Page 23

Chapter 23

Weston

“ H ey,” Darcy says, smiling as he walks through my front door.

“Hey,” I respond, making my way to him and planting a noisy kiss on his lips. His bright laughter has my heart doing gymnastics. “Are you ready?”

“I am.” He leans in to give me another kiss and it’s going to spiral out of control if I don’t put a stop to it. I’d love to take him to bed, or more accurately have him take me to bed, but it’s been almost a month since I promised him a date, and we’ve managed to fuck our way out of it too many times.

Fingers tangle in my hair as he groans against my lips, his body flush against mine and for a second, just the tiniest little millisecond, I consider saying fuck the date, fuck me instead. With a gasp, I break our kiss and take a giant step away. “You stay over there. ”

Darcy laughs. “Oh? Is this you telling me you don’t want me to touch you?”

“That’s not what I’m telling you at all and you know that. This is me telling you I want to take you on a date and you need to stop kissing me long enough for my brainpower to return.”

“Well, come on, then,” Darcy says, reaching out a hand to me. “When we get back you need to finish reading to me.”

We’re very close to the end of Pride and Prejudice , and I’m loving every second of it. It’s already my favorite book, of course, but now? Shit. You’d have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands. With the way Darcy rests his head in my lap and listens to me read? With the way his lips tilt up into the sweetest little smile when I do? Not a chance of it ever being replaced as my favorite now.

I take his hand and lead him out the door, pausing long enough to lock up and press my lips to his temple. I made a reservation at the same restaurant I took him to the first time. I could almost laugh at myself for that. It was very much a date, even if Darcy was the only one who realized. It’s a good thing he’s patient. Otherwise, I’d have ruined my shot before I even realized I had one, and what a damn shame that would be.

“Are you excited?” I ask, giving his hand a little squeeze.

His smile is the sun when he turns to me. “Of course. I’m always excited to spend time with you, though, in any capacity.”

We’ve almost made it to the door of the apartment building when it swings inward and in walks my fucking father.

I stop in my tracks, almost tripping Darcy up in the process. “What’s wrong?” he asks, turning to face me.

“Weston,” Dad says, his eyes taking in mine and Darcy’s intertwined hands .

“Dad.” Darcy’s eyes dart to mine and he tries to pull his hand away. Unnecessary. For one, I’m not even a little ashamed of him or our relationship and for two, I really couldn’t care less what my dad thinks. “This is my boyfriend, Darcy. Darcy, this is my dad, John.”

Darcy inclines his head. “Nice to meet you.”

“Can I have a word with my son?” Dad asks, not even giving Darcy the courtesy of a hello or greeting and absolutely fucking not.

“No,” I say, right as Darcy says, “Of course.”

“West,” Darcy whispers, trying to pull his hand from mine.

I hold him tighter. “No, baby. Fuck that. We have a date.”

“A date that can be rescheduled.”

“Listen to your boyfriend, Weston,” Dad says, talking over us.

Ha. Fuck him. I turn my back on Dad, putting myself between him and Darcy. I let Darcy’s hand fall away so I can pull him closer. “We’re going on our date, Darcy. Period. Nod if you understand.”

His lips quirk up and after a second, he nods. “Some people,” I say loudly, letting Dad know it’s for him, even though I don’t break eye contact with Darcy. “Don’t know how to use a phone and think it’s okay to just show up.”

Dad scoffs. “You don’t answer your phone.”

“Funny, that.” I brush a gentle kiss to Darcy’s nose and then his lips before letting him go and taking his hand again. I turn to face Dad. “Usually, that’s a good sign the person you’re calling doesn’t want to talk.”

He ignores me. No surprise there. “We need to talk.”

I sigh in resignation. “Fine. But I’m not canceling my date for you. Find something to occupy your time, and I’ll text you when we’re heading home.”

“We?” Dad asks, eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Can’t even talk to my son alone now?” For the first time since he walked through the door, he regards Darcy with more than a passing glance. “Are you the reason he hasn’t been answering his phone?”

Rage burns through me so quickly I’m surprised it doesn’t set me on fire. “No,” I say, stepping in front of Darcy again. “ You’re the reason I haven’t been answering. In case you haven’t noticed, you suck at being a dad. And if you ever talk to him like that again, it’ll be the last words you’ll ever say around him.”

