“Yeah.” I let myself grin. I honestly didn’t expect it to go so well. Trying to guess someone’s reaction to a male-male relationship was like trying to figure out why a dog’s farts smelled so bad.
Though I tried not to show it, I’d been worried. How could I not be? Drew was risking everything. I honestly didn’t know what I would’ve done if Gamble had turned him away.
It probably wouldn’t have been pretty.
“You up for the interview with GearShark?” Drew asked.
“Absolutely.” I was looking forward to it. It was what I wanted to begin with, a chance to carve out a place in this life for Drew and me.
“You were on fire tonight at dinner. You really like all that business stuff.”
I made a face. “You get your adrenaline from cars; I get mine from closing deals.”
“Graduation is coming.” He pointed out.
“Amen.”
He smiled, then turned serious. “So how about it?”
“How about what?”
“How about we get our own place.”
One minute my heart was beating along just fine, and then it stuttered. I felt it trip and then restart. He wanted to move in together.
A serious case of homesickness washed over me. Just the idea of permanently occupying the same place as him made me long for that home. As if all along I’d known that’s where I belonged, but I’d only just gotten the directions.
“You just want me to blow you every day.” I joked because it was the only way I could process what he suggested.
It was so intensely craved, I almost hurt.
To belong somewhere, to someone, and for that blessing to meet me every day at the door…
“You already do that.” Drew pointed out, humor in his tone.
It sounded odd, the humor, because even though I’d just made a joke, there wasn’t anything funny about this.
“You really want to get a place?” I asked.
“I really do.”
“Me, too.” Damn. My voice was hoarse.
Drew stood and held out a hand to me. “C’mon, I feel like taking a shower with the door open.”
I chortled and placed my hand in his, allowing him to pull me to my feet. I started toward the bathroom first, but he pulled me back around.
His arms were strong when they wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me in for a tight hug. I stepped in a little closer to soak in as much of Drew as I could while returning the hold.
“Thanks for being there tonight,” he whispered in my ear.
Like I’d be anywhere else.
“I’ll always be here for you. Best friend’s honor,” I vowed. Because even though tonight was about us and the part of our relationship that was more than friends, the kind of support we needed for something like coming out to Gamble could only be the kind a best friend could give.
Drew pulled back but kept hold of my hand to lead me past the king-size bed and into the bathroom. “I hope you didn’t plan on sleeping tonight.” He reached out and grabbed my cock right through my open jeans.
As if.
With Drew, sleep was always the last thing on my mind.
Drew
A single touch.
It contained enough power to move mountains.
Enough power to rip apart families.
Trent
I’d never seen him like this.
While I welcomed all the firsts I experienced with Drew, I wished this didn’t have to be one of them.
In some ways, I’d grown used to living in the moment with him. It seemed for a while, it was all we had. Stolen moments, shared looks. Minutes of unrestrained feeling and unbridled chemistry. Ever since he sat beside me in Screamerz that first time, our relationship was defined by moments.
Moments were fleeting… weren’t they?
Not really.
Because the feelings and impressions single moments left as imprints stayed long, long after the moments were gone. It was those imprints we carried into future moments. They shaped us, influenced us. Conditioned us.
I was afraid.
Not really a new feeling, I know, but just because I knew it didn’t mean it was any easier. If anything, the fear got harder. I was in so deep, tangled so tight, I’d never get out, and that’s what scared me. Because if today went terribly wrong, I’d be twisted in a lot of upcoming moments that would break me.
I didn’t know Drew’s father, not enough to make any kind of guess on how he’d react to us. Sure, I’d met his parents a couple times when they came to town, but it was never more than a casual introduction.
I knew they were good people. Of course they were; they raised Drew and Ivy, who were both awesome. They’d been strict as parents, and they had remarkable ideals. They loved their kids, though, and to me, that was most important.
Still, the closer we got to Drew’s North Carolina home, the more I began to doubt love was enough. I knew firsthand sometimes all love did was complicate things and hurt people more.