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“Yes. I thought you’d support me. I thought you’d be happy for me. Playing rugby for Harlequins is my dream, Wren. But so is being with you. I’ll come out. I promise. I need more time.”
He blinks as fresh tears tumble down his cheeks. “You need a new dream,” he whispers. “One that doesn’t include me. Arsehole.” He turns and strides away, shoulders hunched.
“You’re the arsehole,” I yell after him. “I’m just asking for a bit more time. That’s not too much to ask. If you loved me, you’d support me. You’d understand.”
He flips me off and keeps walking.
I pick up the corsage, which I’d put on the bonnet of my car, and throw it at the wall. The plastic box explodes. Red petals scatter and then float to the ground. I press my fists against my eyes. I thought Wren would understand. Why couldn’t he understand that I needed a bit more time?
Chapter 2
Wren
* * *
Five Years Later
I’ve never been to The Library before, but the moment I step inside, I fall in love with the aesthetic. It’s a grand Victorian library, albeit a dimly lit one.
Normally, The Library is a members-only kink club. This week, they’re running a series of special events to attract new members. Each event caters to a different type of kink. Tonight, it’s Daddy kink.
As I look around, I realise I’m underdressed. Or maybe I’m overdressed. In a white crop top and stonewashed skinny jeans, I’m wearing less than the ageplayers, who are dressed in an assortment of onesies and adorable toddler outfits. Some have bubble butts from wearing nappies beneath their clothes. I’m wearing significantly more than most of the non-age-playing boys and girls and the majority of the Daddies and Mummies. There’s a lot of leather and bare skin. T-shirts with ‘Daddy’s little girl’ or ‘Daddy’s little boy’ are two a penny. I see a few tops with ‘Property of Daddy’ emblazoned on them. ‘Spank me harder, Daddy’ is quite common, as is ‘Keep Calm and Say Yes, Daddy’. Maybe I should have got myself a similar T-shirt so I could blend in better. I’ll know for next time.
The ground floor houses the bar and a large area reserved for dancing. There are bookcases all the way around the room and wing-back chairs. Temporary signs point the way to various rooms, all of which are upstairs. There’s an ageplay/ABDL nursery, an impact playroom, and a chill-out room, among others.
Feeling a little out of my depth, I hover at the periphery of the room and look at the spines of the books. They’re probably fake, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to pluck a copy of Frankenstein off the shelf. I almost whoop when I’m able to take it off the bookshelf and open it. It’s real. I sniff the pages. And it has that comforting, slightly musty, old book smell. My cheeks flush with heat. I put the book back and glance around, hoping no one noticed me geeking out. I need to relax and dance. I’m here to find a Daddy for the night. I won’t do that by sniffing books.
I go to the bar. They have an enticing selection of non-alcoholic cocktails. A tall twink in make-up and high heels makes me a Robinson Crusoe cocktail, which contains Caleño instead of rum, pineapple, and lots of crushed ice. Drink in hand, I turn around, take one step, and bump into a tall man with a broad chest. My yellow mocktail spills over his black shirt and my white top.
“I’m sorry!” I keep my gaze lowered in case he’s a strict Daddy.
“It’s fine.” There’s something familiar about his voice. He grabs a handful of red napkins off the bar. “May I?” He holds the fistful of napkins close to my top.
“Oh, yes. Thank you.”
He pulls my top away from my body and starts dabbing at it with the napkins. “There, it’s not too bad. I think it will wash out.” He wipes the sticky liquid off my hand. “Wait. Wren? Is that you?”
My heart leaps into my mouth. I don’t know anyone who’s into Daddy kink. Do I? Then the voice clicks into place in my memory. It’s deeper than it was. Mellower.
I look up, eyes widening. “Tanner?”
He’s older than when I last saw him. Obviously. He’s grown a beard, but it’s unmistakably Tanner. The intensity of his dark blue stare makes my knees weak. My heart sinks back into my chest and flutters like a butterfly on acid. His black shirt is tight-fitting, showing every bulging muscle. His trousers, also black, hug his tree-trunk thighs. I can only imagine how amazing they look pulled tight over his arse. I snap my mouth shut and swallow. This is Tanner. My first love and the man who broke my heart.
He looks me up and down. “You look amazing.”
So does he, but I seem to have lost the ability to speak. He’s the last person I expected to see here.
He gestures to me. “You’re into Daddy kink.” It’s not a question. It has to be obvious that I am by the fact I’m here. But that means he must be into Daddy kink too. He wipes his shirt clean while he waits for me to respond. His is less likely to stain than mine.
“Y-yes.”
He grins. “I’m a Daddy.”
Why did he have to grin? Tanner has a lop-sided smile, always hooking up farther to the right than the left. It makes his eyes sparkle like sapphires. My knees are so weak I’m convinced I’m going to end up on them any second now.
“I can’t believe we bumped into each other.” He sighs. “Wow. It’s been—” He shakes his head. His grin fades to a sad smile that steals the sparkle from his eyes. “Five years. How have you been?”
“Fine.” I should walk away. I don’t owe Tanner a second of my time, but he’s being so nice.
