Love-Blocked – Charity Parkerson Page 0,34

of them. They were a team of soul mates. Kirill couldn’t leave. As Derreck stepped on to what appeared to be the same plane they had taken to California last time, he spotted Jett already onboard. Tears filled Jett’s eyes the moment he saw Derreck. Derreck rushed to hold him. As Derreck’s arms closed around Jett, a small, stuttered breath escaped Jett that broke Derreck’s heart.

“We won’t let him slip away.”

Jett gave a tiny nod but still argued. “He’s already gone. I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?”

Derreck’s eyes burned. His arms tightened around Jett. “You didn’t do anything. Kirill has something going on inside his head that he’s been keeping to himself. It’s time for him to talk to us, but no way in hell is he allowed to disappear. Whatever it takes, we’ll be there for him.”

“Okay.”

Jett didn’t make another sound the entire flight. Derreck was too busy mulling over every second they had spent with Kirill to make small talk. He honestly didn’t think Jett had done anything wrong, but Derreck couldn’t be positive that he hadn’t done something. Maybe Derreck had ruined them. Zander had claimed Kirill believed he was unlovable. Did that mean Derreck had made him feel unloved? He didn’t know. All Derreck knew was they couldn’t be over. Derreck wasn’t ready to break again. He had to save them. Whatever it took. He had to make this right.

Kirill went to the gym because that was what he always did. He had pulled into the parking lot, parked in the first space he came to, and immediately spotted Zach’s car. For several minutes, Kirill stared at the Dodge Charger he had helped buy. Zach hadn’t been taking care of it. It was dirty and the tires looked old. Zach never cared for things the way he should—Kirill included.

Even after killing the engine, Kirill couldn’t convince himself to go inside. His heart ached. Seeing Zach would only make things worse. Kirill wasn’t strong enough to face all the things he had lost in the last couple of years. Kirill didn’t miss Zach anymore. He never even thought about the guy. But losing Jett and Derreck was fresh and Zach would be like acid on that open wound. So Kirill restarted his engine and headed back home.

Eventually, Kirill would need to make a plan. He couldn’t live without a job. The best thing to do would be to sell his house. He could live off that profit for a while. It would at least hold him over until he found another job. Being unemployed was worth it, as long as Derreck got that promotion and could give Jett and himself a great life, Kirill would be fine. He could live with anything as long as they were good. With Kirill out of the way, they could get married. Buy a house. Get a dog. He hoped they had a beautiful future. Kirill knew his leaving had been abrupt. Likely, they wouldn’t understand. But each and every moment Kirill had spent with them, he had done so knowing that he was the intruder—just as he had been in Tim and Zach’s marriage. Kirill couldn’t stand being the third wheel any longer. It was best to go while all the memories were still beautiful.

Back home, as soon as Kirill let himself inside, he knew. He felt them. Kirill’s pace picked up as his feet carried him toward the men who owned his heart. Derreck sat in the oversized chair in the living room with Jett in his lap. They looked devastated. Kirill could barely breathe. “You’re here.” God help him. He couldn’t stop the words from bursting from him. No one had ever chased after him. Neither man flinched at the sound of Kirill’s voice. Their broken expressions didn’t waver.

“You left us.” Derreck’s voice sounded gravelly. Guilt set in.

“You two have each other.” Fuck. Kirill didn’t know what else to say as he moved to stand over them. He had left them. Kirill had done that. What had he been thinking?

An adorable line appeared between Jett’s eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean? We have you too. Or, at least, I thought we did until you just left. No warning. Just gone.”

Kirill couldn’t stop a sad smile from touching his lips. Jett was sweet. Kirill’s gaze moved between the two men who had stolen his heart. Derreck’s dark expression screamed he was pissed about having to chase after Kirill. A smile exploded across Kirill’s face. He really did