My Life Is You - COMPLETE

A/N: Well, we’re getting very close to the end, although some of you may find it hard to believe. I know I do! Still, only two chapters left after this one.

Fleur: I am truly stunned at your understanding of Brad based on his very limited appearances thus far throughout the story. You wouldn’t happen to be a shrink, would you?

Lisa: there are times when I’m reading and just can’t stop myself from crying. I don’t know which thrills me more: to know that I’m not the only one that does it, or to know that my writing touched someone else enough that she did it too. Thank you! But I have to ask, who is BRAD scumpit? It has to be another story, and a good one obviously, but I don’t know it and now I want to!

JJ: I think you can count on Jeremy to be an even better friend to Dillon than you know. Just wait and see what he does next.

Now, I have a request (can ya guess what it is?): vote and review please! I’m like this eager little kid waiting for tangible proof that I ‘done good’ and that’s the best proof of all!




Chapter 12

Seth was very proud of the fact that he was a patient person. He knew that it would get him nowhere to rant and rave when there was a long line at the grocery store or the person driving in front of him was coasting along at ten miles per hour below the posted speed limit. Oh sure, those were annoyances, but they were so minor in comparison to life's major annoyances that he just didn't bother getting upset about them.

When he did become impatient, he made it a point not to take it out on innocent bystanders. An over-worked waitress just couldn't help it if she took just a moment longer to get his food to the table. No matter how hungry he was or how much of a hurry he was in, if she were doing her best, he couldn't fault her. The same went for visits to the doctor's office. Everyone always seemed to get upset when they were kept waiting for a long time, but the moment they got in there, they wanted to discuss every ailment, every ache, every pain, every symptom they could think of; they did not want the doctor rushing off to see another patient until they were through.

Having said all this, Seth was definitely feeling impatient at the moment and he was close to the boiling point. He rarely let his temper go, which made it all the more dangerous once it was allowed to erupt. He watched as nurses bustled up and down the hall or stood at the nurse's station across from his room and gossiped about their evenings from yesterday.

It was 9:00 a.m. and he had been told he'd be released at 8:00 a.m. His brother was here and Seth was ready to go. Dillon was waiting for him and this would be their first chance to spend the whole day together without either of them hiding their feelings.

Of course, that could only happen if he could manage to LEAVE THE DAMN HOSPITAL! Seth sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand, trying to remind himself that getting upset would do him no good.

It didn't work. Pushing off from the bed, he began to pace the room. Since it was a small semi-private hospital room (and he was incredibly grateful that he had not had a roommate this go-around!), pacing consisted more of marching from the nightstand to the opposite wall four strides away, executing a smart turn, and marching back only to start over again. Eric simply sat in the chair placed in the corner by the window and watched him, saying nothing.

Even that got on Seth's nerves all of a sudden. Usually he and Eric could communicate without ever saying anything. They were always comfortable being together and usually had something to talk about, no matter how inconsequential. Today, though, Seth only wanted to see one person and Eric wasn't him.

He whirled, starting toward the door. Rude or not, Seth was ready to demand that the nurses get off their asses and find his doctor so that he could be discharged. Before he even reached the door he turned back again. Yelling at the nurses would do no good. They didn't have the authority to summon his doctor if his life weren't in danger.

An hour later and Seth was feeling more like a caged animal than ever before. He was bristling with impatience, his hands clenching in fists as he fought to restrain himself.

Finally the doctor arrived for his final check-up before he could be released. Seth barely managed to restrain himself throughout the exam. He was obvious in his impatience, he couldn't help it, but he refused to be rude.

The final formality was almost the last straw. He had been walking for the past two hours, pacing up and down his room. It seemed absurd to require him to ride in a wheelchair as he left. When he pointed that out to the orderly standing next to the wheelchair, he was just given a blank look. Seth sighed and got in. Catching sight of Eric's attempt to hide a grin, he growled.

"I love you too, baby bro," Eric replied.

The sun was bright in the sky as they left the hospital. Eric had run ahead to get his car while Seth was being brought down. Now, the black Saturn Ion sat idling at the curb. Eric opened the door with a grin as the orderly wheeled the chair forward. Extending his hand, Eric offered Seth a pair of sunglasses and he gratefully took them, slipping them onto his face.

Once they were in the car and driving off the hospital's property, Seth leaned his head back against the seat with a sigh. "I was beginning to think they were never going to let me go."

