Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95019 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95019 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Dad glances at him and then back at me. “Speaking of your new man, I do wonder about this thing they say about queer people and genetics.”
Given what we’ve been talking about, this one really throws me. “Huh?”
“Something I’ve been thinking about myself recently too. Before your mother, there was a guy in college…and we had some fun. I don’t know.”
Now I’m the one stunned into silence. Dad messed around with a guy in college?
“Wait, what?” Questions race through my brain. “How much did you mess around with this guy in college?”
His gaze wanders. “Maybe six or seven months. Just fun stuff.”
“Oh my God.” I can’t believe I’m only hearing about this now, but also, guess it’s not the kind of thing to tell your kid either.
“I’m only telling you because I might be keeping my options open now that I’m a single man. I’ve been thinking about downloading one of those apps…”
“Gross. You’re not supposed to say that to your son.”
“I thought I was supposed to be more honest.”
By the wicked glint in his gaze, he knew damn well what he was doing, but it’s definitely nice that he felt comfortable enough to share that part of himself with me. And it makes me even happier that I brought Marty over tonight.
He pulls me in for a hug. “I love you, kid. Nothing will ever change that. And when I do stupid things, just give me a kick in the ass.”
“Won’t, now that I know you might like it.”
We share another laugh before he says, “Come on. Let’s go spend some time with your man.”
We head back inside, and I settle beside Marty, resting my hand on his thigh. As he looks at me with that tender expression, the relief I’m feeling about tonight, and the conversation I had with Dad assure me that even though things might be messy for a while, I’m gonna be okay.
EPILOGUE
Marty
Late summer
“Shots, shots, shots!” Jaxon shouts, raising his shot glass high.
Colin, Ash, Ty, Lance, and I hang by the bar in the Sigma Alpha backyard. Construction is complete, and it’s official: their house will be up and running for fall. In the meantime, they’ve managed to secure the place for one last hurrah before the start of the semester, inviting alums and members, including Alpha Theta Mus because of our solidarity after the fire. Tonight’s theme is Rome was Rebuilt in a Semester—any excuse to wear a toga. But considering the oppressive humidity of August, it’s perfect.
Our crew cheers, and we down our shots before Keegan says, “Hey, we still have an extra one because Ryan didn’t come back.”
Payton and Dax dragged him off for a game of beer pong, and I figured I’d finish catching up with my buddies, some of whom I haven’t seen in months.
“I’ll take it,” Colin says. Keegan’s about to pass it to him, but Colin says, “One sec.”
He scoops Ash off the ground and lays him across the bar. Ash has already let the shoulder of his toga fall, so the cloth is only hanging from his waist. Colin takes the shot from Keegan, then pours it across his man, most of it pooling into Ash’s navel. Colin takes his time, lapping it all up, his tongue traveling up until he kisses his man.
Keegan laughs uncomfortably, though he doesn’t take his eyes off the show, kind of making me wonder if we might need to revisit the whiteboard idea.
“Oh my God,” Jaxon tells him. “You’re acting like that’s the first time you’ve ever seen them do that.”
Keegan’s brows knit together. “That seemed longer than usual.”
“It did seem a little long,” Lance chimes in, all smiles, sneaking a look to Ty, who grabs his boyfriend’s ass, giving it a good squeeze, but then doesn’t let go.
Fuck, everyone is little horndogs tonight, but I must admit I’m wishing my guy were around so I could get some action too. I search the yard, finding Ry over at the table for beer pong.
Ry and I helped on the builds until early July, when we both headed home to our parents, though we’ve been swapping whose parents’ place we stayed at. His mom officially moved out, and his dad’s been doing better since he started dating again, which has helped Ryan feel less like shit about the whole situation. It hasn’t been easy, but he’s adjusting, and this kind of thing takes time. I’m here for him, however long that may take.
Ryan’s beer-pong team includes some of his old teammates and Angie. As he loses a round, he downs a beer, some of it dripping onto his chest, sliding under his toga. And now I’m realizing it might be better not to watch him if I don’t want to have a raging boner in front of everyone.
“What was I saying?” Lance asks me. “Before we were interrupted by shots?”