Chapter 6 #2
I take a long sip of coffee, stalling. Because I am catching feelings. I’ve been falling in slow motion all week. I look forward to seeing Angus every day. To sharing meals. To feeling his hand brush mine when we pass each other in the kitchen.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “It’s fast. And yeah, it feels good. But part of me keeps wondering if it’s just the bubble, you know? Like, we’re in this weird, temporary situation. His sister’s house, her dogs, this whole schedule that’s not really his or mine. What happens when that ends?”
Tom nods slowly, like he’s been waiting for me to get to this point.
“And I haven’t told him that,” I add. “Because I don’t want to kill the vibe.”
“Right,” he says. “But you also don’t want to end up blindsided if everything shifts the second the dogs are gone and he’s back in his own life. Further away so it’s not so convenient.”
“Exactly.” I pause, running a hand over my face. “I’ve done this before—been the fun escape. The thing that makes someone feel good in the moment. But then they go back to their ‘real’ life, and I don’t fit there anymore.”
Tom looks at me for a long beat, then says, “Have you told him any of that?”
I shake my head.
He raises a brow. “You might want to.”
Before I can respond, something over Tom’s shoulder catches my eye. Angus. He’s across the street, standing beneath the awning of a corner bookstore, leash handles looped around one wrist, dogs clustered at his feet like well-behaved gremlins.
But he’s not alone.
There’s a guy standing with him. Young. Maybe twenty-one, twenty-two tops. Tall, clean-cut, kind of adorable in that fresh-faced, gym-smooth kind of way. The guy grins, then steps in close—and hugs Angus. A long, tight embrace that makes my stomach twist.
Tom turns when he sees my expression change. “What?”
I nod toward the window. “That’s him. Angus.”
“And…?”
I don’t answer. Because Angus is still hugging the guy. I shouldn’t read into it. People hug their friends, right? Hell, when Tom and I greeted, we did exactly that. But my brain has already conjured every terrible, irrational possibility.
Tom watches me a second, then murmurs, “Jealousy looks weird on you.”
“Feels worse,” I admit.
And then—just as I’m starting to tell myself to get over it—Angus looks up. His face lights up the moment he sees me. That full-body smile, like I’ve just made his day by existing.
And then he does the one thing that makes everything inside me loosen just a little.
He tugs gently on the other guy’s arm, says something, and starts walking toward me.
Without hesitation. No pause, no sideways glance.
Just that grin and an easy, unhurried walk, like it’s the most natural thing in the world for him to want to bring me in, not leave me out.
My heartbeat slows a little.
And Tom, watching all of this, smirks into his coffee. “Yeah,” he mutters. “You’re so screwed.”
As they cross the street, the younger guy walking beside Angus is still mid-laugh, shoulders relaxed, one hand casually holding a coffee while the other now holds two of the leashes.
Angus has that familiar easy gait, the slight bounce in his step, and when his eyes flick back to me again, they warm even more.
He says something to the guy and gestures toward the café. A second later, they’re right outside, and Angus is heading toward me like he can’t get to me fast enough.
“Hey,” he says, beaming, cheeks a little pink from the wind. “Didn’t expect to run into you yet.”
I blink. “Yeah. Same. Hi.”
He turns, hand resting lightly on the other guy’s shoulder. “Callum, this is Seth. My nephew.”
My mouth parts slightly. “Wait—Seth? As in Ally’s son, Seth?”
Angus nods. “Yep. Surprise.”
“But… I thought he lived five hundred miles away.”
Seth grins, friendly and warm, and honestly, not helping my embarrassment at all. “I do. Most of the time. Still based in Flagstaff. But things changed fast, and I thought Uncle Angus here could do with a rescue from the misfits.”
Angus explains, tone casual but still affectionate. “His boss just sprang early vacation time on him. Seth’s going to be traveling overseas in ten days—some month-and-a-half project in Europe. They needed him rested, packed, ready to go, so he got a few unexpected days off.”
I glance between them, the puzzle finally clicking into place. “So… you came to visit your mom?” I scrunch my nose, remembering she’s actually away.
“Well, that was the plan. Or at least when she gets home, I’ll get to spend maybe thirty-six hours with her before I have to leave,” Seth says. “Plus, I thought it made sense for me to take over dog-sitting duty from this guy.” He jabs a thumb toward Angus, who just shrugs.
Angus shoots me a look then, a little softer. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know until yesterday that he was heading back. He legit just surprised me in the street. I wasn’t expecting him for a few more hours.”
I nod, the tangle of jealousy in my gut mercifully now fully unraveled. “Right. Of course.”
Tom, ever helpful, smirks behind his cup, watching the whole exchange like it’s the best live theater he’s seen in months.
“Anyway,” Seth says, stepping back. “I’m going to take these guys to my car and drive it home. That way you can catch up.” He waves politely at me, then disappears with all four dogs, who are being incredibly well-behaved.
Angus steps in closer to where I’m still sitting, smile still warm. “Hey, you gonna introduce me to your coffee date, or do I have to start guessing his name?”
I blink, remembering where I am. “Oh, right. Sorry. Angus, this is Tom. My best friend and part-time therapist. Tom, this is Angus.”
Tom stands, offering his hand across the table. “The famous Angus. I’ve heard a lot.”
“Uh-oh,” Angus says, shaking his hand. “Should I be worried?”