"I noticed," Eric chuckled. "What happened to my patient little brother?"

"He fell in love and then wasn't allowed to spend any time with his man!" Seth replied.

"Well, we're on the way there now, so you don't need to scowl anymore. You wouldn't want to scare Jeremy into slamming the door in your face, now do you?"

Seth couldn't stop a smile from forming on his face. The closer they got to Dillon, the lighter his heart felt. By the time they pulled into Jeremy's driveway, Seth felt as though he could have floated to the door.

When Jeremy answered the door, there was a tense expression on his face. "Hey, Seth, how you feeling?" he asked, stepping back to let them in.

"Great!" Seth replied. "It's so good to be free and I can't wait to see Dillon. Is he in the living room? Never mind, I hear his voice," Seth said, following the sound of Dillon's voice. He didn't notice the hand Jeremy raised to stop him.

Entering the living room of Jeremy's house, Seth looked around. Dillon was seated on a couch next to a man Seth didn't recognize. Before Seth could even open his mouth to speak, Dillon took the man's hand and said, "You know I'll always love you Brad."

***

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Brad asked when he arrived.

"And if I say no?" Dillon responded, sinking back down onto the couch. Part of him couldn’t believe Brad was here and was wondering what the hell was going on. The rest of him, though, just wanted Brad to go away so he could sit and wait for Seth without distractions.

"Then, I'll go away," Brad said. "But I think we'll always both regret that we didn't have this conversation."

"I guess it's a pretty important conversation then," Dillon reasoned. "We might as well have it."

He felt the cushion next to him sink as Brad sat down next to him. There was an awkward silence. Brad didn't seem to know how to start and Dillon wasn't really sure he had much to say.

"I heard what happened," Brad began hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm pretty good," Dillon said. "Definitely better than Seth. He went through a lot more than I ever did."

Again there was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Brad cleared his throat and tried again, "About this thing with Seth . . ."

Dillon waited. He didn't know that his relationship with Seth was any of Brad's business and he took offense at having it called a ‘thing’, so he didn't feel any need to respond.

"I mean, how serious are the two of you?"

"Very serious," Dillon answered honestly. "Seth is more to me than you could ever imagine."

"Does that mean there's no longer room for me in your life?" Brad questioned.

Floored would be a good way to describe Dillon at that point. The question Brad had just asked was the last one Dillon had expected to come out of his mouth. Brad had wanted out of his life. He hadn't asked to leave, he had told Dillon he was leaving. Now he was saying that he wanted back in?

"You didn't want to be in my life," Dillon reminded Brad, trying to hide the pain in his voice. He didn't succeed. It still hurt. Despite the months that had passed and the fact that he was in love with Seth in a way that he never had been with Brad, that rejection at the worst time was still incredibly painful.

Mistakenly, Brad took that to mean that Dillon still had feelings for him. He didn't understand that Dillon was reacting to being abandoned at the worst time, not to the loss of their relationship. "I was scared!" Brad exclaimed. "Everything had changed and I blamed myself. How could I not? I didn't think I was strong enough,"

"Obviously you weren't," Dillon replied. "After all, if you had been you never would have left."

"Yes, you're right," Brad sighed. "I could repeat that I was scared and weak, but that's no real excuse. I am sorry. What I did, well, it was awful."

"You're not going to get any argument from me," Dillon said. "It was awful. But in a weird way, I can understand it."

"You can?" Brad's voice was incredulous.

"Well, don't you think I would have walked away from it all if I could have?" Dillon pointed out, his voice a bit exasperated. "I didn't want to be lying in that hospital bed anymore than you wanted to see me there. Blind? Hell no I didn't want to be blind! If I could have just turned my back on it all I would have."

"So, then you forgive me?"

"No, I don't, at least, not yet," Dillon admitted. "How can I? I didn't have a choice about walking out, you did. And that's exactly what you did. I needed to know I wasn't alone, that when I had lost so much, I wasn't going to lose everything. Your leaving made me feel that I had."

"I really screwed up, didn't I?" Brad asked.

"Yeah, you did," Dillon said. "But, it all worked out for the best in the end. I learned that I'm stronger than I ever realized and I found the man I love. I wouldn't trade the chance to be with him for the chance to have my sight back. I want him more."

"So, then, I have no chance of ever getting you back, do I? I love you, but you don't love me." There was a wealth of pain in Brad's voice. He sounded defeated and dejected.

