“Then do it, Paul.”
Stefan talked to the DJ and the returned to Jordan. They played “You and Me” by Lifehouse. Stefan took Jordan in his arms, he pulled him in close.
“Excellent choice. I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off you all night.” Jordan smiled and kissed Stefan softly.
“Except for the time you were ogling Josh,” Stefan laughed. “Maybe later you can give me an exam to make it up to me, Dr. Sexy.”
Jordan laughed. “Oh, you can bet on that.”
Caleb held Heath as close as he could without being arrested; he absolutely loved having Heath in his arms.
“I want to take you home and take that tuxedo off of you with my teeth,” Caleb whispered.
“Is that even possible?”
“Oh yeah.” Caleb winked and kissed Heath hard.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A week went by before Paul finally got to see Mark. He knew he shouldn’t go. Mark said he didn’t want to see him; but he had to. Every time he had tried, Mark had pushed him away. He was not going to give up. Mark’s mother answered the door and pulled him into a hug.
“Oh, Paul! It’s so good to see you!”
“It’s good to see you, too. Is he home?”
“In his room.”
Paul went upstairs and knocked on the door.
“Yeah?”
“Mark, it’s me.”
Mark opened the door and eyed his husband. He looked so good, Mark wanted to throw his arms around him.
“Come on in.”
Paul stepped inside the room and Mark sat down on the bed.
“Look, I still love you. I’m in love with you. I’m married to you because I love you. I want us to see a marriage counselor.”
“How are you and Josh?”
“Josh and I are friends, Mark. We always will be. We got our heads on straight. Friends is all we’ll ever be. I want you. I’ll always want you. Please.”
Mark could tell Paul was going to cry. God, he missed him! But he couldn’t waver. After what he had done — he couldn’t. “Look, Paul, I think it’s best if we just get an annulment.”
“What?! No, please. Mark, don’t do this. We can fix it. I love you, I love you so much!”
Paul grabbed Mark and pulled him into an embrace. He sought out his lips and kissed him. Mark responded at first, and then he pushed Paul away and turned his back to him.
“No! Paul, I think you should go.”
“Don’t you love me anymore?” Paul whispered brokenly.
“No, I don’t. Now please. Just go.” Mark held his breath and waited for Paul to leave.
“Please, Mark — please, don’t do this! I love you! I will always love you. I don’t care that you kissed Tanner. Please —”
“I don’t love you anymore, Paul. Now, please go.”
As soon as Paul left, Mark broke down. The pain was crushing him, but so was his guilt. He had been unfaithful and he could never take that back.
~*~
Paul went straight to Josh.
“Oh God, what’s wrong?” Josh pulled him in.
“He said he doesn’t love me anymore,” Paul sobbed. “I kept trying, like you said. He said he doesn’t love me.” Paul was crying so hard, he was having a hard time breathing.
“Look at me! I don’t believe for a fucking second that Mark doesn’t love you! You’re the most irritating man I have ever met and you stayed with me since I was ten. You imprint on the people you get close to. He loves you, Paul. Don’t buy his bullshit! Don’t let him convince you he doesn’t love you.”
“But he said it.”
“Did he look you in the eye?”
“No.”
“He loves you, Paul. It’s written all over his face whenever he looks at you.”
“You think he still loves me?”
“Yes, dammit! I’m telling you — Mark loves you.”
“I don’t feel that right now.”
“When did Paul fucking Greystone turn into a quitter when he had something to fight for? You’re married because you and Mark complete each other. We’ll get your husband back, okay?” Josh hugged him tight. Mark was the love of Paul’s life and Josh intended to get them back together even if it killed him.
*~~~*
School and work were kicking the guys’ asses. They finally had some time to relax and headed to the warehouse club for the night. Damon and Tyler were the first ones to arrive and they sat at the bar and laughed with Jason and Quinn. Matt strolled in holding hands with Kyle. Matt had a huge smile on his face.
“Well, look at you two.” Jason smiled broadly. “Good to see you in love, Kyle.”
