“Well, she couldn’t have expected you to live with them forever.”
Avery had always known he’d move out, of course he had, but to leave entirely, out of town, out of North Carolina—they might not want him back.
The thought made him sick, irrational as it was. Very carefully, he shifted until his head was in Linc’s lap, face up to avoid squashing his nose. “Do you know when I realized my parents had given up on me?”
“When?” Linc’s arm came around his chest while his other hand played through Avery’s hair. He did that a lot. Avery had always been self-conscious about his hair. Just one more thing to make him stand out. But he liked how much Linc was attracted to it.
“When my birthday came and they didn’t do anything. I didn’t think they’d actually come see me or send a gift. But I thought there would besomething. A card. An email. My dad was never going to forgive me for being gay, but I hoped my mom might try. But she didn’t.”
“Shit, Red.” Linc sighed. “I’m sorry.”
He sniffed. “My aunt and uncle have tried so hard to make sure I never wanted for anything. They’re not my parents, but they’ve done everything they could to get close.”
“They sound like they really did.”
“I never had friends in school. I wasn’t from here. I talked too fast. I wasn’t good at sports or anything really but math. So my aunt and uncle did everything to make me feel loved, since I didn’t fit in anywhere else.” And Avery did his best to be the best nephew he could for them. Always polite, always saying thank you. His lack of a social life meant he got good grades, and when Uncle Theo had suggested Avery come work at the firm, Avery hadn’t given it a second thought.
“So you want to stay here?” Linc frowned.
“How can I leave them behind? Throw everything they’ve done for me in their faces?”
“You’re an adult. They’ll understand. Your aunt and uncle care about you. They’d want you to be happy.” Linc laughed bitterly. “Maybe they can give my dad some pointers.”
Avery gazed up at the scratchy outline of Linc’s chin in dismay. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine.” Linc pressed his index finger to Avery’s mouth, then dragged it down over his lower lip. “I stopped trying to fix that situation a long time ago.” Avery darted his tongue out to catch the stray finger, and Linc slipped it inside, inhaling sharply when Avery sucked it deep.
“How’s your pain?” Linc said.
Avery scowled and let go of his finger. “You don’t have to keep asking me that. I won’t break.”
Linc laughed, careful of his nose as he kissed him. “I think you already did.”
He growled and was rewarded with another kiss. This was good. Nice. Having someone else in the space with him made everything easier.
If he left town, he might not have this anymore. “So what do I do about Atlanta?”
They stared at each other for a long second before Linc quietly said, “What do you want to do?”
Avery shrugged. “If the business goes down, I guess I won’t have much choice.”
“That’s true. But if the business was doing well, and Wanda offered you the job anyway, what would you do?”
He bit his lip. The answer was so complicated. And not solely because of his family. Now he had the man with the strong fingers running steadily over his scalp to consider too.
“I’d miss you a lot,” he said, hedging.
“And I’d miss you, but, Red, this thing with us is still pretty new. I wouldn’t want to be the reason you decided to stay in Seacroft.”
He knew he was asking for too much, but it still hurt to hear it. “Of course not.” He’d be okay, though, if he had to move. Get his own apartment. Maybe get a cat for company. Make new friends in a place where his whole history wasn’t an open book. That might be nice, actually.
“But,” Linc said slowly, fingers still moving in his hair, keeping him still, “if you moved away, I’d come see you.”
Avery tried and failed to hold down the stupid hopeful smile that broke free. “Really?”
Linc’s gaze darkened. “Oh, yeah. And if that went well, then maybe we’d see what else we could do so you weren’t so far away.”
Now Avery did sit up. The blood rushed from his head, making his nose throb. “You would?”
