Five minutes passed, then ten. Gage lay on his back and stared at the ceiling through the darkness, wondering what it was that was taking Aaron so long. He’d heard the microwave beep, then its door open and shut, but Aaron hadn’t come back. Something had to be holding him up.

There was a chance that he was still looking for Gage’s phone. Gage was fairly certain he’d left it in the bag by the door, but he didn’t dismiss the possibility that he’d left it elsewhere. Maybe in his car. And when Aaron closed the front door, he figured that was exactly what was going on.

How sweet that he’d go to such lengths to make Gage happy. With a chirp of pleasure, Gage rolled over, blushing, and buried his head in the pillows. Tonight had been perfect—better than Gage could have imagined. If their future was filled with days like this, the rest of their lives would be magical.

For a while, Gage enjoyed the softness of the sheets and the firmness of his pearls as he pinned them against the bed. Time passed. Gage’s mouth went dry, and his throat tightened with thirst. How long had it been? His car wasn’t huge, and if his phone was anywhere, it was either in the window mount, or in the side door. Maybe, if it had fallen, it’d be on the floor near the pedals. It shouldn’t have taken Aaron so long to track it down.

The first tendrils of worry unfurled in Gage’s chest. They crept through him, wrapping around his limbs and tightening his organs in such a gradual way that Gage didn’t notice it was happening until he was tense all over. His legs, which had been too unreliable to trust, regained their sturdiness. He sat up and stretched one leg, then the other, and when he was sure he could trust them, he scooted to the edge of the bed and attempted to stand. The world spun momentarily, and Gage braced himself on the bedframe until it passed. Then, a slight wobble to his steps, he changed out of his pearls, put on his pajamas, and headed into the upstairs hall.

The house was silent. Aaron was nowhere to be seen.

Gage swallowed anxiously, even though he’d known to expect an empty house—he’d heard Aaron head outside, after all. He had to be poking around in Gage’s car, looking for his phone. All Gage had to do was help him find it, and then he could come back inside and they could cuddle up in bed together.

Treading lightly, Gage headed down the stairs and crossed the living room. The front door was unlocked. Gage opened it, expecting to see his car light on, and Aaron’s legs poking out from the open driver side door as he searched for Gage’s missing phone. Instead, Gage was greeted with darkness. If it hadn’t been for the orange glow of the streetlight, Gage wouldn’t have been able to see that his car was untouched in the driveway.

Or that Aaron’s car was gone.

A chill Gage couldn’t shake pinched his shoulder blades together.

He’s gone.

The thought was intolerable, and Gage tried his best to explain it away.

Maybe, while he was changing, Aaron had pulled his car into the garage.

That had to be what had happened.

But then, where was Aaron?

Gage shut the front door and locked it. He turned to survey the room, hoping that he’d overlooked Aaron when he’d come downstairs. He’d said that he was going to reheat their dinner, so maybe he’d been squatted down behind the kitchen counter, trying to find… something. Gage’s mind petered out before it could come up with a likely excuse for why Aaron would be so busy in the kitchen when all he needed to use was the microwave. He clung to the hope that Aaron was ducked down behind the counter doing something—anything—but when Gage arrived in the kitchen, Aaron wasn’t to be found.

A glass of ice water, beaded with condensation, was the only immediate sign that Aaron had been there at all.

What about dinner? Aaron had mentioned bringing it back to the room. When Gage had come down the stairs, he recalled that Aaron had just set one of the plates on the dining room table—and when he’d pushed Gage down onto it, that plate had been swept aside.

Gage glanced at the table and noticed the plate was gone. The candles were still burning, and—

There, on the table, was his missing phone.

The hairs on the back of Gage’s neck stood on end. He knew for a fact that he hadn’t left his phone on the table. He’d come downstairs in pocketless pearls, and he hadn’t even come close to the table when he’d come in through the front door to find Aaron cooking dinner. If Aaron had already found his phone, then…

Under most circumstances, fear paralyzed Gage. This time, it whisked him forward so quickly he stubbed his toe against the leg of the table. Cursing under his breath at the dull pain, he snatched his phone up and turned on the screen.

There were private messages from KnotMyProblem waiting for him. The preview text stopped Gage’s heart.

KnotMyProblem: you’re a scummy pos who doesn’t des—

“Oh my god,” Gage whispered. He sank into the only chair pulled out from the table and stared at his phone in horror. KnotMyProblem had been offline for the last week, likely licking his wounds after Gage had set him straight for the final time. Gage hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about calling off the fake marriage. But if he’d sent Gage messages following up, and Aaron had seen…

Terror struck. Gage squeezed his eyes shut, fighting it off like he had when he was a child. Back then, he’d block out the world beneath the blankets of his bed, hoping the monsters that lived in the shadows wouldn’t find him. Only now, the monsters weren’t imaginary—whatever horrors lurked behind the lock screen of his phone were very, very real, and Gage couldn’t hide from them forever.

Sick to his stomach, he opened his eyes and unlocked his phone. The conversation with KnotMyProblem had been left open, and there were messages in it that he’d never sent—things he never would have said. Spirits sinking, he scrolled back through the correspondence. So much time had passed since they’d last talked that their older messages had been archived, leaving just the conversation from that evening active.

