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“Hey, don't be giving away my pie.” Duncan laughed, but he, too, was thoughtfully studying the exit. “But I guess I can share. Let’s do it. I'm done giving Dad my time or attention.”
“Even if he cuts you off?” Danny asked.
“Oh fuck. What happened?” I squeezed him closer.
“Nothing that wasn’t long overdue.” Duncan’s tone was far more pragmatic than mine. “Let him leave me out of the will or sell the condo. Whatever. I'm done worrying about what he thinks, and I'm building my own damn future.”
“Yes, you are.” I tried to catch his eye, let him know he wasn’t alone. “And I’ll help however you let me.”
“Make him let you,” Danny ordered me before turning back to Duncan. “I'm proud of you.”
“Couldn't do it without you.”
“Hey now, no making me emotional.” Danny waved a hand in front of his face. “Let’s make our big escape instead.”
“You’re on.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ezra
“Do you think that counts as our first dinner party?” I asked as I flopped down next to Duncan on his couch after locking up behind Cash and Danny. Duncan, my personal neat freak, had already cleaned up the takeout mess and the remnants of a truly fabulous key lime pie while I’d seen our guests out. Our guests. I loved the sound of that. And since they were no longer irked at us, I figured the occasion should count as…something.
Duncan laughed as he slid an arm around me. “Pretty sure my mother would say takeout waffles aren’t even food, let alone a dinner party entrée.”
“But I bet it was more fun than one of her events.” I grinned over at him. He’d already queued up the next episode of our show because he truly was the perfect boyfriend, but I was in more of a talky mood. “Speaking of her, do you think she’ll help you if your dad cuts you off?”
“Argh. I don’t want to think about him or his stupid threats right now.” Dropping his arm, Duncan leaned forward, elbows on knees. “And yeah, Mom probably would if I tracked her down wherever her current villa is, but I don’t need her help. I’ve got funds. A lot of them are tied up in the business, but the worst that could happen is I end up in a budget rental apartment somewhere. I’ve likely lived in worse in the barracks.”
“Hmm.” I made a thoughtful noise as I rubbed his back. “Guess we better start looking for a place. Sooner you can move and not owe your dad, the better.”
“We?” Duncan sat up again, turning toward me.
“Yeah, we.” I wasn’t about to be intimidated by his shocked tone. He could think I was inviting myself along all he wanted because I totally was, but he wasn’t getting rid of me simply because his address might be changing. “You said I’m the best roommate you’ve ever had.”
“You are.” His smile was warmer and sweeter than the waffles had been, reassuring me that I was doing the right thing, pressing him on this. He liked having me around. I loved how he’d come in from work and exhale like he was leaving the stress at the door, grinning when he saw me as if surprised and pleased to find me still here. Smiles like those meant I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Well, same goes for you. You’re my favorite roomie ever.” I bumped his shoulder before settling an arm around him. “I’ll put Kate to looking for a new LA rental.”
“Ezra.” He adopted a long-suffering tone. “I can’t be your kept guy.”
“Duncan.” I matched his tone right down to the huff at the end of his name. “I’ve basically been your house boy for weeks now, living rent-free. What’s the difference?”
He made a frustrated noise. “It’s not pride.”
I raised both eyebrows and tilted my head at him.
“Okay, not all pride.” He made a vague gesture with his hand. “I want…a partnership. Equals. Which sounds silly—”
“It doesn’t sound silly at all.” I squeezed him closer. I wanted about ten minutes alone with his parents to give them a piece of mind about what a terrible example they gave Duncan if he thought wanting a partner was frivolous. “I want a partnership too. I’ve always wanted what my folks have, just never thought I’d find it, especially not in the middle of my rock-and-roll lifestyle.”
“And now?” His expression was so expectant, so hopeful, that my heart grew a size from nothing more than meeting his gaze.
“Now, I think I’ve found something with that potential. A partnership. Which isn’t silly, and I’m gonna do my best to keep it going,” I said firmly, and he nodded, so I continued. “And if you want to pay part of the rent, then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll pick a smaller place—”
He cut me off with a snort. “Ezra Moon does not hang out in some tiny rental.”
