Cutting Cords
Cole
was surfing the net and killing time until his parents showed up. They usually
came once a week, and tonight was their night. He hadn’t even prepared a meal, counting
on his mother to bring something good. She always did, so why should now be any
different?
He supposed they would go all-out and bring extra special food to
impress his new roommate. One he’d hurt badly because he’d given in to the
moment.
Sloan couldn’t stay. His presence would be a constant reminder of another
flaw, one Cole had buried so deep it hardly ever made an appearance. He allowed
himself to think about the incident for a minute and was shocked at how quickly
his body responded.
The memory of the indescribable pleasure was overshadowed by deep
shame, however, and he shoved it away decisively. He would not give in to the
demands of his body. He was Cole Fujiwara, for God’s sake, a man’s man. He
wasn’t gay or even bisexual. This was a random incident that should have never
happened.
His girlfriend of three years could attest to his sexual prowess. They
were intimate on a regular basis, although lately, it had become predictable.
At one time, he used to think she was the perfect partner for him.
Their backgrounds were similar, only in her case it was her mother who was
Japanese and her father Caucasian. The older Fujiwara’s had set up the first
meeting, because she was the daughter of a friend, and were pleased they’d hit it
off.
She was beautiful and educated but much too accommodating for his
taste. He assumed it had to do with her upbringing. Japanese wives rarely
contradicted their husbands, and Juliana never questioned him or insisted on
doing things her way. After a while, the novelty of her beauty had worn off,
and he was utterly bored. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t make the ultimate
commitment. Aside from all the other issues he was dealing with, the thought of
spending a lifetime with someone who just went along with everything he said
wasn’t appealing. He enjoyed verbal repartee, a heated discussion made for good
conversation, and someone who matched him intellectually was far more important
than visuals at this stage in his life. Life with Juliana would be predictable
and comfortable—most assuredly—but devoid of passion.
And strong emotions were in short supply. Almost everything he’d
enjoyed in the past had been yanked away by his disease—the unstoppable enemy that
was ruining his life. He had to recapture the joy of living, to start feeling
again, or he’d never move forward.
The door of the bathroom finally clicked open. Sloan had been in there
for the longest time, and Cole had been holding the urge to pee, refusing to
have any kind of contact with Sloan until he had no choice. Fortunately, he
didn’t have to wait any longer.
He dashed into bathroom and was immediately assaulted by the smell. The
combination of vomit and cigarette smoke was bad enough, but underneath it all
was the unmistakable odor of fresh blood, something he’d come to recognize from
his baseball-playing days. The sharp, metallic tang overlaid with sweat and
fear was par for the course in a locker room filled with men playing a physical
sport. Not so much in the middle of Manhattan.
After taking care of his immediate needs, Cole glanced around, hoping to
see something out of the ordinary, but of course he couldn’t see squat. All he
had left was his central vision and that was fractured at best. He got down on
his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor, expecting to see some color at
least, but the only thing recognizable was white tile.
He pushed the small window open; grateful for the cool air wafting into
the room. Crouching down, Cole reached for the can of air freshener underneath
the sink and sprayed it around liberally. Finally, he moved over to the sink to
wash his hands. The lingering odor of sickness bothered him, though, and he had
to assume Sloan had hurled at some point. Frowning in distaste, he realized there
was no way to get an answer unless he ran gloveless fingers over the rim of the
toilet. He forced himself to stop fretting and hoped the smell would dissipate
by the time his parents arrived.
Cole was reluctant to answer any questions involving Sloan. It was a
minefield he didn’t care to navigate, not until he had more answers. He also
had to make sure they kept their information about his impending blindness to
themselves. The very last thing he needed was for Sloan to find out and coddle
him. He’d rather deal with hostility and anger than be babied.
CUTTING CORDS is live on Amazon and a free read on Kindle Unlimited. The entire series is now available for your next binge read. Enjoy!
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