The Stepfather (MxM) ✓

Chapter 25

I went, in the end.

There was no avoiding it, not really. It was one of the extremely rare times that Lana had double booked her services.

Come to think of it, it was the first time that that had happened since I started working with her.

So I packed up my things, brought my only suit (it was online polite to at least semi-dress up for a wedding, Lana had drilled into my mind), and made my way down to the bus depot. I had been taking Lana's driving abilities for granted, considering we often had to travel for work - so buses were a rare thing, unless her car was out of action or I needed to get to the location before her to set up.

Point being - buses. Awful. Terrible. I would have preferred walking.

But I made my pilgrimage back to a place I hadn't been in nearly six years.

And being trapped in a metal box for a few hours, my mind couldn't help but wander. Which was something I tried to avoid, especially when it came to this particular topic.

I wondered what they were all doing with their lives.

If Alice had stayed interested in her classes, had pursued that passion.

If Austin and Kelly had worked out.

If Violet and Alex were still together.

For their sake, I kind of hoped that they weren't.

Not for any selfish reasons, like before (I had spent a hell of a lot of time thinking about what would have happened if I told Violet myself, if I had tried to pursue something else with Alex), but because the more I thought about it - the less they seemed to fit.

They never laughed together, never confined in each other. I only knew that part because Alex would do that with me.

But who would Violet talk to about that kind of stuff? I knew she wasn't exactly the most open person in the world, but there had to have been someone.

Then again, how long had I gone without telling anyone anything about myself - other than base-level things?

As my mind drifted, thoughts all focused in on those five people. In the grand scheme of things, I had spent very little time with them - and yet they had had such a huge impact on my life.

Did I leave that kind of impact on theirs?

Did Alex think of me in passing?

I didn't really want to know the answer to that question. Considering I was still half in love with the man, it would hurt either way.

Coming to terms with that fact had taken a hell of a long time. Time consisting of trying things with different people to make some attempt of moving on.

But I soon realised it wasn't the sex I was missing.

Finally, the bus journey came to an end and I could lug my bags (one duffle, one heavy bag of camera gear, and a lighting kit - so I looked like a lump of walking bags instead of a person) to wherever the hotel was. Maybe it was stubbornness that did it, or a reluctance to get back into a moving vehicle, but I walked all the way to the hotel.

Resulting in a red face and beads of sweat on my brow.

The hotel was nice, all in all. It would probably make for a nice wedding venue. And as much as I should just drop the bags off in my room and then go check out the set up, I was too jittery.

So I checked in at reception and made my way upstairs.

Each and every voice I heard made me paranoid. Like I would turn a corner and Kelly would be standing there.