“Good to be in love, Jason.” Kyle winked.
“Okay — ewww.” Greg elbowed his brother.
“Hey, Jay! How are you two?” Kyle asked.
“Still in luv.” Jay smiled and made comical googly eyes at Greg.
“Aww.” Kyle laughed. “Promise me I’m not ever going to do that!”
“Look.” Damon nodded toward Josh and Paul.
They spotted the group at the bar and headed that way.
“Hey, little brother.” Josh mussed his hair.
“How’s Tanner?”
“Hangin’ out with Mark.” Josh winked.
“Paul, you don’t actually believe that Mark is over you, do you?” Greg demanded.
“I don’t know what to think,” Paul admitted.
“Oh my God! You’re an idiot,” Jay sighed in frustration.
“Excuse me?”
“Mark loves you more than anything, Paul. You’re so goddamn tough, and yet you just roll over and let this shit get to you? Why the fuck are you here?”
“Thank you! I’ve been saying the same thing.” Josh threw his hands up.
“He doesn’t want to see me!”
“Who gives a shit? He’s your husband, Paul. Go all, I don’t know — Paul on him,” Greg instructed, exasperated.
“I don’t get you guys. You were all for me and Josh coming out with our feelings and shit, now you’re all, ‘be with Mark.’ ”
“Right. And what did you learn from exploring those feelings?” Kyle asked.
“That I love Mark and only Mark.”
“Helloooo?” Greg cocked a brow.
“You guys got your closure. If it hadn’t happened now, it would have happened sometime down the road,” Jay chimed in. “Now you know. You’re friends and will always be close. If we had told you to push those feelings aside and not deal with them, it would have happened anyway somewhere down the line.”
“Yeah, I don’t know you like these guys do, Paul, but if it were me I’d be banging his door down,” Matt added.
“Don’t be stupid, Paul. Go get your man, drag him out by his hair if you have to,” Kyle laughed.
“Yes! The caveman hypothesis! I told him to throw him over his shoulder,” Josh laughed.
“You could always knock him out, then drag him out.” Greg smiled.
“Hey! Stop torturing Paul.” Tyler grabbed him and took him away from the group. “They’re being morons, but you know they’re right. Mark loves you, Paul.”
“Then why? Why is he pushing me away?”
“Because he feels guilty for cheating on you with Tanner.”
“I screwed up, too! I still want him, Tyler.”
“I know you do, Paul.” Tyler took his hand. “You have to fight for him. The love you two have is epic.”
Everyone hung out, glad for some down time to chill. Josh talked with John, Matt’s poor forgotten date from the last party, who had heard of the club and dropped by to check it out.
“Tanner stayed home?” John asked.
“He’s with Mark. We’re planning a reunion of sorts for tomorrow.”
“Ah, the ambush tactic,” John laughed. He looked around the room for Paul and noticed him on the other side of the club.
Paul was still talking with Tyler. He glanced up and met eyes with Josh. They grinned at each other. John lift
ed his arm and ran a hand through his hair — and that’s when Paul caught sight of the gun in his waistband. Time went into slow motion as John wrapped his fingers around the handle of the gun.
“JOSHUA!” Paul shouted and began to run.
Josh was startled. Paul didn’t use his first name unless —
White-hot pain slammed into his chest and he fell back, his shocked eyes locked with John’s smiling ones.
It felt as if a hot poker sliced through Paul as he advanced. He hadn’t made it to Josh in time and now John had the gun trained on him. The bullet hit Paul in the stomach, but he still managed to hit him full force and send the gun flying. They rolled around on the floor before John got the upper hand; he punched Paul where he had shot him.
“I’m going to make sure he’s dead, you got that?” he shrieked. “My father went to prison, you piece of shit! All because that FUCK said he molested him! And you helped him!”
John was punching Paul over and over again. A shot went off and John pitched forward. He rolled to his back and tried to focus on the figure standing over him. Damon Santorno had the gun pointed at his head.
