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“We have a house.”
He nuzzles my neck and holds me close. “We do.”
I don’t argue with him and say that it’s his house. He doesn’t tell me it’s his because I’ve come to understand it was always ours. Even when I felt helpless and alone and desperately in love with my best friend, who I was convinced was straight, I was never alone.
It was never just me. It was always Adam and me.
“You ready to move in?”
I nod my head. “I was thinking how much I’ll miss the little camper. But the truth is”—I turn in his arms and face him—“someone promised me some filthy time in that big ole shower that I can’t wait for.”
He’s smiling so damn wide now, I need to kiss him. But before I can, a deep throat clears, and we both turn to see Jameson and Garrison standing there. J’s arm is draped over Garrison. “Aw, aren’t you two so cute?”
“Fuck off, Jameson,” Adam says, but there’s absolutely no venom in it.
“Can’t. Mom wants to talk to you both at the house.”
We share a look, and I can’t help but feel worried before we both rush toward the house. My sisters were fine at graduation, and if anything were seriously wrong, Garrison and Jameson wouldn’t be looking so happy.
But maybe they aren’t aware of what she wants to talk about. What if my mom is causing trouble?
Adam and I are both going to start full-time work at the farm this week, and we have the house. But all a judge is going to see right now is likely two best friends who are eighteen and too immature.
As far as I know, no one knows about Adam and me in town. Chloe won’t say anything. My mind is racing when we go into the house, and I see Mr. and Mrs. Bates sitting with my sisters in the living room.
“Boys, sit,” Adam’s mom directs, and I feel like I’m going to throw up as we take a seat on one of the sofas.
“What’s wrong?” Adam asks for me because I can’t seem to form words.
Mrs. Bates looks at the girls and then at me. “Zach, I want to talk to you about something, and to be honest, I’m a little worried about how you might react.” That doesn’t help, but the fact that my sisters seem calm does relax me a little bit. “I talked to your mother last week.”
“My mom.” My stomach roils.
She nods solemnly. “Elliot got a job in Colorado. They’re moving.”
Yeah, I might actually throw up right here. I feel dizzy and can barely manage to sit upright. “They aren’t taking the girls.”
Fuck. I need to get my ass moving. There’s so much I need to do. Will farm work be stable enough? We talked a little about salary, and it seems to be more than enough to support us. But I don’t know if they have some certain number. And if I want to include Adam’s salary, we’d probably have to come out as a couple.
Then deal with bigots.
Fuck!
“Zachary,” Adams says, placing his hand on my thigh. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It is.” Our attention is pulled to Adam’s mom again, and both of our eyes are on her. “Zach, your mom doesn’t want to take the girls.” My sisters both look stoic, and my heart breaks again for them. “She’s agreed to sign over custody to us.”
“Us?”
Adam’s dad nods his head at us and says, “Us.”
The Bates. “You want to adopt my sisters?”
“Well, it would be guardianship,” Mrs. Bates says. “Zach, I know you want to adopt them, but honey, you’re eighteen.”
“I can take care of them,” I say firmly, and Adam squeezes my thigh gently. “I mean, you all have been amazing. I appreciate it all...”
“Sweetheart.” Adam’s mom’s voice is so calming, I finally shut up. “We didn’t do it just as a favor. We care about all three of you. We wanted to do this, and we can take care of them. No doubt, you can too. But what I mean is you deserve to be eighteen.” She smiles at me sweetly and looks at Adam. “You both do. You deserve to travel when you want to. To be in love. To just be.”
