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“We could share beds until we can get air mattresses,” Marty says. “Stock up on food. My guess is Ryan will need a pantry for himself.”
Ryan smiles. “At least you’re taking the right things into consideration.”
“Are you sure?” Ty asks me.
“You think it’s too early for us to move in together?” I joke, and he smiles, but then his expression turns serious.
Something’s on his mind, but obviously, there’s plenty to consider with all that’s happened.
He bites his lip. “Yeah, I think my boyfriend might as welllearn what a real cover hog I can be. It was bound to come out sooner or later.”
We kiss, and Ryan says, “Okay, on that note, I’m gonna go gossip about this Miles Tanner shit with the crew while the lovebirds work out their nest situation. And now that I’ve been thinking about it, I might swing by Kappa Mu for a minute.”
At a look from Marty, he amends, “Maybe more than a minute.”
“It was the TMI part I was giving you a look for,” Marty clarifies.
“TMI? That’s not what I got, and not from her.”
It’s clear by Ryan’s expression that he’s joking, but Marty cringes and starts for the door. “Maybe you should room with Will…all the way on the other side of the frat.”
“And here I thought we were getting along so well…”
Ty smirks. “This is gonna be interesting.”
As much as I don’t want to do this here, seeing him like this, and getting to be alone for what might be some time before we get back to the frat, I know what I have to tell him.
“Ty—”
“Shh. Rest your voice. Besides, I…I want to tell you something.”
I quiet, wondering if there’s more news that happened while I was out.
“I know we haven’t been seeing each other long,” he says, “but keep in mind we’ve known each other long before we started messing around. And I’ve always known you were a cool guy. Even joking around with you was fun, and…” He hesitates. “I don’t expect you to feel the same.”
I can tell where this is going, and I just want to assure him. “Ty—”
“No, please. Let me say this. Neither of us knows what’sgonna happen next in life, and how quickly things can change, and I don’t want to go another minute without saying how I feel about you. I love you, Lance. I’m in love with you.”
A warm spiral swirls in my chest, soothing me. Not just from his confession, but the truth of everything he’s saying.
“And I loved you before this stuff, but it took the fire to make me realize how much. And I’m sorry if this is moving too fast, but I can’t pretend to feel differently. I won’t. I—”
I jot down in the notebook, and he asks, “What are you doing?”
I show him the words:I love you too, Ty. “That’s what I was trying to say,” I tell him. “But you just had to win at that too, didn’t you?”
He chuckles. “Guess I did win.”
“Fuck you.”
“I like when you say that like Darth Vader.”
We share a laugh as he leans close.
“You love me?” he asks.
“Yeah. I love you.”