Chapter 29
AARON
Jay’s face took up his entire field of vision, and wasn’t that a great metaphor for his feelings and the way Jay overwhelmed his entire life?
Aaron vaguely remembered falling asleep on Jay’s chest, yet now he was the one wrapped around Jay. Clearly, his body knew what he wanted even when he was unconscious. He loosened his hold and rolled away before the urge to lean in and kiss Jay became too intense.
“Okay, I’ll stay. What should we do?”
“Let’s start with breakfast.”
“Sounds good. I just need some eyedrops first. Sleeping in contacts always makes it feel like there’s sand in my eyes.”
Jay showed Aaron into his bathroom and presented him with a bottle of contact solution and an extra toothbrush, then paused and asked if he’d like a shower.
Aaron nodded emphatically, desperate to get out of the sweaty fabric clinging to his skin, but he didn’t have anything to change into.
Jay promised to take care of it and disappeared.
Aaron stood under the hot water, staring at the blue tile.
What was happening here? He’d slept next to Jay, their bodies tangled together, and woke up with a certainty that he was exactly where he belonged.
Their cozy night on the couch cemented what he’d already suspected—their relationship was so much more than sex.
When he’d showed up on Jay’s doorstep, too drained to function, he’d expected nothing more than a few slices of pizza and some company before dragging himself back to his messy apartment to spend the rest of his night alone, spiraling over his CEO canceling their check-in.
David had offered no reason for the cancellation in his curt email, no offer to reschedule.
It made Aaron wonder if this was the beginning of the end.
He wasn’t worried about losing the job—he could easily find something else before his substantial savings ran out—but he was starting to like it. The mission. The people. The sense of belonging. He could see himself staying there for a long time.
But he couldn’t let himself get used to it until he felt like he belonged. Like he was accepted. Like he had a place at the table. And so far, he hadn’t felt any of those things.
Aaron hadn’t expected Jay to take that weight off his shoulders with his easy smiles and gentle doting, yet, within an hour of his arrival, Jay had managed to replace the growing sense of dread with something warm and steady. Something that should have scared Aaron with its intensity.
Except he was done running from his feelings.
Sure, falling in love with Jay hadn’t been a part of his plan. At all.
But maybe it was time for a new plan.
When Aaron got out of the shower, a small stack of clothing sat on the floor by the door. Jay had made it a point to respect Aaron’s privacy by setting the items down and leaving. Aaron loved that.
The T-shirt and yoga pants fit him perfectly. Surprising, since Jay’s clothes would have been three sizes too large, but not unwelcome.
“Do you have a separate wardrobe for twinks that you bring home or something?” Aaron asked after finding Jay in the kitchen. Despite his joking tone, part of him wondered why Jay had the outfit on hand. Jealousy gnawed at him at the thought of Jay bringing someone else to his house.
“Are you calling yourself a twink?” Jay laughed without turning around, his attention on the stove. A delectable aroma of fried eggs filled the air, causing Aaron’s mouth to water.
“I’m not. I just happen to be a similar size.” Aaron huffed and sat on a stool by the counter.
“I’ll let my sister know that she’s a twink now.” Jay turned around with a plate of eggs and bacon, sliding it toward Aaron. Before Aaron could protest, he added, “Don’t worry, it’s fake bacon. I buy it for the boys. Layla doesn’t like them eating pork.”
Aaron stared at him like a cartoon character with hearts in his eyes, his throat tight with the tide of feelings crashing over him. The beautiful, sweet, thoughtful man in front of him couldn’t be any more perfect.
“Thank you. It looks delicious.” He accepted the plate and waited for Jay to join him before starting. The eggs were perfectly prepared—fluffy and covered in melted cheese—and the fake bacon strips were just the right amount of crispy.
“Are you feeling better?” Jay asked after a few minutes of eating in silence.
“Yeah…” Aaron sighed. Despite his attempts to ignore his concerns, he’d have to face them sooner or later. “I’m sorry I was in such a shitty mood last night.”
“You were fine. And you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am, thanks to you.” He gave Jay a grateful smile. “It wasn’t anything big. I was already stressing out about the CEO canceling on me, and then I got home to this absolute fucking chaos, and it was too much.”
“Mark and Rachel left a mess?”
