Always Another Side

by Annabelle Jacobs

  Jack tried not to let it get to him, but the thought of Tyler with Simon still poked at his insides like a knife. It shouldn’t matter, but it did, and Tyler deserved his honesty. “I want to be able to do that too.”

  Their food arrived at what Jack thought was the worst possible moment, but Tyler seemed to relax into his chair, so maybe they’d been in need of a break. Jack hadn’t gone to the pub with the intention of talking about this, but they needed to wade through all the shit in order to put it behind them.

  They ate their food in silence, and the mood was considerably lighter than Jack was expecting after that conversation.

  Tyler pushed his plate away first. “I have to get back to work in a few minutes.”

  Jack glanced at his watch. “Shit, I didn’t realise it was so late.”

  They’d been here almost an hour already. Where had the time gone? He stood and slipped his phone into his pocket, watching Tyler do the same. They’d gone a long way to sorting things out between them, but they hadn’t resolved everything. Unfortunately, Jack believed only time would tell whether he could accept Tyler’s past with his ex. There was no quick fix for that.

  “Would you like to come round for dinner on Friday?” Jack’s heart stuttered at the disappointed look on Tyler’s face, and he hurried to explain. “It’s not that I don’t want to see you before then. I’m going to have to work late this week, and I don’t want to get together when I’m rushed or tired. I think things between us are too fragile to introduce frayed tempers into the mix.”

  “Okay.” Tyler’s nod and small smile went some way to easing the tightness in Jack’s chest. He knew from experience how short-tempered he could get when tired or stressed at work.

  They said goodbye with only a quick hug, and Jack got in his car feeling as though he’d messed up but was not sure how.

  As it turned out, his decision not to see Tyler until Friday looked more and more like the right one as the week passed. Jack was in the office until seven on Tuesday and Wednesday, and by Thursday afternoon he was tired and snappy. By some miracle he finished work at the much more reasonable time of twenty past six and was on the way out to his car when the phone rang.

  He answered while fishing his keys out of his pocket, and the name on the phone didn’t register at first. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Jack, it’s Sarah. Are you okay to talk?”

  Fuck, she was calling about his offer. “Yes, of course.” His terse greeting had obviously made her wary and he rolled his eyes at himself. “Have you heard back from the sellers?”

  “I have.” She sounded far too cheery for bad news, and Jack’s mood lightened in an instant as excitement raced through him. “You’ll be pleased to know they’ve accepted your offer.”

  “Yes!” Jack gripped the phone tight, his grin huge. Nothing was binding until they exchanged contracts, but still…. “What about them, how are they fixed for moving?”

  Sarah paused, and he heard papers rustling on the other end. “They’ve put in an offer on a property and are waiting to hear back. So fingers crossed we can get things moving quickly. But regardless, the vendors are happy to move out when you’re ready. I think they’re keen not to lose the sale.”

  “Excellent.” Jack wasn’t in a rush to kick them out, but it was good to know he wouldn’t be stuck waiting months as part of a chain either.

  “Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow to talk more about it. I was leaving the office when they phoned, and I wanted to let you know.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate it.”

  “No problem. Bye, Jack.”

  “Bye.”

  Jack grinned with the phone still against his ear. The news took a while to sink in.

  I’ve got a fucking house!

  Sliding his phone into his pocket, Jack walked the rest of the way to his car. Excitement mounted with each step until he was bursting to share the news.

  And there was only one person he wanted to tell.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tyler sat on the sofa with a beer watching an old CSI: Miami episode, but not paying enough attention to follow the plot. After meeting Jack on Monday, the week had dragged, and Tyler was anxious for Friday night to arrive. Their talk in the pub had done a lot to alleviate his guilt but did not eradicate it entirely.

  Jack had said he didn’t blame Tyler, and Tyler wanted to believe he meant it, but—there was always a fucking but. That Tyler had slept with Simon still bothered Jack, and because of that, Tyler couldn’t help but think some part of Jack blamed him too. Despite his words to the contrary. And as long as Jack continued to think that, Tyler would continue to feel guilty.