Dillon picked up Brad's hand, trying to think how to phrase what he had to say. They had been friends long before they were lovers and Dillon wasn't willing to totally turn his back on Brad now.

He took a deep breath and spoke, hoping to say this in the right way. "You know I'll always love you Brad."

"So, what was I? The flavor of the week?" At the unexpected sound of Seth's voice, Dillon whipped his head around toward the door. He had been so caught up in his conversation with Brad that he had never even heard Seth enter the room.

"Well? Are you going to answer me?" Seth's voice was bitter.

"I-I didn't know you were there," was all Dillon could think to stammer out.

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't be making up to your old boyfriend with your new boyfriend watching, now would you?" Seth spat out. "Don't worry, though. I'm out of here. Brad, he's all yours."

Dillon cried out, "Seth, wait! It's not what you think!"

The only reply that greeted him was the slamming of Jeremy's front door. Dillon moved as fast as he could toward the foyer. He misjudged his direction, however, and ran right into the corner of the lamp table. It struck him in his most vulnerable spot. He cried out in pain again. He just wasn't sure which hurt worse, his body or his heart.

***

Brad had left not long after Seth did. Dillon was left alone with Jeremy, who sat silently next to him on the couch. Every once in a while Dillon would hit the redial button on the cordless phone he held in his hand. Each time Seth's answering machine picked up he would leave a new message.

At first, they were long messages. He tried to explain himself, tried to let Seth know that there was so much more he had meant to say to Brad after that one statement. He had been going to tell Brad that he would never throw away their friendship, that he would always love Brad as a friend, but that it could never be more than friendship ever again.

Now, Dillon left messages that were more a plea than anything else. He begged Seth to call him, to hear him out. Each time he got the answering machine, his hope died a little more.

He had just found Seth. Was their relationship going to die before it even began?

No! Dillon decided that he refused to let that happen. They had both been through so much, survived so much. This one thing couldn't be the beginning of the end.

"Jeremy, can you drive me to Seth's house?" Dillon asked, turning toward Jeremy on the couch beside him.

"I've just been waiting for you to ask," Jeremy's voice was cheerful. "Let's go."

They rose and Jeremy led Dillon to his new Ford Escape hybrid. Dillon settled himself comfortably into the front seat. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to say to Seth, but he knew he needed to try.

The ride both dragged on forever and flew by. Dillon was anxious to arrive, but at the same time wanted lots of time to plan how he was going to approach Seth. When Jeremy stopped the car in Seth's driveway, Dillon still didn't feel prepared.

His heart pounded a frantic beat as he listened to the doorbell call for someone to answer it. The sound of footfalls approached the door. He wasn't sure how he could tell, but he knew it was Eric approaching the door rather than Seth. They were exactly the same, even down to their weight, but Dillon could tell the difference.

The door swung open and suddenly Dillon was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? How could he convince Eric to let him in to see Seth?

Dillon heard Eric sigh before speaking, "He's not here. He just left to take a walk."

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asked. "He just got out of the hospital, he shouldn't be walking."

"Yes, well, my brother's stubborn that way. He wanted to take a walk and nothing and nobody was going to stop him."

All Dillon really heard was that Seth wasn't there. He had just missed Seth. If he had spent just a few minutes less procrastinating and got off his behind a few minutes earlier, he could be talking to Seth now instead of hearing that Seth was gone. His shoulders slumping in dejection, he started to turn away.

Before he had even fully turned around, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Come in, Dillon," Eric said gently. "You can wait here until Seth gets back."

"I don't know," Dillon replied. "Would he really want me in his house just now?"

"If he were thinking clearly he would," Eric assured Dillon. "Seth loves you and spent all morning frantic to get to you. By the time he gets back, he's going to have realized he was an idiot for not waiting to find out what was going on. If you're already here you'll save me a trip back to Jeremy's place."

Dillon turned toward Jeremy, a questioning look on his face. "Go on, Dillon," Jeremy urged. "All you have to do is pick up the phone if you need me, but I think you'll be happier getting this straightened out now than waiting for things to miraculously get better on their own."

Enfolding Jeremy in his arms, Dillon gave him a fierce hug. Jeremy had to be the most understanding, supportive friend Dillon had ever had. There was a time when Dillon had even had a crush on Jeremy, during those early years when they were both discovering they liked guys instead of girls, but he had quickly realized that the love he felt for this special man was not romantic in nature.

