Page 110 of About to Fall

Something tight shifted in my chest.

“I won’t,” I said, more firmly than I felt. “I can handle it.”

Bash gave me a look. The kind of best friend look that did not need to be translated. I was fucked but what else was new?

“Okay,” he said. “Then handle it like you handle everything else. With both eyes open. Don’t be an idiot just because it feels good.”

“I’m always an idiot,” I said.

“True,” he agreed pleasantly. “Just… be a strategic idiot.”

The door clicked open and Nicky walked in, gym bag over his shoulder, hair still damp from the shower. He paused when he saw Bash on the couch. He looked almost shy.

“Hi, I'm Nico. You must be Bash. Adrian's told me a lot about you.”

“All lies.” Bash stood, forgoing a handshake and going straight for the kind of hug that lifted Nicky's feet a few inches off the ground. Nicky let out a surprised laugh and patted Bash's back with the slightly bewildered politeness of someone who hadn't been bear hugged by a stranger before. “And he's told me absolutely nothing about you, which we're going to discuss at length later.”

Nicky shot me a questioning look. I shrugged.

“He knows,” I said. “I told him.”

“Ah.” Nicky's mouth twitched. “Secret’s out.”

“And apparently I've entered an alternate dimension,” Bash said cheerfully. “But I'm rolling with it. Tell me everything from your side. I don't trust this idiot to give me the whole truth. Leave nothing out.”

We ordered room service and Bash got the PG version of the story. I hadn't gotten to Christmas yet and Bash's eyes went so wide I thought they might roll right out of his head. Especially when Nicky pulled back the sleeve of his fleece and showed Bash the bracelet.

“This is sick,” Bash said, leaning forward to examine the delicate gold cuff.

“It locks,” Nicky said, turning his wrist to show the tiny mechanism. “And he has the only key.”

Bash looked between us, something shifting in his expression. “I didn't peg you for such a romantic, Ade.”

“Cut me some slack, man.”

“No, I love it.” He shook his head like he was trying to clear it. “It's just very… unexpected.”

Nicky laughed and leaned into me on the couch. I shifted to make room for him, arm going around his shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Okay,” Bash said finally, pointing at Nicky. “I've read a lot of impressive things about Nicolas Fontaine the figure skater but wow. Anyone who can make this disaster of a human being settle down is magical in my book.”

“Thank you,” Nicky said solemnly. “I'll do my best not to let him go feral again.”

“Hey—”

“He's already more civilized,” Bash continued, ignoring me. “He hasn't checked his hair in the mirror once since you got here. That's growth.”

“I don't check my hair that much—”

“You checked it at least three times when we were talking earlier.”

“The pink requires maintenance—”

“See, Nico, here's what you need to understand about Adrian—”

“Oh brother,” I muttered.

“—he's incredibly high maintenance but will absolutely die before admitting it.”