Page 116 of This I Promise You
“Well, shit. I thought I blew that. I mean, I was a total asshole to him, and he saw my whole freak-out.” Paul throws his head back. “I’m not going to lie. I knew this was going to come up, and I know I need to actually meet him, but you know how I am with parentals.”
“I know, but I really want you to meet him. You’ll like him. I swear, he’s not like…” I stop short of bringing Paul’s dad into the conversation. There’s no need to stir that up, but I do want him to get to know my family—well, my dad and sister. I mean he’s a part of my family now as far as I’m concerned, so he really needs to. “He’s cool.”
“I’m sure he is,” Paul says.
“Maybe we can go after Pride,” I say.
Charlotte Pride is next weekend and we’ve already decided we’re going. Jace and Felix are even flying in to join us. I’ve been to Pride parades, but only back home, and those can barely be called parades. There were maybe five little floats going down Main Street, and most of the people attending were protesters. I hear the one here in Charlotte is huge and I can’t wait to meet his family.
Paul’s gaze leaves me, gravitating toward the stars. His lips bunch up then skew. I want to lean over and kiss him, but I don’t. He’ll have to give in first. The space in between us on this blanket is staying until that happens.
“I will—”
“Yes!” I squeal.
"—on one condition,” he finishes and I grunt.
One condition? This better be one of those give-me-a-blowjob-and-I’ll-gotype of conditions. I’d be down for that.
“We should go to NYC for the Fourth of July. Just us.”
“Onlyif you don’t make me get on an airplane.” I make it very clear. I’m not getting on one of those death traps unless I have to. “Make it a road trip?”
“I can deal with that. And I’d go with you to meet your family either way by the way.” Paul grins. I roll my eyes, but then he says something I’m not expecting. “Have you thought about where you’re going to live next semester when classes start back?”
Have I? Of course I have, but I’m split on it, and that’s why I’ve not brought it up. I want to stay with him. I want to spend every single night with him, even if he is a human oven. That’s what I want, but how can I leave Aidan on his own? He’d have to get a new roommate—again—or let the campus assign one to him. But at the same time if I moved in with Paul I’d save money, and God knows I need that.
“A little bit,” I tell him.
“I was thinking maybe you could move in. With us. Huxley and I are keeping the apartment,” he tells me.
It’s what I was expecting, but I’m not really ready for this conversation.
“Maybe…” I shrink in on myself. “I want to, I do, but what about A?”
“You don’t think Aidan would be rooming with Tyler if the roles were reversed?” Paul asks. “For real, serious question.”
I don’t have to think about it, it’s not even a question. He would, and I’d be stupid to think otherwise. He loves Tyler.
I look up at Paul and smile. I love this man. I love him so much, and he’s right. I scoot closer so he can wrap his arm around me and pull me in. I sigh. This is what I want.
“You’re right.” I lean over and brush my cheek against his beard and take in the leather and sage scent of his cologne mixed with the fresh scent of grass and the outdoors. “But maybe we could all find a place together? I can’t leave A behind. I just can’t.”
“Oh! Now there’s an idea! We should totally talk to Hux and A about that tomorrow. I’m off work tomorrow night and we can invite A and Tyler over. Make it a game night.”
“That’d be great,” I say, rolling over on the ground and gazing up at the stars.
“What is it?” Paul’s staring at me, boring into my soul like he does.
I keep going between him and the stars, shifting my focus between his breath and the crickets or the seldom soft hoot of an owl. I don’t say anything right away. Instead I keep looking to the midnight sky.
The stars are gorgeous. I love the way they hang above us like little glittery nightlights, how they move slowly, almost imperceptibly across the sky, looking so close to the Earth, but in reality they’re millions and millions of miles away, out of reach. And maybe, just maybe, there’s another giant ball of rock orbiting one of them with another boy lying next to his favorite person looking at the stars, seeing ours and thinking the same thing. But as fascinating as that is, as much as the thought thrills me, nothing amazes me like the guy lying next to me.
“Everything,” I tell him. “The stars. The moon—”
“The moon? It’s not even up,” he interrupts, joking. And I want to slap him, but instead I smile.
“I was trying to be romantic, thank you very much.”