Stepping back from the embrace, Dillon allowed Eric to lead him into Seth's house. Just before the front door swung shut, Dillon heard the engine of Jeremy's car start.

Eric led Dillon up a half flight of stairs and into a room. Guiding Dillon to a couch, Eric then turned off the television. The sounds of a baseball game being played out ceased.

"Did you want anything to drink?" Eric asked.

"Just some water," Dillon responded. He was feeling a bit dehydrated and knew that he needed to drink something even if he didn't feel as though he could swallow.

"One glass of water coming up."

By the sounds of it, Eric didn't move far away. Dillon surmised that he was in a living or family room and that it was connected directly onto the kitchen. A moment later a cool glass of water was placed in Dillon's hand.

"You know," Eric said as he sat down next to Dillon, "Seth is actually a big believer in the powers of communication. I've never seen him blow up like that before. That, right there, tells me that you mean more to him than any man ever has. I don't think you really have anything to worry about."

"I hope you're right," Dillon said after forcing down a sip of his water. "Seth means more to me than any man ever has, either, so I don't want to lose him. Especially over such a stupid misunderstanding."

"No misunderstanding is stupid," Eric responded. "As long as it hurts those involved, it is of the utmost importance. You and Seth have to work this out so that you can go forward as I know you were meant to do."

"And if Seth doesn't want to work it out?"

"You'd be surprising how forgiving those we love can be."

“Sure, but Seth heard me tell another man I loved him. Yes, there was more that needed to be said and I definitely didn’t mean that I’m in love with Brad, but Seth must see this as the ultimate betrayal. To him, I’ve cheated on him. There can’t be anything worse I could have done to him and he must hate me now,” Dillon lamented, twisting the glass of water in his hands and then wincing as some spilled over the lip.

“As bad as you think this is, it’s not,” Eric replied. “Even if you had cheated on Seth, he knows there are much worse things you could have done and that even those are sometimes forgivable. So, given your stated innocence . . . and I’m trusting your word that you actually are innocent of wrongdoing here . . . and the fact that this is all just a misunderstanding, Seth will come around. That’s especially true since he knows how much worse the circumstances can be for a couple and for the relationship still to be able to survive.”

"I don't understand," Dillon said.

Eric took a deep breath. "I'll tell you something about me and Belinda as long as you promise never to speak of it with anyone outside the family,"

"If it's family business, then you shouldn't tell it to me," Dillon protested, a bit uncomfortable at the idea of being told a family secret.

"Yes, I should," Eric disagreed. "After all, you are family now. You and Seth may be arguing, but I can tell you are the one meant to be with him."

Dillon couldn't argue that. In his heart of hearts, he knew it to be true. He and Seth were meant to spend their lives together. That would make Eric and Belinda his in-laws, even if it wasn't legally true.

"Belinda once forgave me for something I still haven't forgiven myself for," Eric began. "If you had asked me at the time, I would have told you that my actions were beyond forgiveness, but Belinda's love for me was stronger than her hatred of what I had done."

Despite himself, Dillon found he was intrigued. He couldn't imagine what Eric could have done that was so awful. Oh, he might have cheated on her, but people worked past that sort of thing when it only happened once and the relationship was worth saving. Added to the fact that Eric had specifically said there were much worse things than cheating, Dillon just didn’t see Eric being that dishonest. Nor could he imagine Eric being physically abusive, which eliminated the other possibility that immediately jumped to mind.

Dillon started to ask, but then realized he didn't need to. Eric had continued speaking without prompting. It was as if he were caught in his own memory, unable to escape until it was played out.

"It wasn't long after we were married," Eric said. "Five months, actually. We were still settling into our own home, not the one we have now, a bigger one. We were in that honeymoon phase that doesn't really go away for the first year, constantly kissing and touching. We couldn't keep our hands off of each other."

Eric gave a bitter laugh. "Ironic, really, when you think about it. I look back at that part of our lives with such pleasure, but it led to such pain.

"I had just come home from a medical conference that was out of town. I had been away for a week, longer than Belinda and I had been apart since we first met. I came rushing into the house, desperate to see her.

"She was in the dining room. It was all lit-up with candles and I remember how beautiful she looked in that soft light.” His voice had dropped in volume and tone and it was clear to Dillon that Eric was completely immersed in his memories. “She was dressed in a peach nightgown that left very little to the imagination and her beautiful hair was straight that day, hanging down to almost her waist. She knows I love it when she wears it that way and always makes sure to do so for any special occasions.

