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“Oh god, I do. They’re just all slobber and poop.”
His mom laughs even louder and she swipes at her eyes. “Oh god, do you remember Aunt Helen’s dog? He’d follow you everywhere when you were younger. Just lick you to death and you hated it. You’d grumble and moan about it.”
“He threw up on me, if I recall.”
“Oh yeah, he sure did.”
Damon’s dad’s lips twitch at that and then he cracks a smile.
“Thought you swore to never interact with one again.”
Damon huffs, the tension lessening slightly. “Oh yes, well, I had to. Those three were awful though. Always eating dirty tissues, throwing up soap. Just heathens.”
Smiles bloom around the table as they reminisce, and Damon’s hand slackens in mine as it continues. We order lunch and drinks, the conversation staying superficial. They talk about what they’ve been up to, his mom’s job and his dad’s hobbies. I manage to connect with him over being a mechanic, and he spends a good thirty minutes asking me a question about a rebuild he’s doing. When it’s finally time to go, I feel like they’re not ready, like perhaps they want to do this again.
“Maybe we can meet up again next week,” I say, and Damon turns to look at me, questioning in his eyes.
“I’d love that,” his mom answers, and even his dad nods slightly.
So it’s a plan, I think as Damon gives them each a hug and I shake their hands. When we walk back to my car, Damon pokes me in the ribs.
“Next week?” he asks, an arched eyebrow on his perfect face.
“They miss you. As they should.”
He sighs and then nods. “I guess they do.”
“So we give them a chance.”
“A chance,” he says with a nod, and then I open the passenger side door for him. He doesn’t slide in right away, just looks at me lovingly. “Thank you. Thank you for coming with me, for holding my hand, and for coming with me next week too.”
I grin at him. “Of course. That’s what boyfriends do.”
“Yeah, they do.”
He pecks a kiss on my lips and slides into the car.
It’s only when we are driving home that he turns to me and says, “I am obsessed with you, Tomas. I just think you should know that.”
And I can barely fucking respond, my heart is so full. I nod, bringing his hand up to my lips and kissing the back of his hand softly.
“I love you too.”
EIGHTEEN
Three months later
Damon
Okay, so I was right, moving in a few weeks after we met would have been too soon and waiting was totally worth it. Because right now, I’m finally moving my stuff into Tomas’s house. Well, not me exactly. Bennet, Reed, and Tomas are doing most of the work. And my dad actually showed up, clad in jeans and work boots.
It warmed my fucking heart to no end.
Things between him and I have been rocky for so long, and the process of healing has been bumpy, but we both have been making an effort.
Hence, why he’s here. I just mentioned it at lunch last week, and he said he’d be here to help. And he is.
“I can’t believe this is finally happening,” I say more to myself than anyone. A grunt from behind me has me turning, and I see Tomas and Bennet struggle to move a heavy piece of furniture into the house. “Lift with your legs, guys!” I call out, and Bennet rolls his eyes.