  When he mentioned that to Aaron on Monday night, Aaron had thrown his hands in the air and asked him what more Jack had to say to get Tyler to believe him. Tyler had no answer to that. Jack had said all the right things, but that niggly feeling wouldn’t go away. Maybe it wasn’t more words he needed.

  He reached for his beer and took a long swig. Ugh, it had been there so long it was warm, and Tyler grimaced as he downed the last of it. On his way to the fridge to get another, the doorbell chimed, and he changed direction to head down the hall to the front door. Checking his watch, he grumbled at who would be here at ten past seven on a Thursday night. None of his friends had texted to say they were popping round, and Tyler was in no mood for surveys or double-glazing salesmen.

  He peered through the glass insert in the door and stopped midway down the hall. On the other side stood the last person he expected to see.

  Jack, shifting from foot to foot as though he was nervous. His last impromptu visit hadn’t gone so well, and Tyler stood frozen to the spot as all kinds of scenarios raced through his head. But then Jack looked up and saw him through the glass, and Tyler had no choice but to walk forward and open the door.

  “Hey. I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow night.” Tyler had one hand on the door frame and the other on the door as he took a good look at Jack. Jack must have come straight from work because he had on a shirt and trousers, and he seemed to vibrate with energy. Tyler suddenly remembered his manners and stepped out of the doorway. “Shit, sorry. Come on in.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jack’s grin was huge as he walked inside, and Tyler’s heart rate kicked up in anticipation. Nothing bad ever started with a smile like that. Whatever Jack had come to say, Tyler was 99.9 percent sure it was good news. Well, what Jack considered good news, and Tyler hoped they were on the same page.

  He led Jack into the kitchen with the intention of getting them each a beer and turned to Jack as he opened the fridge. “Would you like a drink?”

  “Actually, I thought we could have this.” Jack held up a bottle of champagne as Tyler turned to face him.

  “Oh.” Tyler swallowed past the lump in his throat. His heart thumped wildly and it felt as though a hundred butterflies had invaded his stomach. “What are we celebrating?”

  Jack took a couple of steps forward to stand in front of him. “Two things, I hope.”

  He set the champagne on the counter and then cupped Tyler’s jaw.

  Jack’s hands were cold from the bottle, and Tyler sucked in a breath when they touched his skin. “What’s the first one?”

  Jack smiled, his dark eyes sparkling with excitement, and Tyler felt himself being swept along with it. “Me getting my head out of my arse.” He stroked his thumbs along Tyler’s cheeks. “I don’t care that you slept with Simon. He’s just one in a long line of people you knew before me—”

  “Not that long, thank you very much.” Tyler smirked, buoyed by Jack’s words.

  “Sorry.” Jack smiled big and wide, and Tyler’s butterflies took off inside him. “What I’m trying to say is that Simon, and anyone else, are in your past, and they have nothing to do with what I hope is in your future.”

  Tyler’s mouth was so dry it took him a couple of tries to get the words out. “And what’s that?”

  “Me.”

  Maybe it was words Tyler
needed, after all.

  “Fuck yes.” He grabbed Jack’s waist with both hands and pulled him close enough to kiss. Jack’s mouth was warm and willing, opening up under Tyler with a low moan. That sound alone had Tyler’s cock hardening in the loose confines of his pyjama bottoms, and he rubbed up against Jack’s hip to get a little friction. “I want you to be in my future.”

  Jack backed him up against the kitchen counter and rested their foreheads together. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” He kissed his way along the edge Tyler’s jaw until his mouth brushed the shell of Tyler’s ear. “Because the truth is I love you.”

  Tyler grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. “I love you too.”

  Jack’s sigh of relief tickled Tyler’s ear and made him shiver. Tyler shuffled closer until they were pressed together from shoulder to thigh, and they stayed like that for what seemed ages, holding tight to each other, almost afraid to let go. Tyler’s cock was still at half-mast, but he ignored it, content to enjoy Jack’s embrace for a while longer. He’d missed it.

