AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t want to leave him. I’m not ready to. But I have a life I need to get back to, a career. I can’t just stay here indefinitely.
“We’ll figure it out, okay?” he says, and I find myself nodding my head sadly, following him into the kitchen and feeling like I’ve lost a bit of myself.
I just found him, and I already have to let him go. I don’t even know what this is between us. We haven’t had a chance to discuss it. It’s all so goddamn new.
Fuck. This.
Life is so damn disappointing sometimes.
ELEVEN
Tomas
I’m not sure why I wasn’t more bothered by the moms finding me and Damon all curled up on the couch this morning, but I wasn’t.
Not at all.
I wonder if it would have been the same thing if it had been my mom walking in on us. If I would have felt the need to explain anything. How would she handle it? How would my dad? I honestly have no idea.
But all I could think about was how good kissing him felt last night and how I really liked waking up next to him even though it was cramped on the couch. And he was drooling on me a little bit.
I didn’t mind it at all.
In fact, I was still on a high until Damon brought up the fact that he doesn’t live here and that he has to leave now that the moms are home. It was only then that I felt like someone punched me in the gut.
I tried to put on a brave face as we walked into the kitchen, but the moms likely noticed as soon as I sat my pathetic self down, with Damon perched right next to me. Tasmin is in full-on detective mode as she puts her elbow on the table and props her chin up on her palm. “So, you two gotclosewhile we were gone.”
She’s smiling so wide and her eyes literally twinkle as Damon shifts around in his chair. I’m not sure he really understands that I’m fine with all of this. They caught us red-handed and like I told him, I’m not ashamed. Maybe the freakout will come later, but it’s not happening now.
“We did. We became good friends. But I guess Damon will be leaving soon.” I try to keep the sadness out of my tone, but I don’t think it works. I’ve become quite pathetic in recent days.
“Why does he have to leave?” Tasmin sits straight up, her face laced with concern.
“Um…” I clear my throat awkwardly. “Well, you guys are home now. Which is good, but well….”
“My services are no longer needed,” Damon pipes up. “The doggos are now in good hands.”
Peanut woofs, and Damon rolls his eyes while muttering, “I know what you did to my penis pouch, you mutt.”
Amara and Tasmin wave him off. “Damon. I told you, you’re always welcome here. We have plenty of room, and you boys can cuddle anywhere you want to. Lots and lots of cuddle room.” Amara winks at me, and my face goes bright red. Ah, hell.
“Oh, I can’t stay here. That’s very nice, but…” Damon’s eyes meet mine for a moment before he looks back toward the moms. “I have a place in San Diego. A life I should probably get back to. A job….”
The knot in my stomach tightens. I’m going to have a serious case of constipation if I keep this up. And listen, it’s not that I don’t like his job, just the thought of anyone else touching him makes me want to punch something or vomit.
Maybe both.
And I’m not a puncher or a puker. Really, it’s been five years since I’ve thrown up. I think it might be some kind of record. But thinking about him doing collabs with other men makes me want to retch.
We shared a few kisses. That’s it. And one was on-camera—I don’t even know what we can call that, but that’s all it’s been between us. I can’t ask him to quit his job and never work with anyone again. Especially if he’s leaving Ramona soon.
Fuck, I don’t want him to leave.
“You should stay,” I blurt out and all eyes are on me. But it’s Damon’s that I look directly into and repeat myself, “You should stay.” I realize I have no right to ask that of him, or of my neighbors, but here I am. “I mean, if you want to. You should. Your job kind of allows you to do what you want.”
“You definitely should stay, dude,” Hannah pipes in, grinning at us.
Damon is studying me closely now, and it’s my turn to squirm nervously. “You want me to stay? Here?” The question is said with so much uncertainty I almost think I heard him wrong, but I know I didn’t.
