He scoffed. “Wells, no one knows I’m gay. My sister suspects it, but I never admitted it. Even so, she hates me—”

“She hates you for other reasons,” he interjected, and Matty shook his head violently.

“Even so, if I tell my brothers, or even my parents, they’ll hate me too. I can’t risk that. My sister already hates me. I can’t have them hate me too.”

Rolling his eyes, Wells threw his hands up. “You can fix that. If you’d go and apologize to her, it could be fixed. She’s your sister, your twin, she loves you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Because you won’t let me know her, or hell, them!” he said, shifting his hand to the house. “Jesus, Matty, you’re living a fucking lie.”

But Matty shook his head. “And it will stay like that until I know I can tell them.”

“Why?”

“I’ve told you, they wouldn’t understand it,” he said, clearly upset and at his wit’s end. “Us, I just can’t, not yet.”

“So, when?”

“I don’t know!”

Silence fell between the two men. Their breathing was labored, little air clouds appearing with each breath they took. Tears threatened to fall and Wells almost let them, but he wasn’t ready to let this go. To lose the one person he knew he’d love his whole life. “Matty, I can’t live like this.”

Panic filled Matty’s face. “Wells, I love you, but I need more time.”

“I don’t have it.”

He eyed Wells, his gaze full of alarm and confusion. “But you love me.”

Wells nodded. “I do, and I fucking always will. But if you can’t tell them, I can’t keep doing this.”

“Wells! We’re fine!”

“No, we’re not.” He looked away, the hurt in Matty’s eyes gutting him. He knew he was a broken record, but this time was different. Wells wouldn’t accept the “soon” answer this time, but he also wouldn’t go over all the reasons why he wasn’t willing to put up with it anymore. “I’m not happy.”

“Wells, you are… You jus—”

“I want to be able to go on vacations together, to go to events together—not as friends, but as a couple. I want to touch you in public, kiss you, feel you against me.” He took a step toward Matty, placing his hands on his chest. When Matty looked past him to the house, Wells knew he was going to have to walk away. Unwilling to accept that yet, he whispered, “Matty, please, I want more. I want it all. All of you.”

Taking a step back, Matty looked away, shaking his head. “I can’t.”

“So you’re gonna let me walk away?”

His head shot up, his eyes wide. “Are you giving me an ultimatum?”

Swallowing hard, his lips twitching with a sob, Wells looked away. “Do I have to?”

“Wells, I love you. I do, but I’m not telling them.”

Wells’s eyes drifted shut as he inhaled deeply. “And I love you, Matthew Haverbrooke, more than I could ever fathom, but I won’t be someone’s secret.”

When he looked up, Matty’s eyes were stone, his mouth in a thin line. Tears burned Wells’s eyes as he started past Matty, and when he didn’t stop him, the tears started to fall. Not even when Matty’s words hit his back did Wells stop. Because if he did, he’d never leave.

“So just like that?”

Wiping his hand along his cheek as he went around the car, Wells looked over at Matty and nodded his head. “Just like that.”

“So we’re over?”

His throat felt as if it was closing up. “Are you going to walk up those stairs and tell your family you’re gay? That I’m yours?”

Matty looked back once more, not for a long, thoughtful pause, though. No, it was more to make sure no one had heard Wells.

That was his answer.

Getting in the car, he drove off with his heart in a billion pieces.

And that was why Wells Lemiere would always hate New Jersey.

DO YOU WANT MORE?!??! CLICK HERE!!

Hello! I can’t believe we’re already to installment twelve of the Assassins series! Kind of nuts, but also superawesome. I hope you enjoyed this book. I absolutely adore this couple and had so much fun writing it. I love Wren, but I think I might love Jensen more. Haha!

So a lot of crazy things happened this year: signed an awesome contract with Waterhouse Press, then I had a small cancer scare, and also, my Predators lost in the Stanley Cup final. But through it all, I’m me. I’m a full-time writer, a mom to a gymnastics star and a gamer, also a dogmom, and then a wife to the love of my life. So yeah, I’m a happy camper. Things are good. Mostly because I have an awesome Life Manager, Lisa Holletta (Nope, still not how you spell it. But she loves me enough to let me misspell just that one word on purpose.) who keeps my business moving and grooving. I have awesome friends who stand behind me and a family that continues to believe in me. So thank you to all of them.

But a BIG THANK YOU goes to you. Yeah, you! With each purchase of my books, you help me live my dream, and there is not enough time to ever show my gratitude. So thank you. Thank you so very much!

I’m excited for the future. It’s gonna be good! Especially with all of you behind me!

So thank you! Please go leave a review! And, hey, I love you!!

Love,

Toni

My name is Toni Aleo, and I’m a #PredHead, #sherrio, #potterhead, and part of the #familybusiness!

I am also a wife to my amazing husband, mother of a gamer and a gymnast, and also a fur momma to Gaston el Papillion.

While my beautiful and amazing Shea Weber has been traded from my Predators, I’m still a huge fan. But when I’m not cheering for him, I’m hollering for the whole Nashville Predators since I’ll never give my heart to one player again.

When I’m not in the gym getting swole, I’m usually writing, trying to make my dreams a reality, or being a taxi for my kids.

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter, Supernatural, Disney, and anything that sparkles! I’m pretty sure I was Belle in a past life, and if I could be on any show, it would be Supernatural so I could hunt with Sam and Dean.