Page 67 of Necessary Time

“At all?”

Grayson chuckled, shaking his head. “We talk about what’s important.”

“And what’s important?” I asked.

The lines around his mouth wrinkled, mouth tilting down into a frown before he answered with, “Expectations.”

“And?”

“And?” His earlier chuckle turned into a sorrowful laugh. “Is there meant to be more, Wes? I don’t know. We talk about consent.”

“Colin and I talk about that too,” I said.

That earned another slide of the sunglasses, this time an arched brow followed, his curiosity obviously piqued.

“Consent for what?” he asked.

“Everything.” There was that sun against my face again, and I covered my cheeks with my hands, turning away from him. “He doesn’t want to do anything I don’t want and neither do I.”

“Oh.” Another laugh, and Grayson stretched his legs out, crossing them at the ankle. “I suppose everyone should have those conversations, you’re right.”

If I hadn’t seen him drunk before, I would have worried Grayson was hungover beyond measure. The things he was saying didn’t make any sense, almost like he was dancing around the edges of a conversation he wanted to have, but with anyone other than me.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk to Miles about this?” I asked. “I feel like there’s something you’re dying to say, but you’re holding it back.”

“You’re so young,” he muttered.

“Right.” I rolled my eyes and dropped my head against the side of the building, stretching my legs out alongside his. I was taller than him, which I appreciated since I wasn’t taller than anyone. “Such a blushing virgin over here.”

“Has he put it in you yet?”

“What?” My eyes went wide.

“Has he put it in you yet?” Grayson asked again, giving me a slow onceover. “No, that’s not right. Haveyouput it in him yet?”

“Wh-wh-what are you on about?” I stammered, cheeks, throat, forehead, even my eyelids now burning from embarrassment.

The hostess called out our name and Grayson was quick to stand, waving me off.

“Maybe when you’re older, Wes. Come on, let’s go eat.”

He set off toward the host stand without me and I ran after him, annoyed and angry with the dismissal. But I waited until we were at our table, tucked against a wall like a pair of sardines in an overstuffed tin, before I leaned close to let him know how upset I was.

“I hate that,” I snapped. “I fucking hate when everyone does that to me. I’m used to it from my brother and my parents, but I thought me and you were friends and you’re always treating me like I’m a fucking child.”

I huffed, folding my arms over my chest.

Grayson slowly slid his sunglasses up into his hair, studying me with more concentration and focus that he ever had before, even more than the first time we’d met. I let him, even though the appraisal made me relatively uncomfortable.

“Answer my question and I’ll answer yours,” he finally said.

“What question?”

“Have you fucked yet?”

It was crass and simple, and I didn’t think anything Colin and I ever did wouldjustbe fucking, but I didn’t want to get into the meaning of the word with Grayson while he was in whatever mood he’d rolled out of bed with.

“Not yet,” I told him. “But it’s coming soon.”