Only You by Jerry Cole (the top 100 crime novels of all time TXT) 📕

four – but make sure you get the home brands cans! They taste just the same but cost half as much!” his mother shouted at Bradley down the length of the shopping aisle, seemingly unconcerned that half the store would be able to hear her.

Bradley gave her a thumbs up over his shoulder but didn’t look back. Rather, he kept his head down so as to ignore the people who were glancing in his direction.

“And Bradles! Bra —” his mother’s voice suddenly cut out as he rounded the aisle and darted up aisle number four. Thank God for that.

Bradley was out grocery shopping. That’s right, Bradley Miles had elected to leave his house on a Thursday so as to join his mother downtown while she shopped for groceries. She hadn’t even pushed him! She had merely mentioned she was leaving, that she might like the company, and Bradley jumped at the chance... or rather, he vaguely offered to lend her a hand, to which she jumped. But the effect was still the same.

When Bradley had lived at home the first time, he had never once gone shopping with his mother. Truly, he might not have even known where the shops were. But now he was an old pro. Again, it was little things like this that really served to highlight how much his life had changed.

He needed these moments to cling to. They helped frame what was currently going on in his life in a more positive light.

At the moment, he was on the hunt for canned tomatoes and with nothing else for it, he chose to act like this was the most important job in the world. When he reached the section where the tomatoes were located, Bradley took a step back, crossed his arms and scanned the shelves looking for the right brand. Unfortunately, it wasn’t there.

“What the fu...” he mouthed to himself as he ran his eyes over the dozen different brand of tomatoes in a can. They had every brand imaginable! Except the one he needed. “Surely not...”

“They’re down the end there.” The voice that spoke was so familiar to Bradley that he barely even paid it mind; it was like his own voice was speaking to him, and he was just nodding along. “For some reason they don’t keep the home brand with the others.”

It was Jackson. The Jackson. Bradley’s ex-boyfriend, Jackson. He stood a few feet down from Bradley, leaning on a very full looking cart, smirking at Bradley like they were out shopping together and this was the last item on their list.

“Huh?” Bradley blinked his surprise when he spotted Jackson. His mouth hung open a little, his eyes were wide and his face flushed red... even though he didn’t mean it to.

“I heard your mother,” Jackson laughed. “I think the whole store did – here.” He darted around the cart and then hurried down the aisle. Bradley watched as he bent down, scooped up two cans of home brand tomatoes and then tossed them to Bradley.

Bradley caught them automatically.

“Two should be good, yeah?” Jackson asked as he casually strolled back toward his cart. “What’s on the menu?”

“Tuna casserole,” Bradley responded robotically. “I requested it.”

“Oh yeah,” Jackson laughed. “I remember you used to always go on about it – your mom makes the best one, right?”

“Something like that.”

Bradley hadn’t seen Jackson since the two broke up. There had been a little interaction since then, but that had just come in the form of Bradley ignoring Jackson’s texts. But apart from that? Nothing.

There’s was definitely a little tension between the two. Although Jackson was clearly doing his best to ignore it, just being his usual charming self, it was impossible to hide from entirely. It was just so... obvious. It was right there, like a cloud hovering between the two.

But it wasn’t an awkward tension. It was more an exploratory one, like the two men could feel it, but weren’t sure what it was caused by. Was it because they used to go out, and now they were having that typical ‘bumping into one another’ moment? Or maybe it was because they just hadn’t seen one another in so long and neither man was sure how to react?

Jackson leaned on his cart and smiled at Bradley. He didn’t speak, he just let his eyes do the talking... and his lips, at least in the way he licked them when he smiled. He was flirting! Bradley might not have noticed were he not paying so much attention.

It made sense in a way. Bradley was the one with actual power here, seeing as he was the one that had ignored Jackson’s previous attempts to communicate. Was it possible that Jackson wanted him back? No... but what if...

“I’m just in town for a week or so,” Bradley suddenly blurted, just as a means to break the tension.

“Oh yeah? What for?” Jackson smiled knowingly and ran his eyes up Bradley.

“The borders reopening,” Bradley lied effortlessly. “Wanted to catch up with mom, you know?”

“Right,” Jackson nodded. Then, “Well... seeing as you’re only back for a little while. Do you want to grab a drink – just to catch up,” he hurried to clarify. But then he added as an afterthought, “Or something?”

“A drink?” Bradley gulped.

He always forgot how handsome Jackson was. It was like he wasn’t even real, he was so perfect in every way. Bradley did a quick double take of the man, from his pretty face to his thick chest to his round thighs and to what Bradley knew to be a rather fat butt for one in such good shape. He really was a piece and a half. If he lived in Sydney, he would be a king on the gay scene.

He should have turned Jackson down. He wanted to! But right here and now, seeing him in