Page 91 of Love Always

When Bryce texted they caught Cruz and everyone was okay, I couldn’t wait to see Mateus. When he called ten minutes later, he told me exactly what had happened and that they were stopping at the ER to pick up crutches. Fifteen minutes later Detective Carlson contacted me to say Cruz was apprehended. I spent the afternoon in limbo, just waiting for Mateus to return.

I’ve been prepping Cory for a fast exit from the apartment since he came home. It is nearly four o’clock when all the cars start pulling into the parking lot at The Inn.

“Now, Cory,” I say and with half a cookie still in his mouth, I grab his hand and rush the stairs, fly out the street door, and cross the asphalt. Just as we hit the dirt road, Mateus stands and then turns and Bryce hands him crutches. Finn helps Nic out of the other Lexus, but all of this is a blur. Only Mateus remains in focus.

I drop Cory’s hand and wrap my arms around Mateus so fast and so hard the crutches fall to the ground.

His clothes are dripping wet and I don’t care. He holds me tight. Then his body is wracked by a wave of shivering.

“Hey,” he whispers in my ear. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m okay.”

But when I kiss him, his lips are like ice.

“They’re both going in the hot tub,” Finn says, throwing a blanket over Nic’s shoulders.

Mateus gently releases me and I step back when Bryce hands Mateus the crutches again. As Mateus adjusts them under his arms and Bryce starts to help the two men inside, I look at Finn for explanation.

“Both Mateus and Nic’s core body temperatures are still too low,” he says, a hand on my shoulder.

He sees my face.

“He is going to be fine.”

΅

The hot tub always scares Cory. It’s strung with twinkle lights and it’s housed inside of a wooden silo which leaves him feeling claustrophobic. Though he likes the sound of the engine, I’m not sure the jets and frothing bubbles are as soothing to him as they are to me.

“I’m going to see Mateus in the hot tub room. This is a question, Cory. Do you want to come?”

“Yes,” he says loudly jumping up and down a little, still holding my hand.

Finn raises an eyebrow. We’ve both seen Cory fall apart in the hot tub.

As I gingerly push the door open, there’s Bryce sitting across at the other end on a lounge chair. Nic and Mateus are seated deep in the churn of water, steam wafts. Swirls of dark hair on his chest are coated in fine spray. He is gorgeous.

“Hi Mateus,” says Cory and dances over to him. “It’s hot!” He reaches for the water.

Of the two, Nic is clearly still suffering from cold. He’s sitting with just his head above the water and his lips have a faint bluish tinge. Finn pulls up a chair and sits next to Bryce, and hands him a beer. “None for you two ’til tomorrow,” he says to the guys in the hot tub. He and Bryce clink bottles.

“Three more minutes, then you two have to get out for ten,” adds Bryce.

“They love this, don’t they?” says Nic to Mateus. “So bossy.”

“I go in,” says my son.

Mateus says something to him, and Cory takes off his shoes. I know he won’t undress. Not here. Getting clothes off and on him is hard. But Mateus doesn’t worry about that. Once Cory’s shoes are off, he reaches over with one long arm, picks up my son, holds him above the water and, talking to him the whole time, slowly lowers him in, clothes and all. Nic, very serious, holds one of Cory’s hands too, until he’s standing, the swirling water up to his chest.

“This feels good!” he shouts.

“It’s a Thanksgiving miracle,” says Finn, grinning.

I want to cry. These men, these men who I thought were keeping us apart have done nothing but bring us together. When Mateus looks at me, his smile is uncomplicated.

΅

That night, after dinner, and Cory bedded, Mateus and I go back to the hot tub. His core temperature started to drop again after we ate grilled cheese and tomato soup. I noticed in the kitchen cleaning up, when I went to kiss him, his lips were cold and his frame shuddered even though the heat was cranked to seventy-eight. I call Chloe and she and Bryce come over to watch a movie while Mateus and I make another diagonal corner trip across the street. The stairs are hard for him and I know he misses his leg. By the time we make it inside the round structure, his body is cold to the touch. He sheds his coat and sweater. I help him off with his pants but keep them close to the edge of the tub. I’m sure we’re going to need the condoms tucked in his pocket.

He pops his jaw. There’s some swelling where a paddle hit him on the side of the head and his ear is full.