Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
I was pretty sure time stood still, pausing just for us so we could enjoy it. Mouse, Romeo, and Olivia faded to the background, the world full of nothing but Gage and me—two boys who loved each other more than anything, no matter how much life tried to rip happiness away from them.
Gage rolled me to my back, lay on top of me. I trembled, cold seeping through my clothes and skin and into the bone, but I didn’t care. I would live in that moment if I could.
“I love you too,” he said softly, puffs of white breath in my face. “I’ll always love you, Jojo.”
It was impossible to stop the cheesy grin stretching across my face. I knew he loved me, of course I did, but hearing it twisted up my insides in the best possible way.
Then, the moment was broken when I got a handful of snow to the face. “You fucker!” I rolled him, and we wrestled and laughed, freezing our asses off, but it didn’t matter. We were together, with our best friends in the whole world, with our family, and no one could take this moment from us.
We stayed outside for a little bit longer before heading in.
Romeo started a fire, and we played with toys and watched cartoons with Olivia.
Mouse had put the Crock-Pot back on, and we had dinner. Olivia was a mess, food all over her face and in her hair and up her nose, so Mouse took her for a bath.
Gage went to the bathroom. I was sitting on the couch, and Romeo came over and plopped down on my lap. “Ouch, you’re heavy,” I teased.
“Remember when we were friends?” he countered, scooting off next to me on the cushion, and then adding, “It’s good to see.”
I frowned. “What is?”
“You being happy. Until Gage came back, I hadn’t seen you really happy since we were teenagers. Sometimes you pretended. Most of the time you didn’t even try.”
“I’m sorry. I know I haven’t always been the best friend to you and Mouse. You’ve stuck by me no matter what, and I cut you out.”
“You did. But it’s okay. We love you. You’re family to us. We just want you happy.”
“I am.”
“I know, and like I said, it’s great. If there’s such a thing as soul mates, it’s you and Hero, but your happiness can’t only revolve around him. The same goes for him. You’re a great guy, and you deserve all the best outside of Gage too.”
It wasn’t anything Rose hadn’t told me. It wasn’t anything I didn’t know was true. I looked over my shoulder to make sure we were still alone. “I’m scared.”
His brows drew together. “Of what?”
“Of losing him.”
“Gage would never leave you. You’re his whole damn world, Joey.”
“I know…I do, but I never thought he would send me away before.”
“He was in prison for killing your dad. I think he deserves a little leeway for that.”
“He still didn’t have to do it the way he did. He didn’t have to tell me he didn’t want me. He could have told me we should be friends until he got out. He didn’t have to wait years after he was released to find me, and hell, he didn’t even find me. It was an accident.”
“He came to LA to find you, even if you ran into each other by accident. You don’t trust him?”
My gaze darted over my shoulder again. “No, I do. There’s no one in the world I trust more than him. It’s just…my head is all fucked up sometimes. I’m always waiting to lose him, for him to walk away or for someone to take him from me, so I just can’t… I’m trying to protect myself.” Probably, none of this made any sense to anyone other than me, but I couldn’t help how I felt, couldn’t help my fear. It didn’t mean I didn’t love or trust Gage, but fear was a strong motivator.
“I get it, I do, but you can’t live your life in fear. I could get in a car accident tomorrow and Angie would lose me. That’s life. That’s all the more reason we need to love each other as best we can while we’re here.”
My eyes were teary, and I swiped at them just as I heard footsteps behind me. “What are you two talking about so quietly over there?” Mouse asked, Gage beside her.
“I helped with the baby’s nighttime routine.” He beamed, and strangely, it made me feel guilty.
“Joey called me fat,” Romeo said.
“Shut the fuck up. I did not!”
“Language!” Mouse said.
“Did Olivia become invisible and she’s still in the room to hear us?” Romeo asked, and Mouse flipped him off.
“She was exhausted. I put her to bed early.”
The two of them came over to us, but Gage didn’t sit down. “I want Jojo to open his gift from me tonight.”