Chapter 19 #2
After we’ve eaten, instead of going back to the theater room, we sit at the table and talk.
It’s very comfortable, Frank and Grace asking questions to get to know me.
I really like the two of them. They’re high school sweethearts, got married while in undergrad, and have been happy ever since.
They’re basically the perfect couple, devoted to each other and their respective careers.
“So, Jakoby,” Frank says while he’s chasing a cherry around his plate with his fork. “What do you plan to study in college?”
I clear my throat and put my hands in my lap. “I want to be a physicist. To study time, space, energy, things like that.” I glance at Ethan and see how he’s beaming at me. I’m not sure why, I’ve told him my future career plans before.
“My creep is smart, Pops. He’ll be a great physicist.” He leans over and plants a kiss on my cheek, making them both heat. Grace smiles over at us and I feel the warmth all over my face.
I’m not sure about the etiquette for kissing in front of parents, but it looks as if they don’t mind him kissing his boyfriend in front of them.
Boyfriend. That will never get old.
Frank nods, finally spearing the cherry onto his fork. “That’s good. How long is school for that?”
“About ten years, if I don’t fast track. Eight years if I do. I’m going to try to fast track my undergrad, then take my time for my master’s and PhD.” I think that’s the most I’ve ever said to his parents. This time, it’s not hard to speak up. I love talking about my future career.
I’ve wanted to be a physicist since I learned that was a career I could have. I’ve always loved math and science, and I loved experiments more. And I can experiment with space and time? Sign me up. I’m not sure if I’ll make any breakthroughs, but it will be fun to try.
Grace leans forward and says, “Don’t burn yourself out. You don’t have to rush to get to your career. I know you’ll do great, though.” She winks at me and I smile. They really are good people.
We talk more, but after a while, they leave for their volunteer shift at the homeless shelter.
Ethan walks his parents to the door, and I go sit in the theater room, changing from football to a rom-com I’ve heard a lot about. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love rom-coms and will more than likely cry before the movie is over.
When he comes back, Ethan stretches out on the couch, laying his head on my lap. I smooth my hands over his hair, listening to him hum lightly.
“That feels good,” he says, turning on his side and scooting closer to my hand. We sit like this for the duration of the movie, Ethan occasionally bringing one of my hands to his mouth to kiss softly. The ease of just relaxing with him feels like heaven.
After the movie ends, Ethan sits up and scoots over to me.
He leans into me until I lie down flat on the couch, and he wraps my legs around him.
He drops his lips to mine, taking them in a soft and deep kiss.
I wrap my arms around his neck and Ethan drops down onto me, his weight feeling good pressing me into the cushions, his hard cock sliding against mine.
We don’t get time to enjoy the feeling for too long, though. Ethan’s doorbell rings right when his hand is moving to slide under my shirt.
“Ugh,” he says, summing up how I feel. “Would I be rude if I told them to go home?"
I laugh and push him up, nudging him to go to the door. “Wait until they leave.”
The look on his face forces me to bite back a moan. He looks…hungry. For me. “I’m going to hold you to that,” he growls at me with one last kiss.
The doorbell rings again and Ethan gets up to answer the door, adjusting his dick along the way. I follow suit, making sure my cock isn’t standing up and saying hello to anyone.
I’m shocked to see Ryder and Crystal walk in. I didn’t hear her loud-ass car.
She bounds over to me. “Umm…what the fuck is this house? I mean, Ryder’s is nice, but this is…beautiful. And you live here?!”
Chuckling, I give her a hug. “I don’t live here. Just stay the night from time to time.”
“You can,” I hear quietly. I look over to Ethan and he shrugs. “You can. Really. My parents love you. They wouldn’t mind.”
“I have a place to live, Ethan.”
A place that I don’t love, but I don’t want him to get tired of me. We already spend a lot of time together. If he woke up and went to sleep with me in his house, he’d get tired of seeing me. Then I’d have to go home. Back to square one.
He shrugs and starts talking to Ryder, who turned football back on. Crystal is keeping a conversation going with me and watching the game, a skill she’d learned while we were young, since I don’t follow football like she does, but I spent a lot of Thanksgivings with her and her dad.
It takes me a minute to think about it, but when I do, I give her a look. “You came here with Ryder.”