"I picked her up from the chair she sat in and spun her around, kissing her wildly. She laughed and told me we had something to celebrate. I thought she meant that we had survived our first week away from each other without going insane,"

Eric fell silent, remembering. Dillon just waited. He couldn't intrude himself upon Eric at this point, yet he knew he'd understand so much more about the family of the man he loved if he just patiently waited.

"She stopped me, placing her hands on my face and kissing me so tenderly. There was so much love in that kiss. Then she said she had a surprise for me. I closed my eyes. I don't really know why, but it seemed like the natural thing to do. She took my hand and placed it on her belly and then told me, 'Your baby's in there,'"

Dillon's eyes widened and he jerked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting this. After all, Belinda and Eric had no children. Nor had Seth ever said anything about having once had a niece or a nephew.

"She had found out the day after I left for my trip. She had gone for her yearly exam and the doctor had discovered she was pregnant. Belinda said she couldn't wait to tell me, but she knew she wanted to see my face when I heard the news.

"Well, that wasn't the best idea. We had talked about having kids, but always off in the unidentified future. I was in shock. All I could think was, 'Not yet! I still want you to myself!' Lord, I was selfish. And Belinda can always tell what I'm thinking. She knew I wasn't happy.

"I pulled back. I needed time to think. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that I was going to be a father and that this baby was a part of both of us. So, I just left.

"I'm not a drinking man. Up until that night, I had never gotten more than buzzed. I got fall-down drunk that night, though. It's the first and only time I've been that way. I never even did it in college, but that night, alcohol just seemed like the perfect solution.

"Around two a.m., I poured myself into a cab and came home. I at least had enough wits about me to do that instead of driving.

“Belinda was still awake. When I walked in the door she was waiting at the top of the stairs. I stumbled up them toward her. She reached out to help me. After I had abandoned her at one of her happiest moments, she was going to help me to bed.

"That alone made me feel even worse. Here I had been an absolute shit, and she still loved me enough to try and help me to bed. I shoved her away, not even thinking about where we were.

"The next thing I saw was that gorgeous hair of hers billowing out as she fell over the railing of the stairs. I remember it glistened around her even as she plummeted down to the tile of the foyer below."

There were tears in Eric's voice now. He swallowed before going on. "Then there was this awful sound. It was the sound of her body hitting the floor. I rushed so fast down the stairs that I more fell down them than anything. She wasn't moving and I thought she was dead. But then I felt her pulse and saw her chest rise, so I rushed to call for an ambulance.

"We were lucky. There was one nearby and they arrived within just a moment or so. They stabilized her and transported her to the hospital. Crestwick Sinai. You know it well.

"I almost lost Belinda that night. She did lose the baby. Even more, her splintered pelvis tore apart her uterus and she lost that too. They had to do a full hysterectomy in order to stop the bleeding."

Dillon's heart was pounding in his chest. He would never have imagined something like this lay between Eric and Belinda. They were always so loving toward each other.

"I was terrified the first time I went to see her. I thought for sure she wouldn't want to see me, wouldn't want anything to do with me. How wrong I was. Belinda loves me and she said from the beginning that she knew I never meant to push her.

"Every time I saw her at the hospital, she was happy I was there. I kept waiting for her to reject me, but she didn't. All she asked was that I sell the house and buy a ranch, one where she would never have to go up the stairs. That's how we ended up where we are. It was the only available ranch on such short notice."

"I never would have guessed," Dillon said softly.

"That's because Belinda has truly forgiven me. Oh, she still has sad times when she remembers that she'll never have a baby, but she honestly doesn't blame me for that. I don't know how it's possible, but she doesn't.

"It's amazing how much love – true, strong love – can do. It can help people overcome anything if they just work at it together."

Dillon was forced to agree. After all, Belinda and Eric were a testament to the power of love. And Eric was right. If Belinda could forgive him for that, than surely Seth would find a way to forgive Dillon.

***

Walking hadn't been as good an idea as it had seemed. For one thing, his body just wasn't ready for it. He had already pushed it with all the pacing he had done in the hospital room, now his body was trembling in exhaustion.

It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't even go for a simple walk. Just a week ago he had been a perfectly healthy specimen, able to go jogging for a good hour before he truly felt winded. Now he couldn't even walk easily around the block.

