Until their server cleared his throat. “Is everything okay here?”
“What the fuck does it look—”
“Everything’s great. Perfect.” Reece rubbed Nick’s thigh, batting his lashes at the guy, who went from blanching at Nick’s snap to melting with a smile.
“Great. Perfect.” The server bowed and then scurried off.
Nick stole one more kiss because he wasn’t about to be interrupted. He’d end the kiss on his own terms, which he did after a few more kisses.
“Alright, now eat.”
“Yes sir, Nicky, you got it!”
There was no sushi left after lunch. Reece didn’t eat as much as Nick, but close to it. They were both stuffed as they got on Nick’s bike once more, Reece hugging Nick and resting his cheek on Nick’s back.
“Drive slow, ‘kay?”
“Long as you don’t fall asleep on me.”
“Won’t,” Reece promised with a sigh. His hold on Nick never loosened on their way back, but Nick still found himself laying a hand over Reece’s arms every now and then to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere.
“You don’t have to walk me in, Nicky,” Reece told him after Nick cut the bike’s engine. He handed over his helmet but Nick got off the bike too, putting both the helmets away.
“I know.”
He said nothing more than that, the two of them walking toward the entrance, Reece going from holding Nick’s pinky to lacing all their fingers together. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, so Nick held his hand instead of trying to pull away from him.
“The food really helped me get the energy I needed to finish work today. There’s supposed to be a swimwear shoot by the pool this afternoon.”
“The hell have you been keeping from me?” Nick snorted, mind wandering with all these thoughts of Reece modeling and how he’d never given his work proper appreciation.
“Nothing.” Reece laughed and hugged him as if he’d cling to Nick for the rest of the day just so they wouldn’t have to separate. That felt natural too. “It’s just not your thing.” He shrugged, not seeming disappointed about it.
But if it was Reece…
“Come, Nicky, since you came this far, you might as well walk me all the way in.”
Nick didn’t argue. They got in one of the elevators together and the privacy it awarded them was something neither of them took for granted. Nick blamed Reece. For being so perfectly kissable. For being so fucking pretty and fuckable that Nick would’ve stripped him right then and there, just enough to takehim, if they had the time it’d take. But he settled for pinning Reece to the wall instead, and kissing him senseless.
Nick kissed him until he was breathless and giggling, eyes hazy as the elevator came to a stop.
“I love you, Nicky.”
He said it so casually. As if those words held such little weight, when in reality, hearing them made it so Nick couldn’t even breathe. All he could do was blink as Reece slipped away from him and hurried off the elevator because someone was calling for him the instant the doors opened.
“Sorry, didn’t realize I was late!” Reece said to whoever it was, then waved back at Nick. “See you later, Nicky.”
The elevator closed and Nick rode it back down to the first floor, unmoving otherwise. His eyes were still open and staring ahead. Even his lips were parted.
I love you.
I love you, Nicky.
Nick had already known. Deep down he’d always known. Ignoring feelings didn’t erase them, and Reece had given him everything he wanted for months. He’d been there, no expectations, just willing to give himself to Nick—to be whatever Nick needed him to be—but no matter what he said or did, Nick had always known. This would be their reality.
And how could he accept Reece’s sincere affections when he was the last person that deserved them? How could he have been so selfish to get here? To let Reece love him.
To let himself feel the same damn way when he knew that it would never work out. Knew they could never last forever.
