31. Thirty-One
Thirty-One
Seth
Ty’s cheeks flush as he looks into my eyes with his light green ones. His breathing is heavier than normal, but he hasn’t said it back. “It’s okay, if you don’t—”
“Don’t.” He stops by pressing his finger to my lips. “Don’t you dare assume I don’t love you too, Seth Miller. Fuck, it’s taking everything in me right now not to say forget dinner and push you to your bed.”
“I’m game,” I say, but Ty shakes his head.
“No. You’re gonna go back out there and act normal, and I’ll be out in a moment, when my pants aren’t tented out obscenely.” Ty places his hand on my shoulder, pushing me back.
“Okay,” I hold my hands up in surrender. My loose jeans do a better job of hiding my erection than Seth’s tight slacks. Damn though, seeing him show up dressed up like he’s ready for a date in his gray slacks and black button-down shirt is part of why I’ve been on the verge of jumping him. Every time he bends over to fuss with something in the kitchen, I’d get a show of how tightly his pants hug his ass. Forget sweatpants, Ty can dress business casual every day if it means he’ll wear pants that frame his ass like that.
Shit, I can’t believe I slipped like that. It’s not that I didn’t mean it, but I was hoping it’d be a little more romantic the first time I told Ty I love you. It doesn’t change the fact now. I told Ty I love him, and he said it back. Damn, I really hope tomorrow goes well. I was never going to break things off with Ty just because his dad doesn’t like me, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared that Ty would call things off.
Steffie locks her eyes on me as I round the corner, and I brace myself for impact as she runs and launches herself at me. I catch her in my arms and bring her closer to kiss her cheek. “Hey Stef, you want to go with me to the kitchen? I might know where some cookies are.”
“Cookies?” she asks, her little eyes lighting up at the offer.
“Seth, how’s that green bean casserole going?” Mom asks as I enter the room.
“Going great,” I answer, shifting Steffie to my hip. “Just got distracted by this little munchkin.” Having my cousin with me is a decent excuse for why I was gone for so long, but the knowing look on my mom’s face says I’m not fooling her. I grab a cookie and hand it to Steffie. She happily lets me set her down as she munches on the cookie, letting me add the last couple of touches to the casserole before I put it in the oven. “Is it okay if Ty stays the night?” I ask. “We’re supposed to leave tomorrow morning to go see his family, and I figured it made more sense than him going back to campus just to come here again.”
“Oh, you figured that, did you?” She looks at Steffie as she thinks over what to say. In this case, I think it helps me to have my toddler cousin around. Mom has to choose her words more carefully. “I guess that’s alright, just be mindful with the noises.”
Of course, Ty would pick that time to walk into the room. His cheeks flush with a hint of pink at Mom’s words. “Thank you, Mrs. Miller.”
“You’re dating my son. You can call me Marcy, sweetie. Now let’s get this dinner on the table.”
I reach my arm around Ty, pulling his body closer to mine on the bed. With both of us on my twin size bed, there isn’t much room to spare, and I use that to my advantage, pressing into Ty. He smacks my hand when it dips further south. “Seth,” he says my name like that’s supposed to deter me.
“What? You’re already making me wait for my gift until tomorrow. You can’t tell me that you’re not as turned on as I am.”
“I’m not doing that when your parents might hear us.” He tightens his grip on my hand.
“Then I guess you need to be quiet,” I tease him.
Ty turns around in my grip, so he faces me. “Okay, you think it’s so easy to keep quiet? What if you bottom tonight?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Uhm,” I mutter, but I’m honestly not sure how to reply. We’ve had a few more sleepovers since the first time, but that hasn’t come up.
“No?”
“I’m not saying no. I’m open to the idea, just not sure this is the best timing.”
“Oh, you mean you don’t want to be too loud either?” Ty smirks.
“Fine, you win,” I admit. Pressing a quick kiss to Ty’s lips, I move my hand to his ass. “But we can maybe do that tomorrow night and have a sleepover at your frat house.”
“Deal.” Ty snuggles into me, and I lie on my back, letting him rest his head on my chest. “Night,” he says with a yawn.
“Goodnight,” I echo him.
The morning sees Ty dressed in another of his business casual wear. This time a pair of black slacks and a crisp white button-down shirt. “Do I have to dress up?” I ask using my hand to gesture to his outfit.
“We’re going to church before we go to my house,” he answers. “It’s up to you, but it might help leave a better impression if you do.”
I wind up grabbing a pair of beige slacks and a green polo shirt. It’s not as formal as Ty’s outfit especially when I pull my winter coat over the outfit. To save on gas, both of us pile into Ty’s car, but I can see his nerves rising as he drives. He grips the wheel tightly, and instead of the typical idle chit chat we have in the car, this ride is silent. I reach over and lay my hand on his thigh. “Is there a plan for this? Should I keep the car running for a speedy getaway?”
My attempt to lighten the mood gets a quick chuckle. “No,” Ty answers. “There’s no need to leave if he doesn’t even see you. Besides, Father isn’t the type to make a scene in public. We shouldn’t have any issues at church.” The church Ty pulls into is a decent size and we’re by no means the first ones here. The parking lot is crowded, and Ty has to drive around to find a spot. “Maddy said her girlfriend is going to meet us when we get back to the house for brunch. If there’s going to be a blowup, it’ll happen then.”
“That’s starting the day on an upbeat note,” I joke as I undo my seat belt. Ty doesn’t respond as he kills the engine and reaches for the door handle. Before Ty can walk toward the church, I grab his wrist and pull him to me, pressing his back against his car. “Wait, you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to prove anything to me. I’m here for you, not your dad.”
“I know,” he says before giving me a quick kiss. “I don’t want to hide and lie about this. It’s better if we get this over and in the open now rather than later.” With that Ty, pushes his way out of my grip and forces me to pick up my pace to keep up with him.
Honestly, I was never much of a churchgoer, so I keep my eyes on Ty, copying his lead as we walk into the building. He weaves through the crowd with ease, his eyes locked on his goal. I see Maddy and Dean Avery seated together along with another woman, having some conversation that we’re too far away to hear. Ty sits closer to his family, leaving me with the aisle seat. Mr. Avery does a double take when he sees me, then his eyebrows furrow as he grows irritated. I can already tell this isn’t going to go over well. I plaster a fake grin on my face as I take my seat next to Ty. Maddy gives me an encouraging smile back from her spot. At least she seems happy to see me. “Tyler, I didn’t know you were bringing company.” Mr. Avery turns his attention to his son, and Ty places his hand on my thigh. I take the hint and place my hand on top of his for reassurance.
“Didn’t think I needed your permission. Father, this is Seth, my boyfriend. Seth meet Jonathan Avery.” His introduction feels forced and considering we’ve already met, I’m not sure why he did it other than to rub the title of boyfriend in his dad’s face. Still, it’s the first time I’m hearing Mr. Avery’s first name.
“Great to see you again, Mr. Avery. You’re looking well,” I say politely.
His frown lines show as he furrows his brow, but luckily for us, that’s when the priest clears his throat to get the attention of the crowd.