“Yes, I am. We go to school at ASU. Wren’s on the cheering squad for my team.” Holy fucking hell, Kit didn’t know aboutme. As my pulse flickered and my chest squeezed, I eyed him. I had to tell him.
Tagging Patrick on the shoulder, Kit said, “A cheerleader? So, I guess he’s still a butt muncher.” He cackled, throwing his head back. “Wonder whose cock he’s sucking?—”
With heat igniting inside me, I dropped my beer on the bar, grabbed Kit’s throat and shoved him backward into the wall beside the bar. Inside a growl, I said, “You take that back. All of it.” He’d been the one to say all the shit in the bathroom. It was always him.
“What the fuck, man?” As Kit’s eyes bugged out, his face reddened. “Why are you upset about it?” He groped at my forearm.
“Why? He’s my fucking boyfriend, that’s why.” I squeezed his neck. All the years of reliving that day roared back at me. I spat out, “He’salwaysbeen my boyfriend. He’s the only man I ever loved. And I still love him.”
“Wh-what? But you’re not…” His eyes popped even wider. “You’re a homo?”
“Shut your fucking mouth before I fill it with my fist.” I held my arm up, my hand clenching into a ball. Kit was about to learn a hard lesson, and I didn’t care if they threw me out of here for it. I’d make up for being a coward four years ago.
“Eli!” Wren rushed to my side, placing his hand on my fist and pulling it down. “What happened?”
“He called you a…” Hell, I couldn’t say it. “Never mind. He’s about to realize that words have consequences.” I took a quick peek around me, the entire bar surrounding us and watching.
Ethan hauled Wren away from me. “Go ahead, Eli. You’ve waited a long time for this.”
“Okay, Kit. Say it again.” I turned my glare on him, my insides boiling.
“I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I swear.” Kit relaxed in my hold. “You heard me in the bathroom that time. You didn’t say a word. I-I thought you were cool with it.”
“I’m not cool with it. Now, you apologize to Wren and to me properly.” I loosened my hold on his neck and dropped my arm. Holy fuck, was I letting him go without clobbering him? But he apologized once already.
Rubbing his neck, Kit’s gaze roamed the room. “I’m sorry, Wren. I thought it was funny. I didn’t…I’m not homophobic.”
“Yes, you are. If you think shit like that is funny, then you are.” Swallowing hard, I glanced at Patrick, mouth dropped open and staring at me. I didn’t know what to do now. I took a big step backward. Holy shit, had I admitted my love for Wren to the entire room?
Wren flung himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling me close. “I love you too, Eli. So fucking much.” He pressed a hard kiss on my lips.
The bar erupted in clapping and whooping, and a woman shouted, “You go, boys.”
As we broke the kiss, Wren wrapped an arm around my waist and faced Kit.
Slinking from the wall, Kit stepped to us, his forehead wrinkling, and squeezed both our arms. “I’m sorry, sincerely sorry. I?—”
“That’s all you have to say.” Wren lifted his chin. “If you buy me a beer, I might forgive you.” The corner of his lips rose, and his gaze met mine. “My therapist would be proud of me for practicing forgiveness tonight.”
“Yes, you’ve got it. Please, come hang out with me and Patrick, and I’ll buy a round for everyone.” Kit huffed a sigh and raked his shaky fingers through his bangs. “Damn, I’ve been an ass.” With a glance at Patrick, he shook his head.
“Please join us, guys.” Patrick patted me on the shoulder. “If I ever said something shitty, I’m sorry too.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t remember Patrick saying anything, but maybe he had out of earshot. As I bellied up to the bar with Wren at my side, my heart danced.He loves me, and I love him. We finally fucking said it, and all it took was for me to prove to him Iwas no longer a coward. I scanned the room, everyone minding their own business again. God, it felt good to be out and unafraid in my hometown.
Ethan side-hugged me. “Goddamn, it’s good to have you two back to normal.”
The more timewe’d spent with Kit and his buddy Patrick, the more we found Kit wasn’t a terrible guy, just ignorant as fuck. Maybe living in small-town Oregon was to blame. Or maybe he was just clueless. Only time would tell if he’d change his ways, but tonight, we’d opened his eyes a little. We’d shown him and Patrick that gay men were as deserving of love and respect as anyone else, and making fun of us the way he had was bigoted and mean-spirited.
I glanced at the clock hanging above the beer taps. It was almost midnight, and Kit and Patrick had left fifteen minutes ago. “Hey, Wren, we should probably head home.” I drank some of my water. I’d had two beers and switched to water since I was driving us.
Wren frowned and faced me. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He sipped his beer. “Can you come back to my house?”
“What about your mother?” My brows shifted up. We were adults now, but still.
“She’ll be in bed, and I don’t think she’d care, anyway.” He leaned in, his gaze fixed on my mouth. “I can sneak you in.”
“Okay.” Hell, she was his mother, not mine. He knew her best. “Ethan, how are you doing? Do you want a ride home?” He’d had quite a few beers.
