Page 58 of To Love You

Cooper reached into the freezer and pulled out a box of frozen enchiladas. Adam laughed and turned the oven to preheat. “You weren’t kidding about not tonight.”

“Text your son and tell him your house is his.” Cooper speared the box with a knife and pulled out the plastic-covered tray of food. He set to readying it while Adam texted Wyatt.

“For four weeks,” Adam added.

“Sure.”

“You’re the one who said it was a test run.”

“Practical, Adam,” Cooper reminded him. “I’m just trying to be practical. We aren’t as young and dumb as we used to be.”

“You could be as full of cum as you used to be, though.”

“That was very close to a dad joke,” Cooper warned, sighing. “I just want to do it right this time.”

“We will.” Adam closed the space between them, notching himself between Cooper’s legs. He straightened Cooper’s glasses and kissed the tip of his nose. “Older and wiser now.”

Cooper rested his forehead against Adam’s shoulder, sliding his arms around Adam’s waist. “When do you want to make this happen?”

“I told Wyatt this weekend,” he said.

“That’s a long time.”

“It’s nothing compared to what we already lost.”

Cooper leaned away, arching his back so he could peer up at Adam. They didn’t have a significant height difference, but Adam was slightly taller. He always had been.

“What does that mean?” Cooper asked.

“We spent ten years apart, Cooper.” Adam ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear in the twisted shape of his kiss-swollen mouth. “Ten years in this small town avoiding each other when we could have been building this together. Imagine where we would be now if we hadn’t been so stupid.”

“We weren’t stupid.”

“Stubborn. Proud. Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“We might not have made it this far if we started back then,” Cooper suggested. “We were different people.”

“I guess.”

“I know.” Cooper pinched his ribs. “And you know, too. But it’s nice to dream sometimes, as long as you don’t get stuck there.”

“You’re being practical.”

“I’m…” Cooper scrunched his nose, and his glasses slid. Adam pushed them back up.

“You’re worried.”

“No.” Cooper shook his head.

“Yes. You’re worried about spooking me. You’re worried that I’m not all in.” Adam chewed the inside of his cheek, hating that his own hesitance at the earlier stage of their relationship had caused Cooper to carry on with as much speculation and self-doubt as he carried.

“You told me you were all in.”

“And do you believe me?” Adam asked.

“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t be with you,” Cooper said.

“I didn’t ask if you trust me. I asked if you believe me.”