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“You are,” Leo said fiercely, dropping his fork to curl his long fingers around Oliver’s wrist. “You’ve done amazing this far, and you deserve to be loved. Whether it’s by Sam or Gabriel, or some fit bloke you meet tomorrow, you deserve it.”
Oliver looked at Leo for a while, then gave him his softest smile. “You know I love you, right?”
Leo rolled his eyes. “You’re such a soppy shit. But yes, I do. Lucky me.”
Oliver snorted a laugh and shoved his sibling before they resumed their cake. Before long, they turned their attention to the TV, and eventually Oliver was tired enough to head off for bed. For the first time that week, the nightmares didn’t come.
Twenty-Two
Met with an armful of wild hair and lithe limbs, Oliver lifted Coco off the ground in a huge hug. It had been too long since he’d seen anyone from his former life, and though he thought it would be hard, having her there with him was the biggest comfort he’d found since returning to London.
Her laugh rang in his ear as she kissed the side of his face, swiping at the lipstick stain she left behind. Standing back, she took him by the shoulders and looked him up and down. “Christ, look at you! You look amazing, Ollie.”
His grin spread wide at the sound of his old nickname. It hurt a little, reminding him of what he’d lost, but her voice was a comfort he hadn’t realized he’d been craving. “And you, my littleseñorita! How’s Spain?”
“Wonderful, of course. Mostly because I’m there,” she said with a laugh, grabbing her suitcase and dragging it behind them. They headed out of the airport, and Oliver immediately hailed a cab. “It’s nice to get away for a bit, though. My family’s not happy I’ve come here instead of back to California, but I can’t deal with them right now.”
Oliver frowned as he gave directions to his flat. “What? Why? You were always so close to them.”
“I’m…” She lowered her voice. “I’m engaged. Met this amazing woman at work. Uhg, you would just love her, Ollie. Shegetsme. Like, everything about me. Doesn’t have any unrealistic expectations about our relationship. Doesn’t ask me to compromise.” She leaned her head against the window, tilted toward him, and her smile was more serene than he’d ever seen it. “Her name’s Claudia.”
“Do I get to meet her?”
Coco laughed brightly. “When you come visit, absolutely. We want to take our honeymoon in Cabo.”
Oliver laughed. “I expect a wedding invite at the very least. But your family…?”
“They’re…my parents are conservative Catholics, you know? So obviously the church wouldn’t be performing our wedding—not that I’d want it to. But they don’t understand, and I’m tired of the lectures. They think this is all some phase, some act of rebellion. I’m tired of trying to get them to accept me for who I am. So, if they want to be this way, they won’t be included in my life.”
Oliver reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You deserve only the best, love. And some day your family will see that.”
“I hope so,” she said, the mood dropping a bit. “But for now, we won’t worry about it. I’m here for a—how the hell’d you use to say it? A week-long piss-up?”
Oliver threw his head back and laughed. “Yes. We’ll get wankered on good English beer and shitty pub food, and I’ll show you all the best parts of being British.”
“Well, you know I’ve been waiting for this a long time,” she said, waggling her finger at him. “And that sibling of yours, too. I miss living with you two.”
Oliver smiled warmly. “Yeah. We miss you too.”
They reached the flat ten minutes later, Oliver paying the fee, and he helped Coco get her things up the stairs. Leo sent a text saying he’d be home within the hour, so Oliver showed Coco the shower to wash the plane smell off as he fixed tea.
By the time she was done, dressed, and hair dried, Leo had returned, and she ran into his arms, as warm and fierce as she had with Oliver at the airport. Leo held her tight, his eyes suspiciously bright as he pressed a kiss to her face.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he said.
Coco palmed his face. “I’ve missed my YouTube eyeliner tutorial best friend, you know,” she scolded. “I mean okay, I know I’m the one who left, but it’s not the same without you.”
Leo rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as he took the offered cup of tea and the three of them went into the living room to sit. “So, tell me everything. Whilst you were drying your hair, Oliver mentioned some fiancée you have. Spare no details. Not a single one.”
Coco went on to describe her fiancée, and as she spoke, Oliver realized what he was missing. That spark in his eye, the tone in his voice that said even something as simple as not being in the same room as his lover caused him pain. He was missing the desire to kiss his lover all the time, to feel empty when his arms weren’t around him.
He didn’t have that with Sam, and he wasn’t sure if it was because he was keeping him at a distance, or if it just wasn’t right. But he wanted it. He missed that feeling so much, and he knew Leo had been right earlier. He was a better person now, and he deserved all those things.
* * *
That night,Coco was restless, so they decided to go out for a few drinks. Oliver insisted on the local for the first, not wanting to traipse all around London. After some insistence from Coco, he sent a text to Sam to have him meet up for the pint.
Oliver hadn’t talked to Coco much about his relationship with Sam, but it was clear she could read it from his face he wasn’t entirely happy. Not like he had been in California.
