“That’s gonna present some challenges. Con’s going to have to take a stand. For the future, I mean.”
“You’re cute, assuming there’ll be a future.”
“You don’t think he’d fight for you?”
“I think… no. I don’t think he would. And you know what? I wouldn’twanthim to,” I said, my gut twisting as the truth of it sank in. I leaned back against the wall by the stairs. “What we have is awesome. It’s amazing. We like each other a ton. The sex is off the fucking charts. We make each other laugh. We cheer each other on. But you’re talking about him giving up the dream of running his family’s business. The business hisdeceased fatherstarted with his mom back in the day. The business he’s worked forwithout payfor a fucking decade because that’s the kind of dedicated, hard-working person he is. I mean, come on. Con and I have been dancing around this for weeks. We’re getting deeper into this… relationship thing… but I know it’s gonna kill me when all this comes to a head because I only see two options, Mase. One where Constantine gets everything he’s dreamed of, and one where he ties himself to a guy he’s been dating for a hot minute—a guy who happens to be sixteen years older than him—and regrets it bitterly.”
“No third option, huh?”
“Not that I can see.”
“That’s dumb,” he pronounced. “Let me diagnose you right here and now. You are a fucking idiot. You have the ideal relationship,” Mason demanded. “You’re best friends and also have hot sex. What more do you want?”
“I dunno.” I leaned back against the staircase bannister and honestly considered the question. “I think thereissomething more, though. Some crucial component. Like, being someone’s priority. Knowing you’re the most important thing and they care foryourhappiness as much as their own, but that’s okay because you care fortheirhappiness as much as your own, so it all evens out.”
Mason’s green eyes widened. “Oh my God.”
“What?”
“You! You just explained to me what love is. Inmultiple sentences. Of fucking…flowery prose.”
“Jesus.”
“No, don’t roll your eyes at me! This is a big deal. This guy has shaken you up. I like it.”
“Why do people think it’s a good thing to be shaken?” I demanded. “Believe me when I tell you, I wasperfectly contentbeing confident and in control.”
“Meh. Fuck contentment. Ride the roller coaster.”
“Right. Thank you. Spoken like someone who’s never ridden it.”
Mason took a deep breath and looked out the door toward where he’d left Victoria. “I don’t know,” he said. “The way you talk about Constantine… I don’t know if I ever have.”
I sighed. “In the end, it doesn’t matter. I told you before, I wouldn’t want him to choose me. That would be thewrongchoice.”
“Of theexactly, precisely twochoices that you have.”
“I can tell you have a point. Make it.”
“Okay, here it is: There is a third option. Decide right now,right here and nowat this fucking unicorn party, that you’re in love with him. Then move heaven and earth to figure out a way you can be happy together. And don’t tell me,” he said, holding up a hand when I would have interrupted, “that Con will have to sacrifice something to love you.Boohoo. Life is all about choices. Not all of them are mutually exclusive, but some of them are. There is nowrongchoice except to just drift along and let life make the choice for you. You’ve been finding your own path since you wereseven, Micah. Ask yourself why it’s so damn scary to do that now.”
I stared at Mason like he was a dangerous creature, because right then he was. Tossing out solutions, peddling hope.
The voices from outside were getting louder, indicating that the party was moving inside. Mason dragged me into the living room and spoke quickly. “Put him first, right? That’s the Micah Bloom philosophy of love.”
“Donotcall it that.”
“Show him that he’s important. Show him that you’re all-in. Show him that you’re choosing him. That you want him. And then talk to him about what he wants.”
“Show him that Iwantto want him,” I said slowly. I blinked. “I… think I can do that.”
Mason smiled. “I know you can.”
“Mase?” Victoria called.
“In here,” Mason said. “Just showing Micah the renovation work.”
Belatedly, I looked around the room and actually noticed the work he’d done. New windows, fresh paint, a pristine white ceiling where a rust-colored water stain had been fordecades.
