Page 7
Oh. I actually do know that guy. I noticed him because he was in a wheelchair, and my mind immediately went to being inappropriate and asking him to mentor Elio. I managed to stop myself because I’m not going to be one of those creepy dads who asks random disabled people for free labor, but people who share Elio’s lived experience tend to be rare in our small town.
He seemed really nice when he caught me staring at him though. He offered me a free rose the last time I went to pick up Elio’s Foley tubes and replacement cord for his BiWaze.
I didn’t figure he was related to Teddy, considering they looked nothing alike, but I also wasn’t going to ask about that.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone. Elio is with my parents, and I’m doing my best to avoid home because although my shit-for-brains almost-ex took off a week ago, he showed up last night with his bags and tried to get fucking comfortable in my bed.
“Let me text my mom to make sure she’s cool with doing Elio’s dinner, but yeah. That sounds fine.”
Teddy looks delighted, which is still a weird concept to me. Keeping people away from Elio means not having the space in my life to make friends. North knows about him now, and so does Leo. And Teddy found out last year when he ran into us at the grocery store.
It’s a nice change from my self-imposed isolation.
“What’s your cousin’s name?” I ask after I finish sending my mom the text.
Teddy glances up from his own phone. “His name is London. He decided to move out of Boston since it wasn’t super wheelchair-friendly. Oh, and he uses—”
“Yeah, I saw him,” I interrupt. When Teddy raises a brow at me, I cough. “It’s not—he was offering free flowers to everyone who was walking by. I gave them to my mom.”
Teddy snorts. “Ah. Well, anyway, he just texted back and said you’re welcome to come. We’re going over to King Mac’s.” When I pull a face, he huffs. “It’s one of the few places that doesn’t have a giant evening crowd, so I can actually hear what y’all are saying.”
And now I feel like shit. “Right.”
“And no stairs,” he adds.
“I get it. I was being a dick. I’m sorry.”
Teddy takes pity on me and squeezes my shoulder. “I need to send a quick email and then grab my bag. You can head over now. London will probably be there, and you can get started without me. He knows what I like.”
I’m a little nervous this is some fucked-up setup, but Teddy doesn’t seem like that kind of guy.
“Just your cousin?” I blurt.
Teddy glances up at me. “Can you repeat that?” When I do, he frowns. “Is that…a problem?”
“No! I mean…is his partner coming? Girlfriend, boyfriend…them-friend? I don’t know what non-binary people call themselves,” I blabber.
Teddy’s face softens. “No. He hasn’t dated since his accident—his choice.” Teddy stops, then shrugs. “I think. We don’t really talk about that stuff. Anyway, he’s very independent, so you won’t need to do anything—”
“Oh god, no. That’s not why I was asking,” I tell him quickly. He gives me a look full of suspicion, so I decide it’s better to come clean. “The guys have sent me on blind dates a few times in the last couple of months.”
Teddy’s gaze is firm on my mouth as he watches my lips move. “Ah. Well, you didn’t ask to be set up.”
“Right.”
“So I didn’t think to ask if he was interested in a date,” he says.
“Right.”
“So…it’s not a date.”
I manage a laugh. “Right, got it. I was just being careful.”
“I wouldn’t surprise you on a blind date anyway. If that’s what the boys are doing, it sounds messed up. Tell them to knock it the fuck off.” He takes three steps back. “See you in a few?”
I nod, then turn toward my car, feeling somehow better and worse all at the same time.
London is objectively good-looking, just like his cousin. He’d probably be a good fit for Easton if Easton were into men. Which he is not. He makes very big, very loud jokes about being the token straight while also parading his occasional weekend hookups around the station like seeing a bunch of firefighters in sweats, scratching their balls while playing Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, is somehow impressive.
