AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dad gave a terse nod. “Xander will know that it’s there if you change your mind, at least until he decides what to do with it.”
“So you’re still talking to Xander.” Was I surprised? A bit. Xander didn’t have anything affectionate—or really much of anything at all—to say about Dad these days.
“Not in the way you and I are talking right now. He and I are too much alike for that.”
“But…” I sank onto the arm of the nearby couch. Why was I considering ruining this? Maybe because I didn’t believe the conversation was happening. I wanted to. I really did. “There are things you don’t know about me.”
One corner of Dad’s mouth tugged up. “Like that you’re in love with two different people?”
That was weird. That was a level of insight this man had never had. I’d only told them yesterday. “Maybe.”
“You know nothing is private in this town, but it’s hard to miss the way you act around them,” he said. “And yes, I see you a lot of the times you’re here, even if you go out of your way to avoid me.”
“I don’t go out of my way. I just don’t go into my way to see you?” That wasn’t the right wording. My brain was so confused. Dad was nice? Dad accepted me?
He sank lower in his seat, and like that, his exhaustion was palpable. “My point is, I’m proud of you. Both you and Xander, for being good men. For being yourselves.”
“I love you, Dad.” I didn’t mean to say that, but apparently I was all about the love right now, and it felt good.
He held up a hand. “Don’t make it sappy, boy.”
I grinned and hugged him anyway, careful not to push too hard.
We talked for a few more minutes, but he was worn out and Quinn shoved me out the door.
I headed back to Alys and Onyx. To a life more perfect than a fairy tale. I didn’t expect the future to be completely without problems, but we could face it together. We could figure anything out.
I used to think I was too flighty and weird and random for life to hand me anything this good, and I was so happy I’d proved the world wrong. This was the perfect place for me, and I was going to live the fuck out of it.
30
Alys
As Sunday afternoon rolled around, my entire body was humming with anticipation.
After Maddox talked to his dad—and I was so happy for him the conversation ended the way it did— we spent the rest of yesterday doing little more than sleeping, eating, and fucking.
Oh, and talking about the fact that we were moving into Onyx’s, and were going to need a bigger bed. It would take some maneuvering with my job, but I was willing to make it work, and probably start going remote most of the time.
And when Onyx went out of town to work on the Arizona store, we’d go with him, just like in Maddox’s plan. Maddox joked that we’d be nomads, but his excitement level about the whole thing was as high as ours.
I would have my guys, and I’d be back in a town where I belonged. With my friends. With my life. With my adopted and extended family.
Hiding from the world with Onyx and Maddox had helped distract me, but now that we were walking to Joystick’s, I couldn’t stop thinking about the why.
I was trying not to get my hopes up. Every year we went into this having done our best, and every year someone else won. It wasn’t an easy competition. This year, we did our best twice. I wanted recognition for that. I wanted to decorate that fucking trophy with the gaudiest representations ever of music lyrics, before a new team got it in a year.
“Hold up,” Adam called from behind us. The thud of sneakers on the pavement sounded as he caught up to us. “Hey, guys.” He barely gave Onyx and me a glance before he shoved his phone at Maddox. “We went viral.”
“No shit?” Maddox managed stunned and pleased in the same expression, as he looked at the screen in front of him.
“I’m getting sponsorship offers. For both of us,” Adam said. “Most of them are shit, but people love us. They want more of us.”
The turning gears in Maddox’s head were almost audible. “We need merchandise.”
“And a bigger web presence.” Adam took his phone back.
Maddox grinned. “And so many more episodes.”
