Chapter 29
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I’m still high from sharing the news with my parents and the thought of going home to relax doesn’t seem right. I want to grab Roo and go do something. Something where I can claim him as mine.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I text Jules to see what she and Mitch are doing tonight. Then Circus, Leon, Dahlia, and Rafe.
If I wanted to tell my parents first that we’re a thing, our friends are a close second.
Roo’s waiting for me when I pull up on the street outside the apartment, forehead creased with confusion.
“So this is random …” he says as he climbs in my truck.
I tug him closer until his lips meet mine. “I told them.”
“Fuck. And?”
My laugh takes me by surprise. “They were confused.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Because they thought we’d been together since high school.”
“What?” Roo’s laughter joins mine. “They were okay?”
“They treated it like old news. Mom was more interested in talking about Sunflora.”
“Are we actually going to surprise anyone?”
“You mean besides me?” I grin and squeeze his thigh. “We’re gonna find out.”
“Should I be scared?”
“Nope. Jules and Mitch are having people over again, and we’re going. As a couple.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Did you knock your head today?”
“No harder than usual.”
“Then—”
“Roo.” I steer the truck back out onto the road. “I’ve never been embarrassed by you before, and I’m still not. If you don’t wanna tell them, it’s cool; we won’t. But I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be a non-event.”
He scowls. “They’re going to want us to talk about emotions, and I can’t do that with anyone but you. It’s gross.”
“Yeah, God forbid you be vulnerable for a second.” But that’s one of the many things I love about him. How closed off he is to everyone but me. “If it helps, I don’t think it’ll play out that way.”
“So how are you picturing it happening?”
“We’ll walk in holding hands, there’ll be some dumbass jokes we’ll brush off like always, and then I’ll fuck you on the kitchen table.”
Roo makes a choking noise. “Well, that’ll definitely surprise some people.”
And yet, he doesn’t say no. He knows me well enough to know I’d never share his naked body with anyone. Nope, no way. All mine.
I feel freer than I ever have by the time we pull up in front of Jules’s place.
And as soon as we’re out of the car, I link our fingers together.
“You nervous?” Roo asks.
“Nah, not really.”
“Good.” He presses against my chest as he arches up to kiss me.
I hum against his mouth. “And look at that, nerves all gone.”
Raspy laughter makes me jerk around to find Circus coming down the road. He starts a slow clap that seems way too loud in the gathering dusk. “About Goddamn time.”
“I’ll say,” Roo throws back.
They hug, which forces me to drop his hand, but I quickly snatch it back up again when they’re done.
“Does this mean I can count on you sticking around?” Circus asks.
Warmth fills my chest, until I catch the look on Roo’s face.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk about that yet.”
Talk about … what? The happy vibes I’ve been building all day crash. I mean, we’re together now. That should be enough. But the thought of leaving my home seems too big to confront.
I swallow back the sudden panic. One thing at a time.
Relationship first.
Here or not, Roo is mine, and it’s time I finally caught up with what everyone else already knows.
We’re the last to show up, and when Jules leads us inside, I’m happy to find Rafe and Laura have made it this time. I have no idea what’s up with them, but tonight they’re sharing an armchair and they’re both smiling, so I’m assuming things are good again. For now.
“Oh my goodness.” Mitch jolts upright from where he was pouring some champagne and points in our direction. “Is this actually happening?”
I lift Roo’s hand and press my lips to it.
Jules squeals and launches herself at us, while Leon looks on like he can’t work out what all the fuss is about.
“I thought we already decided this was a thing?”
Mitch shakes his head. “We did, but they hadn’t yet. Kind of important, man.”
“Huh.” He nods. “Congrats, then.”
“Are you fucking shitting me?” We all turn in the direction of Rafe’s voice. “Am I the only one who didn’t think this was inevitable?”
“Rafe, sweetie—”
He cuts Jules off. “You’re straight, dude.” He lets out an off-pitch laugh. “Straight dudes don’t randomly decide they like dick. They just don’t, okay?”
He doesn’t sound all the way angry, but his tone is pissing me off. “What the f—”
Roo yanks me back. “Nope, we’re not touching that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Am I seriously the only straight guy here?” Rafe gives that weird laugh again.
“What the hell do you call Leon?”
Silence meets my words.
It’s Leon’s turn to look awkward as he lifts a large hand my way. “Gay as fuck.”
“Oh. Mitch, then?”
Rafe jerks upright, and Laura scrambles to keep her feet. “From the old group, I mean. You were supposed to get with Piper. Supposed to do the whole wedding and kids and be the perfect family in town. That’s what was supposed to happen.”
“Who the hell are you to tell me—”
Roo shoves me back again. “We’re still not going there.”
“I think we should go,” Laura hurries to say. Rafe shrugs off her attempt to take his hand and storms out of the room.
“I’m so sorry,” she says before running after him.
All I catch is her asking, “ … embarrass me again?” before the front door slams.
It’s so quiet in here I swear I can hear the bubbles in the champagne Mitch is still loosely holding. That’s not how tonight was meant to go. At all.
Rafe’s one of our oldest friends. If he didn’t have an issue with Roo or Leon being gay, or with Circus being pan, why the hell is he suddenly flipping his shit over me?
“Umm …” Mitch is looking at the bottle he’s holding like he’s in shock. Jules takes it and pats his arm.
“Who wants to play Charades?” she asks.
I shake my head. “What the hell was that?”
Leon and Circus share a look, but Jules is the one who answers.
“We’ve always had pretend bets going on when you two would get together, but he’s been adamant it would never happen. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but you know Rafe. Explodes first, thinks second. He’ll be over it by tomorrow.”
I’m not sure I want him to be. If that’s how he’s going to react to me being happy, he can go fuck himself.
I loop my arm around Roo’s neck and pull him close enough to kiss his head. “Love you,” I mutter, more to remind myself than to tell him. Because after finding out Roo still isn’t sure about staying, and having Rafe behave like an asshole, I just don’t know what I’m feeling anymore.
“Love you too.”