Everyone seems to like her, even Ken, thank god.
By the time we return to the residence at 11:35 that evening, I’m working on a massive tension headache, I’m exhausted, but I can tell Elliot needs me to be Sir for him. Once we’re safely locked inside, I turn to give him the order to go upstairs just to find him watching me with his head cocked and his gaze narrowed.
“What’s wrong, boy?” I wearily ask. Jesus, I hope he’s not looking for a beating tonight. I just don’t have it in me.
He slowly shakes his head. “No, Jor.” He pulls me in for a hug. “Let’s just be us tonight, okay?”
I feel even shittier that I give in without so much as an argument over it. The breath whooshes out of me in relief and I wrap my arms tightly around him. “Thank you,” I mumble against his shoulder.
He buries his face in my hair and deeply inhales, much as I did to Leo earlier. “Hey,” he gently says. “I love you. I know this is insane right now, and I’m asking way more of you than I have any right to, but I promise I’ll make it up to both of you.”
Marry him.
That’s what Iwantto say—marry Leo, and take part of this burden off my shoulders.
No, I don’t say it. Because I’m my Sir’s good boy.
Instead, I tip my head back so he can kiss me. “Love you, too. Soak in the tub?”
“God, yes, please.”
Ten minutes later, that’s where we are. We’re both too tired for sex. Instead, we stretch out together in the tub and let the hot water ease our tension.
“Do you really think I’ll kick Boone’s ass in the debates?”
I snort. “The only way you can blow this election is if you do something horribly stupid.”
“Like marry Leo?” he quietly asks.
His eyes are closed, but now I can’t take my gaze off his face. “What?”
“Marry Leo. If I did something like marry Leo.”
It feels like time’s slowed to a crawl. I have to delicately pick my words. “We have no way of predicting how that would hit the polls. You’ve seen the data. It’s an unknown. Probably a 50/50 shot of it being perceived positively or negatively. The issue is we don’t know how you staying in the closet for so many years will be perceived.”
It’s not exactly something we can accurately or even circumspectly poll for without risk of it triggering a curious journalist to start digging.
“I wish I knew what to do.”
Marry him.“I swore to Leo I would obey him and follow his path about this. It has to be your decision.”Marry him.“Because you need to freely choose.”Marry him, dammit.“Neither of us are going anywhere. We’ll be by your side.”Fucking MARRY him already!
He opens his eyes and looks at me. “It’s not fair I can’t marry both of you. Because I would marry you, too, Jor.”
Reaching up, I cup his cheek and rest my forehead against his. I never thought it’d be possible to love this man as much as I do, and that’s as much as I love Leo. “No, it’snotfair. But we don’t need to be married to you to be with you.”
“I’m sorry I’m such a chickenshit.”
“Hey,no.” I kiss him. “We knew what we were getting into. I walked away once, and it was, no shit, worst thing I ever did.”
“I might not have de-assed my head if you hadn’t.”
“Doesn’t matter. I hurt Leo and, by extension, you. I’ll always regret that.”
He laces fingers with me. “I promise I’ll make it up to both of you. Breakfast in bed and blowjobs every morning.” He smiles.
“Well, who could turn downthatoffer?” Not me, that’s for sure.
This is a funky little family the three of us have. A found family we’re building from scratch, even though it has to remain in the shadows, for now. One that Leo and I will gladly and protectively wrap around Elliot when he finally comes out. By the time Elliot’s out of office, if he’s re-elected, he and Leo will have been in my life for sixteen years.
