LOGINSteven POV.Guilt surged through me at his question. "Of course not, why would I avoid you?" I lied, trying to sound carefree.His gaze said he wasn't buying my lie. In the real sense, he'd done nothing wrong to me. To be honest, all he did was help me when I was in distress, first with my car and then with my attackers.He didn't deserve to be cut off by me. But what was I to do when my emotions were in turmoil because of him?“You blocked my number, Steven," he went on, his eyes accusing.“That was—” I paused. “Necessary.”“For what?”“For clarity."He exhaled slowly, studying me. “And did you find it?”I met his gaze for a heartbeat too long. “I’m working on it.”Something flickered in his eyes. Not anger, but understanding that cut deeper. He nodded once and went back to sorting files, his jaw tight.Later, during the evening meal, we sat at the same table helping some of the residents eat. An elderly woman named Mrs. Ellis kept smiling at us.“You two look good together,” she
Steven POV.The voice was smooth, calm, too familiar to mistake.I turned, and there he was.Fabian.For a second, I forgot how to breathe.Holy Smokes!My jaw dropped as my eyes raked over him, standing here, dressed in a casual Polo shirt and brown slacks, reaching for my car keys.No, no, please no. I shook my head slowly in shock.I didn't drive 7 hours all the way from Vegas to escape his constant presence in my mind, only for me to run into him here in the flesh.This had to be a joke. My eyes were playing tricks with me.He stood a few paces away with his sleeves rolled up, revealing those strong forearms I’d forced myself to forget. The sunlight behind him made his skin glow a warm bronze, and his eyes... those hazel eyes — settled on mine with quiet surprise.My throat went dry.“Sister Rosita,” he said, still holding my gaze, “I’ll park his car.”“Thank you, Fabian,” she replied cheerfully, oblivious to the chaos she’d just triggered.He extended his hand for the keys, and f
Steven POV.A month later.I had my hands on my steering wheel as I drove through the expressway of the Las Vegas Strip, singing to Ron Kenoly's 'Beauty for Ashes' on the stereo.My life was back to normal.I had everything in order, just like it should be.I was done delegating Greg's courses out, the exams were starting in a couple of weeks. My workload was reduced, and I had blocked Fabian's number.Yes, you read that right.I blocked and deleted his number.After I confirmed that I was still very much attracted to women, I decided to cut ties with him. To remove anything from my life that would drag me into that state of confusion.Before I blocked his number, he tried reaching out twice, but I kept conversations brief, using excuses like: 'Can we talk later? I'm busy' or 'I'll call you back, I'm in the middle of something.' I never followed up, and since I blocked him, we've had no further contact.I even stopped getting breakfast at the drive-thru, deciding to cut back on my cab
Steven POV.What have I done?Was the question in my head as I tossed and turned on my bed this night.I couldn't believe that I'd let a guy kiss me.Me!Steven Adams. I let a guy put his lips on mine while I stood there and took it like a moron.And what was worse? I thought it felt good.I raked a hand through my hair as conflicting emotions tormented me.What in the name of all that's holy was wrong with me? I wondered feeling embarrassed and flustered.I liked women, had fucked enough of them to be sure of my sexuality. I loved ass and titties, and had never kissed a guy before in my life....not until Fabian.And to think I wasn't repulsed by it, might have even enjoyed it, was making me go crazy.I was so ashamed of myself.After the kiss, I'd practically run away from him, wanting to put distance between us so much that I forgot about my phone in the process. My heart was racing, and my body was trembling so badly, that I needed to get a grip and calm down before I faced him
Steven POV.The air caught in my lungs when I saw Fabian, tall and imposing, restraining the hand of my assailant.How did he get here?The guy strained against his grip, wanting to break free, but Fabian's grip was like a vice. "Let me go," he snarled, annoyed."No," Fabian refused, his voice deep and firm."Who the fuck are you, man?" The guy asked him, still trying to dislodge his hold."I am his friend," he replied with absolute confidence, and for a minute, I was stunned by his bold declaration."Oh, I see," The guy sneered, "You're here to help the little Sissy out–" his speech was cut off as Fabian's fist connected with his face."Ouch, my jaw!" He cried and dropped to his knees, clutching his face. "Why man?""That's for insulting my friend," Fabian muttered, his voice cold and deadly.The other two guys immediately let go of me and lunged at him, swinging at him with their fists. I watched in amazement as Fabian expertly handled the situation.He was more than a match for th
Steven POV.My head snapped in the direction of the voice, and I saw three guys standing at the entrance of the alley.They were young adults, definitely in their early twenties, and they were wearing hoodies with sweatpants that were sagging so low, almost to their knees.In their hands were wrapped pieces of weed, and it looked like they'd come here to smoke."What the fuck are you doing pissing at our joint?" The guy who had spoken up, repeated, scowling at me."Oh, I'm sorry," I said and quickly zipped up, "I didn't know it was your spot.""We call dibs on this spot, motherfucker," the second guy retorted, looking as pissed as his other friends.I didn't know we were now calling dibs on alleys; I thought the space was a free-for-all. In fact, if anyone should be pissed at me right now, it should be the owners of the buildings. Not some crack heads who had no legal claim over the place.To avoid having problems with them, I quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I had no idea it was your







