10. Eric
“This is new,” Vincent says as he samples the wine.
I shrug. “One of the people I had that business dinner with the other night recommended it.”
“I didn’t say it was a bad new.” He tilts his head and studies me. “How’s it going with your new ‘love interest’? Graham, right?”
I grin, my chest lightening at the mention of him.
“It’s going well. We went to dinner the other day, had a great time. It’s… I don’t want to say love at first sight, but not because I don’t believe in it. Look at Blaise and Sawyer. It’s more…I can see myself falling for him, eventually. Hard.”
“But…?”
I sigh, hating that he knows me so well he can read between the lines. That’s what happens when you’ve been with someone for the better part of a decade, though.
“Sometimes I worry this isn’t what he wants. Yes, it’s early days still, but he’s so young, he has so much to look forward to. He’s never been in a serious relationship, much less an open, polyamorous one. I can’t help but worry this is going to crash and burn. You know the last time I said I wanted to date that I wanted it to be with someone I could settle down with. I want to have what you and Sawyer do with your partners, not because y’all aren’t enough, but because I have so much love to give.”
Shaking my head, I try to catch my breath and gather my thoughts so Vincent actually understands where I’m coming from. “I can see a future with Graham, and it’s making it hard to remember we’re just starting out. I don’t want to scare him away.”
Vincent smiles and reaches for my hand. “He must be special if you’ve thought so hard and long about this. How old is he? I didn’t think to ask when the three of us had dinner last week.”
Taking a breath, I say, “He’s nineteen.”
Vincent chokes a little on the wine he’s just drunk. “Really? I mean, Logan’s new boyfriend is twenty-two, but nineteen? Eric, you just said you wanted to settle down with someone permanently. You really think he’s the one? I’m not saying this to judge you, but I wasn’t ready at nineteen. We both know what it’s like at that age, we lived it. I’m not questioning you because I think it’s a bad idea—I trust you know what you’re doing. I’m asking because I love you. Are you sure?”
I nod. “Yeah. I know it’s fast and crazy, but I never put stock into how long it takes, you know that. Only that it feels right. And it really does feel like this is right.”
Vincent’s features soften. “You think so?”
“I know so. I wish there were words to describe how he makes me feel. It may only have been a few weeks, but I want to see this through. It’s a long-term thing, love. I know it. As surely as I know I’ll spend the rest of my life with you.”
“God, you’re such a sap.” He leans over and kisses me. “If it’s so serious then I want to meet him.”
I groan. “Absolutely not. I don’t want to scare him off. He’s…skittish. I can’t tell you much, but he reminds me of you in a lot of ways.”
Vincent grimaces. “That bad?”
“Eh, you know it doesn’t work like that. I don’t have all the details as it’s not my place to ask, nor is it my story to tell, but you know there’s no better or worse when it comes to that type of thing.”
He nods. “I know.”
“You’ll like him. He’s amusing, and a bit salty at times, but I think that’s because he needs to be rather than because that’s who he truly is. When he relaxes, he’s…fun. He’d get along great with Blaise.”
Vincent groans, and I don’t blame him. We both love Blaise, but sometimes he’s a brat just because he can be—it’s part of his charm. Before he can reply, the doorbell rings. We look at each other in confusion, because no one comes over who doesn’t have a key.
“I’ll get it,” I say, as the bell goes off again.
“Don’t get killed by the door-to-door murderer!” Vincent calls out.
“You’ve been spending far too much time with Blaise,” I shoot back, as I head to the door.
The smile and all light heartedness die when I find Graham standing on the front stoop, shivering, with red cheeks and eyes, and two bags slung over his shoulders.
“Come in.” I hastily step back, and he hesitates for a long moment before crossing the threshold.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go and?—”
“Hey, hey.” Stepping close, I cup his cold cheeks with my hands. “It’s okay. I’m glad you came to me.”
“I shouldn’t be here.”
“Stop, Graham.” Leaning down, I press a hard kiss to his mouth. “You’re here because you feel safe, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I’m happy to be your safe space.”
“I should have called first, at least.”
“It’s fine. Now, take your jacket off and come get warmed up. Did you walk here?”
“I took an Uber, but I… I sat outside for a while. Didn’t want to be a bother.”
I don’t let my frustration show as I take his bags and help him out of his jacket. “Did you have dinner yet?”
“No… That’s… We were just sitting down when shit hit the fan.”
“We can fix that.”
Taking his hand, I lead him into the kitchen. Graham stops, and I look over at him. His eyes are wide and he’s staring at Vincent like he’s never seen another human being before.
“You have company. I really shouldn’t be here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s just Vincent.”
“Nice to know how you really feel about me, love,” Vincent deadpans, before he stands and makes his way over. “I’m Vincent Hall. I’m guessing you’re Graham?”
“Ye—Yeah. Graham Rogers.” He tries to pull his hand from mine but I hold on tight. “I’m sorry about crashing your night.”
