“If I didn’t know better, I’d believe you purposely left that small detail out, still trying to make me jealous.” I lean in extra close. “That adds another round of edging to your apology.”
Beckett’s earlier smirk is suddenly gone. “I wasn’t, I swear. I just didn’t think of it. But… you’re right. I owe you an apology. I understand and I’ll do whatever you say… sir.” And it’s back.
I lean in and whisper, “Good boy.”
“Oh, hey, Dom. Can you hold Mazie for a second?” Wait. What? “Beckett, I need your help with the chicken nuggets.” Before I can protest, a very judgy-looking Mazie is thrust into my arms, and Spencer is patting my shoulder.I don’t know why anyone thinks that’s helpful.
Beckett turns and follows Spencer. In the doorway of the kitchen, he turns and throws a wink and a wave in my direction.
I mouth the word “three,” and his pupils blow wide.
“Well, shit,” I mutter to myself before a hand comes smacking me in the face. “Whoa, little lady. We don’t use blunt force. We useskilled precision. Some spy you are,” I joke, playing along with Jasper’s ridiculousness that Mazie is, in fact, a baby spy.
Jasper has his arms wrapped tightly around Olly’s waist, and as soon as we make eye contact, his eyes narrow in suspicion. I turn, trying to de-escalate the situation, only to see my own archnemesis, Lucas. Pretty sure I just heard Mazie growl over my shoulder.
“So, how good a spy are you?
“Listen, they’re giving off vibes. Like fuck-me vibes. Please, baby Jesus, let them be down for a third. Maybe I won’t have to be celibate while I’m here,” Lucas says, and I roll my eyes at his extraness. “Please, I beg of you. You’ve got to give me something. Have younotseen how hot they are?”
“Yes, Lucas, I’m well aware of how hot Jacob and Marcus are.”
“Then you obviously understand why I need details.”
“Fine, all I know is what I already told you before. They’re married. Marcus is an investor—the kind of investor who supports queer-owned tech companies like Alex’s. He’s the reasonHouse of Arrows 2got released. Then there’s the very recent discovery that he’s also a doctor.”
“Geez, overachiever much?”
I let out a laugh before it fades. “Yeah, but then there’s Matthew House.” Warmth spreads in my chest at the name, and the reminder of all the good that organizations like Matthew House do. Supporting queer kids is life-saving.
“You remember the kids’ carnival last week?” I ask.
“Of course I remember. My jaw still hurts from it hitting the floor at how beautiful they both were. Which I forgot to tell you.Next time, give a guy a warning, will ya? I was wearing yournicestCamden College T-shirt with fucking penny loafers.”
“Hey, it’s the only shirt I have that’s not black.”
“How do you not even own a button-up?”
“Can we focus here? What you may not know is that Jacob and Marcus were once married… to Matthew. As in Matthew House.”
Lucas sucks in a breath, and his eyes scan the room. As soon as he spots them, I see the Ferris wheel of emotions cross his face before landing on a sad smile. “I didn’t know.”
“It turns out Jasper lived with them in his teens, and according to him, their love was pretty grand. The kind that love stories are built from. It’s a tragedy, really.”
“How did he die?” Lucas asks.
“Cancer, I think. But I don’t know the details. Everyone talks fondly about Matthew and his life, but not a lot about his death.”
He clears his throat. “Can you excuse me for a minute?” I nod and watch as Lucas, with all the confidence in the world, walks straight up to Jacob and Marcus.
I arrived at Mazie’s party two hours early, knowing I’d need time to get the food going since I agreed to help Spencer get it prepared. I loved the idea of finger foods, so we just ran with it. Lucas and I have been in assembly-line mode: mini sandwiches, skewers, tiny tarts. Turns out, making everything adorable takes approximately a century.
Ugh, what am I gonna do with Lucas and Dom? What a fucking mess. I wasn’t trying to screw with Dom’s feelings. I swear I wasn’t. One minute we’re doing dangerous things with our mouths and he’s threatening me with edging, and the next minute life steamrolls us—Mr. Hannagin’s retirement party for me, nonstop bookings at Ink Me for him. Our only contact has been a few texts about my car.
So no, we haven’t talked about Lucas moving in, or about thatkiss, or about how Dom said all those filthy, possessive things in my ear and then had to disappear into twelve-hour days. And Lucas… Well, Lucas is an instigator. And I don’t think he even knows what he’s doing, so how can I tell Dom something I don’t know?
Even so, I most definitely should be punished.
With Dom’s earlier promise still lingering in the air, I look around the room filled with all my friends. Finn and Spencer, with their easy domestic chaos. Jaxon and Alex, with their soft edges and sharp humor. Marcus and Jacob, already halfway to adopting every stray human in town. Olly, fluttering around his cupcakes. Jasper, lurking and pretending not to watch Olly. Actual real-life friends. It’s rare, I know.