The air is thick with tension while Dad blinks at me in shock. When he recovers, he scowls. “Fine. Let me know when you’re done.”

I brush past him, dragging Darcy along with me. When we make it to the street, he stops, pulling on my arm so I’m forced to turn and look at him. “What was that?”

“My dad.”

“Clearly.” The sarcasm in his tone almost has me smiling. Almost. “We could have cancelled our date.”

I scoff. “So he could ruin our night? No thanks. We have a second date to go on.”

Darcy smiles. “As I recall, it’s our first date.”

Cupping his face in my hands, I pull him in and press my lips to his. “As I recall, I was an idiot, and it’s definitely our second date. Bonus, though, this time I can actually kiss you instead of just thinking about it.”

I love seeing the pink rising on Darcy’s cheeks as he rolls his eyes. “Fine. Second date.” We start walking again and almost as an afterthought he adds, “Definitely kisses.”

I can’t help but laugh.

By the time Darcy and I are walking home from our date, I’m smiling from ear to ear. Not even the knowledge that my dad is coming to talk to me could make me stop.

“I can’t help it that you have me addicted,” Darcy says, grinning at me when we’re standing outside my apartment door.

“Well, I’m just saying, you might be on to something with the football pants. I wonder if I’ve been bi the whole time and just didn’t realize it.”

Darcy flashes me a smile. “It’s possible. Just needed a socially awkward nerd to break you.”

Oh, he’s certainly broken me, but I’m here for it. Fuck, I love him. When is an acceptable amount of time to tell someone that? Soon, hopefully, because I’m dying for him to know. “You’re not socially awkward, by the way.”

“I see you aren’t denying the nerd thing.”

I shrug. “Well…” His bright laughter brings yet another smile to my face. “Really, though, do I have any room to talk? My favorite thing to do is curl up on the couch and read classic romance novels.”

He hums. “Valid point. I can’t disagree.” I’m about to pull him in for a kiss when he clears his throat. “So, uh—I don’t usually do this. And by that, I mean like… ever. But I’m feeling a little guilty and I… well—if you wanted to try topping, I’d be okay with it.”

My brain screeches to a halt. What the fuck. “Darcy, in the most loving way possible, why in the fuck would I want to do that? ”

His eyes widen. “I just wanted you to know the offer was on the table.”

I study him for a second. “Wait… is that what you want?”

He’s quiet for a second. “Not particularly, no. But I’d do it for you.”

Jesus Christ. “First off, no. We will not do something you don’t want. Second off, fuck no. Call me selfish, but if I’m topping, then who’s making me come seven times in a row?”

His cheeks turn bright red. “Oh my God. It was not seven times.”

“Coulda been,” I murmur, turning to unlock my door.

Darcy and his laughter follow me into the apartment. He shuts the door behind us and makes himself at home on my couch. “Could be fun,” he muses.

“What could?” I ask, sitting down beside him. He pulls his shoes off and I pat my thighs. He gets the memo and turns sideways, sitting with his back to the arm of the couch and dropping his feet in my lap.

“Seeing if I can make you come seven times in a row.” My cock twitches as he eyes me over the rim of his glasses. “Maybe I’d make you come over and over until you were coming dry. It could be really fun.”

And my dick is officially hard as a rock. “Yeah. Mhmm. Yes. That.”

He chuckles. “But perhaps not when your dad’s on the way.”

Ugh. Almost forgot about that asshole. “Maybe I’ll just tell him not to show up.” There’s a knock on the door right as I finish the sentence, and I hang my head. “Dammit. Now I’ve gotta answer the door with a hard on. Rude as hell, baby. Rude as hell.”

I lift his feet off my lap and he sits up, laughing at me as I let Dad in.

“Weston.”

“Father.” Two can play his snarky game. I’m Weston when I’m a disappointment. Seems like I’m always a disappointment these days. Oh well. “Come in. ”

He walks through the door, his eyes taking everything in. When they snag on Darcy, I curl my hands into fists. Not that I’d physically harm my father, but I will tell him to get the fuck out if I have to. Only one of them is a guest here, and it’s not Darcy.

“Have a seat,” I say, gesturing to the couch.

“No need,” Dad says, feet planted like the stubborn asshole he is.

