I turned around, and he was dressed in a pair of jeans and wore a t-shirt that read, "It's all shits and giggles until someone giggles and shits."
I laughed at the saying. "I love your shirt."
Reggie smoothed out the front. "It's one of my favorites. I was going to try to wear something dressy to meet your cousin, but I don't own any dressy shirts. The closest I have to a dress shirt are my shirts for work."
"You're perfect the way you are,mon chou. You don't need to dress up," I said.
"Thanks. I hope your cousin likes me," he replied.
"Quill will love you but not the same way as I do. Are you all set?" I asked.
Reggie's mouth dropped again, but I had no idea why. "What's wrong?"
"You-you love me?" he asked.
Merde. It slipped out. I didn't mean to say it so fast. Well, in for a penny. I stepped closer to him before replying. "I do. I love you, Reggie."
Reggie surged forward and wrapped his arms around my neck. "I love you, too."
I hugged him closely and kissed him. I was on cloud nine. Nothing could top this—well, almost nothing. Having Zander say those exact words and bonding with my mates would top this.
Thinking of Zander, I gently pulled back from the kiss. I needed a way to introduce them. Should I call for Zander to come here and hope he accepts the call? I needed a plan. Perhaps Quill could help.
"Let's get out of here," I said.
Reggie nodded, and we headed out the door. Reggie locked the door, and I figured I'd ask questions as we went.
"Do you have any family,mon chou?" I asked as we walked down the stairs and out of the building.
The morning Chicago air was crisp, and a slight breeze whistled in the air.
"My parents kicked me out when they found out I was gay. I don't really talk to my family aside from my sister, who I have minimal contact with. How are we going to get to your place? Where is your place?"
I clasped his hand and walked down the narrow sidewalk. "My cousin has a condo north of here," I replied and pointed at the black SUV that was parked close to Reggie's work. "And that's my ride."
"Wow, okay. What made you come down here if you're staying on the north side?" Reggie asked.
"I left to clear my head and go for a drive. I ended up here and was going to get a quick burger when I heard the screams. Why don't you speak with your family?"
The SUV unlocked as we grew close, and I opened the passenger door. Reggie didn't reply as he slid into the seat. I gently closed his door and hurried in before starting the vehicle and putting it in gear.
Reggie finally spoke as soon as we hit the road. "That's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Of course, I want to know everything about you," I replied.
Reggie sighed. "Okay, well. I always knew I was gay, but my parents didn't. They found out after I was caught giving head to one of the football players in my school." Reggie rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "It ended badly, and it was all turned around on me. The guy I was with started yelling that I manipulated him and pushed him into it. No one believed that he had come for me. Eventually, word got back to my parents, and they kicked me out at seventeen." He cleared his throat again and wiped his eyes. "That year was rough, but I made it."
I reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry you went through that. I know what it's like when people don't believe you and to have someone betray you."
Memories of my time with Daren flooded my mind. It was an awful period in my life. I'd lost all my identity and allowed him to do things. I shook my head. I didn't want to go down that memory.
"So, you know what I do," Reggie said, and I glanced his way. "What do you do?"
"I work security. It's a good gig," I replied.
"I can see you working security." Reggie faced me and grinned. "Especially with the way you threw those guys around yesterday. How long are you in Chicago for?"
"I'm taking some time off for a week. I needed to decompress. Here we are," I said.
