ck sedan tore through the winter night, headlights slicing through the darkness, neon signs and Christmas lights blurring past the windows.


    Chasel sat in the passenger seat, clutching a bouquet of white roses. His gaze flickered nervously to the passing city, uncertainty written all over his face.


    The man behind the wheel kept stealing nces at him-a face that was almost too handsome for a guy, striking, impossible to ignore.


    "What''s your name?" Chasel pressed again, frustrated by how little he knew about this stranger.


    Not knowing anything about him made Chasel feel exposed, unsafe.


    The man''s gaze lingered, then he looked back at the road, knuckles whitening on the steering wheel. "Ian."


    Chasel mouthed the name, then pressed on, "You know Cassius? How do you know him? Are you two enemies, or is this some old grudge?"


    After an hour, the car pulled into a deserted driveway and stopped in front of a run-down house. The ce looked abandoned-yard overgrown, paint peeling- but Chasel could tell, underneath the neglect, it must have once been a beautiful home.


    Old Victorian style, with a faded charm he found himself drawn to despite everything.


    Chasel''s eyes widened. "You mean... this ce is Cassius''s? Why let it rot like this?"


    Inside, every stick of furniture was shrouded in white sheets. The air was chilly, heavy with dust and memories; the whole house felt like a tomb.


    Chasel, a doctor, was a bit of a neat freak, but here, the dust didn''t bother him. Instead, he felt a deep, inexplicable sadness-as if time itself had stopped, trapping all the


    sorrow in the walls. ''


    Chasel knew Cassius loved movies.


    They''d installed a simr setup in their own ce back in Maine. So


    many nights curled together on the big leather couch, wrapped in a nket, Chasel tucked against Cassius''s chest as they watched old Hollywood ssics or French


    romanticedies.


    Here, the room was almost identical.


    "What are you trying to tell me?" Chasel''s patience was ragged. He checked his watch. "If you''ve got something to say, say it. I don''t have all night."


    He didn''t wait for an answer. "I know Cassius does. I have a rare film here. I think -no, I''m sure he''d love it."


    He hit a switch. The screen red to life, bathing Chasel''s pale, confused face in light.


    Surround sound filled the air withughter-intimate, affectionate.


    One voice was Cassius''s. Chasel recognized it instantly.


    The other belonged to a man he didn''t know, but the tone was gentle, warm, and every bit as intoxicating.


    "Cassius, do you love me?" the stranger asked, voice soft with a smile.


    "I do." Cassius''s voice was low, rough, trembling with emotion. "I love you. I''ll always love you. Forever."


    Cassius, who was always so reserved, so careful, sounded almost reckless, desperate.


    "What if one day... I die?" The stranger''s words were tinged with sadness, almost hidden under the surface.


    Cassius''s reply came in a rush, harsh and shaky. "Don''t say that! If you died, I''d go with you."


    "No, Cassius. I don''t want anything to happen to you. I want you to live. But if that day everes... I just want you to remember me."


    Every word hit Chasel like a punch to the chest, shattering him from the inside out. He clutched the roses so tightly the stems cut into his hand, barely able to breathe.


    On the screen, Cassius sat with another beautiful man—their heads pressed together, faces close, eyes shining.


    Chasel''s vision blurred with tears as


    he stared at the stranger who looked so much like him. Not quite-he difference immediately.


    knew th


    But it was close enough to hurt.


    And no matter how much they resembled each other, Chasel could see it clearly:


    the man Cassius kissed, cherished, loved with all his heart-


    Wasn''t him.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!