“Eh. They offered to help clean, but I wanted them to enjoy their last day of vacation. It’s not even that bad—just dishes in the sink, linens to wash, vacuuming, clearing a million take-out containers from the fridge, and dealing with piles of random stuff on every surface.
If I’d had the energy, it was probably only a couple of hours of work, but I was already feeling… blah.”
“I totally get it. Clutter makes me restless too, and that sounds pretty bad.” Jay took a bite of the eggs and held his gaze. “What’s going on with the CEO?”
“I don’t know. He’s a bit of an enigma. We barely see him around the office, and the only time we actually get to have a conversation with him is at our monthly one-on-ones.
And his emails are ridiculously short! Yesterday, ten minutes before our meeting, I got a Have to cancel.
Let’s touch base soon. What does that even mean? ”
“Maybe something came up?”
“He met with Zoe a few hours later, and according to her, everything seemed fine.”
Jay’s eyes clouded with concern. “Are you worried about your job?”
Aaron shook his head. “Not really. It’s hard to explain.
I know I’m doing good work—there’s been a lot of progress, and the board is happy with most of what I’ve pushed through.
It’s just…I can’t get a read on David, and I just want him to acknowledge how hard my team and I have been working. Silly, right?”
Jay bumped his elbow lightly and gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s not silly. After a while, money stops being the point. You just want your boss to take an interest in what you’re doing. And he’d be stupid not to. I have no idea what you actually do, but I’m sure you’re amazing at it.”
Aaron was about to respond when Jay took a bite of bacon and let out a quiet, satisfied sound. Aaron’s stomach fluttered.
Mark had never done that. In all their years together, he’d stayed a firm omnivore, occasionally sampling Aaron’s meatless substitutes out of politeness.
At least he’d been supportive. Everyone else, though…
In a city known for its cheesesteaks, his dietary choices didn’t always get the best reaction.
Too many friends and colleagues had pulled exaggerated faces at his food and loudly proclaimed they could never eat something so gross.
Maybe those reactions weren't always personal, but they didn’t feel great either.
Aaron learned not to volunteer that information unless necessary.
But he didn’t have to be cautious around Jay. His quiet acceptance meant more than Aaron could say.
“Something wrong?” Jay raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been staring at my plate for a while now.”
“Yeah. I just…Thank you for the bacon. For eating it with me. I wouldn’t have a problem with you eating the real thing if you wanted to.” Aaron cleared his throat, feeling a little off-kilter from how emotional he was getting over breakfast.
Jay’s features softened. He placed his hand on Aaron’s forearm and rubbed in a soothing motion. “It’s not like I’m obsessed with meat. I don’t have to have it at every meal. Or even every day. Besides, this stuff tastes pretty good.”
Aaron nodded with gratitude. When they finished eating, he hopped up to rinse their plates before placing them in the dishwasher.
“You don’t have to do that,” Jay said.
“Nope. You cooked, I clean.” Aaron didn’t even hesitate—it was the rule. When he finished, he turned around, about to ask what was next, but Jay beat him to the punch.
“How about the zoo?”
“The zoo?”
“You were bummed you didn’t get to go with Mark and Rachel because of work, so how about we go today? It should be a nice day.”
Aaron didn’t have to think about it. He loved going to the zoo, and Jay’s company would only make it better. Within minutes, they were out the door and on their way.
Jay drove with the windows open, grinning as Aaron sang along with the radio.
The sun was bright, almost blinding, its warmth soaking into Aaron’s skin and filling him with effervescent energy.
While they stood in the ticket line, Aaron bounced on his toes and studied the zoo map, earning an amused chuckle from Jay.
Once they were inside, the buzz slowly settled.
They wandered through the exhibits at a leisurely pace, giddy anticipation giving way to peaceful calm.
Most animals were sleeping in the shade, but Aaron didn’t mind.
Jay pointed out little things—the way the leopard’s whiskers twitched in his sleep, the subtle asymmetry of the antelope’s antlers—details most people would’ve missed as they passed by without a second glance.
Jay became more animated as he talked. With his eyes crinkled behind his sunglasses and his skin glowing in the sunlight, he was exquisitely beautiful.
Inside and out. Aaron’s heart skipped a beat every time their arms brushed together, and he kept inching closer, unable to resist the magnetic pull.