𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋: 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 ✔️

Chapter 22

Having slept through dinner Jude woke up to the sweet aroma of pizza. He was certain he was dreaming, conjuring up what his growling stomach desired. But when he rolled over and opened his eyes, Gideon stood by the bed with a hot pizza tray in his hand.

"Dinner?" he asked mouth watering at the thought.

"Not home-cooked but yes, dinner." Gideon's cheeks flushed.

"You probably don't know this, but I love pizza thank you, Gideon." Jude said scrambling to the floor so he could wash his hands first in the bathroom and when he got back the first question he asked as he chomped down on the delicious first slice of pizza was "Did the detectives have any leads?"

The athlete reached for a serviette and wiped his mouth "None that are plausible."

Jude took a final bite of his second slice and left the crust in the box "Who'd they suggest?"

"Sam," he said the name with no emotion and having finished off the pizza shut the box as he got up to dispose it in the garbage tin by the door.

"You're kidding?"

He nodded with a brief jerk of his head. "He's done some slimy things, and he's smart enough for head games but there's no way he's capable of physical destruction. I don't buy the detective's two-pronged attack theory."

Jude bit his bottom lip, he wanted to believe the athlete's instincts but he couldn't form an opinion right away he hardly knew Sam at all. "But it sounds like you've decided to give him the money anyway?"

He shrugged "On the off chance the cops are right why make him more desperate and jealous by saying no?"

Jude mulled over that "So what's the story between you two?"

He glanced at the ceiling and exhaled hard "We got exclusive because I thought he had substance. Before him all the guys I 'dated' were surface level. So I really thought he was real. Except looking back my reasons for why I thought that seem rather stupid now." He paused and saw the expectant look in Jude's beautiful brown eyes then carried on "He was a teacher and after all, I've been through with dyslexia, struggling academically and turning to sport because it was the only thing I excelled at. I thought he'd have a better understanding of me, enough to love me faults and all."

"You excel at many things," Jude said, tone light, sensually flirty and teasing.

Zero shot him a heated look, then adjusted the crotch of his short boxers and they both laughed.

"But seriously your thinking seems sound. What went wrong?"

"My lifestyle became more appealing than my heart," Gideon stated around a sad smile.

Jude reached out with one foot and entwined their legs "I find that hard to believe." He said.

"How else would you explain the fact that while I was lying in hospital doped up on meds, my partner bunkered a deal with Carl's competition?"

Jude cringed but still tried to understand "Maybe Sam thought Atticus was in your best interest."

Gideon frowned "Sam thought Atticus had better contracts in TV and since he realized my career was over. Long before I accepted it he decided to plot for my future-hence ensure his status as the partner of someone important in the industry. Heaven forbid the invitations to functions and fashion shows he'd miss out on and be forced to spend his nights at home with his official idiot partner." He muttered, his bitterness obvious in the way his gaze drifted away from his.

Jude's chest hurt.

He climbed onto Gideon until he straddled his hips, he wanted to get in his face and talk about his greatest insecurity. "Why do you belittle yourself over something you have no control over?" he asked tone completely bewildered.