Fine by me. I sit down next to Darcy and pat my thighs again. He huffs, but after a brief hesitation, places his feet back in my lap. “Talk,” I say, nodding to Dad.

He’s staring at us like he’s ready to throw a fit. I’m torn between hoping he fucks around so he can find out and hoping he keeps his fucking mouth shut so Darcy doesn’t have to hear any bigoted bullshit.

Dad sighs. “I need you to come home.”

I shake my head. “And I need you to understand that’s not happening.”

“Weston, be reasonable—”

“I am being reasonable, Dad. You’re the one who’s not. I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am, no thanks to you, and I’m not going to drop out of school with one year left to come home and do what you want me to do. I won’t.”

I don’t want to. Not even a little. And even if I did, what was the point of everything I’ve done to get this far? All the studying and busting my ass on the football field and spending my entire summers working three jobs to pay for the very apartment he’s standing in the living room of. I won’t do it. I won’t give up on what I want.

“I can’t run the shop without you anymore.”

“Then sell it,” I say, shrugging. “Or hire help. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but it’s truly not my problem, Dad. I don’t want to work at the shop. I never have. I’ve also never been shy about telling you that. I don’t know why you can’t seem to let it go.”

“You’re fucking selfish.”

Ah, this again. “You need to leave.”

“No. You need to listen to me. I’m tired of your spoiled brat routine—”

I stand up, knocking Darcy’s legs off my lap in the process, and step in front of Dad. “No. I’m not a spoiled brat. Look around, Dad. All the things I have, I have because I’ve worked my ass off for them. Not because of you.”

“I put a roof over your head for years. Supported you. Paid your way.”

Darcy makes a strange noise. Dad peers around me with a shitty look on his face. “You have something to say?”

“Yeah, actually,” Darcy says, coming to stand beside me. He grabs my hand in his and stares my dad down, not wavering at all. “Your son is incredible. He’s kind and compassionate. And unbelievably intelligent.” My heart beats wildly in my chest, my stomach warming. “It’s your job as a parent to do those things. You do realize that, right?”

Dad’s face is turning beet red, and I know he’s about to unload on Darcy. I’m familiar with the look. Hell, I’ve seen it enough over the years. “Where the fuck do you get off—”

Absolutely fucking not. He can say whatever he wants about me, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I let him think he’s going to get by with talking to Darcy like that. “Out.” I snap my fingers, gesturing to the door.

“You can’t just snap at me like I’m a fucking dog, Weston!” Dad bellows, ears turning purple with his anger .

“Actually, as you know, this is a roof I put over my own head, and you’ll find that I can. Get the fuck out. Don’t show up here again or I’ll call the cops. I warned you about talking to him like that.”

“You’ll treat your father this way?”

I really don’t mean to, but I laugh in his face. Right now, he doesn’t even seem like my father. The man who took me fishing, who taught me how to tie my shoes, who comforted me when Mom died—that man doesn’t exist. Not anymore, it seems. “No. But this is how I’ll treat a man who clearly doesn’t care about me or respect my choices.”

“It’s a good job, Weston. A steady job. Not this bullshit you’re trying to pursue.”

This bullshit I’m trying to pursue. The dream I’ve had since I was fourteen years old and disappeared into a book for the first time. How doesn’t he understand why this is important to me? Why doesn’t he get it? “Okay, well, I don’t really need your opinion on that.”

Darcy squeezes my hand.

“You’ll come crawling back,” Dad says.

Yeah, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. “Have I yet?” Dad doesn’t seem to know what to think about that. “You need to leave. Don’t contact me anymore.”

His mouth opens and closes a few times, like he’s trying to come up with something to say but can’t. After a few seconds, he turns and walks out the door, slamming it so hard behind him that he knocks a photo off the wall. Oddly enough, it’s a photo of him and me, and the glass breaks the second it hits the ground.

Darcy and I stand side by side, staring at the door for a few seconds. I can’t believe I did that. My body starts to tremble a bit. It’s been a long time coming probably, but I didn’t expect it to feel so… final. I didn’t expect it to hurt. I’m not sure why. That was short-si ghted of me.

“Jesus,” Darcy says, breaking the silence. “He’s a real treat.”

“Yeah,” I croak out, the tips of my fingers tingling as the reality of what I just did crashes down around me. I turn to Darcy. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? Jesus, West. Are you okay?”