Chapter 56
MYLES
“Are you sure you don’t mind that Janice told the whole staff about us?” Charlie’s nose has that little worried scrunch to it. Underneath that though, he’s positively shining with the same insane degree of happiness that’s carried me through the day.
“Nope.” I catch him around the waist, lifting him down from the log he’d been about to hop down from himself.
As soon as enough kids were out of the building to justify us leaving, Charlie and I were in my truck, heading up to the spot along the river I’d taken him to the day of our hike.
We can pick up his car later this evening, but right now, almost as badly as I want to be alone with Charlie, I want to be out in the woods I’ve spent way too freaking long holding back from letting myself love like I used to.
We’ve veered off the trail now, picking our way down to the river.
The day is perfect. It’s still only early May, but it’s one of those May days that feels more like summer than spring; a little more hot than warm in the sun, but comfortable in the shade.
The air smells like new leaves and sunshine and warm fir needles, and over the sound of the river, the forest is full of birdsong—chickadees, robins, and wrens.
Somewhere off in the distance, there’s a woodpecker knocking.
“We’re staying here, Charlie. It’s not like the whole town won’t know when you move in with me.
” There’s no keeping the grin off my face at those words.
Small town nosiness be damned. I don’t give a shit about what people work out, and I know Charlie doesn’t either.
All I care about is that it’s true; this weekend, the two of us are moving him out of his rental and into my—our—house.
Our home.
We’d both agreed last night, no questions or hesitations. What’s the point in Charlie keeping his lease when the two of us want nothing more than to spend every night and every day together?
“Besides,” I run my hand up through his hair. “I don’t want to hide. I don’t want to hide you, or us, and I don’t want to hide who I am. It’s not what’s right for us or for anyone.
“There are queer kids at the school.” I’ve told him in general about Leo coming to talk to me, just haven’t named names.
Not that Leo would probably care, but there’s not a chance in hell I’m outing the kid to anyone, not even Charlie.
“They deserve to get to see adults who are happy and proud to be outside the heteronormative box that might be all they know.”
God, I know how much it would have meant to me to have had that growing up. Just saying the words are scary as hell and so damn right, it makes me dizzy.
“I love you, Myles.” Charlie leans in, catching me in a kiss that somehow pulls off sweet and fierce, both at the same time, and so full of approval, it makes my heart skip. “I love you so much, and ohmigod, I’m so proud of you.”
I don’t even try to hide the way his words make my eyes prickle with emotion.
“I love you too, Charlie. More than anything in the world.” And now that tightness that I just can’t shake off is rising in my chest, because fucking god, I hate it that me loving Charlie could ever open him up to anything other than what he deserves.
“I just know it’s gonna take everything I have not to lose it when I hear some douchebag like Byron Dutch saying shit about us because that’s you they’ll be talking about, and—”
“Baby,” Charlie’s laughing as his hands soothe over my upper arms. “Calm down. It’s okay. I’ll be okay.”
“I’m not not calm.”
The skeptical look he shoots me has me laughing too.
“Fine,” I huff, rolling my head from side to side, trying to relax the tension that’s just tightened up my shoulders. He’s right. I know he is, but it’s still difficult.
“I kind of love you getting all worked up and protective of me,” he trails a finger slowly down the line of my neck. “You get all growly and sexy—”
The squeal he lets out when I poke him in the side, digging my fingers in to tickle him, is entertaining enough to make it impossible not to do it again. What’s even better though is the way he squirms against me, like he’s trying to escape me by pressing in closer than ever.
“Stop or I take it all back!” He smacks at my shoulder, still burrowing into my arms.
I give him one more tickle, just to feel him press and arch against me a moment longer before I give in and stop.
He doesn’t pull away when I do, just settles in against me, winding his arms around my neck as I run my hands up and down his back.
Under my touch, I can feel his warm, firm body through his thin button up.
God, I could stand here forever, just listening to the river and the forest sounds, with Charlie’s arms around me.
Only, in the last couple minutes, standing in a sunny patch at the edge of the forest, the air’s shifted to just this side of too hot, especially given the fact that, most of the way to this spot, the hike’s been uphill.
Charlie’s in the chino shorts he wore to work today, but his shirt’s long sleeved, and I know I’m suddenly dying in my jeans and tee.
