Love Beyond Life - WIP Short FREE Read

I am working on a free read!! Here is an excerpt:

Detrick's teeth chattered, the biting wind cutting through the threadbare coat and thin jeans he wore. He wasn't really paying much attention to the cold though, his mind and heart too overwhelmed with grief and pain. He knew he needed to get to the shelter, or there wouldn't be any beds left. But then, no matter what time he had shown up in the last two days, there was never a bed available. Detrick figured they preferred to give them to the elderly homeless men, and the youngest of those that appeared at their doorstep. Not someone like him. Twenty four, healthy, if thin and, to their reasoning, able to fend for himself. How wrong they were. The person who had taken care of him since he was eighteen was gone now. Solomon Fererro. Sol. The love of Detrick's life. Cut down by a brain aneurism. Detrick's chattering teeth clenched as he fought back the tears. Jesus, had it been only three days since Detrick had kissed Sol goodbye as his lover left for work? "Son, you can't stay here." A deep voice behind Detrick said, making Detrick jerk and turn so suddenly that he knocked his elbow against the wall he'd been huddling against, the pain radiating through his whole frozen body. "S…s…sorry sir." Detrick mumbled and wrapped his coat more firmly around him as he moved away."Hey." That deep voice said again. Detrick turned to look back over his shoulder. "How come you aren't at home? It's almost Christmas. Shouldn't you be with your family?" The man asked. Detrick felt the familiar sting of tears again. His only family was gone now.He shook his head at the man and turned away, hunching his shoulders against the wind and headed towards the shelter. Maybe tonight they would have a bed. It had started to snow and Detrick shivered hard. Surely they wouldn't leave him out in this?"Hey." Detrick heard the man again, but ignored him and kept walking. He jerked again when he felt a hand grab his arm. He yanked it out of the man's grip and glared. The man stepped back quickly. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to startle you." He said. "What do you want? I moved away from your door." Detrick said, hardly recognizing his own voice. It was raspy from the cold and the crying he'd been doing for the last two days.The man blushed and looked down. Detrick looked over the man while he waited for his answer. He was tall, maybe five or six inches taller than Detrick's 5'8". Detrick couldn't tell how big he was since the man was bundled up against the winter weather. He had dark brown hair with some silver at the temples, what looked like light blue eyes behind wire rim glasses and a strong jaw with a thick five o'clock shadow. Detrick's chest tightened. He looked like Sol.

The man looked back up at him. "Um, you don't have anywhere to go, do you?" He asked hesitantly. Detrick almost rolled his eyes. Why the hell else would he be hovering in the doorway of a small antique store? Detrick's pride tried to rear its head, but common sense prevailed and he shook his head. Besides, he'd never been a liar and didn't feel like starting now. The man nodded back, as if agreeing with Detrick, which was absurd. "Are you hungry?" The man asked. Again, it occurred to Detrick to lie, but when his stomach growled, that option fled. He nodded again."Um…" The man started, and then ran his gloved hand through his thick hair, making it stick up in tufts. Detrick's chest tightened even further. Sol had that same habit when he was nervous or frustrated."What do you want?" Detrick tried again hoping the man would just answer the question so Detrick could go and at least try to warm up at the shelter for a bit before they told him they had no room for him. His mind was racing as it was. Where the hell was he going to spend tonight?The man shook his head, his light blue eyes finally latching onto Detrick's green ones. "Nothing, well…to help." The man said. Detrick was dumbstruck. The shock turning to wariness quickly. No one wanted nothing in return for something. He narrowed his eyes at the man. "I don't think so." He replied and turned away."Please. It's just…you remind me of someone and I'd like to help, if you will let me." The man said to Detrick's back. Detrick turned back around, his curiosity pushing the grief away for a moment. "Who?"The man cleared his throat. "Um, a friend of mine. From a long time ago." He answered. Detrick wasn't stupid. That friend must have been pretty important as Detrick watched a deep sadness come over the man's face. A sadness that mirrored Detrick's own and tugged at his heart.Detrick remained silent, searching his feelings, but the man just didn't seem threatening to him. Not that Detrick had much experience with gauging people. He'd been very naive when Sol had found him, and Sol was very protective. Had been. Detrick tried to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat. He stood there, unable to decide what to do. What would Sol do? Detrick almost laughed. Sol would have lectured Detrick about trusting strangers, as if he were an eight year old. Detrick wiped his face angrily. But Sol wasn't here.The man continued to stare and then cleared his throat again. "At least keep me company for dinner?" The man said hesitantly. Detrick's stomach growled again. He hadn't eaten since Sol's family had kicked him out of his lover's home. Detrick nodded silently.The man gestured for Detrick to follow him and turned back towards the little store. Detrick fell into step behind the man, hands deep in his pockets even though that didn't really warm them. He could hardly feel them they were so frozen."What's your name?" Detrick asked the man's back. He stopped so suddenly that Detrick ran into him. He gasped as a tingle of awareness shot through him. What the hell was that?  Guilt quickly followed. How could he possibly be…attracted…to another man just days after losing Sol? The man turned around and gazed down at Detrick. "My name's Nick. Nicholi Jerome." The man replied. Detrick nodded, then blushed at the man's inquiring look. "Detrick." He mumbled, unwilling to give his last name. "Detrick." The man repeated, his blue eyes going wide. "What?" Detrick asked, but the man just shook his head and turned to continue to the store.Detrick followed as the man…Nick…led him inside the warm interior and up some narrow stairs in the back of the store. After going through a door, Detrick found himself in a small, but cozy apartment. He stood in the center of the open room, unsure what to do, and surprised at himself that he was even here. He glanced at the small twinkling Christmas tree and looked away quickly. It was just a reminder that Christmas was tomorrow.Nick didn't stop until he was in the tiny kitchen and started pulling items out of the little refrigerator. "I hope you like patitsio." Nick said and again, that awareness flowed through Detrick. How did this man know his favorite dish? A Greek concoction that Sol made him. Used to make him.Pain suddenly sliced through Detrick and he sank to the floor trying to get a breath into his lungs. He abruptly found himself enveloped in strong arms and pulled against a hard chest. Something snapped and Detrick couldn't stop the sobs that tore at him. "Shhh, trela mou, shhhh. It will be ok." Nick murmured against Detrick's hair. It was the endearment that managed to work its way through Detrick's agony. "H..how did you know?" He stuttered, but didn't pull away from Nick. The man's arms felt too good to give up."Know what, zouzouni?" Nick asked tightening his embrace before letting Detrick go. Detrick shivered at the loss. Nick helped him stand and guided him to the soft sofa. Detrick sat down, drained and confused. "How did you know he called me that?" Detrick asked, looking at Nick as the man sat next to him. "Who?" Nick asked softly.Detrick didn't answer right away, getting lost in the sky blue of Nick's eyes. He shook his head, closing his own eyes and tried to remember what they were talking about. "What were you saying, trela mou?" Nick asked again, his hand holding Detrick's and his thumb rubbing soothingly across the back of it. Detrick looked down, concentrating on their hands. "Sol." He whispered, his eyes filling again. Nick's hand suddenly squeezing Detrick's had him looking up at the man. He sucked in a breath at the look on the older man's face. Nick's blue eyes had darkened and Detrick wasn't sure it was from anger, pain or what. "How did you know his name?" Nick said, pulling his hand away. "Know whose name?" Detrick asked. Nick ran his hand through his hair again, making the tufts more prominent. "My friend." Nick said his voice so low that Detrick almost didn't hear him."Your friend? I was talking about my…my…partner." Detrick said, unsure whether it was wise to mention he was gay.