Chapter 12 Miguel

Distinguished and oozing sexual charm, Daddy Bently's silver hair and neatly trimmed beard framed his charming face. His tall physique was agile for a man in his fifties. A twinkle in his bright blue eyes hinted at a sharp wit that complemented his impressive intellect. He stood there looking infuriatingly relaxed. In his hand, he held a bouquet of fragrant red roses, their sweet scent filling the air.

"Miguel," Daddy Bently drawled, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You look…" He trailed off, his eyes scanning Miguel's outfit. "Dressed up."

Miguel was speechless for a moment. The air in the room thickened, heavy with unspoken words, broken promises, and the weight of betrayal. Six months. An entire six months of radio silence.

"Daddy Bently," Miguel finally managed to say. "What are you doing here?"

"These are for you." He handed Miguel the bouquet of roses.

Miguel didn't want his roses or anything from him, but he took them anyway, not knowing what to say.

Daddy Bently, oblivious, pushed past Miguel and sauntered into the room like he owned the place. "Can we talk?"

"No!" The word exploded from Miguel's lips as a desperate plea edged with fury. Daddy Bently faltered, surprised by the vengeance in his tone.

"Miguel, I moved back to Jersey for one reason, and I'm looking at that reason."

"You haven't checked on me in six months. I really don't care why you moved back here." Miguel set the flowers on the coffee table.

Anger burned in his throat. This wasn't how this evening was supposed to go. The boardwalk, the laughter—all of it seemed to slip away, replaced by the suffocating confines of this room and the sting of Daddy Bently's unexpected arrival. Miguel was trapped, caught between a past he'd tried to outrun and a future he desperately craved.

Daddy Bently winced. "That doesn't mean I didn't think about you. I tried to make it in California without you, but I missed you so much. I knew you'd never follow me there. So, the only way for us was for me to return here. I want to make it right for us."

Miguel sighed and his reply was devoid of any trace of amusement. "It doesn't matter now."

Daddy Bently reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Miguel's breath hitched.

"Miguel," Daddy Bently said, his voice thick with emotion, "I love you. Always have. And I know I messed up by leaving without ever calling, but I…Will you marry me?" The click of the box opening sliced through Daddy Bently's words. Inside, nestled in plush blue velvet, gleamed two matching shiny gold bands, featuring intertwined Celtic knot engravings. A design they had once discussed together during Christmas.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Marry him? The audacity of the question after everything Daddy Bently had put him through, after the nights Miguel spent crying himself to sleep, after cautiously opening his heart again to someone new—Daddy Shamus so kind and caring.

Miguel's stomach twisted, causing a wave of nausea. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not now. Not with him. He wasn't supposed to be here, reviving this pain of the past. His steps towards a new beginning were tentative, but there was a glimmer of optimism resulting from the fun times spent with Daddy Shamus.

"Bently," Miguel said, no longer addressing him as Daddy Bently, his voice firm despite the tremor threatening to shatter it. "This is a lot to take in."

"I know," Daddy Bently pleaded, his eyes glistening. "But please, just say yes. Give us another chance."

Miguel looked at the rings, the symbol of a love that had curdled into something bitter and painful. He thought of Daddy Shamus, his smile, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed. His new daddy wasn't a sure relationship, but he wanted to give it a go. Daddy Bently had gone an entire six months without contacting Miguel, and now he expected Miguel to agree to marry him. His anger grew and gave him the courage to give Daddy Bently an answer.

"No, Bently," Miguel paused. "The answer is no."

"I'm not Daddy Bently to you anymore? We've been through a lot, I'm now just Bently." His face crumpled into a mask of shattered hope. The rings, glinting in the light, felt like a physical weight in the room. "But, Miguel—"

Miguel held up a hand. "This isn't about you, Bently. It's about me. I've moved on." It wasn't entirely a lie. The gaping wound had scabbed over, the memory of once loving Bently dulling with each sunrise for six months.

"I see," he muttered, his voice choked. "If you don't want to marry me right now, will you give us another chance?"

"No. I can't. My feelings for you are gone."

Miguel felt sympathy for Bently, standing there with the rings in his hand, but it quickly shifted to a sense of relief. It was finally time to turn the page and start a fresh chapter alongside Daddy Shamus.

"Goodbye, Bently," Miguel said, his voice laced with a newfound strength. The urgency grew as he realized he needed him out before Daddy Shamus arrived, the sound of his impending arrival growing louder in his ears. Trembling with fear, his limbs betrayed him as he worried the two men would meet. What could possibly go wrong in that situation?

"You need to leave now." Miguel insisted, but Bently showed no signs of moving. "I said to leave!"

"You need to give me a chance. We can date, and I can show you how much I love you. Please, Miguel."

"No! Leave," Miguel shouted.

The door creaked open, and Daddy Shamus bolted towards Miguel, his arms outstretched, ready to protect him. With all the commotion of Bently showing up, Miguel had forgotten to lock the door. Bently stood there, his hand trembling as he held the rings, his intense glare fixed on them.

After kissing Miguel, Shamus turned his attention towards an angry Bently. "Who are you?" Daddy Shamus demanded.

"I'm Miguel's Daddy Bently."

Miguel froze, unable to speak.

"Miguel?" Daddy Shamus's voice, laced with confusion, echoed through the room. Shame burned in Miguel's throat, acrid and bitter. This wasn't how this evening was supposed to go. Trapped, Miguel watched as his present and past collided in the room, the weight of the situation threatening to crush him.

"Daddy Shamus, this is my ex-boyfriend, Bently. He was just leaving."

"No, Shamus, I'm his Daddy Bently," he emphasized the word daddy . "I'm here to ask him to marry me, so if you could leave and give us the time we need alone, I'd appreciate it."

"I'm not leaving unless Miguel asks me to leave," Daddy Shamus said.

"I haven't seen Miguel in six months, and we need to talk. We have outstanding issues to discuss privately."

"Daddy Shamus is staying here. I'm with him, not you. Please leave and don't come back again." Miguel was near tears, but pushed them away.

"This isn't over." Bently set the rings on the coffee table beside the roses and left.

Once he was gone, Daddy Shamus pulled Miguel into his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I'm so glad you came, or he might not have left."

"I want you to spend the night at my apartment. I don't know him, but I want to make sure you're safe.

"Okay, I need to pack some things."

"I have a better idea. How about I book a hotel room away from the boardwalk so you can have quiet and think?"

"Without you?" Miguel panicked.

"No! Unless you want to be alone. Whatever you need to do after seeing Bently." Daddy Shamus pointed to the coffee table with disgust. "He left the rings here."

"That means he's going to come back," Miguel said.

"We'll figure something out. I'm going to send a message to Finn and have him cover for me tonight. I hired another bartender since we've been so busy."

After he sent the message and booked their hotel room, they left with Miguel stuffed in his suitcase. They stopped to pick up clothes for Daddy Shamus, then walked to the parking lot and drove to the restaurant. Miguel was still in shock and remained silent in the car without Daddy Shamus pressing him for conversation. His new daddy, with one knowing look, understood Miguel needed time to process and regain his composure after seeing Bently.