Page 2 of Love and Chaos

“I didn’t. I rented an apartment for the month.”

“You didn’t⁠—”

“I didn’t get your old place,” Charlie interjected, holding his hands up to ward off Will’s simmering anger. “I’m crazy. Not psychotic.”

As the car pulled over to the side of the road, Will glanced around. It appeared they were on the left bank of the Seine, close to Notre Dame, but he’d have to wander about in order to get his bearings. It had been more than six years since he’d last set foot in Paris.

No.

They were leaving in twenty-four hours. There was no reason to get his bearings.

He paused on the sidewalk as the driver unloaded their bags. It was mid-December and Paris was enjoying a rare dry spell, even though the skies were gray with heavy storm clouds. The city rarely dipped low enough to be blanketed in snow. The temperatures while he’d lived there had lingered in the high forties, and rain had been almost a near constant. However, the dreary weather didn’t detract from the twinkle of lights and flashes of red, green, and gold that were splashed throughout every shop.

Maybe they could stay for a day or two. The lights along the Champs-Élysées were pretty, and he’d never found time to hit the Christmas market at the Tuileries Garden.

Charlie led the way to a door between two storefronts. He unlocked it and took them up a narrow staircase to the third floor. Dear Lord, Will was grateful he hadn’t overpacked. He’d been spoiled recently with elevators and escalators carrying him up multiple floors.

When they reached the top, Charlie unlocked another door and motioned for Will to precede him.

The air was sucked out of his lungs. The apartment was gorgeous. They entered a vast living space filled with elegant but comfortable furniture, and it was all decorated for Christmas with a tree glowing with white lights. To his left was a wall of windows that looked out on the Seine and even Notre Dame a short distance off.

“How?” Will breathed.

“I might have gotten a little help from Kairo and Izzie.”

“I believe it,” Will murmured. Anything was possible with a billionaire friend. “Did Izzie buy this for you?”

Charlie barked out a harsh laugh. “No. I found it and rented it, but before Kairo and Izzie returned from their last trip to Athens, they made a pit stop in Paris for me. They’re the ones who decorated and stocked the kitchen with food.”

“They did an amazing job.” Will tore his eyes away from the Christmas decorations to stare out the window at the massive gothic cathedral. As much as this city held painful memories for him, the old love was already shining through. He’d loved studying medicine here. He’d loved exploring all the museums and trying new food at the restaurants. But the best part had been exploring these locations with Charlie at his side.

That was why he’d never wanted to return. It felt like every place he loved was touched by the memory of Charlie. And he couldn’t yet separate the old pain and the joy.

“There are two bedrooms if you’re too mad at me to share a bed,” Charlie said, sounding much closer now.

Will sighed and rolled his eyes as he turned toward his boyfriend. Charlie was watching him with a worried expression that dug lines into his face.

“I might be stubborn, but I like to think I’m not that stubborn.”

One corner of Charlie’s mouth quirked higher. “You have your moments.”

“Fine. Whatever. We’re staying in the same room. For a night. Maybe two.” Will wandered away from Charlie. The distance was needed if he was going to keep his angry guard up. He felt himself weakening already. How could it not? Charlie had found this amazing apartment for them to stay in, had asked their friends to help prepare it for their arrival.

Will poked around in the kitchen, checking out the pantry and fridge. And, of course, Charlie had stocked it all with some of his favorite foods. He grabbed a bottle of water and then located two glasses from the cabinet.

“So, why did you pick Paris? We could have gone anywhere in the world for a Christmas break,” Will said as Charlie’s footsteps echoed across the black-and-white tile.

“Closure.”

He paused in opening the screw top of the bottle, his head snapping up. “Huh?”

“We never really talked about what happened in Paris, and we’ve been back together for over a year. I just thought it would be good for us to get everything out in the open. That way, there wouldn’t be any dark shadows from our past to screw up our future.” Will continued to frown at him, so Charlie grinned and continued, “Besides, wouldn’t you like to let go of that old anger so you can enjoy the city you’ve always loved?”

“Clearly, it hasn’t been only Izzie and Kairo you’ve been getting help from.”

Charlie shrugged as he slid onto the stool on the other side of the center island. “Stephen loves to butt in when it comes to my mental health, but I don’t think my brother is wrong this time.”

Will frowned at the bottle of water he’d just finished opening. “I should have grabbed a bottle of wine for this.”