Dante - Daryl Banner Page 0,44

first floor, stands before me in a giant pink Pac-Man shirt, sweats, and furry-cat-face slippers. He looks extremely uncomfortable.

“Hi,” is all he says.

I lift my eyebrows expectantly. “Hey.”

“I’ll just get to the point, okay?” He lets out a jagged, irritated breath. “I’m kinda doing this thing. My therapist recommended it, whatever. I’m going around and, like, asking forgiveness. Or giving … forgiveness. Making amends. Letting go. Whatever, blah, blah.” He rolls his eyes. “Look, can I just say I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch to you, and maybe I overreacted about the whole you-rejecting-me thing?”

I consider him for a moment. My heart, ever since I was a kid, was always primed to forgive instantly. I don’t hold any grudges, ever, not with anyone. “Of course,” I answer him simply.

“Of course? That’s it? I’m off the hook?” Lex snorts at that. “Come on. At least yell at me.”

“Why?” I give him a smile. “You had every right to your feelings. Even for hating me.”

The blank, stunned look in Lex’s eyes tells me that was the very last thing he expected me to say.

“Emotions …” I search for the right way to say it. I feel like I’m reciting stuff from my online psych courses. “Emotions can become complex when you build a fantasy in your mind based off of … how you think someone is. I get it all the time. Sure, I’m a dancer at Aubergines, but who am I beyond that? It’s literally my job to create half a fantasy, and let the customer create the other half. That’s what gets dollar bills on the stage, you get me?”

Lex’s eyes drop to the floor as he licks his lips in thought. “Uh-huh,” he grunts vaguely.

“I don’t blame you. You feel manipulated. You crushed hard on the persona on stage, and when it came time to meet me in person, and I turned you down, well … all of those feelings needed to go somewhere, right? I understand. My entire life has been in the business of … fantasies.” I give him an honest smile, regardless if he’s looking at me or not. “I forgive you, man … and I hope you can forgive me for the part I played in your hurt.”

Lex looks me in the eye. Something softens on his face. I wouldn’t say he’s smiling, but it’s about as close as I’m going to get. “Thank you for that,” he says almost too quietly to hear. A glint of a tear appears in one of his eyes. “Truly. And …” He lets out a long, laborious sigh of relief. “Consider the damned hatchet buried. Phew. I’m going to order a pizza with bacon on it. Goodnight.” And with that, Lex sees himself downstairs, and I listen to the clip-clop-clip-clop of his cat-head slippers as he goes.

When I close my door and return to my cam, I feel ten pounds lighter.

What is it about tonight?

Why all of the signs? Why all of the signals?

Why does it feel like the fates are bending me toward a very specific—and daring—path?

Is there hidden virtue in breaking a promise?

A promise I should never have made?

I sit on the edge of my bed. At once, Captain sends me another private message: I had hoped I didn’t go too far. Please tell me you’ve considered it. Have you made up your mind, Zak?

To the cam—not to the screen—I focus my eyes. That way, I know that to Captain, it’ll feel like I’m looking right at him. I give him my sharpest, surest look, straight into his hypothetical eyes.

And I give my answer: “I’ll be there.”

To Be Continued …

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE BOYS?

Did you enjoy Dante?

Here are a few exciting things that may be in store for the boys in the final installment of Boys & Toys Season 2: “Zak”

∙ Zak meets a webcam customer offline for the very first time—and finds there is far more about the handsome, middle-aged man than he realizes.

∙ Dante and his muse Tye hit it big after another winning piece—with an unexpected consequence.

∙ Brett is proposed to by Skylar … but not really.

∙ Connor makes a big, life-changing decision.

Keep scrolling for an excerpt from the first season of Boys & Toys: “Caysen’s Catch”! Or tap here to check out the whole first season now!

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