Tom grins. “Only if you break his heart. Then I’ll send dachshunds after you. Senior ones. With tiny sweaters.”
Angus snorts. “Duly noted.”
Tom grabs his jacket off the back of his chair. “I was just about to head out anyway. Good to meet you, man.” He claps me on the shoulder as he passes. “Call me later.”
“Yeah,” I say. “Will do.”
Once Tom’s gone, I stand as well, and Angus glances back at me, a flicker of something unreadable in his expression. “Hey. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just walking by and—well, I was hoping I’d run into you.”
I soften, still a little breathless from earlier but grounding fast. “I’m glad you did.”
He shifts his weight, brushing the back of the chair with his thumb. “I’m going to head over to Ally’s. Grab my stuff, give Seth the full rundown. But after that….”
I lift an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
He meets my gaze, more tentative now. “Thought maybe we could go to my place. Just us. No beagles. Real walls that are actually mine.” A small, nervous smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“And I thought maybe… you could meet Seth properly. I mean, you’ve seen him, but not like… met him. He’s important to me.”
I still. Not because I’m hesitant, but because the weight of those words lands hard.
He’s important to me.
That’s family. That’s stepping out of the bubble. That’s real.
I swallow. “As in, meet your family?”
Angus’s ears pinken. “Is that weird? Too soon?”
I’m quick to shake my head. “No. Not weird.” I step around the table, almost close enough to touch. “I’d like that.”
His relief is subtle but visible—the way his shoulders drop, how his fingers twitch at his side like he wants to reach for mine but isn’t sure if now’s the moment.
So I close the gap. My hand finds his, easy and familiar. “I want to see your world, Angus. All of it.”
He exhales slowly, smile blooming again. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
We don’t talk much on the drive to Ally’s place.
Not because there’s tension—just a quiet sort of comfort that’s settled between us since Angus took my hand outside the café.
He hums along with the radio, one hand on the wheel, the other reaching for mine whenever he can.
I keep catching him glancing at me at stoplights, like he’s still a little stunned I said yes.
When we pull into the driveway, I realize this is the first time I’ve seen the house in daylight, without the shadow of dogs and distraction.
It’s… cute. Vibrant. A little chaotic. Like someone’s Pinterest board titled “Maximalist Cozy” came to life and then they added four beagles.
He unlocks the door, and the familiar sounds of snuffling paws and clicky nails echo from within.
But instead of chaos, we’re greeted by a much more controlled version of the dog squad—thanks to the tall, sharp-eyed, neatly dressed young man in the kitchen, pouring water into four bowls with military precision.
“Hey!” Seth calls without looking. “Water station is open. One at a time or I revoke beagle privileges.”
Angus laughs, stepping inside. “They’re never going to listen to you, you know.”
“They’re already listening better than they did to you,” Seth replies with a smirk, finally turning—and then noticing me.
His eyes flick between us, curious, a bit amused. “So, Callum is…?”
And just like that, Angus freezes.
I watch it happen in real time. The slight wideness in his eyes. The half step forward like he’s going to say something. The nothing that comes out of his mouth as he looks between me and his nephew, suddenly unsure where to land.
We’ve been sharing spit and cum in all the hottest ways for the past two weeks. We’ve also shared food, stories, grief, bad reality TV, and one memorable moment where he carried Mopey like a toddler because the dog refused to move. We’ve kissed like it means something. Laughed like it matters.
And still, he stands there, caught in that moment of modern gay panic: What do I call the guy I might be falling for when my nephew’s standing right here? That could obviously be me wishfully thinking that he’s that hot for me, but still, I see his struggle with a label.
Seth raises an eyebrow, clearly catching on to the tension.
And then he grins. “Ah,” he says, nodding sagely.
“That in-between space. Sexy hookup time but definitely wanting more. Probably said you’d stay the night once and then just…
never stopped. Yeah. No official labels, but also kind of sad when you’re apart? ”
I blink. “I—uh—yes?”
Seth nods again, very serious now. “Boyfriend. Works wonders. Eases introductions. Covers awkward family BBQs. No one’s confused.”
Angus groans softly beside me. “I’m being schooled by a twenty-two-year-old.”
Seth shrugs, completely unfazed. “Better me than Gran.”
I burst out laughing, tension breaking like a snapped rubber band. “Okay, yeah. Boyfriend. Sure.” I glance at Angus, who’s rubbing the back of his neck, cheeks slightly pink but smiling. “Boyfriend?” I ask.
He meets my gaze, soft and sure. “Yeah. That feels good.”
“Awesome,” Seth says. “Now that that’s settled, please take these drama gremlins off my hands for ten minutes so I can clean the couch they’ve been sneak-drooling on.”
Once Seth’s done, Angus grabs his overnight bag from beside the stairs, and I help him scoop up a few things from the kitchen—leftover food containers, a forgotten hoodie, a phone charger half chewed by Cookie.
Before we go, Seth pulls me aside and lowers his voice. “For real? I like you. He’s… different around you. Lighter.”
I swallow, caught a little off guard. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
He shrugs. “Just don’t ghost him, or I will find you. And I own three tracking apps.”
We laugh, and I follow Angus out to the truck.
The ride to his place is full of light touches, quiet grins, and the satisfying thrum of knowing that something just shifted.
Officially.