Page 2 of A Coffee Away

I was done hating myself for something I couldn’t change. No matter how much I tried to bury my feelings. No matter how many self-portraits I destroyed. I couldn’t stop them. They always came rushing in.

I ached for the love of a man. His touch. The care and protection I desperately wanted.

My alarm screamed, reminding me I had to go back. Back to my parents.

Today I turned twenty-one, and my parents expected me for a cozy dinner at home. Just the three of us.

Tomorrow my whole family would stand witness to a birthday blessing at Sunday mass. Why? Because it was important to show society what a perfect family we were. Afterward, we’d all have brunch at Ola Ocean Front Bistro at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel for me to get congratulated again and again for being a liar to myself.

Fuck it! What a fucking lie!

The only person there worth my time was Sylas. My cousin knew about me and accepted me for who I was. We were both gay but hid behind pretenses of being the same as the rest. Imprisoned by a family ruled by the beliefs of the church and the conservative ideas of those who surrounded us.

Sylas was my anchor, the only one in my family who gave a damn about me, the real Roberto. But he was not enough.

No!

I broke the canvas across my thighs, then fell to the sand and cried.

I didn’t know how much time passed until a touch brought me back. A soft, lingering warmth traveled from my shoulder to my neck, sending a shudder down my spine.

I jerked away, my heart threatening to jump out of my chest. Dusk had come and gone, and I couldn’t see where the beach ended and the ocean began. What if I was being mugged?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought…”

His tone was raspy. Masculine. With a drop of authority.

His black hair glinted below the streetlight. His hands were in front of him, one holding the canvas.

I shook my head and fixed my glasses. It was the same man who had been running. The same one who had smiled at me, only now he wore a black sleeveless shirt.

My pulse quickened, and everything inside vibrated at his presence.

He gestured. “May I sit?”

I nodded. My voice disappeared as I caught a hint of blue in his eyes even in the mellow light of the streetlamp.

He was striking—a square jaw, dimpled cheeks, and a roguish smile. He sat beside me.

I fixed my hair.

“Is this yours?” He studied the broken canvas.

“Ujum.” I nodded.

“You’re…” He took out his phone and turned on its flashlight. “Roberto?” His eyes settled on mine.

I was trapped in his stare. The way my name rolled off his tongue sent shivers throughout my body.

“You can call me Robbie,” I mumbled.

He smiled. Boy, what a smile.

I covered my eyes as the light from his phone hit me.

“Oh. Sorry. I just wanted to see you.” He leaned closer. “You were here earlier, right?”

I nodded, then looked away. My face was impossibly hot.