“I ran into him yesterday.” How could it only be yesterday? It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then.
Holding on to Torre’s hand, I knew with absolute certainty that even forever would not be enough time to spend with him, this person who’d managed to change the way I looked at my world by making me a part of his.
Press’s eyes popped wide. “Fuck. No way.”
“Yeah. He and my mother divorced, and Luca thought he could make a move on me. He thought he could get to me. And fuck it, I didn’t want him, but it all came rushing back: the dark days when I’d wait for him, obsessing about being together yet dreading it because it hurt. I didn’t know what it was that held me to him, but it wasn’t love.” I squeezed Torre’s hand. “I didn’t know what love was—and how could I? How do you recognize what you never had?”
“But you did.” Press’s eyes shone bright, and I knew his soft heart was close to bursting. “Finally.”
“It took me a while, and it wasn’t one thing. It didn’t come to me in a blinding flash of light. You know I never thought I’d fall in love, but then Torre showed up and blew my heart away. He didn’t try to change who I was; he learned to live inside me. And seeing Luca yesterday, I understood that I couldn’t let the person who never loved me keep me from the one who did.”
“I love you so much, Frisco. All I ever wanted was for you to find the person who’d realize that underneath the beautiful outside was an inside just as special.”
Press held me tight, and I closed my eyes. “I wish your mother and father were still here. I’m sorry to bring them up, but I miss them so much. Especially your mom. She believed in me.”
“Nate and I visited them the other day. If you want to go, you should.”
I wiped my eyes. “I’d like that.” I pulled Torre close. “The four of us.” I drew a deep breath. “And I think…maybe I might want to come with you to that grief group? Do you still go?”
Press’s eyes widened and his mouth opened, but instead of speaking, he checked his watch. “Yeah. We do. As a matter of fact, we meet tonight at six. I walk over from here, so if you want to go together…?”
God, I couldn’t believe I was going to do this, and perhaps sensing my withdrawal, Torre whispered to me, “You don’t have to say anything, but I’d kind of like to go and see what it’s about. I still miss my pops, and maybe this would help.”
And this was why I loved him. I knew damn fucking well he didn’t need a grief-support group, but he was willing to lay his pain in the open to help me.
“I know what you’re doing,” I murmured.
“Damn.” His eyes twinkled. “Here I thought I was being so devious. Hidden motives and all that.”
“You can’t hide from me.”
“I don’t ever want to.”
“It wouldn’t matter.” I didn’t care—not one damn bit—that Press stood by and watched when I kissed Torre. “No matter where you are, I’ll always be able to find you.”
Torre and I hadn’t had lunch, so we stepped away to grab something to eat, and when we returned to Presley’s store, we found him pulling the gates down. He brushed his hands off.
“You came back. I wasn’t sure you were serious.”
I quirked a brow. “Have you ever known me to say something I don’t mean?”
“You swore you’d never fall in love, and yet here you are.”
“You know, it’s very irritating that you keep repeating this in front of Torre. It’s making him feel bad.”
“It is?” Torre’s lips twitched.
“You’re on my side, remember? Work with me.”
He slipped his hand in mine. “Whatever you say.”
We arrived at the church where the support group met and entered the meeting room. Two good-looking men, one dark-haired and one blond, sat laughing and joking with each other. When the dark-haired man caught sight of us, he said something to his friend and left him sitting there as he came over to greet us. He and Press hugged briefly, their faces wreathed in smiles.
“How are you? I’m glad you’re here tonight. Where’s Nate?”
“Working late, so I decided to stop by. Frisco is my best friend since we were kids, and this is Torre, his boyfriend. Guys, this is Dr. Monroe Friedman. He runs the group.”
“Nice to meet you both. I’m glad you’re here. There’s no requirement to join in the discussion, of course, but if you’d like to introduce yourselves, which I hope you will, please feel free.”