The more Gage read, the more he wished he’d never read at all. The last few messages exchanged crushed him.

KnotMyProblem: you need to step away from the phone before you spontaneously combust. Go take a cold shower, apologize to TD for being an asshole, then give him a big sloppy kiss for me, okay?

TeenDad2: fuck you

KnotMyProblem: I can see why TD loves you. So charming. So eloquent.

TeenDad2: You know what? I’m done.

Aaron.

Aaron had found his phone, discovered the conversation with KnotMyProblem, and learned that Gage was going to marry him. KnotMyProblem hadn’t bothered to explain that the arrangement was fraudulent, and that Gage had only ever agreed to marry him for his insurance. Instead, he’d attacked Aaron when Aaron was confused and ignorant.

After a conversation like that, Gage thought it likely that Aaron wasn’t just done with the conversation—he was done with the relationship.

How could Gage blame him? Why would Aaron ever come back to him, after what he’d read?

If Gage had been the one to find out that Aaron was involved in something similar, he would have been out the door, too. His heartbreak would have been too much to tolerate.

Gage hiccupped. Tears rolled down his cheeks in fat droplets.

All he’d wanted was to have a future with Aaron. He’d been strong for so long, but Bo had been sick, and in his weakness, he’d made a choice that had destroyed them.

The family he’d dreamed about would never be.

KnotMyProblem had sent several more messages since Aaron had last posted. As a new one came in, causing Gage’s phone to vibrate in his hand, Gage read them over.

KnotMyProblem: Good. You should be done. Go apologize to your bf for being an absolute dickwad and pray that he forgives you

KnotMyProblem: And I swear to god, if you come back and try to cause trouble, I WILL come fight you

KnotMyProblem: Fuck, I’m so angry. TD, if you’re reading this, your bf is a piece of work. You deserve better. And you, bf?

KnotMyProblem: you’re a scummy pos who doesn’t deserve TD’s love.

KnotMyProblem: So you’re back?

Gage’s icon must have been marked as online again. KnotMyProblem was still typing.

KnotMyProblem: Are you going to let me have it again, or are you ready to talk like men?

TeenDad2: omg Knot STOP

Gage’s hands shook. Terror and anger bled into one harrowing emotion that held him tight and refused to let him go. He typed furiously, his fingers flying across the screen.

TeenDad2: What the hell did you think you were doing, getting angry at him like that? You don’t know what’s going on. He was CONFUSED!

KnotMyProblem: He was an asshole, was what he was. Are you okay, TD? He didn’t hit you or anything?

The question floored Gage, and he stared, slack-jawed, at the conversation while he tried to make sense of it. Aaron would never hit him. The angriest he’d ever seen Aaron was after he’d discovered Bo, and even that hadn’t been all that bad. The thought that Aaron would do him physical harm was laughable. KnotMyProblem had no clue what he was talking about, and his ignorance was making the situation worse.

TeenDad2: omg

TeenDad2: I literally cannot stand you right now

TeenDad2: you provoked him when he was confused and you caused a fight. Are you happy with yourself?

KnotMyProblem: The guy is an asshole, TD. He’s been reading your messages. Either he’s insecure and afraid he’s going to lose you, or he’s controlling af and he’s going to start abusing you. You need to get out of there asap

TeenDad2: You know NOTHING

In a previous heated conversation, Gage had held back his temper and tried to be delicate. KnotMyProblem was his friend, even if Knot made him feel uncomfortable at times. He’d figured that with a little time, Knot would get over his crush, and he’d go back to treating Gage like an annoying older brother would. It wasn’t worth the potential friendship fallout to cause drama unnecessarily—they belonged to the same group of friends, and Gage didn’t want to put everyone in a position where they had to choose sides.

But this?

This was different.

Now, he didn’t give a shit what any of the Single Dads thought about him, or where their loyalties lay—KnotMyProblem had hurt him by lashing out at Aaron, and Gage needed to make it strikingly clear that he was not going to put up with any more of his bullshit.

KnotMyProblem: I know enough to recognize trouble when it comes my way

TeenDad2: you didn’t even bother to explain the truth to him! All you did was attack him!

KnotMyProblem: He attacked me. All I was trying to do was check in with you about our wedding plans.

TeenDad2: Don’t you fucking dare pretend that you are innocent in all of this. You baited him. You’re trying to make it seem like he’s a bad guy, aren’t you? Because some desperate little voice in the back of your head whispered that if I’m not with Aaron anymore, I’ll come crawling to you.

It felt good to get it out. Gage bit the inside of his lip and exhaled noisily though his nostrils until his lungs emptied and his torso felt like it had flattened. He kept typing, too incensed to stop now that he’d started.

TeenDad2: Well guess what? That’s not happening. I don’t want to be with you, Knot. How many times have I told you that? I. Don’t. Want. You. Even if Aaron and I broke up, I wouldn’t want you. We’re FRIENDS. That’s as far as it goes.

KnotMyProblem: you’re really reaching

TeenDad2: Are you serious?? Did you read the same conversation I just read?

