“Trevor, I’ve only ever loved you. I’ve only ever said ‘I love you’ to you. I told you I never dated anyone more than once. Those are lies, and you know they’re lies. The reporters are lying about you, what makes you think they wouldn’t lie about me too? We need to focus on what’s important, handsome. We need to get your medicine down you, let you eat, and get off to sleep. You had a big day. All this will die down. Until then, we must focus on the important thing, and that’s your health.”
Trevor didn’t acknowledge anything he said. Reed stood there several long minutes, just staring at Trevor, who purposely ignored him. The look of deep hurt radiated from Trevor. Reed didn’t know how to stop it. Frustrated, Reed took a step inside the door, crossing that imaginary line, determined to get Trevor to listen to him. His cell rang and Rylie’s name came across the screen. Pivoting on his heels, he abruptly left the room to take the call.
“Little brother, tell me this hasn’t reached you. Where are you?” Reed tried to hide the strain of the last few hours from his voice, and concentrate on making sure his brother stayed safe.
“I’m just getting back in town. Elise’s picking me up from the airport. She’s filling me in. You okay?”
Reed could hear the background noise of the airport as he walked through the house, stopping in his living room. He leaned back against the wall, dropping his head back on the faux finished painting with a small thump. He closed his eyes. “Not so good, but not for the reasons you may be guessing. I haven’t heard any of the reports, but Trevor’s pretty torn up about it. Looks as if he’s been watching it all evening while believing every bit of it,” Reed said openly, and honestly to his brother, his heart breaking in half as he spoke.
“Shit, it doesn’t sound like something he should be watching. They’re digging up lots of dirt on both of you, Reed,” Rylie said. “Elise said there are lots of lies, and one of the French guys is really from our area. He’s an actor. She also said the reporter who broke the story is getting interviewed on all the national news, telling bigger lies with each interview. Did they really barge into the rehab?”
“Yeah, I don’t know how long they were behind us. Trevor’s completely withdrawn from me and I’m worried. He says he’s going to find a place. This morning things were so good between us. Really, just perfect. Now it’s like none of that happened. I don’t want him to leave, Rylie, but I don’t know how to keep him with me.”
“I’m on my way over. Let security know I’m coming, and to let me in when I arrive.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Trevor sat quietly on the bed in Reed’s guest room. He ignored all the extra preparations Reed made to ready this room for his arrival, and kept his eyes steadily focused on the forty-eight inch flat screen plasma television. Trevor watched with interest as the latest clip of headline news reported from Reed’s front yard. The showcasing of the house was excellent, Trevor thought for what had to be the twentieth time in the last two hours. The shots and backdrops of the on air reports were of the rich colorful blooms contrasting against the greenery of the assorted shrubs, and the wood, brick, and rock all along the front of the large custom built home. The only eye-sore Trevor could see might be the long wooden ramp snaking many feet around the sidewalk and up the wraparound porch.
Trevor drove up to this house several times now, but always stayed too focused and taken with Reed to pay close attention to his surroundings. Now, Trevor saw the home in its true glory. He was dumb to not have figured out Reed made money, but even with this impressive house, multi millionaires could afford so much more. Maybe Reed kept a home in one of the other countries he lived in. Perhaps he still paid for some of those men’s homes across the world. Paying them off or paying them to remain there, ready for him when Reed went back into those parts of the world. Honestly though, none of it made any sense to Trevor. Reed didn’t have to keep men on call. He was too good looking and too smooth to not have access to regular bed partners.
The bigger problem for Trevor right now didn’t seem one he really wanted to concentrate on. Trevor was stuck. He tried to call his commander to explain and to see where this might leave him with his team, but Reed’s home phone line was dead. Trevor supposed Reed had the number disconnected with all the calls coming in. Until Trevor could get through, and depending on how his commander answered, he would ask for immediate temporary housing. For the first time since the accident, Trevor realized he was completely stuck without anything. His cell and all his belongings were spread from China to Rylie’s apartment and everywhere in between. Trevor didn’t have his wallet or even a dollar bill to his name until Rylie brought his belongings to him. The best he could do at this point would be to wait and call as soon as he got to the rehab hospital tomorrow.
Sitting back against the headboard, Trevor continued to watch the complete coverage of his story. Much like he suspected, he could see everything about his all important mission became sidelined to the video of Reed bending down beside his chair, reaching to kiss him while running his hand over Trevor’s hair. The footage ran over and over, across every channel on this super satellite. It ran in Spanish, French, and Italian. All showing the same images of him looking back at Reed with the most love stuck gaze. It turned his stomach. He seriously couldn’t look more pathetic. Especially in contrast to the others in Reed’s past. In that one shot, it showed Trevor giving his heart and soul to a man who left a string of broken hearts and tattered souls behind all over the world.