44. Chapter 44
Chapter forty-four
Evander
Once he got his phone back and triple-checked that the rose bushes were on their way, Evander had a lot of waiting to do. The back yard was hands down the largest, most in-depth part of the job, so Ozzy was giving one hell of a tour. It was easily ten minutes before the front door of the house finally opened. Jack and Anh walked in and Anh clapped her hands to her cheeks. “This is adorable .”
My cue . Evander put on his most winning smile and stepped into the kitchenette, arms wide. “I know this might be a big change in a lot of ways, but your daughter made sure we understood your style as best as we possibly could. Wanted to go with lots of light colors so nothing would clash with any decor you brought it, and to make sure that this place never felt too much like a cave. Keeps it bright and open.” He pointed around the kitchen. “New stove and refrigerator, and this island here is on wheels so you can move it wherever you need. Even outside if that works best for you sometimes.”
Anh nodded and used her toe to click the lock on one of the casters. “Perfect.”
Evander chuckled. “I heard you like to entertain, so this way, it’s easier to reconfigure your space as you need it.” He opened up a few cabinets to display the interiors. “We got you a custom spice rack installed here, plus these nice stair-step shelves so there’s plenty of storage.” He wanted to give them time, but keep them moving at an okay pace. He gestured down the hallway. “The bathroom is right down here. Robinson’s our plumber and he’ll walk you through all of that. I’ll meet you back in the bedroom, then we can show you the pièce de résistance.”
He passed them off as they moved down the hall, then made his way into the bedroom. It really had come together in his opinion. The lighting really helped make it feel intimate, and a lot less overwhelming. The dark wallpaper felt more like a mural than an assault on the eyes, with the dim LED strips embedded under the crown molding. Almost like moon or starlight on a night scene. Everything was in place where it belonged, including the second TV. It was a last minute addition when Melanie happened to let slip they watched stuff on an old laptop when they were lying in bed, but it actually helped break up what would otherwise have been a blank stretch of wall.
“Heard you got Ozzy some roses.” Bunny walked in after him, closing the door softly behind her. “Nicely done.”
“That’s one way to put it.” Evander swiped his sweaty palms off on the back of his shorts. “Remind me how long it takes to stop being nervous about these walkthroughs? It’s been a minute.”
“Did any of us ever get used to it?” She tapped the tiny, discreet air freshener in the corner of the room and, within a few seconds, the smell of jasmine and lavender lilted on the air. “You going out to the patio to show them around?”
Ev shook his head. “Aras. I’ll be there at the end, but it was the biggest lighting project in the place. Nothing super exciting for the cameras anywhere else.” It wasn’t that Aras’s work didn’t matter, just that it didn’t always play that well in a narrative. If he wasn’t fixing major electrical problems or putting in something particularly cool, he was a little more of an unsung hero of the crew.
“Well, at least stay close so they can point to you. You and Ozzy worked it together .”
“I remember. Lots of fighting.”
“And now…you’re dating?”
Evander rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to answer, but the door opened just then, cutting him off. So he just nodded. Vigorously. Then clasped his hands together in front of himself as Anh and Jack walked inside.
Jack whistled low and Anh gasped. Immediately, Jack lowered himself onto the bed and bounced a couple times. “Good mattress. Should be nice and friendly on this old leg.”
“It’s all adjustable. One of those high tech numbers. It can go up and down, harder or softer, even has some temperature control built in.” Evander grabbed the remote hanging on the opposite side and demonstrated, raising the head of the bed up at an angle, then bringing it back down.
“This wall is amazing.” Anh made a beeline for the feature wall, running her fingertips over it.
Evander nodded. “I got a picture of this gorgeous quilt you have and got inspired.”
“I love peacocks.” She turned toward him with the biggest grin. ‘This is wonderful.” She looked behind him, and he followed her gaze to Melanie in the doorway. “Plus I get all of this and more time with my family.” She turned her attention back to Evander and gently reached up, holding his face in her hands. “Thank you.”
He smiled and, if he hadn’t transitioned them out of the room quickly enough, might very well have started getting more than a little misty. “Well, you all don’t need some strange gay hanging around your bedroom all day. Let’s get you to the final little surprise. Worked really hard to get that all set up and squared away.”
Bunny led them out of the room. Eliza silently raised an eyebrow and Evander shook his head and shooed her. Then he let a couple tears form up. He looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath. Sometimes, it was easy to get caught up in the minutia, or in his own bullshit. Especially with everything going on with Ozzy. But that kind of reaction really was what made it all worth it.
Evander collected himself, then headed back out and down the hallway, just in time for them to pull the sliding glass door open. He heard Anh gasp again and Jack laugh.
He sat on the couch next to Jake and bopped the side of his head to Jake’s shoulder. “Think we did good.”
“I would say so. And you and Ozzy seem to have patched things up.” He returned the slight head nudge. “Me and Quinn, now you and Ozzy. If we’re not careful, all of us are going to get paired off before too long.”
“Well I’m already married, so here’s hoping not all of us.” Bunny leaned over the back of the couch and draped her arms around both of them. “But I’m glad you two seem to have settled into something happy.”
“Me too.” Evander said it quietly at first, as though speaking too loudly might scare off the good vibes. The thing between him and Ozzy felt…different. Before, it had felt solid. Almost inevitable. But constantly moving. Whatever was different this time, the relationship felt fragile somehow, but it didn’t seem like it was in constant flux. What they’d found for themselves needed to be tended and cared for, but at least they both seemed to know what it was. And what it would be. What they would decide it would be. So Evander spoke just a little louder. “I’m happy too.”
And damn did it feel good to say it aloud.