“No, you’re not crashing anything, we’re just having dinner. We’ve done that a lot over the years. It’s nice to meet you. Eric was just telling me about you.”
Graham looks up at me, and I give him a gentle smile. “I was. I couldn’t help myself. I want everyone to know about the amazing man I met.”
Graham shakes his head. “This night is so fucked.”
“It doesn’t have to be. Let Eric feed you, and if you still want to leave, I’ll take you wherever you want to go or pay for a car or something for you. But you’re here now, and you obviously came for a reason. Let us help you?”
Graham sucks in a breath but finally nods. Squeezing his hand, I lead him to the counter and pull out the stool for him, while Vincent gets out a plate and silverware.
Retaking my seat, I slide an arm around Graham as Vincent fills his plate with food and sets it in front of him. He pours a glass of wine for him next, and Graham doesn’t say anything about not being of age—that worries me.
“You can talk if you want to,” I say quietly. “But it’s okay if you don’t.”
He shrugs and picks up the fork, poking at the food. “It’s stupid. I…I know they don’t like me, that they hate the fact I’m not what they consider normal. But I just… I don’t know. I was tired of it.”
“You told your mother and sister about me?” I guess.
He nods. “Mama was being her usual self, made a few snide comments, and I got fed up with it. She was bitching about how much food she has to make with so many people in the house, and I…kinda snapped. Said that if she hated the extra work so much I’d start going over to my boyfriend’s for dinner more.” He winces. “Things deteriorated from there.”
I press a kiss to his temple. “I’m sorry, love.”
Graham leans into me without hesitation. “It’s… I can’t say it’s fine, but I knew what the outcome would be.”
I wish there was something I could do for him aside from being a shoulder to lean on. My heart aches for this lost, sweet person whom I’ve really come to care about.
* * *
“Are you sure this is okay?”Graham asks, as I show him into my bedroom.
“It’s perfectly okay. Vincent has his own room. He prefers it.”
“I’m sure he’d prefer it more if you were there with him. I didn’t mean to mess up your night.”
“Hey.” I wait until he’s looking up at me to continue. “He understands. This is part of the territory when it comes to the way we practice polyamory. Vincent, Sawyer, and I have had a lot of time, and a lot of growing pains, to figure out how to navigate our relationships. Yes, we were enjoying a night together, but we can do that another night. Right now, you need me and that’s okay.” Gently cupping his chin, I raise his face to mine and stare into his wary eyes.
“He’s not going to hold it against either of us, because he knows if the positions were reversed, I’d be right by his side. That’s the great thing about this family we’ve built, Graham. We all care about one another, whether we’re romantically involved or not.”
He looks like he’s going to protest, so I kiss him softly. “I promise, it’s okay. Vincent isn’t the type to say one thing but think another.”
His eyes fill with tears, but he nods. “Okay.”
“Let’s shower.” I see the protest in his eyes, so I say, “I won’t go in with you if you don’t want. But if you want company, and comfort, I can give you that.”
He bites his lip then nods.
Taking his hand, I lead him to the bathroom. He drops both his bags by the door, and I turn on the shower before carefully stripping out of my clothes. I’m hyperaware of his eyes on me, but I don’t pay him any mind as I dump the clothing into the hamper and then move back to the shower to test the water temperature.
“You can put your clothes in the hamper,” I tell him, before stepping into the shower.
A few moments later, Graham joins me. He doesn’t hesitate when I hold my arms open. Wrapping my arms around him, I pull him as close as possible.
“This shower is ridiculous,” he says against my skin. “You could fit like four people in here.”
“Perfect size, then,” I say softly.
He snorts. “Is that your plan? To get all your lovers in one shower?”
“No.” I hold him just a bit tighter. “I told you, our relationships don’t work like that. Sawyer and Vincent tried dating, but they’re better off as friends. Of course, we’re all very close, probably closer than what most people would consider normal, but…it’s just us. What you and I are building won’t look like the relationships I have with Sawyer or Vincent, because you’re not either of them, and I don’t want you to be. I—” I hesitate over my words for a moment, before thinking fuck it. “I’m falling in love with you because you’re you.”
He pulls back to look up at me. “How can you be?”
Brushing his hair out of his eyes, I counter with, “How can I not be?”
“I’m nothing special. There’s no reason why you should have feelings for me so quickly.”
I shake my head. “You’re wrong there, Graham. You caught my attention from the moment we met, and every single time we’re together you show me just how special and amazing you are. I love talking to you and love the ideas you have for the coffee shop. You’re so guarded—and I don’t blame you for being that way, you’ve had to protect yourself for so long—but I see you, Graham. And I am falling for what I see.”
Graham stares up at me with wide eyes filled with so much emotion it knocks the breath out of me. He’s not ready to say the words yet, not even close, but that’s okay. I can be patient. I’m in this for the long haul, and I’ll do everything I can to prove it to him.