“My father is a cop.He hates lawyers, so I vowed to myself to become the best there was.”He would have gone down the criminal justice road to really piss Jack off if that didn’t mean a higher chance of seeing him at court or—god forbid—having to work with him.
“I vowed to myself to become an astronaut and be the first human on Mars, but then I developed motion sickness on rollercoasters.Goals can change.”
“Why should mine?”Why should he aim to achieve less than his potential allowed?He had invested so much into this, as had Eevee and Joel by picking up extra shifts so he could focus on studying.Succeeding was the least he could do.He owed it to himself and to them.“I’m well on track.And it’s a good goal to have.If you’re the best, you’re untouchable.”
“And that’s desirable?”Sami’s tone suggested he didn’t believe so.If he was happy to exist in Ian’s shadow, that was his load to carry.Baz had bigger dreams.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“No, I do.I was the smart kid too.Being perceived as the best was the foundation of my self-image for years.Nearly killed myself to stay on top of my class and ace my exams.But the moment you get arrested for drug dealing, you lose a lot of external validation.Makes you wonder what the point of trying so hard is when it takes one misstep for everyone to throw you under the bus.”
“The trick is not to misstep.”
“Smart.”Sami nodded.“Just stop being human.Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Yeah, why didn’t you?”Baz traced his fingertips over the tops of Sami’s bare feet, up his right ankle, just to elicit that smile from him—the one that was soft and reluctant and made his eyes sparkle.It did not disappoint, though it faded too quickly.
“You know, I think as a society, we are so obsessed with perfection and individual success, we never stop to consider the peace that is being happy with what you got.What’s the point of being the best if you’re too burned out to work another day?”
Please, Baz wasn’t burning out.Though the level of concern that seeped through the layers of Sami’s judgment made his heart soar.“How sweet of you to care.”
“Bet your ass I do, because you know what the problem with being untouchable is?”
“Enlighten me.”
“No more sex.And that’s gonna affect me too.It’s the only tolerable part about you.”
Baz chuckled.Sure it was.“So, what I’m hearing is, you want me to descend to your level.”
“I do like you underneath me.”Sami’s toes glided up Baz’s inner thigh.Well.That could be arranged more often.
“Good thing I’m getting the scandalous affair out of my system now, huh?”Baz shimmied to the edge of his seat.Sami was leaning in to meet him halfway with a filthy grin Baz couldn’t wait to taste.The tips of their noses touched, he cupped Sami’s cheek—the doorbell rang.Oh, come on.
Sami’s head spun to the door.“What are the odds that’s Aya again?Should I hide?”
If only there was a chance Aya came by.Baz would much rather get yelled at again than keep receiving the cold shoulder, but he’d made his bed.And what a comfortable bed it was, the kiss he stole from Sami reminded him.
He got up and walked to the door.
Knock knock knock.Oh.Someone who had clearance to come up.Unless he had another stalker like Sami, that left: “Eevee.”
“I’msosorry, Baz!”She threw her arms around his neck.Her shoulder crashed into his throat.Ugh.Downside of hugging someone his own height.“He said he saw articles about you and asked if you were still working at Dunkeld Wilson, and I bragged about how well you’re doing despite him, and I swear to god I had no idea he would visit you out of the blue!I should have warned you—”
“Eevee!Breathe.”Baz inhaled deeply, down to his stomach, waited for Eevee to follow suit before he exhaled.“It’s okay.Jack’s choices are not your fault.But thank you.”
“Oh.I thought… I assumed you’d be furious.”
If she’d wanted to see anger and tears, she should have come over before Sami had gotten into his head.
Baz hadn’t found answers yet, but what he did know was that Eevee was his family, and she’d always done her best.She hadn’t deserved his anger when she first mentioned Jack weeks ago, nor did she now.
“I’m okay, really.We are just having breakfast, if you want some?”
“We?”She pushed past him into the room and froze—her eyes were on Sami, lingering in the doorway to the balcony.Sami, who in turn looked like he saw a ghost.
“Mrs.Johnson?”
Wait.What was happening?
