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But maybe not today, because Seth yawned against Nick. He sat up, his butt on Seth’s hips. He wiggled a little, causing Seth to gasp and grip his thighs, but he took it no further. Not only was Dad just down the hall, but Nick could see how tired Seth was. He needed sleep.
Nick stood above Seth, holding out his hand. “Come on. Bedtime. I’ll set my alarm early so you have time to get home before Dad wakes up.”
“Sleepover?” Seth asked, taking his hand and allowing him to be pulled up off the floor.
“Sleepover,” Nick agreed. “I’ll get you some sweats to sleep in. Sucks you won’t be able to brush your teeth. We don’t have a spare, and I like you, dude, but not enough to let you use mine. That’s disgusting, so don’t even ask.”
“You’re all heart, Nicky.”
“Damn right I am.”
They got ready for bed, talking about nothing of any real importance, which Nick appreciated. Too much had happened in such a short time, and he still needed to process all of it. By the time Nick returned from the bathroom, Seth was already in bed, pulling back the comforter in invitation. Nick gladly accepted, curling against Seth as he pulled the comforter up and over their heads, cocooning them in darkness.
And then it was like they were kids again, two kids who didn’t have anyone but each other, whispering in the dark about howthey would always be friends, no matter what. Pushing it further would be complicated.Sexwas complicated, in all its forms. But this was Seth. This was his best friend. This was the person he thought of before he fell asleep and right when he woke up. This was the guy Nick would do anything for.
“I’ll fix this,” Nick said quietly when Seth slept. “I’ll help make things easier for you. Promise. I’ve got an idea, and it’ll all work out. You’ll see. Things will stay the same, no matter what.”
It was dark when he woke. He blinked blearily and heard Seth snoring. He turned his head, wondering what had awoken him. The clock on his nightstand showed it was just after four.
“Yeah,” a voice said. “Tracker was right. He’s here. You want me to send him home?”
Dad was standing in the open doorway, phone pressed against his ear.
Uh-oh.
Nick dropped his head quickly to the pillow, squeezing his eyes shut. Bob or Martha must have seen Seth wasn’t home. Dammit. Dad was going to be pissed. Maybe he’d just let them be if he thought Nick was sleeping.
“Both zonked out. Must have tired Seth out more than we thought. All right. Yeah, talk soon.”
The phone beeped.
The floor creaked as Dad stepped inside the room, muttering under his breath as he stepped over the clothes strewn about. Nick wanted to tell him it wasn’t what it looked like, but decided pretending to sleep was the way to go.
He felt Dad standing over them.
He snored loudly to sell the ruse.
“Yeah, okay,” Dad said, keeping his voice low. “Becausethatwas believable.”
Nick cracked open one eye. “Dammit.”
“Explanation.”
“We didn’t do anything,” Nick said, looking up at his father.“Just … we needed to talk, and he came over and brought me Skwinkles Salsagheti for Valentine’s Day, even though I didn’t get him anything and who wasIto turn him away, back out into the cold? No one, that’s who.”
“Do I need to make you dental dams?”
“Why are youlikethis?” Nick hissed at him.
Dad’s eyes glittered in the dark. “Because your aggravation gives me life, kid. Ask, okay? The Grays were worried. I trust you, Nicky, but you and Seth still gotta think. We need to know where you are.”
“Yeah. Sorry. We were talking and then fell asleep.”
Dad shook his head. “It’s still early. Go back to sleep. And then you and Seth can come down to breakfast. I’ll be waiting.”
He turned to walk out of the room but stopped after only a couple of steps. Nick followed his gaze to the photograph on the desk. Grief, Nick knew, could stay hidden for weeks and months. Just when you thought it was over, it sank its teeth back into you unexpectedly.
Shoulders hunched, Dad left the room without another word, closing the door behind him.