Paul held his gut and stood, extending a hand to Damon. Damon placed the gun in his hand. Paul stood over John.
“How’s it feel to be shot in the chest, asshole. Look at him.” Paul motioned to Josh.
“Fuck you.” John spat before his head lolled to the side and he stopped breathing.
“You should have never touched him.” Paul shot him. He kept shooting long after the last bullet had been discharged.
“Paul,” Josh rasped.
Paul dropped the gun as the cops rushed in. He fell and crawled over to Josh. He put his hand over his bullet wound.
“Stay with me, please. Please don’t leave me, Josh.”
“I love you, Paul.”
“Don’t you do that! You stay with me. You promised you’d never leave! You promised!”
“I know,” Josh whispered.
“Don’t leave me. Please, Josh — I can’t lose you, too.”
The EMTs surrounded the two men and began assessing the wounds.
“I don’t have a pulse.”
“NO!” Paul cried, trying to break his way free and get to Josh.
“Get him under control!”
“Josh, please! Please! Don’t leave me!” Paul was sobbing
“Dammit, sedate him!”
Damon had pushed Tyler down when the shooting started. He watched the gun slide across the floor and ran for it. He had no idea what he was going to do until he had done it. Now he watched Tyler; his hand was over his mouth and he was crying. They had sedated Paul and taken both men to Medical Center West.
“Oh God.” Tyler cried. “Damon, you could have been hurt, and now Josh and Paul …”
“We need to get to the hospital.” Damon took Tyler’s hand.
Greg was holding Jay, he had pushed him down and covered him when the shooting started.
“My brother —” Jay shook uncontrollably. “Paul …”
“Come on, we need to call your dad and get to the hospital.” Greg pulled Jay up and held him hard. “Come on, baby.”
Quinn had pushed Jason down behind the counter when the gun went off. They were still down on the floor. Jason had called the police as soon as he heard Paul yell Josh’s name.
“How did you know?” Quinn asked.
“Paul never calls him Joshua. He only does that when …” Jason covered his face and cried.
“Hey, it’s all right. He will be fine, Jason.” Quinn hugged him hard. It had surprised him when he pushed Jason down; he hadn’t realized how scared he was of losing him.
Kyle was holding Matt. As soon as he had heard Paul scream Joshua, he had pushed Matt down on the floor and covered him. Now he held him as he cried.
“Oh God, Josh and Paul …”
Kyle held him. “Hey, they’ll be okay. Let’s get to the hospital, all right?” Kyle helped him up and dried his eyes.
“You pushed me down.”
“Of course I did. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“But what if he had tried ...”
“Then I would have protected you, Matt. I love you. Now come on.”
~*~
Everyone had finally arrived at the hospital. Stefan and Jordan had arrived before Damon, and now they wanted answers.
“What the hell happened?” Stefan was checking out Damon from head to toe.
“I shot him.” Damon replied, voice subdued.
“What? Oh God, are you all right?”
“I’m okay. I mean, I shot him in the chest. I knew if I didn’t, he would have killed Paul.”
“Did anyone call Mark?” Stefan asked.
“I did.” Tyler held Damon’s hand and eyed him closely. Damon was shaken up from the shooting.
“Hey, I got here as fast as I could.” Mark ran up with Tanner. “What happened?”
“Matt’s date from the frat party, I guess he’s the son of the man Josh accused of molesting him. He shot Josh and then he shot Paul.”
“Oh my God! Where’s Paul?” Mark looked around, he ran a hand through his hair. “Is he okay? Are they okay?”
“Josh …” Tanner was in complete shock.
“He’s in surgery, but they need your signature on some forms, Mark.” Jordan took him by the hand. “Josh is in surgery, he will be there for a while.” Jordan grabbed Tanner’s hand as well. “Come on.”
“You need to sit down.” Stefan took Damon’s hand and sat him down. “Are you okay? Don’t lie to me.”
“I … the only thing I could think of was Tyler. What if he went crazy and shot Tyler?”
