Lubes City (Steamy BL Stories)

Chapter 9

Ethan

I stared at Marcus. My hand stayed at my side. The hallway suddenly felt too quiet.

Marcus recovered first. His eyes stayed wide for a second, then narrowed. “Ethan? What are you doing here?”

My mouth felt dry. I swallowed once before speaking. “I could ask you the same thing.”

He glanced back over his shoulder into the room, then stepped into the hallway. The door did not close all the way. It stayed open a few inches. We stood facing each other under the mild hallway light.

“I was just leaving,” Marcus said. His voice stayed even, but his shoulders looked tight. “What about you?”

“I came to see someone.”

Marcus’s gaze flicked to the half-open door and back to me. “Adrian?”

Hearing the name from his mouth made my stomach drop. “You know him.”

“Yeah. He was my therapist.”

The words landed hard. I felt my face change. “Your therapist.”

“Yes. I ran into him at the conference downstairs. We talked for a bit and we decided to speak privately for a bit. So I came up.” Marcus shifted his weight. “What about you? Why are you standing at his door looking all flushed?”

I opened my mouth. Before I could answer, the door opened wider.

Adrian stepped out. He looked at me first, then at Marcus, then back at me. Surprise crossed his face.

“Oh. Ethan. You are here.”

He glanced between the two of us. “Do you two know each other?”

Marcus spoke before I could. “We are old friends.”

I turned my head toward him. The words came out sharp. “Old friends? That’s what we are now? You f*****g left. You left me for some hotshot dude. You packed your things and walked out like the last two years meant nothing. And now you stand here calling us old friends? I had to go through series of therapy to even get here”

Marcus’s jaw tightened. “Ethan, not here.”

“Then where?” My voice rose. “You show up at the same hotel you clearly know I have a contract for some shoots with. You saw me and just want to act like this is normal?”

Adrian raised both hands slightly. “Hold on. Both of you.”

Marcus looked at him, then back at me. “I did not know you would be here. I did not plan this.”

“You never plan anything,” I said. “You just do whatever works for you alone.”

Marcus’s face flushed. “You want to do this now? In a hotel hallway? Fine. I left because we were stuck. We kept having the same fights. I met someone who made me feel less trapped. That is the truth. I am not proud of how I handled it, but I am not going to stand here and let you rewrite the whole thing.”

“You left me for money and an easier life,” I shot back. “Say it straight.”

“I left because I was unhappy. The rest came after.”

Adrian’s voice cut in, quieter but firm. “Marcus. Ethan. This is not the place.”

Marcus turned to him. “I should go.”

“Yes,” Adrian said. “That might be best right now.”

Marcus looked at me one more time. His expression mixed anger and something else I could not name. “I did not come here to run into you. I came to talk about my own stuff. Whatever is going on between you two is not my business. But do not act like I set this up.”

He walked past me toward the elevators. His footsteps stayed quick on the carpet. He did not look back. The elevator chimed as he got in and the doors closed. The hallway went quiet again.

I stood there with my hands clenched. My legs felt unsteady. Adrian watched me for a second, then stepped aside and held the door open.

“Come in,” he said.

I walked past him into the room. My legs shook. I sat on the edge of the bed before they could give out. The mattress dipped under me as I sat down. I rested my elbows on my knees and stared at the floor panting.

Adrian closed the door after he checked the hallway one more time. The lock clicked softly behind him. He stayed near the door for a moment, then walked farther into the room.

I stood up. My legs still felt weak, but I needed to move. I walked to the window and looked out at the street below. Cars moved past under the evening lights. Their headlights cut through the growing dark.

I kept my eyes on the traffic when I spoke.

“Let me guess. You also knew he was my ex too?”