“Yeah. We’ve been chatting over the past week. He asked if I needed a ride.”
“Chatting?” I look over at him and Ethan, and they’re deep in conversation about the game. “Chatting how?”
Crystal shrugs. “Just talking. He’s…different. I think I may have misjudged him.” She glances back at Ryder, who makes eye contact and winks at her. She rolls her eyes, but smiles.
Huh, maybe this can be a thing. Ryder seems like a good guy, and my best friend is the best person I know, besides Ethan. He couldn’t do any better in my opinion.
Shortly after, the doorbell rings again, and Mitch and Elle walk in holding hands, making me do the little ‘eep’ noise I made before. Ethan looks over at me and laughs, sharing our first inside joke.
We all hang out in the theater room, then Ethan suggests we light the fire pit out back. I’ve never sat around a fire pit before.
It’s chilly outside, but with the fire going and being tucked under Ethan’s arm, I barely notice.
“So,” Ethan starts after we get settled. “Creep and I are going to USC. Mitch is going to Caltech, and Elle is going to UCLA. What about you two?” He points to Crystal and Ryder.
“Koby didn’t tell you?” Crystal asks. Ethan shakes his head and looks at me.
I shrug and duck my head. I completely forgot to mention that Crystal was going to USC as well.
“I’m going there, too. We got our acceptance letters the same week.
” She gives me a flat look and says, “Thanks, bestie.” I laugh and blow her a kiss.
Ryder sighs. “I’m going to Washington State University. I wish I’d have known we were going to California colleges. I would have tried to impress their scouts.” He does look put out that everyone but him is going to be in California.
Ethan, being the amazing person he is, tells him, “Don’t worry, man, you can always come visit. I’ll even buy your tickets so you can come hang out with us.”
“I’ll probably need it.” His voice is low and hollow, putting a damper on the light mood.
Adjusting me at his side, Ethan leans forward and asks, “Everything okay, man?”
Ryder looks around at all of us and shakes his head. “Can I trust y’all I mean, not to talk about what I’m going to tell y’all once we leave here?”
We all promise we won’t tell, and he sighs and nods. “My parents pretty much told me when I go to college, that’s it. No more support. They’re going to get a divorce and go their separate ways.”
I’m not sure anyone is breathing. That’s some fucked up shit. Even if we’ll be new adults getting our life experience, your parents shouldn’t just leave you hanging.
Mitch leans forward and pats Ryder’s knee. “I’m sorry to hear that, man. How you holding up?”
Ryder shrugs. “Not real good. My dad came and told me a week into the school year, when I got my scholarship letter. I wasn’t going to accept at first, since we have the money for him to pay for my education.
I didn’t want to take the scholarship money from someone that didn’t have it.
I told my dad that and that’s when he told me.
” He looks up at Ethan. “Remember when I was being all weird earlier this year?” Ethan nods, face contorted in anger.
“That’s why. But I’ve come to terms with it.
I have a scholarship and a way out of here.
I won’t be homeless. But yeah, I would probably need you to buy me a ticket during football season.
I won’t be able to get a job, practice, play, and do homework. ”
“I’ll take care of it, Ryder,” Ethan says in a tight voice.
He has such a big heart. I know it’s crushing him to hear about Ryder’s home life. I remember asking him how come they didn’t hang out more, and Ethan didn’t want to talk about it. He probably thought Ryder was just shutting him out. Poor guy was going through some shit and Ethan didn’t know.
Crystal reaches out and takes Ryder’s hand, sliding her fingers between his. He looks down at her hand and back up at her with soft eyes. “You can come visit me, too. I’d love to show you around.”
His lips tilt up into a smile. “I’d like that.”
I really love the look he’s giving Crystal, showing her his softness and vulnerability.
For about an hour, we sit outside and talk about things other than shitty parents.
Mitch is secretly funny, cracking jokes and keeping us in stitches.
Most of his stories are about theater camp, something I didn’t know was a thing, and they’re hilarious.
Elle looks at him the whole time with heart eyes, and it makes me happy that they finally got out of their own way to talk to each other.
I wonder if people look at me and Ethan and think we’re perfect for each other. I sure hope so, because Ethan is perfect for me. Hopefully he thinks I’m perfect for him too.