“But he didn’t, babe. I’m here and I’m okay. You didn’t have to push me so hard though.” Tyler tried to smile.
“If it had been you …” Damon began.
“But it wasn’t. I’m okay. You’re never getting rid of me.”
“Thank God. I don’t know what I would have done if anything had happened to you.”
“Mr. Greystone?”
Mark glanced up at a surgical resident. “Yes?”
“The surgeon needs to take out your husband’s spleen. He has other internal injuries but the spleen has to come out, and we need your permission.”
“Tell me where to sign.”
Mark waited for another four hours before a nurse came out. She approached him with a small smile.
“Are you Mark?”
“Yes.”
“Your husband is in recovery. He is asking for you.” She led him down the hall to Paul’s room. “He’s not quite out of the fog yet.”
“Thank you.”
“The surgeon will see you soon.”
Mark sat next to Paul’s bed, took his hand, and kissed his forehead.
“Mark?”
“I’m here, Paul. I’m right here.”
“Mark, please don’t leave me,” Paul mumbled.
Mark leaned over and lightly kissed Paul’s lips. He wasn’t fully awake yet and Mark’s heart ached for him.
“I’m here, Paul.”
~*~
Paul woke up slowly; he looked around the room. There was a soft light coming from the hallway and it was dark outside. He managed to get out of the bed and find a nurse.
“Where’s Josh?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, sir! You’re going to have to get back in bed.”
“Where’s Josh?” Paul went up and down the corridor looking through the rooms. Hands gripped his bicep and he turned to find a male nurse trying to calm him.
“Sir, you have to get back in bed. You’re post-op!”
“Where is Josh? Someone tell me where he is!” Paul pulled out of the nurse’s grasp and went down the hall. He found Josh’s room and then hands were on him again.
“You can’t go in there.”
“Let go of me!” Paul punched the nurse and immediately others grabbed him. “Let me GO!”
“Paul Joseph Greystone!”
“Da
d?” Paul froze and glanced over his shoulder. Stefan stood in the center of the hallway.
“Is this what Josh would want?”
Paul broke down. “I’m sorry! I need to see him. I need to know he’s okay.”
Stefan took Paul in his arms. “I know, baby. It’s okay, shhh.” Stefan glanced up at the nurses. “Why is he not allowed to go in?”
“It’s family only, Mr. Youngblood.”
“Let him in the room.” Stefan glared at them.
“But, sir —”
“Let him in the room, now. Or I’ll let him finish.”
“What the hell is going on? I can hear you all the way in the front!” Jordan stormed up and pulled Josh’s chart.
“This man is trying to get into Mr. Reynolds’ room,” the nurse informed Jordan.
“Well, let’s see. On this chart it says,” he paused. “Oh wow. It says Paul Greystone is allowed in. Imagine that. Did you even bother to read the notes?”
“I — I didn’t.”
“No you didn’t. Now get the hell out of my sight.” Jordan turned to Paul. “Go on in, Jeremy has put you down as family.”
“Is he …” Paul didn’t know how to ask.
“He’s lost a lot of blood, Paul. The bullet missed his heart by a few inches. He was lucky.”
Paul entered the room and took the chair next to the bed. Josh was so pale.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t make it on time. I failed! Oh God, I failed,” Paul cried.
Everything he had tried to protect Josh from had hit him in less than two seconds. He hadn’t seen it coming and he had been too far away to take the bullet. His stomach hurt and he pulled his gown up; he had pulled stitches and fresh blood was seeping.
“Dr. Youngblood!” Paul slumped over.
Stefan sat with Paul as he slept. It hurt his heart to see him like this.
“Stefan, it’s getting late, you need sleep.” Jordan smoothed Stefan’s hair back.
“I’ll sleep when I know they are all right.” Stefan palmed Paul’s face. “You’re going to be okay, Paul, I promise. And I’ll watch over Josh, too.”
“Dad?” Paul shifted in his bed.
“Do you think he means me?” Stefan asked quietly.
“Yeah, I do.”
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