Chapter 3

Charlie shook his head. “No.”

“You’ve stopped loving me?” The blood rushed and pounded in his ears.

“God, no. Of course not, Noah.”

He should feel comfort in Charlie’s denial, but he didn’t. The hurt overwhelmed him. “Yet you want to break up with me.”

“I’m not breaking up with you. I just think…some time apart will do us both good.”

“Really?” His throat clogged for a few seconds so he couldn’t get words out. Tears burned and pooled in his eyes and he forced them away. “Funny, Charlie, because I don’t think any time away from you will do me one bit of good. See, the way I view relationships is they are work, and it’s work you do together, not apart.”

Charlie looked away. “I know you don’t understand.”

“I don’t. Why can’t you just talk to me? Tell me what’s wrong.”

But his lover remained silent.

“Could you tell Sly Cat?” he asked, referring to the Internet identity he’d used early in their relationship.

That had Charlie looking at him sharply. “You arehim.”