Beats of the Heart - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Shawn stole Miles from his father's grip, especially after seeing Miles' desperate look. He wrapped an arm around his waist in a protective stance. Ray stopped and practically pouted.
"I wasn't going to give him the third degree," Ray grumbled.
Shawn internally rolled his eyes. "Where's mom?"
Ray's smile tightened, and his eyes flashed with worry. "She's in the sitting room. She didn't want to be cooped up in the room."
Shawn held up the container. "Miles made some soup for her. I think she'll like it."
Ray smiled warmly toward Miles. "You made it?"
"With Shawn's help," he said quietly.
Shawn was surprised to see how meek Miles had become. He was usually the one who took charge and had stood up against Brian multiple times. But in front of his parents, he was docile. He couldn't help but lean in and kiss his temple, drawing a gasp from Miles' lips.
"I cut carrots and made a mess," Shawn said fondly. "I can hardly take credit."
He led Miles to a large kitchen and helped him set up a tray with a bowl of soup. He carried it out to a comfortable sitting room. Ray had sat down on a couch next to Shawn's mom. She was a beautiful older woman. Her hair was white, and she was a little pale with shadows under her eyes, but it didn't take away from her elegance. She was wrapped in a robe and blanket over her legs.
Shawn noticed the shock rippling through Miles when his mom smiled at him. His mom was kind and had the biggest heart. Her warmth and sincerity always shone through in her smile; he was sure Miles could see it.
"Miles, I'm sorry I don't have the strength to greet you properly," She said. "My name is Samantha."
It took a moment, but Miles returned the smile. He surprised Shawn when he knelt by his mom's side and took her hand.
"No need to apologize. It's a pleasure to meet you," Miles said.
"Oh, you're a handsome one." She patted Miles's hand with her free one. "Shawn better latch on to you properly."
Miles chuckled. "I think it may be the other way around."
"Nonsense. Shawn's trouble. I'm sure you're going to have your hands full." She motioned toward the empty seats. "Sit down and make yourself comfortable. I would love to know more about the man my son is smitten with."
Shawn grumbled under his breath but didn't rebuff her statement.
"Tell us about yourself, Miles," Ray urged. "What do you do for a living?"
Miles fidgeted with his fingers a little. "I work in the music industry. I own a small label that does pretty well."
He didn't miss Ray's flinch and hesitant look. This wasn't directed toward him but Shawn's past relationships.
"He's underselling himself," Shawn interjected. "Miles owns Dirge Records, home of the best DJs in the city."
Ray sat straighter. "You work with Flux?"
Miles faltered for a moment and then started to laugh as if surprised to have someone like Ray Pierce be interested in his DJs. "Yeah, I work with her. She has an amazing style mixing house with funk."
"A friend sent me a video of one of her shows because he was impressed with how she incorporated B.B. King. I started following her ever since. The other DJ, Quake, has a similar style."
Miles' smile blossomed. "That's right. They have known each other since high school and became close friends once they discovered each other's talents. On the other hand, Juse and Phase are opposites but extremely close. They work so well together because Juse specializes in producing beats while Phase cuts up the wax. If you look at their albums, they always feature each other."
"You have that other artist under your label—Requiem. I believe."
Miles nodded. "That's right. He's more focused on hip-hop and scratching."
"Requiem is one of the biggest names out there," Shawn added. "He has something special."
"He's the one with the mask, right?" Samantha asked. "I always felt bad for him. That mask must be so stuffy."
Miles laughed again. "It is extremely stuffy. The mask started as a way to stay anonymous, but now it's hard to break away from it."
"If he is ever interested, you can make his reveal extremely successful. You just need the right angle," Shawn mused. "Perhaps a surprise at an awards ceremony or do a countdown of sorts."
"That may work," Miles said with a hopeful look blanketing his eyes, but it disappeared quickly. "But it won't happen with Eclipse breathing down my throat."
"Eclipse? Is that Smith kid causing trouble?" Ray huffed in anger.
Shawn raised his hand. "Don't worry. I'm taking care of it. We can already see the fruits of our labor in their stocks, but we ran into a small snag that delayed our next step. We're resolving it within the next couple of days."
