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

phone, dear.” She rolled her eyes. “They’ve been around for a while now.”

“I can’t call him!”

“Why not?”

“Because... because... I just —”

"I know, I know.” She rolled her eyes again. “You have this grand idea of some sort of romantic gesture, don’t you – the fact that you came all this way says so. My Bradles is the same. But take it from me, someone who was married thirty odd years. Grand gestures don’t do squat. Do you know what does?”

Sherman could barely speak he was so flabbergasted. Instead, he shrugged.

“Communication. That’s all. Simple, easy, communication. I suggest you try it sometime.” She smiled knowingly to herself. “You might be surprised by what you find.”

Sherman could have argued. Indeed, a part of him wanted to. But another part was tired, finished, worn the fuck out. It just wanted to get this whole thing over with so that everything could go back to normal. And so, with no real choice, and with Bradley’s mother watching him from the doorway, refusing to let him pass, Sherman pulled out his cell phone and did what he should have done a week ago. He called Bradley.

“Sherman!” Bradley answered immediately.

“Bradley!” Sherman responded as if just hearing the sound of his boyfriend’s voice, after all this time, was enough to wash away all that had happened over the last eight days.

“Where are you?!”

“Where the heck are you?”

“I’m at your apartment!”

“I’m at your mother’s house!”

“What are you doing there?!”

“What the — what are you doing there?!”

“I came here to see you!”

“I had to apologize!”

“This whole thing – I'm sorry!”

“No, I’m sorry!”

“You? Why are you sorry?”

“Of course I’m —”

“Don't you be sorry too. You have nothing —”

“This whole thing was me!”

“It was me.”

“I was selfish!”

“I was arrogant!”

“I lied!”

“I treated you like shit!”

“I’m sorry!”

“No, I’m sorry!”

They spoke over one another. They cut in. They tripped on words, stumbled on apologies, and stampeded through the other’s attempt to say sorry. By the time the two were done, Sherman wasn’t sure who had said what, who had gotten the first real apology in, or if it even mattered?

“Should we take a sec?” Sherman eventually offered with a light chuckle.

“I think so,” Bradley sighed on the other end of the line and Sherman could hear his entire body relax.

Sherman took a seat back at the kitchen counter. He was glad to see that Bradley’s mother was gone from the room, although he half suspected that she was in the next room listening in. Not that he cared. All that stress and anxiety he’d been feeling building over the past week was very quickly melting from him like snow under a summer sun. Bradley wasn’t mad at him. They still had a chance!

“I’m sorry, I really am.” Sherman spoke first this time. His tone was slow and deliberate so there could be no mistake that he was the one that had said it.

“Me too,” Bradley followed up with the same tone. “I’m —”

“No, it was all —”

“Can you let me finish this time?” he chuckled.

“Sorry. Go.”

“I’ve been acting like a fucking jerk lately,” he admitted. It sounded like it felt good to say out loud too. “Treating you like... I dunno. Like I thought I was better? I didn’t mean to but —”

“It wasn’t you,” Sherman cut in. “I made it about as hard for you as a person can – I was a fucking child.”

“You’d just lost your job.”

“That doesn’t excuse it,” he said. “And then there’s that whole thing with the cocaine.”

“Sherman...” Bradley started, but it didn’t sound like he wanted to continue. It was a touchy subject at best and might threaten to derail everything if Sherman didn’t say the right thing.

“No,” he warned. “I’ve got to – I’ve got to say this.” Sherman took a deep breath, then continued. “There’s no excuse for it – none. It was weak. It was shitty. And worst of all it was dangerous. For me and you. But I want to... I am getting better. I want to! It’s not like I enjoy being this way —”

“I know you don’t!”

“And starting today – right now, I promise that I will never, ever do anything like that again – I'll even ask you before I take sleeping pills if I have to,” he laughed, “If it comes to me having to choose between drugs and you... fuck, it’s not even a decision.”

Bradley didn’t say anything for a few moments. It was long enough that Sherman started getting worried. Was he weighing up what he thought? Trying to decide whether it was worth sticking around for?

“Bra —”

“Come home,” Bradley cut him off. “Come home, today. Now.”

Sherman could have cried he was so happy. Fuck, he did. Small wet beads begin to drip down his cheek and his chin wobbled uncontrollably. “What about the apartment, and everything I did?”

“We’ll figure that out when you’re back. I just want you back.”

It was all Sherman needed to hear. ‘I want you back.’ Honestly, had sweeter words ever been spoken? He had been terrified to speak to Bradley, sure that when he did, their fight would only get worse and it would lead to them breaking up. It had seemed like the most likely outcome. But now, after the fact... he honestly wondered what he had been so worried about.

He loved Bradley. He did. And Bradley loved him back. With that fact now tattooed in his mind, he realized how stupid he had been, how the whole previous week was for nothing. The two men were made for each other and one silly little fight wasn’t going to change that.

“Bradley,” Sherman suddenly started before Bradley could hang up.

“What now?” Bradley sighed through