Page 55 of Never Forget

It’s on the tip of my tongue to bring up the texts. If I wasn’t sure before that this is the same person or people that are responsible for the bomb threat and the attacks today, I am now.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I should have taken it more seriously, even before they sent that picture of Naz. I should have told Cory that day, but I thought getting here and being by his side was more important.

And that’s when it hits me.

That’s exactly why they chose me.

Whoever is doing this knows that I’m more than protective of Naz. That this is more than a job to me. They knew I’d go to be with him, and then they tried manipulating me by trying to convince me the band aren’t good people, or that Naz thinks I’m disposable.

What they failed to realize is that I already know I’m disposable.

Naz has made it abundantly clear that our relationship is an arrangement and nothing more. I think he cares for me, but I’m not deluded enough to think he could ever love me. I don’t know that Naz is capable of allowing himself to let go enough to truly be with someone, but more importantly, the only thing he has ever wanted from me was a sexual arrangement.

There has always been an expiration date on what we have. And I’m okay with that. I have to be okay with that.

Did I anticipate falling for him? Not at all. But I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to force or even try to convince someone to be with me if that’s not what they want.

This person, whoever is doing all of this, is either delusional themselves, or doesn’t know me very well if they think I can be bought or manipulated into betraying Naz or any of the other guys.

Now that they’ve proven just how dangerous they are, I don’t think I can continue ignoring them the way I have.

I have to do something about this.

FOURTEEN

NAZ

“No.”

“Look, I know it’s not ideal, but we need somewhere we can use as a base until Blake and Emmy can do some more digging at the office. The only people we can trust are each other. No one outside the four of you, Luc, and the direct security team can be privy to any of this.”

“Cory, my grandparents are moving in tomorrow. You all think this wacko doesn’t know about my land, but what if we’re wrong? I can’t put them at risk like that.”

“There’s got to be another option,” Scott says, and I feel a surge of warmth that he’s on my side. “Even if we’re working under the radar and not letting anyone at the label know what our next steps are, doesn’t the band have near-unlimited resources at their disposal? It seems dumb to take a chance like this.”

“The problem is that we don’t have time to set anything up and test whether they’re being tracked by any other means, but so far I don’t think they are. Emmy’s theory is the best we’ve got, and so far everything holds up. Whoever it is definitely thought you were at your condo, the call to your building manager proves that.”

“How would you even get them here?” I ask. “Will and Ari are across the country. And aren’t you with Luc and Jesse somewhere in the Caribbean?”

“I’ve got all that handled. And we’ll keep your grandparents safe, too, Naz. I promise.”

“I don’t like it,” I say, but I don’t have any other quick ideas.

These guys are my best friends—my family. I care about their safety more than anything, and I would really like us all to be together while we figure this out. It’s not like there isn’t enough room. There are four bedrooms upstairs and three on the main floor, where my grandparents' main living space and the nurse’s quarters are set up.

So what’s my hang up? Am I really so afraid of my grandparents’ disapproval that I’d rather make a shitty situation worse for the people who mean most to me? For someone who spends a lot of time pretending I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks, I sure am focusing a lot on what everyone will think when the two very different sides of my life come together like this.

“Hey,” Scott says softly, moving to my side and pressing a hand against my cheek. My face flames even though we’re not on any kind of video chat, so it’s not like Cory can see us right now. “It’s going to be okay. They all understand.”

“I need to think about this,” I say, pulling away from Scott’s attempt at comforting me. If anything, him being able to read me so well is only making me feel more claustrophobic. “I’m going to get some air.”

Scott nods. “Cory, Naz is going to go get things settled with the new home health nurse who arrived just before you called. If you have another minute, I have a few things I need to go over with you.”

I pause midway through the door to the library I had built for my grandparents, trying to hold back a wince. I’d nearly forgotten about Simon in the wake of all the revelations we all have had to process. So much for keeping my private and professional lives separate.

Not that I really thought it was reasonable to never have any crossover between the two sides of my life, but I’d hoped I could maintain some semblance of peace at least during the initial transition. My grandfather is already struggling with moving in here, and he’ll never want to stay longer than he absolutely has to in order to avoid a care facility if my lifestyle that he disapproves of is shoved in his face every moment of every day.