Part 4
Wil sat silently on the beach, staring out at the water. Despite his best effort to wipe them away his cheeks were still stained with tears. He hated fighting with Paul, but he couldn’t help feeling the way he was about Paul going to Melbourne.
The fact that Corinne had been the one to call and ask Paul hadn’t helped matters. Ever since Wil had discovered that Paul and Corinne had slept together that fear had been in the back of his mind that there was always a chance of it happening again. And that was the real reason he didn’t want Paul heading to Melbourne by himself.
He knew Paul loved him, there was no doubt in his mind about that. And of course he trusted Paul; you couldn’t love someone that much without trusting them. But he wasn’t stupid and he knew there was more feeling between Paul and Corinne than either of them would admit, and the thought of them being together for two weeks without him around had him worried.
“Wil?”
He was shaken from his thoughts by a familiar voice and he looked up to see Paul standing next to him.
“Hey.”
“Mind if I sit down?”
“Go ahead.”
Paul sat down next to Wil on the sand, joining him in staring out at the water. Wil let his eyes run over Paul, still in his shorts but now wearing a white t-shirt and sunglasses instead of his black rimmed ones. He still looked adorable to Wil, and remembering he was still feeling some anger towards Paul he forced himself to look back out at the water.
“I just got off the phone with Corinne.”
Wil kept his eyes fixed on the surf.
“And?”
“I told her I’m coming. I booked a flight to Melbourne tomorrow.”
“So that’s it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re just going to run off to Melbourne and leave me behind?”
Paul sighed.
”I’m not leaving you Wil. I’m going away for two weeks, not forever. You’ll still be here when I get back.”
Wil turned to look at Paul.
“You so sure about that?”
Paul looked shocked.
”What are you saying Wil?”
“Are you so sure I’ll be here when you get back Paul? Cause I’m telling you right now if you get on that plane tomorrow then you may not have a relationship when you get back.”
Paul blinked away the tears that had welled up in his eyes. He couldn’t believe that it was his Wil saying those words to him. He loved this man more than anything in the world, how could Wil ever think he’d leave him.
“Wil, I love you.”
“Then stay.”
Paul shook his head.
“You can’t ask me to do that.”
Wil fought back his own tears as he spoke.
“I am asking you to do that Paul. If you love me then don’t go to Melbourne, stay here with me where you belong.”
“Wil how can you sit there and ask me to make a choice like that? You know that I love you more than anything. But this is something that I want to do. I need to get away Wil. I can’t stay sitting in the apartment all day every day. As much as I love painting and writing and doing all those things I just need a break, need to do something else. Can’t you understand that?”
Wil sighed.
”I can understand that Paul, really I can. I know it’s been hard for you since GNW ended. But I’m asking you not to go. If I mean anything to you, then you won’t leave me.”
Wil felt the tears now flowing down his face. He knew he was being selfish but he didn’t care. He didn’t want Paul to leave and making him feel guilty about it was the only way Wil knew how to make him stay. When Paul didn’t immediately respond he turned to look at him, and saw that Paul was crying as well.
“I’m sorry Wil. I love you and you mean the world to me, I hope you believe that. But I have to go; I have to do this. I’m sorry.”
Paul leant in and kissed Wil tenderly on the lips. Wil could then only watch after him as Paul got to his feet and walked back up the beach.
part 5