  “Hey,” Tyler said as a thought occurred to him.

  “Hmm?”

  “You said there were two things we needed to celebrate.” Tyler poked Jack in the side. “What was the other one?”

  “Oh.” Jack stepped back, his hands resting on Tyler’s shoulders. Tyler would have bemoaned the sudden loss of contact except for Jack’s expression of sheer joy. “I got the house.”

  “What?” It took Tyler a couple of seconds to catch on, and then his smile almost matched Jack’s. “They accepted your offer?”

  “Yes.” Jack nodded, digging his fingers into Tyler’s shoulders in his excitement.

  “That’s fantastic news.” Tyler kissed him again because he could. “When did you find out?”

  Jack glanced up at the clock on Tyler’s kitchen wall. “About thirty minutes ago. Sarah called as I was leaving work.” He stared intently at Tyler as if willing the words to sink in.

  A deep warmth filled Tyler from the inside out as he got what Jack was trying to tell him. “Oh.”

  “As soon as I ended the call, I knew the first person I wanted to share this with was you.”

  Tyler melted a little inside.

  “So I got in my car and came straight here. Well”—Jack nodded at the bottle of champagne still sat on the counter—“I may have popped into Tesco on my way.” He placed a hand on Tyler’s cheek again, stroking across the stubble Tyler had allowed to grow. “I like this, by the way. It suits you.”

  “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Tyler had so many things whirling through his head—questions about the house, about them. But the gnawing guilt over what had happened with James/Simon and the doubt of whether Jack held it against him had gone. Finally. He grinned. “Let’s crack that champagne open and start celebrating.” He half turned and reached for the bottle while Jack moved to get two glasses out of the cupboard Tyler pointed at.

  With their glasses full, Tyler raised his and proclaimed, “Here’s to you getting your new house. A fresh start.”

  Jack grinned. “I’ll drink to that. To the future, no more dwelling in the past.”

  “The future.”

  They clinked their glasses together and drank, and to Tyler the future had never looked brighter.

  Epilogue

  Nine months later

  Jack turned off the engine, and they sat looking at the house that was now their new home. “No regrets?” He glanced over to see Tyler looking at the house with a soft smile.

  “None.” He turned to face Jack and shrugged. “It’s too late now, anyway. We’ve already signed on the dotted line.” Tyler’s smile grew wide until he was grinning broadly. “It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

  “Good.” Jack leaned over the centre console and kissed him, then sat back in his seat with a sigh. “I’m glad the other house fell through.”

  Tyler snorted. “Not at the time you weren’t.”

  “Well, no, I was gutted, obviously. But look how much better everything’s turned out.” He reached out and slipped his hand through Tyler’s. “Let’s go inside. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “Oh?” Tyler raised an eyebrow but followed Jack’s lead and got out of the car. “What sort of surprise?”

  “Wait and see.” Jack dangled the keys in front of Tyler’s face. “Do you want to do the honours?”

  With an eye-roll, Tyler plucked them out of Jack’s hands. “It’s not like we haven’t been inside before.”

  “I know, but this is the first time when it’s actually been ours.”

  Tyler stopped with the key halfway to the lock and glanced over at Jack. “Ours.” He grinned again. “It does have a nice ring to it.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  This time Tyler went to unlock the door with a lot more reverence, and he pushed it open with a wave of his hand and a “Ta-da!”

  Jack stood on the porch for a second, glancing from where Tyler leaned against the door frame, beaming, to the inside of their house, and finally to the large if slightly wild-looking garden surrounding it. Five months after the first house fell through, they’d found this one and decided to buy it together. Jack’s thoughts echoed Tyler’s words.

  It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

  “Come on,” Tyler urged. “I want to see this surprise.”

  Jack shook his head. “You’ve got no patience.” He smiled, though, and let Tyler drag him inside.

