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“I know. I’ve just been keeping busy lately. I know I haven’t been an active friend, but I’ll do better.”
“I haven’t been the best friend either.”
Morgan shrugged. “I get it, though, ya know? That’s life. We get busy with work and partners, and things like that happen. I know who you are to me, and I hope you know the same.”
I did. Even if Morgan didn’t open up to me, I knew I meant something to him. “Always, man…though I can’t pretend I didn’t wish I knew a little more about you.”
“I’m a man of mystery.” He winked.
Once we finished eating, I gave Morgan a hug, and we said our goodbyes.
As if he was on the same schedule as me, Corbin texted when I got into the car.
Corbin: We’re done. Do you have plans for the rest of the day?
Me: I’m spending it with my boyfriend.
Corbin: Wow…lucky you.
I chuckled.
Me: Meet me at home, and then we’ll go do something fun.
He deserved it. He’d been working so damn hard and had some rough days after therapy.
Corbin agreed, so I headed to the apartment. We pulled up at the same time, and he jogged over to my car and got in.
“Hey, CB. What are we doing?”
I looked down to make sure both of us were dressed appropriately. “Hike?”
“Sounds good to me.”
We went to Will Rogers State Park. They had eight trails there, and we chose the Inspiration Point Trail, which was an easy trail, since we weren’t there to get a tough workout. I just wanted to enjoy the outdoors with him.
We grabbed water bottles from my trunk, tossed them in a backpack I kept in my car, and headed out.
“Have you talked to anyone in your family?” I asked. He hadn’t spoken much about it—maybe to Imani, but not to me. He hadn’t mentioned them, and I knew this was something else weighing him down, something I would take the weight of if I could.
“No. No one has tried except Mom. I don’t even know what I would say to her or how I feel.”
I threaded my fingers through his, lifted his hand, and kissed it. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“It’s not your fault.”
No, but his family thought it was.
“I’m still sorry.”
“You make it better. Also, when your mom calls, she loves talking to me, so that helps too.”
I snickered. He was so silly.
We chatted while we hiked, then sat at the top for a while, simply enjoying the scenery. I loved simple days like this, and I had to admit, I was impressed that Corbin hadn’t pulled his phone out the whole time. No posts on social media or anything.
That made me think about the fact that he hadn’t posted us on there either, which I was fine with. If it wasn’t for the center, I wouldn’t be on social media at all. But a quiet voice in my head wondered if there was a reason Corbin didn’t share me there, one that wouldn’t feel so great.
“Do you want to go anywhere else?” I asked when we got back to the car.
“Just home.”
So we went back to my apartment, cooked stir-fry together, and ate while we watched a true-crime docuseries.
“Oooh! I have an idea. Let’s do a skin-care routine together.”
“I don’t do skin-care routines.”
“Yes…I know.”
“Hey!” That didn’t sound good.
“I didn’t mean like there’s something wrong with your face. I love it. But skin care is important for everyone. Let’s go.” He stood, took my hand, and forced me to my room.
My bathroom counter was full of skin treatments I’d never even seen before Corbin started staying with me.
“Sit.” He pointed to the toilet.
“Wow. You take this very seriously.”
“Skin care is serious.” Corbin winked, which did funny things to my gut. It was silly, really, how the simplest thing from him could make me react.
He put a headband on to hold my hair back, ignoring me when I quirked a brow. He was too busy and in his element.
“First, we cleanse.” Corbin turned on the water, got a washcloth, and pulled a couple of bottles forward. “Close your eyes, CB.”
“You’re lucky I love you,” I teased, but then closed them. He wet my face, then lathered it with the cleanser.
“You have really good skin.”
“Can’t say I’ve heard that one before.”
I sat still while Corbin worked. He rinsed my face, then pulled out another bottle. “Toner.”
I nodded and let him do his thing. Corbin concentrated, biting his bottom lip as he worked, which was ridiculously adorable.
“I used to do this with my mom,” he said softly. “It was a little too gay for Dad and Blaine, but Mom would always let me join her. It was our time, and I loved it. Like…I don’t know. It made me feel special. Now that I’ve clicked in on the diet stuff from when I was a kid, I second-guess everything. Did she do that with me because it was a special time for us? Because she enjoyed it? Or was it because my skin was something else about me she thought needed to be fixed?” He rubbed a cotton ball soaked with toner over my face as he spoke.
