Page 173

“Yeah, me too. I spent so long worried about how Gabriel would react to the whole thing. I never even considered that he wouldn’t care,” Oscar admitted quietly.

“I’d say he seemed relieved,” Troy said gently.

“Yeah, maybe. Relieved to know the truth. I’ve never been very good at talking about myself, even to him,” Oscar said.

Troy smiled, rolling over so he could face Oscar. “And now you don’t have to worry about it. He knows, and he’s on board, so you no longer have to be afraid.”

Oscar reached out, stroking his cheek. “And I guess I should admit you deserve some credit.”

“For what?” Troy asked with a gentle laugh.

“For being there for me, for staying, for somehow knowing it was going to be okay.”

“That assumes I wasn’t freaking out right alongside you when I realized who he was.”

Oscar leaned forward, kissing him gently. “No, that was because I was freaking out, not because you were. You’ve always been there to remind me everything wasn’t going to fall apart just because someone knows I’m gay.”

“Don’t know if ‘remind’ is the right word, so much as harp on it,” Troy admitted with a cringe.

Oscar smiled, kissing him again. “Maybe, but I’m hard-headed and need to be yelled at once in a while.”

“I’ll take that as permission from here on in.”

“As if you needed it.”

Troy laughed. “Okay, fair.”

Oscar pulled Troy’s face against his chest. “And when it’s all said and done, I’m glad it’s over. Well, maybe not completely over.”

Troy peered up at him as best he could. “What’s that mean?”

“It means I have an idea.”

“Scary thought. Care to share with the rest of the class?”

Oscar kissed the top of his head, closing his eyes. “Not right now. I want to sleep on it and sleep with you.”

Troy wanted to push for more information, but considering the day they’d had, he knew Oscar deserved a break. He wrapped his arm around Oscar’s midsection, closing his eyes and settling in. The day had started with one hell of a scare, but now Troy could finally see the source of light that had always lurked at the end of the tunnel, waiting for them.

“It’s gonna be alright,” Troy murmured.

“I promise,” Oscar said.

TROY

The few days since Gabriel’s surprise visit were possibly the happiest of Troy’s life. A distinct change had come over Oscar since he’d made peace with his brother and his secret. He’d always been good about smiling and laughing around Troy, but it came easier than usual, and Oscar was more prone to ravaging Troy at the most unexpected moments.

Troy could understand, though, he’d been there. He’d held onto his own sexual identity for a couple of years before he finally built the courage to come out in his late teens. Once he’d told everyone he thought worthy of telling, he’d grown more confident and maybe a little boy crazy. Thankfully, though, the only person Oscar was crazy about was Troy.

They spent every free waking hour with one another, and Troy couldn’t get enough. They grew more and more comfortable together as the days passed, and the nights were as hot and heavy as ever. Troy had been caught in a haze of the sudden happiness and joy of the two of them together, and he almost forgot about the Gala until he woke up on the day.

Unfortunately, Troy never got a clear answer from Oscar as to whether his boyfriend would attend. Troy texted him while he’d been getting ready for the night, but Oscar was still on hisshift and slow to answer. Knowing he couldn’t wait around, Troy grudgingly headed to the hall where the Gala was being held.

Outside were clusters of people milling about, waiting to go in. Among the crowd of familiar faces, Troy lit up when he caught sight of Dean. Beside him, decked out in his blues, was Sloane. The dark-haired man, who resembled Oscar in his grumpiness, stood beside him, glowering at the crowd.

“Hi, Dean, hey, Sloane,” Troy greeted.

Dean beamed at him. “Hey, you made it.”