Chapter 13 #2
Lucas grinned, then grabbed Gage by the back of the neck and yanked him close. “I know. I love you so much. And please remember, whatever you choose, it’s okay. You’re allowed to feel how you feel. And none of this—and I mean fucking none of this—was your fault.”
Gage sagged in his arms and rested his forehead against Lucas’s shoulder. “I know. I mean…I think I know. I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
“I’m here. I adore you.”
Gage laughed softly and held him just a bit longer before Lucas made him let go.
The ride to the building next to City Hall was awkward as hell. Adele tried to make small talk, but it was obvious he was curious about what Lucas was up to. And there wasn’t a chance in hell Lucas was going to tell him he was going to attempt office sex for the first time in his life.
Which would also be the second time having sex he’d ever had in his life.
When the car pulled up to the curb, he felt his stomach swoop hard, and for the first time in so, so long, he felt a little lost and unsure of his steps. “How far to the doors?”
“Not too far,” Adele said. He wasn’t the best at giving Lucas a verbal guide. “Like ten steps—”
“Adele, you’re basically my other dad, so I mean this with love, but please don’t use steps. You’re a giant. Your steps are like ten of mine.”
“First of all, kid,” Adele replied with a small laugh, “you’re as tall as I am now.”
“Shut up.”
“I will not, because you are. And I know your steps are shorter than mine. You walk more cautiously. But I was going to say there’s a set of concrete stairs that wraps around a sort of…rounded corner. With a railing in the center of it.”
Lucas knew exactly what he was talking about.
“The doors are straight ahead. There are four of them, and the one on the far left looks like it has the automatic button.”
Lucas didn’t need the automatic button, but he used it from time to time when people got handsy with him. At least once every few months, someone would grab his cane without saying anything and drag him several feet in a random direction.
Using the button tended to ward people off for whatever reason.
“Thanks for this,” he said.
“Do I need to warn your dad he might be getting a call with a bond amount?”
“I would never do something that reckless,” Lucas said, grinning. He felt a little better. “Whatever I do, trust me that I won’t get caught.”
“I absolutely do not trust you. But if someone pissed you off, I hope you give them hell.”
He laughed as he opened the door, unfolded his cane, then found the curb before stepping out. “Am I pointed the right way?”
“A little to the left.” Lucas adjusted his stance. “Perfect. Be safe. Love you.”
Lucas shot him a wave over his shoulder with the three-fingered ILY sign.
He closed the door behind him, then made his way to the steps.
It was easy after that—the railing guided him to the top, and the doors were wide enough with large enough handles he didn’t have to grope around for half an hour and look like a fool.
Inside was a different story. He didn’t know if the room echoed so much because the building was tall or because it was made of all glass and tile. He had no idea if there was a front desk or a security guard or where the fuck the health inspector office might be.
Hell, he hadn’t been sure there even was one of those until Adele confirmed it.
He reached into his pocket for his phone to use his Seeing Eye app when someone to the right cleared their throat. “Can I help you find something?”
Lucas sagged forward with relief. “The…office that does restaurant health inspection thingies?”
There was a beat, and then the guy said, “Third floor, hang a left, and like…six doors down.”
Lucas could only pray for braille. “Elevators?”
“Over there. Down the hall on the right.”
Over there. Sighted people always with their fucking “over there,” as though that meant anything to him. “Over…”
“Uh. Right. Uh…straight ahead like a hundred feet, then they’re to the right on the far wall.”
He’d had worse directions from less patient people, so he just nodded, turned slightly, then let his cane find the wall to guide him. He banged into a few chairs and some ill-placed trash cans, but eventually, he heard the soft dinging noise of elevators, and he breathed a little easier.
Now all he had to do was hope and pray that Frankie was in.
And not only that, but hope and pray that this wasn’t a giant mistake.
He’d been confident before, but now he was starting to doubt himself.
He wasn’t suave. He had zero rizz. He was walking anxiety in a human suit that sometimes got it right but mostly got it wrong because he didn’t understand the way most people functioned in the world.
But he was tired of not trying.
He was tired of being the scared boy who thought he would disappoint everyone he ever loved by taking risks.
And more than that, he wanted Frankie. He wanted to slip into his arms and touch him and kiss him and be called princess.
Not just princess—no. Lucas had never wanted that in his life. Not until the word had tumbled from Frankie’s lips. Because it wasn’t him being fussy or prissy or whatever.
He wanted to be Frankie’s princess.
He was Frankie’s. Full stop.
And that meant something.
So yeah, he was going to be brave, damn it. He was going to do this.