Chapter 19
NINETEEN
ELI
I’d never frequented this side of town when I’d been home.
But then, I hadn’t lived here for four years and didn’t attend school here like Ethan and Wren.
As we walked inside, I scanned the place, the dark wooden bar lining one wall with shelves of liquor bottles behind it.
At an angle was another bar with a long row of beer taps jutting from white subway tiles.
Two pool tables occupied the rear, with four-top tables dispersed on the dark tile floor.
Most clientele occupied barstools near the bar.
I sniffed, the scent of greasy food and stale beer assaulting my senses.
“Looks interesting.” It definitely was not The Club on Mill. I wasn’t sure about showing Wren affection here, no matter what Ethan advised.
While approaching an opening in the bar, a man twisted around, and a smile broke on his face. “Eli? Eli Dawson?” He stepped toward me, arms opening.
Fuck, it was Kit, one of the guys who’d said shit about Wren in high school. Hopefully, he’d mellowed with age. “Hey, Kit. Good to see you.” Walking toward him, I gave him a bro-hug and glanced at Wren, strolling with Ethan toward the bar. “How’ve you been, man?”
“Great, I’m still playing at the University of Washington. Are you still at ASU?” He lifted his brows.
“I am.” I snuck a peek at Wren and Ethan. Obviously, they still wanted nothing to do with Kit. But they’d never been friends in high school either.
“Cool, I’m here with Patrick.” Grabbing my arm by the elbow, he said. “Come on, he’ll shit himself seeing you here.”
“Uh, okay.” I let him lead me toward the end of the bar where Patrick, our second-string running back, sat on a stool, chatting up a woman.
“Hey, Patrick. Look who’s here?” Kit pushed me toward Patrick.
“Oh my God, Eli Dawson?” Patrick hopped from his stool. “I hear you’re a superstar linebacker at ASU now.” He gave me a side-hug, clapping his hand in mine.
“Hey, yeah, I’m going into the draft in the spring.” Had Patrick even stayed in football? I twisted and swayed, attempting to find Wren.
“Can I buy you a beer?” Kit flagged down a bartender. “Come on, it’s on me. What do you want?”
I peered at the taps. “Give me the IPA.” My attention drew to Patrick. “Are you still playing?”
“Naw, I quit after high school.” He shook his head. “I never matched your skill.”
“What are you doing now?” I thanked the bartender as he set my IPA on the bar, and then I picked it up.
“I’m at the University of Washington with Kit. We’re roommates up there.” He plucked a beer from the bar and sipped it.
Shit, I should go back to Wren. With a nod, I said, “Well, it’s been—”
“Hey, are you still hanging around with Wren Lewis? I saw you walk in with him and his buddy.” Kit narrowed his eyes at me.
“Yes, I am. We go to school at ASU. Wren’s on the cheering squad for my team.” Holy fucking hell, Kit didn’t know about me. As my pulse flickered and my chest squeezed, I eyed him. I had to tell him.
Tagging Patrick on the shoulder, Kit said, “A cheerleader? So, I guess he’s still a butt muncher.” He cackled, throwing his head back. “Wonder whose cock he’s sucking—”
With heat igniting inside me, I dropped my beer on the bar, grabbed Kit’s throat and shoved him backward into the wall beside the bar. Inside a growl, I said, “You take that back. All of it.” He’d been the one to say all the shit in the bathroom. It was always him.
“What the fuck, man?” As Kit’s eyes bugged out, his face reddened. “Why are you upset about it?” He groped at my forearm.
“Why? He’s my fucking boyfriend, that’s why.” I squeezed his neck. All the years of reliving that day roared back at me. I spat out, “He’s always been my boyfriend. He’s the only man I ever loved. And I still love him.”
“Wh-what? But you’re not…” His eyes popped even wider. “You’re a homo?”
“Shut your fucking mouth before I fill it with my fist.” I held my arm up, my hand clenching into a ball. Kit was about to learn a hard lesson, and I didn’t care if they threw me out of here for it. I’d make up for being a coward four years ago.
“Eli!” Wren rushed to my side, placing his hand on my fist and pulling it down. “What happened?”
“He called you a…” Hell, I couldn’t say it. “Never mind. He’s about to realize that words have consequences.” I took a quick peek around me, the entire bar surrounding us and watching.
Ethan hauled Wren away from me. “Go ahead, Eli. You’ve waited a long time for this.”
“Okay, Kit. Say it again.” I turned my glare on him, my insides boiling.
“I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I swear.” Kit relaxed in my hold. “You heard me in the bathroom that time. You didn’t say a word. I-I thought you were cool with it.”
“I’m not cool with it. Now, you apologize to Wren and to me properly.” I loosened my hold on his neck and dropped my arm. Holy fuck, was I letting him go without clobbering him? But he apologized once already.
