“Oh! Brightly Books,” Fitz said excitedly. He grabbed Jack’s arm. “Wehaveto go into the bookstore.”
Jack chuckled. “Okay. Maybe think about buying paperbacks instead of hardcovers this time? Not sure how many I can carry back to the car.”
“No promises,” Fitz sing-songed as he all but skipped into the bookstore.
Shaking his head, Jack opened the door for the rest of them. “Even if he doesn’t buy anything, which is unlikely, helovesbookstores. Used to spend most of his childhood in them.”
“Me too,” Sacha replied. “Well, the library, mostly.”
Gio was surprised. “Really?” He and Cookie followed Sacha into the bookstore. It was more spacious on the inside than Gio expected, cozy, with worn leather seating and old wood bookshelves lining the walls. There were tables piled high and stacks of books everywhere.
“When I was in foster care, I’d go to the library so I wouldn’t have to go home. It was awesome. Warm or cool, depending on the time of year. Loads of free stuff to read, comfy couches, and beanbag chairs. Plus, the librarians loved me. They thought I was adorable, so they brought me juice and cookies, then they started bringing me food. A lot of the time, it’s where I got most of my meals from. Before I met this delinquent,” Sacha said, motioning to Jack.
Jack gave Gio a sad smile. When Sacha turned to look at him, Jack’s expression changed, and he smiled wide, giving Sacha a playful punch on the arm. “I think we all know who the delinquent was. I was an angel who could do no wrong.”
Sacha snorted. “Yeah, your mom was the only one who believed that.” He shook his head in shame. “Shestillthinks that. It’s like she doesn’t know you or something.”
“Ass,” Jack said with a laugh. He left to join Fitz, who already had half a dozen books in his arms, all hardcovers.
“Ooh, I don’t have to carry anything this time,” Sacha said. “Sweet. Fitz’s book shopping will make you realize you do not work out as much as you should.”
Gio chuckled, pretending his heart didn’t hurt for Sacha. His boyfriend hated anyone feeling sorry for him. Gio felt a lot of things—rage, heartache, sadness—when he learned something new about Sacha’s childhood. Sacha very rarely talked about his past or his childhood, but occasionally, he’d share something, and it always broke Gio’s heart.
This beautiful man had been through so much, and here he stood, his eyes lighting up at the sight of a goldfish cracker plushie. He snatched it off the shelf and showed it to Gio.
“Oh my god, how has Leo not seen this?”
Gio shrugged. “I wonder if he’s even been in here. He’s been so busy with whatever he’s doing. It’s Christmas Eve. I hope he’ll be done by tonight.”
“Oh, I’m sure he will. Red’s already texted everyone about tonight’s family photo.” He rolled his eyes. “Everyone has to dress up nice.”
Every Christmas, Laz took photos of the family together, along with photos of each couple. Red made sure everyone dressed up, so he’d had everyone bring clothes in preparation for tonight. The moment the picture-taking was over, Sacha would be back in his T-shirt and sweatpants.
They spent a good deal of time in the bookstore, everyone finding something to take home. In Fitz’s case, finding lots of somethings to take home. Gio had no idea Fitz was such a voracious reader. From the looks of his stack, he read everything from fantasy and romance to crime thrillers and biographies. Sacha, of course, bought the plushie for Leo.
“Let’s put this stuff in the car,” Jack said through a grunt as he walked out of the bookstore with several very heavy bags of books.
Sacha checked his watch. “We should grab some lunch. Why don’t we meet at the pub? Gio and I will get a table.”
“Sounds good,” Jack replied as he and Fitz headed off.
The pub was busy, but they were able to get a booth near the back by the fireplace and the tufted leather couch. Gio always tried to get a table out of the way or gave them more room. Although Cookie always remained close to him, Gio didn’t want to take the chance that someone might not see Cookie and trip over him.
They ordered drinks, and shortly after, Fitz and Jack joined them. The pub reminded him of his travels through Europe. He couldn’t wait to start making travel plans with Sacha. He’d bet Sacha would love Britain.
“I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve,” Fitz said, wrapping his arms around Jack and kissing his cheek. “This has been the best Christmas yet.”
Sacha nodded. “Yeah, I kinda—”
At the sudden silence, Gio turned to look at Sacha. His boyfriend was staring in the direction of the bar.
“Are you okay?” Gio asked.
“Yeah, um….” Sacha cleared his throat. “I’m fine. Don’t let your food get cold. I’ll be right back.” He got up, took his crutch, and made his way to the crowded bar.
“What’s that about?” Jack asked, looking over his shoulder at Sacha who leaned against the bar talking to Clarence, the pub owner.
“It’s Joker,” Fitz said with a grin. “Who knows.”
