Page 31 of Shatter

"What the fuck were you thinking, Parker!? You're a faggot now?! Do you know how bad this is for your career?!"

Parker opens his mouth to argue, but Harrison's quicker.

"I would watch your tongue, if I were you, Mr. Kessler," he growls. The deep timbre, the quiet threat, flies over our agent's head.

"Who the fuck is this?!"

"Someone who cares about Parker a hell of a lot more than you do, it seems."

"I don't have time for this. Parker? Are you there? I need you to get your ass down to my office right now so we can do damage control!" Marty continues, before whispering "faggot" under his breath again.

Harrison's body goes rigid, but he calmly holds his palm out to Parker. "Would you like me to handle this?"

Parker fumbles his phone, throwing it in Harrison's general direction as if it burned him. Harry takes a few deep inhales and exhales before walking to his sliding glass door, stepping out onto his balcony, and very calmly shutting the glass behind him.

That's where his control ends. He takes the phone off of the speaker and holds it to his ear.

"You will watch the homophobic slurs when you speak to them. You work for them, not the other way around. And if I so much as think I hear something homophobic in your tone, I will have my lawyer end you, your entire family line, your dogwalker's entire family line, and your barista's entire family line. And if that doesn't work, I'll march down there myself and knock your teeth in. Do you understand? I'm going to hang up now. When you call back, I expect you to work out a plan with your BOSSES that benefits them in this situation, and then maybe I'll let them consider keeping you on. If not, I have more money than God and will happily bury you. Got it?" he says before hanging up the phone.

He went outside for privacy, but we heard every word. Parker and I just stand, staring at his back, dumbfounded.

"God, that was hot," Parker sighs, breaking the stress of the moment, and I burst out in laughter.

Parker walks toward the window and tries to strike the pose Harrison has - elbows akimbo, hands in fists at his waist, chest heaving as he tries to get his emotions under control.

"Think I could pull that off?"

I giggle, feeling lighter than I have in a long time. "You're too pretty. Your chin dimple makes you look like Clark Gable. He looks like a God of War," I tease, squeezing Parker's biceps as he flexes, trying to prove me wrong.

Then he turns and his bravado slips.

"What's with the baby stuff?" Parker asks and it's only then that I notice a small bassinet and basket of what looks like toys tucked into the corner of the room behind the TV. "Does Harrison have a kid?"

I wrack my brain as adrenaline flies through me. Is there a woman I don't know about? Or a kid? No, he's never mentioned having a child, or a woman for that matter...

Just then, the doorbell rings, and the baby stuff is instantly forgotten under another wave of fear.

Our smiles fall. Before we can react, Harrison strides past us, looking into the peephole and opening the door.

On the other side is a lithe man, six feet tall, wearing a quarter-zip blue sweater and glasses. And he looks properly ashamed.

Marco.

Harrison shakes his hand politely and welcomes him into his condo.

Parker goes to rush him, but he holds a hand up, stopping him. Marco shuffles to me, hands wringing in front of himself, eyes cast down, unable to look me in the eye.

"Miss Snow. I'm so very sorry for what's happened. It's all my fault. I was reckless, and you're paying the price for it. I can't tell you how very truly sorry I am." God, his voice sounds like he's on the brink of tears.

I startle him when I wrap my arms around him and hug him fiercely. "I don't care about any of that," I say, holding him by his shoulders and giving him a good once-over.

"He's cute!" I whisper to Parker, who impatiently pushes me again to hug his man. My heart squeezes at the obvious love between them. God, they look good together. I wish their relationship hadn't gotten out the way it had because the public's painting them as a scandal, when they're just two men who fell in love.

I laugh out loud, deep and from a part of my chest I didn't realize could be this happy. When three sets of eyes look at me like I'm crazy, I confess. "Outside, the world is losing their collective minds because they think Parker cheated on me, and I'm some depressed, love-sick fool, when in reality we're all hanging out in my mistress - mister? - 's condo, like one big happy family."

Harrison shakes his head at me, but drops a kiss to my head and whispers, "You're crazy."

The tension seeps out of Marco's shoulders.