Preached By My Neighbor (LGBT/18+)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Wesley Bennett

There's a knock on the door.

My brows furrow in confusion – I'm not really expecting anyone. Last night, I have received a text from Sam that he had already gone home and that he was sorry he wasn't able to drop-by and say good-bye to me, and I replied, saying that it was okay. I wasn't really expecting him to come into my unit and kiss me good-bye.

It could be a neighbor wanting to meet and know me, since we're going to be neighbors for a very long time. I shout halfway across the living room "Just a sec!" and run past into the bathroom to check myself out. I just woke up, and haven't even done my morning routine. I have yet to brush my teeth and splash my face with the cold water to wake myself up. My hair is tousled and my shirt is disheveled due to me rolling around across the bed all night, trying to be comfortable with my new room.

I comb my hair hastily, gurgle, splash my face with the cold water and then dry it off using the towel placed on the rack. Once done, I grin to myself and head back to the kitchen, towards the direction of the main door and open the door wide.

And when I do, I wish I haven't.

Dexter Evans is standing in my doorway, with a sweet smile tugged on his sinful and tempting lips that I've been craving, been wishing to taste again, ever since I left their town. My heart races, and I close the door, locking it rather frantically and my back rests on the door. Dex begins to pound his fist on the door, telling me to open the door, asking me to talk to him and just by hearing his voice again makes my heart clench. Guilt coils in my stomach, twisting, and I want to vomit. Tears well up in my eyes – I never expected that Dex would come here. How did he even know that I'm living in Brooklyn in the first place when I haven't told anyone but Sam and Ms. Barks.

Ms. Barks.

Why am I surprised? Of course Dex would ask anyone, would suddenly become a detective, and it happened that I told Ms. Barks that she could take the house back because I wasn't interested at it anymore. And Dex must have asked her to ask me. I remember the reply I've gotten from here when I asked her through text on why she was asking where I'm living in Brooklyn; she told me that she would like to buy an apartment here in Brooklyn, with the great view of the city. And I definitely believed her. Dex could have been the one to tell her to say that through text.

"Wes! Open the goddamn door, Wesley Bennett! Right this instance!" he barks on the other side, and my heart twists and pumps painfully against my chest. And I hear the hurt and pain in his voice – I just want to open the door, hug him, and throw all the pain and worries he feels in his heart out the window. I just want to wrap my arms around him, kiss him all day, and tell him that everything is going to be fine and that I love him. "Please..." he croaks and that's when the tears start to pour out of my eyes.

Turning around, facing the door, I place my palm on the door and hear him sob. I wish I could tell him to stop crying, but there seems to be a lump forming in my throat. I open my mouth, but no words come out, only muffled sobs and moans, and I shut it close. My hands turn into a fist so hard that it's turning white.

"Why'd you leave me?" he whimpers, barely above a whisper but loud enough for me to hear. I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak and answer. "Don't you love me? Were... were... were you just toying with my feelings?"

It's too much. As soon as the words strike my heart, I stand up, open the door, making him stumble on the ground and I glare at him. "Don't you dare tell me that I was just toying with your feelings because that isn't true. I love you, Dex. I have proved that."

"Then why did you leave me?"

"Because we're never meant to be!" I shout, crying now. I turn around and hear him shutting the door close, and then I hear the click, which means that he has locked the door. I walk across the living room until I'm facing the city of Brooklyn through the window. I hug myself, feeling my heart swell with pain. He approaches me and I feel his presence just behind me. "Don't you get it, Dex? We're never meant to be. We're not supposed to be together. You have a son, a wife. You have a family, and they're always waiting for you. I don't want to wreck what you have. I don't want to ruin your life."

"But you do," he whispers. He turns me around and I'm face to face with his chest.

Dex is wearing a black button-up shirt, which hugs his body and every inch of his muscles, matching it with black pants that showcase how strong and perfect his legs are, and a brown leather shoes that tell you it's not really an ordinary shoes. He looks really great, handsome, and perfect, except for the sadness and pain in his eyes, putting me deeper into a ground made of guilt. I could admire him all day, smother his face with my kisses, and run my fingertips across his smooth skin all day and night. There are small wrinkles at the edge of his eyes, and on his forehead, indicating that he has been through a lot. In fact, I get this feeling that he hasn't really been sleeping well, considering there are black bags underneath his eyes. But he still manages to look gorgeous.

"You ruin my life by getting away from me," he continues. He then wraps his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder. I shut my eyes, savoring the feeling of his arms around me – I feel secured and protected, as if no one can harm me. His chest rests on my back, and I feel every beat of his heart. I want to feel it with my fingertips, hear it, but doubt and fears stop me from doing so. "I love you, Wes. I love you so much you have no idea. When you left me... when I found out that you left me, I... I didn't know what to do. You're part of me, Wes. You're part of my life and my life would not function well without you by my side. I need you, Wesley Bennett. I love you."

I know. I don't know. This is all confusing me. "You're just –"

"What? In a phase? That's bullshit and you know it," he snarls at me, turning me around and looking straight into my eyes. I see the rage, the pain, the yearning, the longing, the love in his eyes. He feels betrayed, and I can't do anything about it. I shake my head. "What do I have to do for you to believe that I'm in love with you? That I will do anything for you? Damn it, Wes."

Dex runs a hand across his face; I can see how much stress I'm putting him through. As I look at him, his eyes trained on me, his chest heaving up and down, I ask myself, how could this person possibly be in love with me? What did I do to make him love me? "Dex –"

Cutting me off again, he says, "Please, Wes. Be a man and accept me." He croaks, tears welling up in his eyes again. "I'm dying here, Wes. I'm begging you, please, love me, need me, want me. Just, please."

And, so I do what I should have done a long time ago – be a man and love him, need him, and want him.

I walk towards his direction, cup his face with my hands, stare deeply into his eyes, lean down and crash my lips against his. He weaves his hand in my hair, gripping it tightly, pushing me into him, closing the gap between us until every inch of our skin is touching while his free arm circles around my waist. He staggers back due to the force, but manages to stand straight still and kiss me passionately, hard and needy, as if we only have a day to live on Earth, as if the word is ending.

Biting my bottom lip, I let out a moan and throw my arms around his neck, as if my life depends on it. I clutch on him like a leech. I never want to let go of this, to let go of this man in front of me. I love him too much. And I'm too selfish to kiss him.

"Bedroom?"

"Bedroom," I agree, and he carries me bridal style into the bedroom.