Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91914 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91914 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
She doesn’t want to know? She wants to pretend I didn’t say anything at all? My heart makes a stuttering thud and then beats faster. I must pull a disappointed face or something, because Mom panics.
“No, I don’t mean I don’t want to know about you and Talon being together. I just don’t need to know, like, the intimate details of what you did in college. Or now. Just … yeah … If Talon makes you happy, then I’ll love him even more than I already do, but like your sister said, eww on the details. Same would go for if you were serious about a woman.”
Relief has my heart calming down a notch. “Really?”
“Of course. Were you really worried?”
“I don’t know. I mean … maybe? I figured it’s kind of unexpected.”
Mom purses her lips. “It’s actually not.”
My mouth drops open.
“I mean, I’m not going to pretend I’ve been waiting for this for years or knew ever since you were a little boy, but there was always something in the way you used to talk about Talon. You were so heartbroken when he graduated and left. But then I met that horrible girlfriend you had when you were first signed to the NFL, and I thought I must’ve been wrong about the whole Talon thing, because you’ve never been like that with any other man. I chalked it up to hero worship.” Mom shrugs. “I’m glad you two got your act together after all this time.”
Talon grins. “Hero worshiping, huh? I can totally see that.”
I elbow him. Hard. He lets out an “Oomph.”
“Well, I’m happy for you,” Vanessa says. “Even if it will lead to interesting discussions with the five-year-old.”
“Gabby won’t care,” I say. “She’s not an asshole.”
Talon snorts. “Best uncle ever.”
“I’ll make sure she won’t care, but what about what everyone else will say?” Vanessa asks.
“There won’t be anyone else,” Talon says. “Like, no one can know about this anytime soon.”
“Why’s that?” Mom asks.
“It’d be a PR mess,” I say. “We’d need to talk to our agents and come up with some huge coming-out plan. It’d be doable but an absolute nightmare at this point in our careers.”
Talon side-eyes me. “Also …” He hesitates. “Henderson’s been saying shit.”
“Yeah, what else is new? I honestly think he’s worse than Carter on the homophobe scale but is stealthier about it.”
“At least Carter admitted he was wrong, and he and Jackson have a civil approach of staying away from each other,” Talon says. “But Henderson was pissed at some stupid article that was written about us and how we went to college together and had a ‘bromance.’ It was an innocent article, but because we’ve practically adopted Jackson, he says we’ll catch the gay and all this other bullshit. If we come out as a couple, it kinda feels like he was right even though he’s not. You know he’s not gonna be the only one who’ll say stuff like that. And then what will that do to Jackson’s career? He’s been through enough.”
Just when I think I can’t fall for Talon more, he comes out with that. He’s the best friend any guy could ask for. Even though it’s potentially putting his happiness on the line, he’s trying to protect Jackson, and while I totally understand it, I can’t help being crushed by the weight of what being with Talon means.
I knew it’d be like this, but the Henderson stuff makes the reality hit home.
We’ll have to live in the closet. Not for a while, but a long while.
Then I remind myself that I’ve lived without Talon for six years, and the sting of not being able to touch him in public will still be way better than the gut-wrenching hurt of living without him completely.
“That’s bullshit,” my sister says.
“What’s bullshit?” Gabby asks from the entrance to the hallway, and we all flinch.
“She’s a freaking parrot,” Vanessa mumbles. “Go back to your room, and I’ll be in there in a minute to get you dressed for the day.” Vanessa stands and approaches Talon. “Make him happy, Marcus, or I’ll kick your quarterback ass.” She kisses him on the cheek, and he laughs.
“I have no doubt you’ll be able to do it too.” His eyes meet mine. “And I promise to make him happy.”
* * *
As soon as we enter Talon’s apartment after getting back from my Mom’s, I’m on him like white on rice.
I take him off guard, and he stumbles, but with my arms wrapped around him, I save him from falling.
My mouth assaults his, but it’s not like he puts up much of a fight. Our tongues tangle, my cock digs into Talon’s hip, and he lets out a loud moan.
“I woulda thought you’d still be exhausted after last night.”
“I am. And then you said you wanted to make me happy.”