ANGEL: When Angels Cry by CJ Bishop Read Free Book Online Page B

servants…”
    Max chuckled. “What do I need with all that?
I only have me to take care of. I don’t need servants for that.”
He walked around the glass coffee table and sat in the chair.
“Besides, you already helped me plenty. If it wasn’t for your
backing, this club would have never gotten on its feet.”
    “Yeah.” Horatio murmured and downed his
drink, gaze distant. When Max had left him all those years ago, it
had taken him close to five years to find him again. At that time,
the Phoenix had just been an idea in Max’s head. But it was an idea
that had been simmering for a long time. Horatio knew–because he
had been the one to initially plant the seed. He looked at Max. “Do
you remember…that this was originally my idea?”
    “What?”
    “Opening a gay strip club.” He smiled wryly.
“We would lay out under the stars, buck naked, staring at the night
sky and talking about our dreams, what we wanted to do with our
lives.” He laughed softly. “You thought I was insane when I said we
should open a strip club.”
    His lips tight, Max smiled and nodded. “I
remember.”
    “Do you remember what put the idea in my
mind?”
    Max stared blankly at his glass, his
fingertips tapping the edge. He nodded silently.
    “We danced so well together.” Horatio
murmured, an ache squeezing his throat. “We were…in perfect sync.
And you…god, you were so fucking sexy. I’d never seen a body move
like yours could.” He licked his lips slowly and glanced away.
“When I saw Abel on stage…it was like watching you all over again.”
He swallowed thickly and looked at Max. “I always wanted to see you
dance on stage.” He smiled softly. “With me as your only audience,
of course.”
    Max rubbed his mouth and sniffed, then met
Horatio’s gaze, eyes damp. “Is there a point to this
conversation?”
    “Just reminiscing.” Horatio offered quietly
and leaned back against the sofa. “It’s all I have left. Can’t you
give me that much? Sit with me now and then and…” His eyes stung
and he looked away. “And take a moment to remember when things were
good and perfect between us?”
    “What’s the good in remembering, Horatio?”
Max whispered, tears forming. “Where is the comfort in it? The
memories only…” he shook his head, his throat working. He set his
glass down a bit too hard and stood up, running his hand through
his hair. “The memories only make this reality hurt more. Sometimes
I wish…I could erase them all. Just forget that…” His words trailed
off as he turned his back to Horatio, gripping the nape of his neck
fiercely.
    “Just forget that we ever loved each other?”
Horatio finished for him, voice thick with emotion. He stood up.
“Is that really what you wish? That you…” His vision blurred. “That
you had no memories of me at all? No memories of… us? ”
    Max nodded slowly without looking at him.
“Sometimes,” he whispered thickly, voice tight with tears. “I
do.”
    “Fine.” Horatio murmured, hurt squeezing his
heart. “Then give them to me and you can forget I ever fucking
existed. I’ll keep the memories, because I’d rather spend my time
remembering the boy who used to love me–than the man too fucking
afraid of his own feelings.”
    “That isn’t fair!” Max turned suddenly, eyes
burning with tears and pain. He jabbed a finger at Horatio. “That
isn’t fucking fair, and you know it, Horatio! This isn’t
about me being scared to love someone and you fucking know it! ” he shook his
head, tears thick in his eyes, face pinched tight. “You think I
wouldn’t be with you in a fucking heartbeat if I could? You think I like going
home to a cold, empty house every fucking night? And suffering through
the fucking dreams that won’t go away!” His chin trembled as the
tears ran free, sliding down his face. “I don’t want the memories,
Horatio,” he cried, “because they hurt too fucking much .”
    The man blurred and shimmered before him. Max
had