Instead, he was sitting on a bench at the bus stop, trying to summon the energy for the walk back. The heat of the day was draining what little strength he had left and he hadn't even thought to bring along water. It was stupid of him, but he hadn't really thought of this as vigorous exercise.

The truth was, he didn't want to go home. Not that he wasn't comfortable in his place, but it just wasn't where he wanted to be right now. Ever since they had made the arrangements for him to stay with Dillon at Jeremy's place, that had been all he had looked forward to. He had dreamed of holding Dillon, of falling asleep next to him. Now, that wasn't going to happen.

Had he just been a plaything to Dillon? He found that hard to believe. For one thing, he and Dillon had never even really played together. For another, Dillon just didn't seem like the kind of guy to toy with a man's affections that way. Yet, how could he ignore what he had heard? It still echoed in his head, "You know I'll always love you Brad."

He shook his head violently, trying to clear those words from his mind. Even worse was the tender way in which Dillon had said them. His voice had rung with sincerity.

But then, he had been pretty convincing Thursday night too. Seth hadn't hesitated to believe him when he had professed his love. Was Dillon that talented an actor? Or was he maybe one of those men that constantly fell in and out of love.

Seth rejected that idea the moment he thought of it. Dillon might have been going through a lot lately, but he was still an extremely stable individual. He wasn't the type to blithely jump from relationship to relationship.

Seth sighed and started to stand up. Before he could even turn to take a step, a mineral grey Ford Escape hybrid pulled to a stop before him. The window descended and he saw Jeremy in the driver's seat, leaning toward him across the passenger side.

"Would you like a ride home or were you planning on taking a bus somewhere?" Jeremy asked.

Seth moved toward the car. He was shocked and dismayed to find that he had stiffened up during the short time he had sat on the bench. "Hey Jeremy," he said. "Thanks for the offer, but I can walk. It's not far."

"Well, that's true," Jeremy replied. "But since you're moving like an old man, I doubt it would be a good idea. Why don't you take me up on my offer? I promise, I won't bite or bug you about anything you don't want to talk about."

After debating his options, Seth was forced to admit that it would be a much better idea to ride home than to walk. He opened the car door and carefully lowered himself into the passenger seat. Once Jeremy was sure that he was properly seat belted in, the car pulled away from the curb.

"If you just take a right here I live just . . ."

"I know where you live," Jeremy interrupted. "I was just going to drive around the block instead of turning around. I thought it might be easier."

"How do you know where I live?" Seth asked, looking sideways at Jeremy.

Jeremy took a deep breath before answering. It was clear to Seth that he was nervous about his reply. "I know because I just dropped Dillon off there," he rushed to get out.

"Stop the car!' Seth commanded. Jeremy threw him a startled look before pulling over into the parking lot of a convenience store. "Do you mean to tell me that Dillon is back at my house right now?"

"Eric let him in," was the only reply that came from Jeremy's mouth.

Seth dropped his head into his hands. Could he really handle facing Dillon just now? On the other hand, wouldn't it be worse to put it off?

"He loves you, you know," Jeremy said softly.

"No, he loves Brad," Seth disagreed. "I know because I heard him say it,"

"Yes, you did," Jeremy replied. "And it's true. Dillon will always love Brad, exactly as he said. But, he has never been in love with Brad. Sure, given time that might have changed, but instead life happened and they never got a chance to grow into the romantic part of their relationship.

They were friends long before there was anything more between them. Dillon's not the type of guy to give up friendships easily, so I'm sure Brad will always be a part of his life. That’s the love Dillon was talking about when you walked in."

"You want me to just accept that the man I'm in love with will always love his ex-boyfriend?" Seth demanded.

"Yes, I do," Jeremy said, looking out the windshield. "Part of loving Dillon is accepting who and what he is. Well, he's a loving man, one that doesn't turn his back on people. Even people that have let him down. Once he gives his heart, he doesn't ask for it back. He gave Brad his love when they became friends. He's not going to take it away now.

"But the love he's given you is so much more. It's the kind that is deeper and more profound than anything he has with anyone else. It's the kind of love that truly great relationships are based on. Dillon will never turn his back on you, he'll never betray you, and he’ll never purposefully hurt you.

"In return, he asks for your trust and love. He wants a man that will stand behind him and support him, even when nothing makes sense. I guess it's up to you to decide whether or not you can be that kind of man. I'm hoping you can. I'm hoping that when I pull this car up in front of your house, you'll go in there with the intention of making my best friend incredibly happy instead of breaking his heart."