Rubbing his neck, Kit’s gaze roamed the room. “I’m sorry, Wren. I thought it was funny. I didn’t…I’m not homophobic.”
“Yes, you are. If you think shit like that is funny, then you are.” Swallowing hard, I glanced at Patrick, mouth dropped open and staring at me. I didn’t know what to do now. I took a big step backward. Holy shit, had I admitted my love for Wren to the entire room?
Wren flung himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling me close. “I love you too, Eli. So fucking much.” He pressed a hard kiss on my lips.
The bar erupted in clapping and whooping, and a woman shouted, “You go, boys.”
As we broke the kiss, Wren wrapped an arm around my waist and faced Kit.
Slinking from the wall, Kit stepped to us, his forehead wrinkling, and squeezed both our arms. “I’m sorry, sincerely sorry. I—”
“That’s all you have to say.” Wren lifted his chin. “If you buy me a beer, I might forgive you.” The corner of his lips rose, and his gaze met mine. “My therapist would be proud of me for practicing forgiveness tonight.”
“Yes, you’ve got it. Please, come hang out with me and Patrick, and I’ll buy a round for everyone.” Kit huffed a sigh and raked his shaky fingers through his bangs. “Damn, I’ve been an ass.” With a glance at Patrick, he shook his head.
“Please join us, guys.” Patrick patted me on the shoulder. “If I ever said something shitty, I’m sorry too.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t remember Patrick saying anything, but maybe he had out of earshot.
As I bellied up to the bar with Wren at my side, my heart danced.
He loves me, and I love him. We finally fucking said it, and all it took was for me to prove to him I was no longer a coward.
I scanned the room, everyone minding their own business again.
God, it felt good to be out and unafraid in my hometown.
Ethan side-hugged me. “Goddamn, it’s good to have you two back to normal.”
The more time we’d spent with Kit and his buddy Patrick, the more we found Kit wasn’t a terrible guy, just ignorant as fuck.
Maybe living in small-town Oregon was to blame.
Or maybe he was just clueless. Only time would tell if he’d change his ways, but tonight, we’d opened his eyes a little.
We’d shown him and Patrick that gay men were as deserving of love and respect as anyone else, and making fun of us the way he had was bigoted and mean-spirited.
I glanced at the clock hanging above the beer taps. It was almost midnight, and Kit and Patrick had left fifteen minutes ago. “Hey, Wren, we should probably head home.” I drank some of my water. I’d had two beers and switched to water since I was driving us.
Wren frowned and faced me. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He sipped his beer. “Can you come back to my house?”
“What about your mother?” My brows shifted up. We were adults now, but still.
“She’ll be in bed, and I don’t think she’d care, anyway.” He leaned in, his gaze fixed on my mouth. “I can sneak you in.”
“Okay.” Hell, she was his mother, not mine. He knew her best. “Ethan, how are you doing? Do you want a ride home?” He’d had quite a few beers.
“No, I’ll call an Uber.” He smirked. “I took one here. I have an adult job now.” He downed his beer. “It sure was nice seeing you both tonight.” He stepped toward me and planted a hand on my shoulder. “And Eli? You fully redeemed yourself.”
“Thank you.” God, it felt good. I still could hardly believe it had happened. Slipping my arm over Wren’s shoulders, I kissed his cheek. “This is a fun place.”
With a chuckle, Ethan said, “Yeah, Wren hooked up with a guy here—”
“Shush.” Wren held his fingers over Ethan’s mouth. “I thought I’d get through this night without you mentioning that, but no.” He shook his head.
“Yeah, I probably don’t want to know.” Choking on a laugh, I hugged Wren into my side and in his ear, whispered, “But whatever happened, you’re all mine now.” I nipped his earlobe.
He squirmed with his breath catching. “That’s it. We’re going home.”
After saying our goodbyes to Ethan and promising to hang out another night, I drove us to Wren’s home, a newer beige bungalow with a wrap-around porch about five miles from my family home.
As I pulled into the drive, my heart fluttered with emotion.
“You told me you loved me tonight.” I couldn’t help bringing it up. I shut the truck’s engine off.
He leaned across the center console. “You said you loved me tonight too.” He wagged his brows. “Let’s go to my room and consummate our new commitment to each other.”
“Hell yes.” I jumped out of the truck and met Wren at the bottom of the porch steps. As he strolled to me, I grabbed him up in a bear hug, lifting him off the pathway, and twirled around, nuzzling the side of his head. “God, damn, I love you. Do you know that?”
With a giggle, he said, “Yes, I know that. Now put me down before you wake my mom.”
I set him down and snatched his hand. It had been such a magical night. I had a story to tell the center too when school started again.