Page 179 of The New Place

Ned takes his hand. “Let’s sit down,” he says and leads Abbot to the couch.

There’s less to touch here, so Abbot picks at the crease in his pants and stares at a point on the coffee table. He looks like he wants to up and run away.

Ned can’t blame him. Hell, he’d go with him. Both of them could flee from this night of conversation and avoid the discussion entirely. Go back to an earlier version of their relationship when they didn’t have to deal with hard shit and happily stay there.

Or not so happily, maybe. They’d be letting issues that seemed small fester and build until that simplicity became an oil slick over the turmoil beneath.

This is better. Worse, too, but also the way forward.

“So,” Ned says gently when it’s clear Abbot’s not going to start talking. “If it helps, we can count up my overwhelming tower of debt again.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“My finances? They’re really not great. You don’t have to be polite about it.” Or pay for him, or do anything, except Abbot took in all that information with a calm equanimity, and Ned is still braced for the fallout.

But it’s apparently not coming. Does that mean Abbot is really just going to share his money with Ned? Yes, it sure seems like it.

The thought makes Ned’s head swim. So Ned just…doesn’t have to worry about his bills anymore? Abbot will keep the rug from being pulled out and Ned can work on paying off everything? And then what? It’ll take some time, but Ned will be out from under his debt eventually. So they’ll just live together and be happy, as simple as that?

No, because he knows life is anything but simple. Something will come up, and then another thing, and more after that, but neither of them will face it alone.

He leans in and kisses Abbot’s cheek.

Abbot pulls their gripped hands into his lap and looks down at them. Ned’s sure he’s finally about to speak, but Abbot lifts Ned’s arm.

“I’m extremely well off now,” Ned tries to joke, twisting his wrist to show off the watch. “Figured I’d dress the part.”

“That looks nice on you.”

It looked big, Ned had thought, weighing it in his hands before unstrapping his usual watch. This one was a little cold where the metal met his skin, a strange change from the plastic he’s used to.

But if he was ever going to wear it, now seemed like the time, a physical talisman to represent sharing a life with Abbot, to opening up a new future, as sure as the ring on his finger.

He’ll get used to it, he’s pretty sure.

“What did you do with my mother’s?” Abbot’s voice is soft, but not hesitant.

“It’s still in my desk.”

“You’ll keep it?”

“Of course I will. And we don’t have to figure out what to do with it right now.”

“Liesl,” Abbot starts, but then he sinks back into a long silence.

Ned leans forward to try to catch his eye. “She’d want it?”

“Oh. No. I meant…maybe she does.”

“We can ask her.” Ned squeezes his hand. “What did you mean?”

“She’s been rather frustrated with me,” Abbot says.

“Yeah, I got that.” Ned takes a breath and oh, this is uncomfortable as hell, but he has to adjust in this new way too. Not just to the watch, but to learning to ask, and when Abbot offers, to accept. “I really do want to come this summer. But I’d—yeah, I’d need you to get the ticket.”

“I will,” Abbot says like it’s that easy.

It is, to him. Ned swallows the protest that wants to rise through him. Okay. He’s going to Switzerland, on a ticket Abbot buys, and—and it’s going to be great. Better than great. A real vacation. A trip to Europe. All without worrying about money.