Beside us, the river runs into a deep, currentless pool. Cold and inviting.
“Come swimming with me.”
“Now?”
“Yeah.” I pull back to look at him. “Why not?”
To illustrate my point, I reach down, tugging up the hem of my t-shirt and whipping it off over my head before setting to work on stripping out of my jeans.
Boxers are pretty much the same as swim shorts, and it’s not like this is a crowded spot anyway. Even on weekends when I’ve walked here, I’ve never seen more than one or two other people. On a Monday afternoon, the two of us could probably strip down completely naked and no one—
The warning twitch of my dick makes me immediately reroute that line of thought.
It’s not like it’s impossible for other hikers to be here today, and in all fairness, they would be able to see us from the trail.
Trouble is though, now that my mind’s gone down that road, I sure wish I did know of a spot where no one could see us…
“Uh,” Charlie’s sound of hesitation snaps me out of the dirty thoughts threatening to take over my head. “I can’t exactly do that…” He gestures at how I’ve undressed down to my boxers, eyes darting up at mine with a look that makes my already misbehaving dick perk up with even more excitement.
I can’t help the way I crowd him back against the tree behind him, fingers dipping down along the waist of his shorts. “Please tell me I already know why you can’t take these off.”
He just smiles in answer, arching an eyebrow as my fingers brush over the very obvious texture of lace clinging to his smooth skin.
“Fuck, Charlie,” I groan, head falling against his shoulder as I let myself stroke over where the thin material covers his hip bone. “Why would you do that to me?”
“Because you love it?”
I’m dying to dive in and kiss that gorgeous, sexy smirk right off his face, but goddammit, I can’t.
Considering the fact that I’m in my boxers and am already dealing with an impossible to miss boner, Charlie and his lace panties and irresistible mouth are just going to have to wait until we’re back home.
“Leave your shorts on, take your shirt off, and get your ass in the water with me.” I grin as I duck out from his arms, making myself put a little space between the two of us. If I don’t, I really don’t trust myself with what I might do.
Except he has to go and be a total fucker and tease me.
“You do love my ass, don’t you?” The way he looks at me, a little half smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he works open the buttons on his shirt—
And knowing what he’s wearing under those shorts? Fuck, Charlie.
“Not as much as you love mine.”
He’s hot on my heels, tossing his shirt aside as I jump into the freezing water with a splash that leaves me breathless. The pool is deep, almost up to my shoulders, and the cold is more than a little painful.
I’ve got to admit that I’m fully expecting Charlie to hang back on the bank, maybe wade in slowly, (or honestly, maybe not even at all once he feels it) but the next moment, he jumps right in after me.
“Ohmigod! Ohmigod, it’s fucking freezing! Myles Marlow, why didn’t you warn me?”
I’m laughing so hard, it makes my sides hurt, but it doesn’t stop me from reaching out and tugging Charlie’s shivering body against mine beneath the water.
He’s scowling at me as I pull him close, but the moment I have him properly in my arms, he cuddles right up against me, wrapping his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck.
“Better?” I run my hands up and down his back. It probably won’t help much under the water, but if he wants, I’ll get out with him right now and the two of us can lie out in the sun and warm up for a while before we start back for my truck.
My body’s already getting used to the temperature though, and, from the way I can feel his muscles loosening against me, I’m guessing his is too. Now that I’ve adjusted a bit, it’s really not half bad.
“Totally better.” He leans in, lightly kissing first one, then the other of my cheeks.
The contrast of his warm lips over my now cold skin feels incredible, and I let my eyes fall shut for a second, just taking in how freaking happy I am. How absurdly perfect my life has become in just a few short months.
When he pulls back, just enough for me to see the smile that’s spread across his face, my already full heart feels like it’s overflowing to bursting.
Around us, the blue-green of the river water slowly swirls past, and behind Charlie, the forest rises up from the riverbank, full of the deep greens of firs and cedars and the lighter greens of alder and maple leaves.
None of it is as bright or beautiful as the ever-changing green of his eyes though, lit with the brilliance of his smile and the depth of his promises.
And suddenly, I know what color they are.
Charlie’s eyes are the color of home.