KnotMyProblem: Yeah, I did. I was a part of it.

KnotMyProblem: listen

KnotMyProblem: I’m an outsider to the situation. You’re being blinded by your emotions and excusing things that shouldn’t be excused. TD, I’m worried about you. If he’s comfortable enough to invade your privacy like that, then what else is he going to do to you? This is a guy who made you wait almost five years for him to get his shit together before he came back into your life… a guy who had you convinced that if you told him about Bo, the world would end

That wasn’t the truth. Aaron had never made him feel afraid about revealing Bo’s existence—Gage had kept it a secret because he believed in Aaron, and he believed in their future together. His sacrifice meant that Aaron had achieved his dreams and completed his studies, cementing the future of his career. Financial independence outside of their families was important for both of them—the last few torturous years of Gage’s life had proven it. It was important they have the finances to make a family work on their own.

KnotMyProblem didn’t have a clue about what was best for him, or Aaron, or their family. He didn’t have a clue about what Gage had been through, or the circumstances behind his complex relationship with Aaron.

KnotMyProblem: He’s brainwashed you. He preyed on you when you were a young teenager, twisted your developing mind, knocked you up, then made sure that you’d stay loyal to him no matter what kind of shit he decided to pull. And look at what’s happening now. He’s wronged you, and you’re blaming ME for his behavior. I’m scared for you, TD. That’s not fucking right.

Gage’s shoulders trembled.

TeenDad2: I am just…

TeenDad2: I’m so angry at you right now.

TeenDad2: How dare you say that??? You’ve never even met me! You’ve never met him! Just

TeenDad2: it’s not your business. Drop it, okay? Let me go on with my life. I’ll worry about whether I’m being brainwashed or not. It’s not your place.

KnotMyProblem: I’m legitimately worried about your physical and mental wellbeing

Gage set his phone down and tugged at his hair, frustrated beyond belief. Irritation prickled his skin. If Knot had been in the room, he would have started to shake him. Why couldn’t he get it through his head that everything was fine? The situation was the problem, not Aaron’s behavior as a whole. If Knot was so concerned, why wouldn’t he have asked Gwynn to check up on him? Instead, he’d taken matters into his own hands and passed judgment without thorough investigation. Gage knew that was the case. If Knot would stop to listen to what he had to say, he’d understand. But it was a waste of time trying to convince him that Aaron wasn’t dangerous—time Gage didn’t have. Right now, Gage’s priority was tracking down Aaron so he could explain what had happened. Without communication, nothing would ever be fixed. Gage couldn’t let that happen.

TeenDad2: Okay. Fine. Be worried. Listen, I need to go find Aaron and explain what’s going on. I’m not going to argue with you anymore. You can think what you want to think, and that’s okay. Meanwhile, I’m going to go make things right and keep on living my life. Thank you for being concerned, I guess, but it’s not necessary. I hope that in a few days, when both of us are in a better place emotionally and mentally, we can work this out and still be friends.

KnotMyProblem: fuck, TD, so now we’re not friends anymore? Are you going to let him do this to the SDSG? We’re losing you just like we lost Gwynn.

That was an issue Gage would work out another day. KnotMyProblem was trying to get him to keep engaging with the conversation, but Gage wouldn’t entertain him. He had more important things to do.

TeenDad2: Goodnight, Knot.

His phone buzzed several times—messages from KnotMyProblem, without a doubt—but Gage didn’t bother to check them. He exited the chat program, killed his notifications, and did the only thing he could think to do.

He called Aaron.

Nothing was going to be solved if he shrank into himself and hid from the world. For the first time since he’d moved out of his parents’ house, Gage had the agency to fix his problems. He had no rent to pay, no utilities to worry about, no groceries to afford, and no crushing medical expenses looming in his future. The last year and a half had taught him the frustration of being muzzled by poverty and prevented from taking action because he couldn’t afford to do what he needed in order to make things right.

That wasn’t the case anymore. The situation didn’t need his money, only his time, and he had that in abundance. Nothing was holding him back.

Gage’s hand trembled as he held his phone to his ear. The conversation he was about to have would be difficult, but it was necessary. Aaron needed to know the truth.

This time, Gage didn’t think he’d be so easily forgiven.

Gage held the phone to his ear, waiting for the call to connect, but it never did—it cut straight to voicemail. Aaron had turned off his phone. He wasn’t interested in listening to what Gage had to say.

There was a chance, no matter how small, that Aaron would never speak to him again. Gage lowered the phone from his ear and hung up before the voicemail message ended.

He had a choice to make.

He could spend his night chasing after the man who owned his heart—the man he’d wronged, and who might want no part of his future anymore—or he could focus on making sure he and Bo never suffered this pain again. Nothing muzzled him anymore. Aaron had earned his PhD and found a fantastic job. The dream he’d spun when their love was young had been accomplished.

Gage had nothing left to hide, but so much more to lose.

He couldn’t go after Aaron. There was no point. Right now, Bo needed him to focus on the bigger picture.

A concealed truth had ruined his relationship with the love of his life and deprived his son of his father—Gage refused to let it destroy what few bonds he and Bo had left.