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“Hoffman?” It’s a clarifying question on my part, just to make sure that I’m on the same page, but Vic’s face reddens again. I turn to Mateo. “We went to school with him, he’s helping with the reunion.”
Mateo nods in understanding, taking a long pull of the dark bourbon in his glass.
Piper has never mentioned Vic and Kyle dating, or talking, or really doing anything together, for that matter, aside from the few times they’ve both been at her place helping with the reunion. But before I can ask if he’s told his best friends anything, he continues.
“Piper doesn’t know yet.” I press my lips together, nodding. “Things are too…new. And if it goes bad, I don’t want it to sour anything they’re working on together.”
“Why would it go bad?” Mateo asks, like he’s known Vic for ten years and not a couple of hours. The question was on the tip of my tongue, too.
Vic shrugs again. “I’ve known for most of my life I was gay. It wasn’t a huge surprise for my parents when they found out I’d had my first kiss, and it was with a dude.”
“But?” I press him on.
“Kyle didn’t come out until recently,” he says, and I nod. Got it. “It’s all still so new for him, he hasn’t really dated a lot, and from what I understand, his parents weren’t the most…thrilled about it.”
“I feel that,” Mateo adds with an understanding nod. “That’s why my stepmom and her ex separated.” Vic and I both look at him, confused. “Jesse, my step brother, came out, and his dad basically threatened to send him to conversion camp.”
“Jesus.” The word comes out as a surprised huff, and I bring my fist to my chest where it just tightened at that idea. “I didn’t know that, man.”
Mateo shrugs, taking another sip of bourbon. “People can be bigots. But people can also divorce bigots.”
“I don’t think they’re that level of awful,” Vic continues. “He was a full-grown adult, but I think it’s a big part of why he moved out and doesn’t see them as often. He was afraid to date for so long because he felt like they’d judge him.”
I grimace and take a long sip of beer, ruminating on that. Kyle and Vic. Vic and Kyle. In the back of my brain, I can see it. Can see them together. Could maybe see them being happy, maybe because I wish for Piper’s best friends to be as happy as we are. At least, as happy as I hope we are.
“I think he’d be lucky to date you, Vic,” I say after a long pause, and then clap him on the shoulder. “But you’ve gotta tell Piper soon, because I don’t keep secrets from her, and you and I both know she’ll be screaming giddy for this one.”
For a Wednesday, we’re out pretty late - and by the time we’re all heading our separate ways in my front yard, the only two left to leave are Todd and Vic. Mateo’s car makes a kickback noise as he pulls away, having favored air conditioning over the “cool factor” he’d always carried riding his bike. Better for me - I love the guy like a brother, but I can only spend so much time with him when he smells like a gas station.
“Nice to meet you, man,” Todd says, giving Vic a casual handshake and pulling him in for a half hug. Arguably, Todd’s had the most to drink out of all of us, but I drove us the quarter-mile to the bar, and he was walking a whole twenty feet back to his front door.
“You, too.” Vic pats his back somewhat awkwardly as Todd steps away, giving me a sort of salute and then jogging back to his house. I watch, mostly to make sure he doesn’t find the one rock in his yard to trip over, and then turn to Vic in front of me. He’s got his jacket draped over one shoulder, a hand in his pocket and the other on the back of his neck. The universal guy sign for “I’m uncomfortable as fuck.”
“Thanks for coming.” He gives a curt nod, finally meeting my eye.
“I was sort of surprised when you texted, not gonna lie.” I quirk a brow - I thought it would be obvious. He’s a part of Piper’s life. She’s a part of mine. An important part, if we’re being honest. Clearly he’s important to her. “Outside of our usual crew, I don’t usually hang a lot with…” He holds his fingers up in air quotes. “The guys.” I fight a laugh, crossing my arms.
“I don’t know if this qualifies as ‘the guys,’ but I’m glad you came.” I want to reach out, to give him a pat on the shoulder, but the contact feels foreign to me. So instead, I tell him what I’m thinking. “I’m worried about Friday.”
As I kind of expected, he laughs - not a lot, just enough to know I’m probably rightfully terrified. After years of having the Carlson’s as my in-laws, the idea of having to completely reorient myself with a new family, with new people who knew I would be seeking their validation, is scary. Especially for someone like me, who isn’t exactly a charmer on first meeting. Sure, I know how to convince people to see things my way…but if Mrs. Delmonico is half as stubborn as her daughter, she’ll see through that bravado real quick.
“The Delmonicos are chill,” he says with a shrug, and then starts his car with the remote on his key fob. Clearly he isn’t planning to stick around and offer warm words of encouragement. “It’s the rest of the fam you’ve gotta worry about.” He observes me, in my still-mostly-formal outfit from work. “Piper tell you to bring dessert?” I nod, thinking back to her words through the bathroom door last weekend - something sweet, besidesthat ass. I fight the eye roll at the memory. “My advice?” he asks, crossing his arms, and nodding his head toward the street, where Mateo’s car had been parked moments earlier. “Tag in your slugger and-"
He pauses, like he realizes what he’s said as he’s said it, and drags a hand down his face.
“Fuck, don’t tell Nolan or Brett I just used a baseball term in real life.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “They’ll never let me live it down.”
“I’ll skip that one if you don’t tell them how bad you kicked our asses tonight.” Vic laughs, holding out his hand. I take it, shaking my head.
“Deal.”
Chapter 43
Piper
Mynervesareshotand it’s not even…I glance at my watch. Noon. It’s not even noon, and I’ve had to stop myself from picking at my cuticles three times.
I’m nervous. Piper Delmonico doesn’t donervous. Not truly. Not in a long, long time. Sure, I was a little anxious before my first date with Fitz. But in the back of my mind, I knew it was going to go well. We were both invested, by that point.
