Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Then I’d like to give it to you, but if that’s a hard limit for you, tell me. We’ll figure it out some other way, but it would bring me joy to provide it for you.”
“I…” God, I loved him. “Thank you.”
He placed his hand on my thigh. “You’re welcome.”
We were quiet the rest of the drive over.
It took us a couple of hours to get everything taken care of. It was strange to feel so many mixed emotions about something, to want it so much, but for it to also be something that was coming between me and the most important person in my life. Granny raised me. She loved me when my own mom didn’t care, and now I was hurting her.
When we were finished and back in the car, David asked, “What can I do to make this easier for you? I could go talk to her? We can head over right now. I know I’ve offered this before, but we can have her at the house? What would help?” David had asked this many times in the past few weeks, ever since we’d had dinner with Cheryl and Zoey. His family was great, and Granny was too, and I hated that she couldn’t be a part of this. That something that made me so happy scared her or made her think she was going to lose me.
“She doesn’t really work that way. She has to come around on her own. The more we push, the more she’ll dig her heels in. She’s always been stubborn that way. It’s one of my favorite things about her.” My eyes tilted toward my lap, and I wrung my hands, frustrated.
“Sweet boy. I’m sorry you’re hurting. I hate that I’m a part of it. If we need to—”
“No!” I rushed out. “No. Whatever you were going to say, I don’t need a break or anything like that. I’ve spent my whole life just sort of happily going through the motions, having fun, laughing, but never searching for where I really fit. I fit with you. With Ian. We fit together.” My words couldn’t be truer. I’d never felt like I was lacking much in my life. Sure, my mom bailed on me, but I had Granny. I’d dealt with mean kids in school, but fuck them. I didn’t need anyone. Then when I graduated high school, I sure as shit planned to live it up, and I did. I had fun, I partied, I fucked, I went to college. But I’d never found my place. I had my place now.
“You make Daddy so proud.” David cupped my face, pulled me closer, and kissed me. I lost myself to it, as I always did, to the sweep of his tongue in my mouth and his minty taste, to his scent that was like a warm hug. “We’ll figure it out, okay? She’ll come around.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“You have nothing to thank me for.”
“Can we go see Ian?” I felt needy in that moment and wanted them both.
“Of course.”
Ian was working at the rental, so David drove over. I could hear soft music and voices coming from inside. It only took me a moment to piece together who it was. When we went in, Ian and Peyton were laying tile in the kitchen.
Peyton scrambled to their feet, clearly surprised by us being there. It was something I’d noticed about them—they were initially uncomfortable around people who presented as male until they got used to them or chose to befriend them on their terms the way they had with Ian.
“Hey. I didn’t know you were helping Ian. That’s cool.” I smiled.
The look on Ian’s face said the not knowing was on purpose—not for him, I was sure, but for Peyton.
They frowned, looking back and forth between us. “Sorry. It’s just…”
Ian stood. “Peyton, you know Jordan, obviously. And this is David, our…boyfriend,” he said, as if unsure how to word it. “David, this is Peyton. I must have forgotten to tell you, Sunshine, but David said I could give Peyton a job.”
I was absolutely sure that never happened. I was also absolutely sure that Ian had told Peyton it did happen so he could help them, likely paying them out of his own money. God, I loved him. He was so damn incredible.
As always, Daddy was good at reading the situation. I knew with anyone else, he would have put his hand out to shake. There also wasn’t a doubt in my mind he hadn’t known about Peyton. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Peyton. That’s nice of you to work with Ian. I know this is a lot of work for him, so he appreciates the assistance and the company. Are you guys hungry? Thirsty? I can run and get something for all of us.”