  Kicking off his shoes, Tyler looked around them, arms held out wide. “Should I be looking downstairs or upstairs? And how have you managed to get anything done in here without me knowing?”

  Jack couldn’t resist looking smug. They’d decided on everything together—from the carpets and curtains to the new fitted kitchen. But Tyler had been away all week on a training course and Jack had managed to get his surprise installed before he got back. Barely. The workmen were probably still cursing him. “This is what you get for being away for five days.” He pointed at the stairs. “And we need to go up.”

  “After you.” Tyler ushered Jack up the stairs and followed closely behind him, putting a hand on Jack’s arse and making him jump. “Is it in the bedroom?” He slid his fingers down the seam of Jack’s jeans. “Is it that sort of surprise?”

  Jack laughed. “It’s not in the bedroom.”

  Tyler was silent for all of two seconds. “But it is that sort of surprise?”

  “Hmm… maybe.” Jack jumped as Tyler smacked him on an arse cheek.

  “Tease.”

  He led Tyler along the hallway, passed their bedroom and the other two spare rooms, until they reached the bathroom at the end. “It’s in here.”

  Tyler eyed him curiously. “I thought we agreed the bathroom was fine as it was.” The previous owners had only just had it retiled.

  Jack slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. “I know, but I thought it was missing a little something.”

  Tyler let out a low whistle. “Or a big something.”

  The bathroom was huge by modern standards. The previous tenants had knocked down the wall to the box room next door and combined the two rooms, making a beautiful space. With the extra room, the bath and shower had already been installed separately, but Jack had made a few alterations while Tyler was away on his course.

  “If this is what happens when I go away, I might have to do it more often.” Tyler walked over to the huge double shower that now fit across the back wall. He ran a hand over the front of the door and glanced back over his shoulder, sending a dirty grin Jack’s way. “It was a long drive back from that course. I’m feeling a bit sweaty.”

  Jack laughed. “The course was in Swindon. That’s an hour at most.”

  Tyler looked pointedly at the two thick fluffy towels hanging over the heated towel rail. “Our furniture isn’t arriving until tomorrow. The rest of the house is empty, yet there are towels in the bathroom.”

  Jack shrugged. “Coincidence.”

  “
Uh-huh.” Tyler walked back towards him, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked. “Admit it. You brought me here to try out the shower.”

  This time Jack smiled. He let his gaze dip to the exposed skin of Tyler’s chest. “Maybe. I thought we should christen the house, and the shower seemed… fitting.”

  Tyler let his shirt fall to the floor. It reminded Jack of the first time they’d done this, as he knew it would. He reached past Tyler to slide open the shower door and turn on the water, then pulled off his T-shirt.

  With a smile and a wink, Jack reached for his belt buckle. “Race you.”

  He had it undone in seconds and quickly shrugged out of his underwear and jeans in one go, laughing at Tyler’s curses.

  “For fuck’s sake, you are such a cheater, Bowman.”

  Jack let out a surprised laugh, adrenaline coursing through him as he hurried to get his socks off. Almost a year together and still not used to the way Tyler made him feel so young and reckless, but loving it all the same. He hurried into the shower and under the hot spray, sighing in relief when the water hit him. With his eyes closed, he heard the shower door shut and his whole body tensed with anticipation. “I won.”

  He bit his lip and trailed a hand down his belly to start lazily stroking his cock.

  “So you did.”

  Tyler’s voice was low and rough, making Jack’s hair stand on end. Jack swallowed and opened his eyes. Tyler stood in front of him, watching the steady movement of Jack’s hand. “Do I get a prize?” Jack asked.

  Tyler grinned. “Oh, I think we can work something out.”

  “I was hoping you’d say—” Jack made a soft noise of surprise as Tyler kissed him midsentence.

  Water rained down on them as Tyler cupped Jack’s face with one hand and wrapped the other around Jack’s cock, knocking his hand out of the way in the process. Tyler’s grip was firm and tight, dragging up and down Jack’s length and bringing him to the edge far quicker than he would have liked.