For his entire life, Marcus had been sure that Rafe’s love of both men and women came from his need to assert his individuality over the rules of the world. To show everyone that no one could make him play by their demands. It was all an act of rebellion.
But maybe Rafe truly was attracted to both genders and he was okay with it.
Looking down at Ethan, he knew he didn’t think less of the man.
Yet, when he turned that same light of inspection inward, the shame and horror were still there for himself. He couldn’t forgive himself…and it hurt.
“Mr. Varik?” Ethan prodded when Marcus had been quiet for too long. He hated how Ethan’s expression closed a little, his face growing pale.
“I think after today’s adventure, you can call me Marcus,” he said firmly. A little part of him hated how Ethan gave a deep sigh of relief. “And no, I don’t care that you are gay. The truth is that I’ve never given much thought to Rafe’s…exploits simply because if I did, I would never accomplish anything else.”
Ethan’s grin returned. “Rafe the rebel, huh?”
“Rafe believes in living life according to his terms, and if it happens to upset other people, then all the better.”
Ethan started to reply, but the front doorbell chimed through the house and they both straightened, seeming to take a step back from each other. Marcus couldn’t recall how they came to be standing so close.
“I’ll go get the food,” Ethan offered and quickly hurried from the kitchen.
Marcus grabbed their drinks and utensils before heading into the dining room. Ethan returned a few minutes later holding a large bag with the most delicious smells rising from it.
Ethan chuckled. “I think we ordered way too much food.”
“I have faith that we can make some headway in it.”
They set out the food on the table and piled their plates full. Conversation settled into lighter topics, and Marcus was surprised at how easy it was to simply talk to Ethan. He was smart and funny. He spoke of various jobs he’d taken over the years and how he’d decided to start going to an online college to learn about coding. He dreamed of travel.
And the most wonderful part was that he didn’t press Marcus to share. There was so much in his life that Marcus couldn’t discuss, from his family to many of the things he’d seen in life. But sitting there next to Ethan, he found that he wanted to. He wanted to tell Ethan about all the amazing places he’d traveled during his long life. He wanted to talk more about his brothers.
But it wasn’t safe.
A loud crack of thunder followed by the long, rumbling growl stopped their conversation and had them both looking toward the window.
“Whoa,” Ethan murmured. “I noticed clouds rolling in when I grabbed the food, but that storm got here fast.”
Marcus glanced down at his watch to find that it was only a little after six in the evening. The sun wouldn’t set for another couple of hours, but a storm could change that.
“Was the sun covered? Is it dark out?”
“I think so.”
Marcus’s heart skipped a beat. This could be bad. He’d set Ethan’s work schedule by the fact that the sun would be up and shining during the hours he was in Marcus’s home. No threats could reach him. But an unexpected storm that covered the sky could change that.
“Would you mind checking?” Marcus asked softly.
Ethan stared at him for a second before he finally nodded and pushed from his chair. Before Ethan could touch the heavy curtains to pull them apart, Marcus was already standing by the open doorway that led into the kitchen. He couldn’t take a chance. The windows of the house were all covered with a protective UV film, but it only helped so much. He had to stay out of the direct light as much as possible.
Blinking in surprise to find Marcus at the other side of the room, Ethan gripped the curtains and flashed him a tentative smile. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Ethan pulled the curtains open only a little, while making sure to keep them closed toward Marcus. The vampire winced a little as the pale new light washed over Ethan. It certainly wasn’t as bright as it should have been.
“There are some really dark clouds overhead. You’d think the sun had already set,” Ethan said.
Marcus carefully crossed the room and took the edge of the curtain from Ethan. He pulled it open a little more and peered out the window. The sunlight burned his eyes a little, but he could see that heavy clouds had covered the sky while lightning arced between them. An early night.
“Have you always been allergic to the sunlight?” Ethan asked quietly.
“No, it’s something that grew worse as I became older.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. It did become worse when he was older. It just hadn’t been a gradual thing. He simply woke up after Aiden put him through the change and he could no longer go out in the sun without risking a painful death.