Miles wanted to protest, claiming he could handle it, but Shawn silenced him with a look. "Remember, it's something I have been planning for a while. Helping you is a bonus."
"I never liked the Smiths," Ray said, leaning toward Miles as if he was telling him a secret. "They always had dirty hands and dirtier money.
Shawn chuckled. His father had helped with the investigation into Eclipse. Ray had butted heads with the Smiths on numerous occasions. When people from Eclipse attacked Aura's artists, Shawn and Ray vowed to take them down. Now that Brian was targeting Miles, Shawn felt anxious to dismantle them.
While lost in his thoughts, he wasn't aware that the conversation continued around him. He flinched when Ray asked, "What about your parents?"
It was an innocent enough question, but Miles' history was complicated. Shawn wanted to stop it, but Miles was gracious and smiled kindly. "My father wasn't involved. Still isn't, but I'm content with that arrangement. My mom and I made it work by ourselves. She was an elementary school teacher and passionate about music. She taught me everything I know. Unfortunately, she passed away right before I graduated high school."
"Oh, Miles. I'm so sorry," Samantha said, her hand resting on her chest.
"It was tough without her, but I eventually found my chosen family. I even became a godfather, and that little girl has me wrapped around her finger."
Shawn reached over and grabbed his hand. "Danny has you wrapped around his finger too."
"That's true." Miles laughed and rubbed his thumb over Shawn's. He brought his attention back to Ray and Samantha. "Danny is my half-brother and is studying at my old stomping grounds, Columbia. He's probably going to declare his major in literature soon."
"Danny is best friends with Courtney," Shawn explained, and Samantha's face brightened.
Courtney was her niece, the daughter of her brother. They were always close, and Samantha cared deeply for her niece.
"Courtney and Rob are good company. I enjoy having them around," Miles said with a smile.
"They practically live at your place. You feed them all the time too."
"I used to have all that space to myself, so it's nice to have some excitement in my home."  Miles leaned a little toward Shawn with a playful smile. "Besides, they allow me to flex my cooking muscles."
"You're a brave soul," Shawn said. He lifted Miles' hand and kissed it gently. He was pleased to see his cheeks flush lightly with curled lips.
"You should come around more and be part of the ruckus," Miles jested. "We've only had a few broken bottles and one kitchen fire."
Shawn gave a loud laugh. "Deal."
Samantha and Ray watched them converse with fondness.
"You mentioned Columbia was your old stomping ground?" Ray asked.
Miles nodded. "Received my Doctor of Musical Arts degree there. I focused on composition."
"A DMA? Not many are selected for that program," Ray said excitedly. He shot Shawn a warning look. "I like him. Don't you dare mess this up."
Shawn gave Miles a wink. "I don't intend to."
The front door chimed, letting them know that someone entered the house. Shawn heard the clicking of heels and knew exactly who it was. Shawn shot his mom a disgruntled look. "You invited her over?"
His mom ignored him as she drank the rest of the soup Miles made her.
"Hello?" A woman's singsong voice echoed down the hall.
Shawn leaned toward Miles. "Brace yourself. She may not look like it, but my aunt is a storm."
Ray chuckled. "Judith, we're in the sitting room."
Judith entered, looking sharp in her suit and lavender hair. She smiled warmly at Samantha. Her eyes swept the room and landed on Miles.
Excitement danced in her eyes. "Oh, my word!"
She rushed to Miles, who stood from his chair, and she wrapped him in a hug.
Miles chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Good to see you again, Judith."
Shawn looked between the two of them in disbelief. "You know each other?"
How was Miles so intertwined in his circle without him knowing? Scott, Nick, Courtney, and now Judith.
Miles laughed. "I met Judith recently when I beat her at cards."
Judith clicked her tongue. "I was having a bad day. You better return later this month so I can even the score."
"Nan wouldn't let me miss it even if I wanted to."
Shawn laughed. "You go to Auntie Judith's bridge gatherings?"
Ray coughed a little. "I don't understand what's happening."
Judith grinned happily as she sat next to Miles. "Miles, you should have told me you were courting my nephew. I would have stopped all the ladies from hounding you about setting you up."
Miles raised an eyebrow. "If I recall correctly, you were also trying to set me up with your nephew, which evidently is Shawn," he looked around suspiciously. "Unless you have another nephew I don't know about."
