Chapter 23

“It would be fake, Barnaby. You’d do all that and it wouldn’t make any difference to who you really are. You’d still be—”

“Still be what?”

“Too much.”

Barnaby gasped, such a quiet little catch in his throat he almost didn’t hear it. Nathan loathed himself.

His lover stood up suddenly and turned away from him. “I’m just going to go.”

Nathan opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t find the words to take it back and Barnaby had already practically run for the front door. He got up from the couch and went to the door. The younger man had already made it to his car and he wanted to call him back.

This is what you want, right?

He was an idiot. He knew it the minute he watched Barnaby drive away without stopping him. He was in love with Barnaby and he’d just sent him away. 11

The last place Barnaby wanted to go to was his dumpy apartment. He couldn’t face it. Couldn’t face anything really. He just wanted to disappear.