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I know he’s still cross about everything I’ve just told him, and I know this won’t be the last time we discuss it. Something will come up as a reminder of what happened, and he’ll tell me again that he’s disappointed in me not confiding in him. But for now, it’s blown over.

“Plus your hot boyfriend, I guess.”

He gives me a wide smile, and I know I’m blushing. It’s a heat that radiates from my toes to my head, causing Felix to snicker.

“I’ll get it all out of my system before I introduce you to him, I promise. I’ve just been with him pretty much since everything started. The only time we’ve been apart is when I’ve gone in for a shift,” I admit.

“You’ve been in a little cocoon of sexed-up love fest,” he guesses.

“I didn’t expect to ever feel like this, but….”

“It’s okay for you to feel happy about what’s happening between you,” he says.

I nod slowly. “I’m still a little afraid everything will go wrong. It’s such a pattern, and I’m so used to feeling like I’m losing, or going to lose. I guess I can say I’m cautiously optimistic.” I shrug.

“How about you remain cautiously optimistic until I’ve met him, and then you can go to full-on head over heels in love and sickeningly happy once I’ve decided he isn’t an axe murderer,” he suggests.

“I really hope you like him.”

“It isn’t about me liking him. It’s about me making sure he isn’t going to hurt you. So, let’s finish our coffee, then get this show on the road, and I can meet this man of yours.”

“Not yet! You haven’t told me a single thing about your travels. I want to hear all about it.”

“I can bore you tomorrow.”

“You never bore me, Felix,” I scoff. “You’re my best friend, and nothing, nobody, could ever take your place.”

“Not even this man of yours?” he asks. For the first time ever, I hear some hesitation in his tone. It seems silly that he doesn’t know just how much he means to me, that there isn’t anybody else who could ever take his place.

“Nobody. It’s you and me against the world, remember?”

He gives me a wide smile. “You and me, Dee. Plus your sexy side piece.”

I chuckle. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

I let out a deep breath, and then I smile with him, determined to let myself enjoy this time. Felix is home. I’m in love with Joseph. He loves me. Maybe, just maybe, things can work out for me. Stay stable and safe.

With two men who I love dearly by my side, for the first time in my life, I feel like I can conquer maybe not the world, but at least my demons.

Chapter thirteen

Delilah

Two Years Ago

“Good morning.”

The sound of Joseph’s voice whispering in my ear makes me smile. I open one eye and peek at him.

“Good morning.” I take in his appearance. “Running off?”

Usually, when he wakes me up, he’s still naked. Or at least it’s been that way for the last week and a half. He usually wakes me up early because it starts a round of us having some delicious, earth-shattering sex. This morning, though, he’s dressed. Mostly, at least. It’s also later than he usually wakes me, leaving me with just enough time to get myself ready to open the shop.

“I’m not running off. Not really. Just for an interview. My manager changed it to a video call, remember? I thought I might need to remind you, in case you decided to get up and wander through the house naked,” he says.

“Worried I’ll flash a journalist?” I tease.

“More worried that I’d end the call midway through the interview so we can fuck around,” he replies, flashing me a mischievous grin.