"Seriously?" Shawn asked incredulously. "How many people are you telling about me, Auntie?"
"Only those I deem worthy. With your status in the media and such, the number of quality suitors is dismally low," Judith said with a laugh.
Except for Shawn, no one noticed Miles paling when Judith mentioned the media. He squeezed Miles' hand, hoping to draw his attention to him, but Miles seemed lost in thought.
Judith continued with a bright smile, not aware that something was wrong. "Darling Miles was the one I was most hopeful for. Especially how Delma was raving about him."
"Delma? Delma Anderson?" Samantha asked, aware of who was in Judith's circle.
Miles seemed to wake up from his daze when he heard his grandmother's name. He seemed to hunch a little but decided to explain. "Delma is my paternal grandmother."
Judith dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Delma is lovely, but her son has much to be desired. Luckily, Miles is nothing like that ridiculous man." She gave Miles a close look. "Are you sure you two are related?"
Miles rubbed the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, the paternity test proved we were."
Judith clicked her tongue. "Well, if he ever troubles you, let me know."
Miles nodded appreciatively and leaned into Shawn a little more.
Judith looked fondly at the pair. "I must know, how did you meet? Lord knows it wasn't my doing despite my best efforts."
They shared a look and chuckled. "It started as a missed connection," Shawn explained. "Saw this gorgeous man at the bar and bought him a drink."
Miles huffed out a laugh. "I'm sure you didn't have to pay a dime for club soda."
Shawn reveled in the fact that Miles remembered so clearly. "I will not confirm or deny that."
Miles shook his head. "Nevertheless, he was a gentleman that night."
"And yet you never called," Shawn chided.
Miles sighed wistfully. "A grave mistake on my part."
Shawn kissed Miles' hand again as if it had become a habit. He had waited for Miles and wondered what would happen if he reached out. Now that he was so near, he knew it was worth every second he waited.
They continued to linger at the Pierces until the late afternoon. They spent most of their time following Ray through his collections or sitting with Samantha to share stories about their lives.
Shawn could see Miles relax and come into his own around his parents. There was nothing more satisfying to see. Miles was becoming overwhelmingly precious to Shawn, and he decided to do everything in his power to create more moments like these.
Miles was relaxing in the sunroom, talking on the phone as the sun was setting. Shawn lingered at the door, catching the tail end of the conversation.
"How do you feel about the test?" Miles asked, letting Shawn guess he was talking to Danny.
He watched as Miles' smiled happily. "I knew you would ace it. You've worked hard."
"I added more money to your account, so order something good to eat. Tomorrow, I'll make you a celebratory dinner." Miles laughed, his eyes lit up. "Deal. They can come, and I'll invite Shawn as well."
Samantha had silently approached Shawn and leaned against him. She let out a light sigh. "Who is he talking to?"
"Danny," Shawn explained. "Sounds like Courtney and Rob are going to be at their house tonight."
Samantha smiled. "I'm glad Courtney has good people surrounding her."
"Me too," Shawn said.
"You really like him, don't you," she said as an observation.
"I do. I didn't know how much until recently."
She was quiet for a moment, watching Miles talk on the phone. "That young man has been hurt by life. You can see it in his eyes."
Shawn felt a pain in his chest as he recalled the forlorn look in his eyes when they first met, and his fingers remembered the feel of the scars on Miles' wrists. Shawn kept his thoughts to himself, but the look on his face was telling. His mom knew that he understood her words.
"You're all heart, Shawn," she continued. "So I know you will love him the way he deserves."
"I will." There was no question in his statement, just a sincere promise. He didn't even flinch at her loose use of the word love.
She kissed his cheek. "I'm rooting for you both."
After she left, he remained in place, enraptured by the man in the sunroom, the oranges of the sunset streaming in and haloing him. His chest swelled for this man.
His feelings for Miles had hit him hard as if 12 years of waiting compounded into something that set him ablaze. He remembered a conversation they had when Brian had hurt Miles.
"First, he and his people attacked my artists, and now he attacked the person I—"
He stopped his words prematurely at that time. Even now, he didn't know how he was going to finish that sentence.
The person I cared for.
The person I wanted to date.
The person I liked.
