Trust (London Love #5)

“Move in with me,” I said. “Please.”

He stared at me with that rock-solid determination I’d started to recognise. Then he threw his fork down on the table and got up. Stomped across the room towards the hallway and turned around. Stared at me with his fists by his sides.

“You just can’t stop, can you? I’ve told you. No. Absolutely not. We’re mates, Gray. That’s it. Nope. No more. Just… For fuck’s sake.”

And off he went, storming down the hallway, slamming the door to his room.

I knew what I was doing. I was as bad as bloody management. The bigwig dickheads with their suits and ties who sat at the top of the building with their ideas and brandings, taking every penny we made… letting us have our measly royalties out of kindness.

I wasn’t rich. Never would be. Not like that.

But I had…me. And a house. And I was wearing him down with my ridiculous crush and stupid demands because…

I was in love with him. Yeah. I could even think it out loud. I loved Reuben. That ridiculous idiot who was no doubt face-planted in his bed throwing fists into the pillow.

I wanted him. But if I was very…very honest with myself?

I was perhaps being cruel, because I was just as pig-headed as Reuben was.

Perhaps he just needed a break. I mean. I’d been here for days on end, and tomorrow he had a day off and I had plans. I wanted to show him the house and wow him with that barbecue and let him see the future I wanted.

And I once again cringed at myself. I had no idea what he wanted.

Apart from that he didn’t want me.

But then he would smile at me and laugh and let me hug him and hold him, and at night, he’d lift his arm and let my head rest on his chest, my hand on his stomach.

Which told me in every single way that he probably loved me just as much as I loved him.

But what did I know? I came up with crappy lyrics and wiggled my hips on stage.

He at least had a proper job.

I didn’t even know what I was supposed to write down as my job description. I wanted to tell him about the meeting with my acting agent and about the audition they wanted me for, and I was honestly crapping myself over that whole idea.

And the film was coming out.

The one where everyone would laugh at my pathetic attempts at the acting thing.

It made me wring my hands and fling my chair aside, and before I knew it, I was stomping down that corridor after him. I kicked open his door and threw myself down on that bed next to him, on my stomach, my head turned so I was facing him.

His eyes were closed. I nudged his nose with mine. Blew in his face.

A smile. Good.

“Sorry,” I said. “I know I say that a lot.”

“You do,” he grumped. His bottom lip stuck out like he was sulking. He wasn’t sulking, but he was trying very hard not to smile. The surge in my stomach was stupid. Because I wanted to kiss him. Just snog that smile off his face.

“Tomorrow?” I tried in my softest voice. “I want to take you somewhere. Just you and me. Hear me out, yeah?”

“Where?”

Reuben. My Reuben. I didn’t care about anything, where he’d come from or who’d he’d once been. What I cared about was that he was right here, right now, and I trusted him. I did. He’d proved I could, over and over again. He was just…who he was, and I was me, with everything that came with being The Dieter. There were no secrets between us.

“I want to take you to see this house.”

“For fuck’s sake,” he grunted and rolled away from me. Nice try, Reubs, but I caught him before he fell off the bed. I may not have been any kind of gym bunny, but I was strong and agile. Fast too, and I had tricks up my sleeve. So here he was, underneath me and I was on top of him with my nose against his.