Jules volunteered to help Ginger with the slow process of restoring the mural, and—according to Beckett—there seemed to be a lot of incidental touching for having as much space as they did. I was just glad that the sealant Ginger had used had protected the delicate watercolor details from the spray paint.
By the end of the day we were all exhausted, but the results were worth it.
“Damn, Ginger—” Joel opened his arms. “—apart from the window and the smell, it doesn’t even look like anything happened here.”
She paused, then stepped into the embrace. We all kept quiet, most of us knowing it was a big deal that she let a man hug her. And when Jules offered to drive her back to Lupe, we didn’t even dole out the usual ribbing.
Everyone else packed up, too, leaving Walker and me alone in the restaurant as evening fell. It smelled of plywood and the various cleaning solutions we’d used, but I didn’t care. I just wanted him in my arms. While the temporary window covering was ugly, it hid us from the street and dulled most outside sounds.
“I know it’s a good thing that you can’t tell this place was trashed, but it feels weird, you know?” he said.
“Sweeping up the mess and wiping away the paint helps us to move on, but it also kinda makes you doubt your own memory,” I said, rubbing my forehead.
“Yeah.”
Welcome to being queer, Walker. It’s not always this bad, I promise.
I’d taken Tuesday off, and we’d spent it together. While we’d enjoyed each other’s bodies, Walker had been pretty quiet. I couldn’t erase my memory of the terror in his eyes when my uncle had begun to question him about the connection between the restaurant vandalism and the complaint at the school.
He hadn’t just been coming out to my uncle, he’d been coming out to the county sheriff. And not just to the sheriff, but to any onlookers who saw us holding hands and anyone who found out about him as a result of the sheriff’s investigation. Basically, he had to live with the fact that he no longer had any control over who knew about his sexuality.
Which he was still figuring out.
I was grateful his sexuality included me, but I could tell the past couple of days had done a number on him. Hell, they’d done a number on me, too.
I put a hand on his waist. “I want to hug you, but let me know if you need some space.”
“You can hug me anytime.”
Moving carefully, I pressed my chest into his back, wrapping my arms around his rigid form. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Walker followed along until his muscles unlocked and he melted against me.
I hated the circumstances but loved how Walker’s shorter stature made him fit up against my body so perfectly. I tightened my hold on him, hoping to infuse him with every ounce of warmth and support I could.
He let his head fall to my shoulder, and I ran my open hand over his chest, gratified as his body continued to soften against me.
“I don’t know how you’re putting up with this,” he said, his voice cracked.
“Walk, baby, I’m going to get you some Q-tips.”
“Q-tips?”
I nudged him. “To clean your ears. None of this was your fault, and it’s okay to be stressed about being basically forced to come out.”
“It doesn’t mean that I’m embarrassed about you, Oz,” he whispered.
“I know that. I mean, look at me,” I said, turning him around and fitting us together again, swaying him to the tune in my head. “Of course you’re proud to have me as your boyfriend.”
He dipped his chin, and the first real smile I’d seen on him in days cracked his face. He leaned his forehead onto my chest. “Shut up.”
“I will not,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve dated some nice-looking girls, but were any of them as gorgeous as I am?”
“Not even close.”
I cupped his face with both my hands, lifting it so I could see his eyes. “Then again, the only one who might give me a run in the looks department is you.”
“Shutup.”
“Nope. You’re too handsome for me to be quiet about it. I love the way the sun tans your skin and bleaches out your hair.” I sifted my fingers through the blondish locks before dropping my hands to his ass. “And these muscles. We haven’t even had a chance to properly put them to use.”
