“Nine o’clock?”
Too early. Oliver couldn’t face him so soon. “Ten.”
“I’ll be there.” He picked up his jacket from where he’d draped it over one of the couch’s arms. Oliver was going to have to burn that couch now, which was a shame because Nick had always looked so perfect, laid out naked and wanting on it.
“Ten o’clock.” Saying something like “good night” or “I’ll see you soon” was too friendly.
“It’s good to see you, Ollie.” Cooper tripped as he reached for the front door, and evil satisfaction nested in Oliver’s chest next to his anger. He kept his lips clamped shut on all the possible pleasantries as Cooper let himself out.
Once he was alone again, the house spun around him. Headlights flashed through the windows as Cooper’s car drove away. Oliver collapsed onto the couch and buried his head between his knees.
Cooper. Fucking Cooper.
What the fuck did he want?
Why now?
Why had Oliver told him he’d meet him at the store tomorrow?
And what the fuck was Oliver going to tell Nick?
* * *
Oliver didn’t answer when Nick called on his break. Disappointing, but since he’d called at two in the morning, also understandable.
The town was silent as Nick drove home, but his house was a different story. Hayden sat in his usual place at the kitchen table, chewing on toast and looking half awake. Anya was running around the place like a tornado.
“Oh, thank God you’re here,” she said as Nick walked in. Her hair was unbrushed, and she was still in a pink T-shirt and checkered pajama pants. “I slept in. I’m never going to be ready to go to work on time. Can you drive Hayden to school?”
Nick was tired, but what was another half hour? “Sure.”
She kissed his cheek and then rushed away to the bathroom.
Hayden glared at him from the table. “Are you sure she knows about you and Beardo?”
“His name is Oliver.”
Hayden rolled his eyes. Nick went to the coffeemaker, only to find out that, in her panic, Anya had failed to make a fresh pot.
He could have stayed at work for this kind of disappointment.
While he waited for it to brew, and for Hayden to finish getting ready to go, he checked his phone. Still no sign of Oliver. He went to dial the number, but then hesitated. With Hayden judging him silently from wherever he was in the house, Nick wasn’t sure what to say.
I love you.
His cheeks heated. Yeah. He’d say that. He’d never get sick of saying that. Maybe someday Oliver would say it back too.
The drive to school was tense and silent, which was to say a typical drive with Hayden. Except where Nick was usually happy to let the silence stretch, now it seemed like he was wasting an opportunity. “Have you talked to your mom? About...you know.”
Hayden sighed. “My raging homosexuality?”
Teenagers. One minute they were sobbing in your kitchen and stress-puking in your sink, and the next they were letting loose things like that in your car, strictly for the shock value.
Nick kept his hands steady on the steering wheel. “Yeah.”
“No.”
“Why not? She’ll want to know. You know it won’t matter to her.”
