Cupping Arlo’s chin, I tilt his head back. “They are, but it’s okay.”
He blinks up at me, his lashes fluttering. “What if they change for the worse?”
I cock my head. “What do you mean, baby boy?”
“Like with you and me. We just got together, you know? And this is a lot.”
I press my thumb to the freckle on his bottom lip, brushing it back and forth while I search his eyes. “In some ways,” I start, “you’re right. Wedidjust get together. But really, we just made it official more than anything else. It’s been almost a year, Arlo.”
He nods.
“Sure, we just labeled what we are, but I’m in this. I’vebeenin this. It’ll be an adjustment, I’m sure, but we’ll be fine. Do you believe me?”
He nods again, his eyes falling shut as he leans into my touch. My touch-starved, needy baby boy. I press a kiss to his forehead.“Okay, I’ve gotta get to work. I’ll text you when I can. Stay as long as you want, okay?”
I step away from him, opening my nightstand and taking a spare key out. “Here.” Arlo turns to look at me, his eyes widening when he sees what I’m holding. “This is for you. It’s for my house, obviously. Just in case the code doesn’t work.”
He holds his hand out, and I place the key in his palm.
Tilting his head back, he pouts his lips at me. He’s got me wrapped, and he knows it. I just know that Salem and Nora will be the same. Hell, I’m already planning a summer pool build. For kids I don’t even know yet, and if that doesn’t tell you all you need to know… Well.
After giving him a quick kiss, I brush his hair off his face. “Lock up before you leave, baby boy.”
In what seems like a daze, he smiles at me. “Okay. I will. Can I call you when I get to the hotel tonight?”
“Of course.” Sitting on the edge of my bed beside him, I put on my socks and shoes. “No promises I’ll be able to answer, but I’ll do my best.”
With another quick kiss, I head outside to my truck.
Arlo wants to tell Austin and Luca about our relationship at our next game night. Apparently, he thinks it’ll be funny to see their reactions in real time. I’m starting to wonder if that’s also when he’s going to tell them about the kids.
Either way, I know it’s gonna be hard as hell to work with Austin all day. It was for my last shift too. My only saving grace is that he’s not as perceptive as Luca. If I worked with Luca? Shit. He’d have me called out in seconds.
I’m about to pull out of the driveway when my phone buzzes.
Arlo
I love you
I couldn’t stop my smile if I tried.
Me
I love you too.
Tossing my phone into the console, I back out of the driveway. There are no words to describe what it feels like going to work, knowing that everything in the universe that I could possibly want is mine.
“Ithinkmyboyfriendmight be the most talented person I know,” Austin says, sitting down next to me in the lounge.
“Yeah?” I ask, sliding my phone into my pocket.
He waves his phone around. “Yeah, Luca finally finished his first draft and what he called edits from hell, and he’s letting me read it. I mean…” Austin pauses, glancing at his phone. “He was always writing when we were young, and some of it was pretty good, but this… this is next level, man.”
I can’t help but smile. “I wonder if he’d let me read it.”
Austin shrugs. “I don’t see why not, but I can ask him. It’s like… really impressive. I guess I don’t really know what I expected, especially since it’s been so long since he’s actually written, but it’s so good.”
When Luca escaped his abusive ex, I had the privilege of helping him learn self-defense. I got to watch the two of them fall in love. Arlo joined Luca a lot in the beginning. I think I started falling for him back then, if I’m being honest with myself.