But the words seemed so... menial. The person I am falling for? The person I want to love?
Love?
But wasn't it too soon? It's ridiculous to think that he would feel something so strongly for a man he hardly knew.
But did it matter? He didn't need a timeline to dictate when he should fall in love. Besides, how else could he describe the all-encompassing feeling brewing inside him? Maybe his heart was ready to lay itself bare for Miles before his mind could comprehend it.
Shawn smiled. It wasn't as terrifying as it sounded.
He was struck with the revelation that he wasn't falling for Miles—he fell. No parachutes. No safety. No recourse. And, god, it was amazing. One day, he will tell Miles; in the meantime, he will enjoy every moment with him.
Miles ended his call with Danny, drawing Shawn from his thoughts. Shawn sauntered over to him, wrapped his arms around his waist, and pulled him to his chest.
"How's Danny?" He asked.
The look in Miles' eyes softened when Shawn mentioned his brother. "Did well in his Geology test. He was stressing about it because 'science is the devil's kink and is unpractical for everyday life.'" He used air quotes for Danny's words, and he laughed. "To be fair, I wasn't the best in science either."
"I wasn't aware the devil had kinks," Shawn chuckled.
"Same. Either way, you are officially invited for dinner tomorrow to celebrate."
"I wouldn't miss it," Shawn said quietly. He felt a flutter in his chest because he was invited. He was somehow being incorporated into Miles' life. He never thought he would have something like this before, especially with Miles.
Light jazz played in the house of the sound system, and Shawn could tell that Miles was savoring the music.
"Dance with me," Shawn requested.
Miles laughed. "Why do you always want to dance?"
"It's my excuse to hold you close," Shawn replied with a coy smile.
Miles huffed but quickly acquiesced and relaxed in Shawn's embrace. He draped his arms around Shawn's neck and nestled his face on his shoulder. They slowly moved to the music, not caring when it moved to the next song.
"Your parents are great," Miles said suddenly.
"I'm lucky to have them."
Miles seemed to hesitate and battled with his words. "I'm worried."
"About what?"
"You dating someone like me." A slew of emotions flickered in Miles' eyes. "I don't know why it didn't dawn on me... You're famous. Even some of the people you represent can't hold a candle to your popularity. And I'm me. I'm—"
Shawn placed his fingers over Miles' mouth gently. "You are everything."
He now understood the look Miles had when Judith mentioned the media. However, he wasn't as high profiled as others. He wasn't near the same status as his actor, Jaxon Reid, or his husband, Alex Lee. His fame was subdued compared to them; however, he could understand Miles' fears.
He pulled his hand away and replaced his fingers with his lips, gently brushing against Miles' lips and jaw. "I won't downplay some of the attention I receive, but it's nothing like my actors. We can keep it quiet if that's what you want; however, I can't promise that no one will find out if we are dating. You may be photographed, and people may look into your past because of me. Still, I won't pressure you to announce anything if you're uncomfortable."
This caused Miles to pale, and he looked down at his feet. "My past..."
Shawn gently grabbed his chin and pulled his head back up. "Miles, I want you. All of you, including your past." Shawn smiled fondly at the man in his arms. "It doesn't matter if we're holding hands in front of flashing cameras or dancing in quiet moments like this. Just be mine."
The silence passed between them, and Shawn felt like an eternity passed before Miles took a deep breath. "As much as it terrifies me, I won't make you keep us a secret," Miles said quietly. "That sounds torturous for both of us. But maybe we can figure out this dating thing before the world hones in on us."
Shawn grabbed the back of his neck. "Anything you want," he murmured, pulling him into a kiss that was as sacred as a promise.
When they broke apart, Miles' eyes were glazed. "We need to go," he whispered.
Shawn gave him a quick kiss on his forehead. "Why's that?"
"Because the way I want to kiss you is inappropriate in your parents' home."
Shawn raised an eyebrow and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the sunroom.
"Mom?" He called out. "We're heading out for the night!"
Miles' eyes widened. "Shouldn't we give them a proper goodbye?"
"We'll make it up to them," Shawn said. He waved at them as they came out of the kitchen. Ray wanted to call after them, but Samantha hit his arm and shook her head. He continued to pull Miles, who tried to wave goodbye, and steered him to the car.