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“Does Mom know?” Erica asks.

“No. Hell no. You’re the only person I’ve told, besides Rowan.”

Exhaling a sigh, Erica reaches her arm across the table and sweeps her hand across my hair. “Just be careful. Be safe. Men are horrible, present company excluded. Just when you’re convinced they love you, they leave.”

22

Rowan

Sneaking Tommy into the garage sight unseen doesn’t go as planned when Xia is sneaking hits off her nicotine vape in the backyard when we roll through.

“You guys can hang out in the house if you want,” she offers like she’s hoping we’ll agree. “The girls are watching a movie in their room, so they won’t bother you if you want to hang in the living room.”

“We’re good, thanks,” I answer, already holding the side door open for Tommy.

“Breakfast tomorrow morning, okay? Around eight-thirty.”

“We might sleep in,” I answer, then immediately wince at how fucking obvious I am.

“Breakfast sounds great,” Tommy says to Xia. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course, sweetheart. Like I said, you’re welcome here anytime. Rowan doesn’t even need to be here. You can just drop by. I mean it.”

“Goodnight, Xia!” I send her a pointed look I hope tells her she’s laying it on way too thick.

Thankfully, she backs off, and I pull Tommy into the garage with me.

“Sorry,” he says with a small chuckle. “I know they’re not your real family, but I still want them to like me. Plus, I really love breakfast.”

“I’m worried they’re gonna like you too much.” Once we’re in my bedroom, I flick on the lamp and shut my door. “I shouldn’t have said that shit about them the other week, though. They’ve done a lot for me, and they really are the closest thing to a real family I’ve ever had.”

“It’s okay, Row.” He smiles at me in that way he does a lot lately, like he can see through me to my fundamental particles. He used to call me an enigma, but when he sets his eyes on me, I feel them inside me like they’re reading the walls of my soul. “There’s only one universal truth about all families. At some point, they’re gonna disappoint you. You’re allowed to feel disappointed in the way they treat you and still be grateful for everything they do for you. And you’re always allowed to vent to me about anything.”

“Thanks for the insight, Dr. Tommy.” I cross what little floor space there is in this place and plant my hands on Tommy’s waist so I can feel his hard body when I kiss him. “Speaking of families, how did things go with your sister? Did you tell her?”

“Yeah,” he murmurs between soft pecks to my lips.

“What did you tell her?”

“That I’m gay, that I’m dating a man, and that I really want to be with that man, and I have no interest in dating women ever again.”

I lean back enough to study Tommy’s beautiful face, remembering the times we crossed paths as kids and thinking about how wrong I was about the sort of person he was. “You’re really brave, Tommy. I’m proud of you.”

He tugs me in for another kiss, then murmurs against my lips, “Where’s my present?”

Snickering, I take a step back and shake my head. “Can’t give it to you yet.”

“Why not?” He pouts a little, like the precious baby he is.

“Because you’re wearing too many clothes.”

A big grin stretches across his face. “Oh? This is a naked-only present?”

“That’s right. So, c’mon, gay boy. Strip for me.”

He takes his time, flexing every muscle in his torso as he peels his t-shirt up and over his head. A purposeful rake of his fingers through his soft hair fixes his effortless, heartthrob cut, and a swipe of his tongue along his lips makes his kissable pout glossy. I trail my eyes down his wide chest and rippled abs to where his fingers pluck at the buttons of his light-wash jeans. He slips off his shoes and pushes his pants down muscular legs.

When he’s in nothing but boxers, he hooks his thumbs in the waistband and smirks. “Why does it feel like I’m the one giving you a present?”