Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Nausea from the guilt formed a storm in my gut. But it had nothing on how strange those words felt in my mouth, putting into the universe that thing I’d always hoped would happen, only now it was a farce.
Declan squeezed my hand. “We couldn’t be happier for him. No one deserves it more than our Parker. But, Elliott, if you’re listening…if you hurt our boy…”
“No threats on air,” Corbin cut him off. “But seriously, what Declan said.”
“If he doesn’t hurt Parker, he has nothing to worry about,” Marcus added. “But we don’t have to stress about that because Parker is happy and Elliott knows how lucky he is to have him.”
“Let’s hope he can handle my messiness,” I said, just to make everyone laugh.
“Oh God, Elliott, we’re sorry you have to deal with this,” Marcus said. “Parker had to stay at my house for a month years ago. I nearly strangled him with a pair of underwear I found on a lamp. How does your underwear get on a lamp?”
I wished I could say Marcus was exaggerating. The only defense I had was: “My kitchen is always clean!” Which really wasn’t a defense at all.
“Well, at least there’s that.” Declan winked before Marcus spoke again.
“Anyway, that’s enough about the happy husbands. I’m sure Parker will be rambling about Elliott more on other days. How about we jump into QHF, which is where we share a random queer historical fact, and then go on with the show?”
Marcus launched into a story about a person who was arrested in 1394 in London for having sex with a man in an alley. “They lived part of the time as a man, part of the time as a woman, having sex with both men and women.”
“People like to think so much of this is new,” Corbin said, “but look at this—here’s proof of someone being and living gender fluid in the 1300s. We’ve always been here.”
“And we’re not going anywhere,” Declan piped in.
The show went on for about an hour after that. I tried to stay involved, to laugh and joke and be the Parker they knew, but I wasn’t sure I pulled it off.
CHAPTER NINE
Elliott
“He’s an absolute mess. His apartment was a little wild when I was there—that should’ve been a clue. Still, I assumed he would be tidier while living with someone else, but no, I can now say he’s not. I don’t understand how he can find anything. His clothes are everywhere, including the bathroom floor, which would be fine if that wasn’t also a hallway bathroom—there isn’t one in his room. The sink countertop looks like a tornado ripped through his toiletries. How does one man need so many face, hair, body, who the fuck knows, products? He’s beautiful, but it can’t take that much work to be so beautiful, can it?” I grumbled to Vaughn, who was sitting across from me at the restaurant. We’d met for lunch so I could vent to him about my new husband. It had been about two weeks since Parker moved in, and it was…interesting, to say the least. I considered burning all his clothes just to keep them off the floor but figured that wasn’t the best start to our marriage. “And the part that really gets to me? If I leave one freaking plate in the kitchen sink, he acts like I’m a heathen! So he can turn the bathroom counter into a beauty shop and the floor into his laundry basket, but I can’t leave a plate in the sink?”
I waited for Vaughn to agree with me, but all he did was bust up laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
He lowered his voice and said, “I thought this marriage wasn’t real? You sound like legit husbands to me.”
“You’re not nearly as compassionate to me as you should be. I thought we were friends?”
That just made Vaughn laugh harder. “I’m sorry. It’s just funny seeing you live with someone. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you’re making it sound.”
“That’s because you don’t live with a husband you know nothing about,” I replied in a hushed tone. I might have been exaggerating a bit, but it was weird having someone in my space all the time. Parker sang in the shower, which yes, was cute even though he didn’t have a great voice, but I wasn’t used to having someone there, all the time, making messes and singing and…okay, I couldn’t complain about the baking. I enjoyed that part. My house consistently smelled like sugar now, which was nice. “It’s not terrible. It just takes some getting used to.”
“Welcome to marriage.”
“Says the guy who’s never been married. Why are you trying to sound like an expert?”
Vaughn winked. “I’m an expert on everything, baby.” I rolled my eyes before he asked, “Seriously, though. You okay? He okay? How’s it going?”