Chapter 12 #3
Dom blinked hard. “Really? Why me?”
“I don’t know.” Trey traced a finger down the side of Dom’s face. “I trust you. I mean, I trust Dani, but this is . . . I don’t know. I’m going to sound like a total chick, but whatever we have is really fucking special, Dominic.”
“I agree.” He drew one of Trey’s hands up so he could kiss the knuckles. “I’ve never really dated anyone before. Never met a guy worth the effort. Until now.”
“So we’re dating?”
“We don’t have to label it if you don’t want. I mean, sneaking around in tents and campers and club bathrooms is pretty nontraditional dating.”
Trey frowned. “It’s not forever. Maybe not even for a few more days, depending on how the judging goes.”
“Nah.” Dom dropped a hard kiss onto Trey’s mouth. “Our bands are both too fucking good for neither of us to win. One of us will.”
“What about the loser?” He let go of Dom and crossed his arms, hunching over like he was cold all of a sudden. “One of us, if not both of us, is going to lose this competition, and I kind of hope it’s me.”
The sincerity in Trey’s voice made Dom’s heart flip. “Why?”
“Because your deadline is almost up, and you are amazing when you play. Whatever you play. I don’t want you to have to give that up for some job flipping burgers or stocking shelves.”
The idea of losing Unbound and going home in shame tied Dom’s stomach up in knots whenever he allowed himself to ponder the very real possibility.
Unbound was his shot. Getting there wouldn’t be enough for his father, because XYZ had been on the runner-up list. Only winning a slot to go to nationals would show him that Dom was in it for the long haul—and that he had the talent to make it.
“I don’t want that, either,” Dom said, “but Trey, you have an amazing songwriting talent. Your music is beyond fantastic, and you have a terrific voice. You deserve to win just as much as I do. And your chances are probably better because you do original songs. Judges eat that shit up.”
“I wish we were competing together instead of apart.”
“Can’t be helped.” He dragged Trey back into his arms so he could feel Trey’s body heat, feel the thump of his heart against Dom’s chest, smell the soap he’d washed with. “Guess this is almost over, isn’t it?”
Trey wiggled an arm free and checked his phone. “Yeah, in a few more minutes. We’ll have to try and get our people together. Make peace, you know?”
“I can try to get Linc on board with that, but he’s so defensive right now because of how strong Bobby came off that night at Off Beat. And then what you said.”
He felt Trey’s flinch. “Sorry. I was frustrated.”
“I know that. Linc’s just super possessive of the band, and he really hates losing.”
“Not sure if Bobby will go for it. He’s taking Tyson leaving personally, and he knows how to hold a grudge. Dani knows, obviously, but she’s loyal to her brother first. This is their band, they just adopted me into it.”
“But they play your music, Trey. You really think us being together would break you guys up? After all you’ve been through together?” The idea made Dom a little queasy.
“Maybe. I don’t know. Hopefully we never have to find out.” A beat of silence passed. “You said Lincoln would blow his top over us. What about Benji?”
“I’m not sure about Benji and Joshua.”
Trey pulled back far enough to look him in the eyes, his green eyes simmering with curiosity. “Who’s Joshua?”
“Benji’s boyfriend. He’s local for a few weeks, so he was able to come and support us.”
“That’s cool of him. He travels for his job?”
“Yeah, he does IT for a big bank with a lot of branches. He and Benji have been together about two years now.”
“And long distance works for them?”
Dom wasn’t sure how much of Benji’s business he should be sharing, but it wasn’t like it was a huge secret. “Benji and Joshua have an open relationship. They can fuck other people, but only once, and always safe.”
Trey scowled. “I’m not sure I could commit to a relationship with someone and still let them fuck other people.”
“It works for some, not for others. But I feel the same. Once I find my guy, we’re it for each other.” Dom had no idea how much emotion was showing on his face, but his words carried so much extra meaning. Asking Trey for something without asking.
“Have, um . . .” Trey cleared his throat, his cheeks staining red. “Have you been with anyone else since we first got together?”
“No.” His mind was too full of Trey to even considering finding another person to fuck.
“Me either.” Bashful Trey was adorable Trey. “Is this a relationship, Dominic?”
Dom curled a hand around the back of Trey’s neck. “If you want it to be.”
“Do you want it to be?”
“Yes.”
Trey smiled, shyness melting away into joy. “Good. Me too.”
Dom sealed the promise with a long, firm kiss that could have gone places if they’d had more time. Eventually they untangled themselves. Trey walked him to the camper door, always close, using every excuse to maintain skin-to-skin contact.
“I’ll try to get my crew to dinner around five thirty, over by the barbecue-stand picnic tables,” Trey said. “If you can work it, bring your guys over. We can test the waters.”
“I’ll do my best.” Dom kept their last kiss to a quick peck; otherwise he’d have to stay another five minutes. And staying any longer was dangerous. “Later.”
“See ya.”
Dom peeked through the door, relieved to see only handful of people a ways away, and totally minding their own business. He slipped outside and around the back of the trailer, and disappeared into the maze of tents, campers, RVs, and vehicles.
He and Trey had both played their hearts out today, they had declared themselves exclusive, and Dom had never been happier—a fragile happiness one wrong move from breaking into pieces.