Once most everyone had left, Beckett approached Walker. “So… Leo and I worked on a grant from the Scout Martinez Foundation for smart screens in the classrooms at Lupe, and it was just approved. We’re going to need new storage cabinets for all the equipment.”
I swept the floor slowly as Beckett continued to chat Walker’s ear off, so excited about the ways in which these new tools could help the teens at Lupe. I was excited, too, but I also needed him to get the fuck out so I could talk to Walker. Maybe put my lips on him.
“Hell, we could probably do with some closet organizers?—”
“Beckett,” Leo said, walking into the room. “Why are you still here?”
Beckett, who’d been sitting on one of the worktables while I swept, cocked his head. “What do you mean, why am I here? I’m telling Walker all of my ideas for spring semester.”
“Don’t we need to let him finish up?” Turning to Walker, Leo said, “I was looking for the mop and bucket but couldn’t find them.”
“Oh, they’re locked up in the maintenance closet. I’ll go grab them.”
Leo watched Walker until he exited the classroom, then got into Beckett’s face, blinking pointedly.
Beckett’s eyes slid over to me. “What am I missing?”
Leo tapped Beckett’s forehead, bringing his focus back. “It’s super obvious, Becks. Ozzie’s been waiting for everyone to leave because he’d like some alone time with Walker. Meanwhile you’ve been in here yammering like a mockingbird on sugar water, cockblocking your buddy.”
“Leo, I told you about not assuming what people are getting up to,” Beckett warned.
Leo pinned me with a look. “Tell him.”
Rolling my eyes, I let out a grudging sigh of gratitude for my young, plainspoken friend. “You are cockblocking me just a tiny bit,” I admitted.
Beckett shot a grimace my way.Sorry, he mouthed. Right as Leo started to chirp at Beckett, Walker returned, pushing the mop bucket in front of him, looking like a snack.
Beckett sent us a wave. “We’re out,” he said, dragging Leo out of the room before he could say anything else.
Walker watched them go, chuckling. “What did Leo do now?”
“Who knows,” I said, dumping the contents of the dustpan in the trash. “It’s Leo. Could be anything.”
He laughed, and I wanted to hear that sound for the rest of my life. “True.”
While he damp-mopped the floor to get rid of the rest of the sawdust, I rearranged the tools, straightened his desk, and emptied the trash can. By the time I got back from the dumpster, he was done. It had been a long day, and I’d noticed he was dodging calls and texts. Based on our previous conversation, I guessed his parents were on him about missing work.
“So—” He shoved his hands into his overalls. “—Beckett seems to think we can do a lot with the curriculum this year.”
“He’s right. Mr. Paige would be so proud of both of you, taking what he did and using it to help kids in the community.”
Walker’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “You really wanna make me cry twice today?”
I reached out and dragged him into a hug, something I’d been wanting to do all day long. I wasn’t sure how he’d react, but he pressed his face against my neck and breathed into the embrace. God, he felt so good against my body.
Mom once warned me that a person could fit like a puzzle piece but still feel like cardboard. But this wasn’t about how Walker fit against my body, it was about how he fit into my life.
I held him for a little longer than I should’ve, but he didn’t complain or try to end the hug early. When I finally let him go, he cleared his throat and took a small step away.
“So, uh, thank you for helping out today. Really meant a lot,” he said, his eyes drifting off to the side.
“Of course.” Grabbing the top of his shoulder, I grazed his neck with my thumb. “It’s what we do for each other.”
He cleared his throat again, the curve of his body self-conscious. “Lost Boys unite.”
Hmm. Maybe this wasn’t the day to try to move things forward. As much as I wanted to pull him into another hug, I needed to respect his comfort level.
We broke the silence at the same time. “So, I guess I’ll be—” I started, overlapping with his “Can I buy you a beer?”
