“You never have to be sorry for wanting my cock, dimples,” Gage said with another wink. But then he lost the cocky almost-smirk, his eyes going all warm and melty as he wrapped one of his big hands around the back of my neck and tugged me closer, leaning in to rest his forehead on mine. “The thing is, Noe, Idoknow you. I fuckingbelievein you. And in case I haven’t said so, I’m really fucking proud of you for all the shit you turned around back at school.”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly tight and my eyes starting to sting.
I knew why he was really saying it: in case my parents forgot to.
“Thanks,” I whispered, which wasn’t big enough to cover how it felt when he said stuff like that to me, but that was okay, because like he’d just said, Gage knew me. Knew I lived to love him and was his forever and that just hearing him say he believed in me was… waseverything.
I blinked fast, not wanting to go face my parents with my eyes all red like this, and Gage smiled, slow and sweet. The smile no one else in the world ever got to see but me.
“You tackled Phase One like a motherfuckingboss,” he said, letting go of my neck to wipe the silly moisture from beneath my eyes with his thumbs. “No matter what your parents say today, you and me both know that you’ve got this, right, sweetheart? And not just the shit you’re gonna tell them today, but I mean, fucking… all of it. Life. School. Whatever. You’vegotthis. Don’t let them ever make you think you don’t.”
I nodded, my throat feeling tight. They did make me feel that way sometimes, that maybe I just wasn’t up to handling life.
“And if they shoot down the idea of keeping your schooling status quo for next year,” Gage went on. “We just go to Plan B. And if they fuck withthatplan somehow, I’ll pull a Plan C out of my ass. Or a fucking Plan D. Because you’re mine, Noe, and I’m fuckingyours, so no matter what anyone else says, we’re gonna find a way to make shit work for us, yeah?”
“Okay,” I whispered. “Yeah.”
My voice cracked on that last bit because… because Ilovedhim. So much. And Icoulddo this. I could. And Iwould, because like he’d just said, he was mine, too, and I was going to pull my own weight this time, no matter how willing he always was to do it for me.
I cleared my throat. “And… and, Gage,” I said, done with chickening out, “I th-th-think I need to go in and talk to my parents alone. Um, you know, on… on my own.” I swallowed hard as the intense melty-fierce look he’d been pinning me with morphed into confusion. “I just, I think they’ll listen better that way.”
“What?” he asked after a second of silence, cocking his head to the side as his brows pulled together. Then he shook his head, smiling at me again. “Nah, babe. I’m not gonna let them give you any shit. I’ve got your back. Fuckingalways. You don’t ever have to face—”
“But Ido,” I interrupted, even though I loved lovedlovedwhat he was trying to say. I had to explain, though. “They won’t ever really believe I can do this if they think I’m just leaning on you, G. You know the whole reason they want me to move back home is because they think I can’t handle it at school on my own—”
“You don’t have to doanything on your own, babe,” Gage cut in fiercely. “Not ever. You know I’ve got you. I’m the one who takes fuckingcareof you. You’re—”
“I’m yours,” I interrupted him again since I knew what he was trying to say and… andGod, I was smiling too big, wasn’t I? Because all protective and possessive and wanting to slay every dragon for me? How could I ever want anythingbutto be his? “I know I am, Gage,” I went on, my nerves suddenly disappearing completely and for real this time, because it was true and it made everything else in my life okay. “Master,” I added, just for the thrill that the word always sent shooting through me. l touched my collar, taking a deep breath. “But I can do this, and… and I want to. I mean, I don’twantto, I never want to be without you—” His shoulders relaxed, which made my heart swell even more, “—but Idowant to make Phase Two work, and… and I think this is the best way.” I swallowed, then whispered what I really, really hoped was true. “I really think I can do it.”
He stared at me hard for a minute, then leaned in and kissed me even harder.
“Okay,” he said when he pulled away, his eyes still locked onto mine. “And Noah?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t think you can do it, babe. Iknowyou can.”
And since he’d said the exact same thing about The Liquidator, and my grades, and learning to deep throat the snake, and been right aboutallof it, I believed him.
19
Gage
DidI love leaving Noah at the mercy of his parentals without me there to step in if they pulled their usual bullshit? Hell to the no. Had it worried me for a hot second that he’d wanted to go in without me? Not gonna lie, I’d had a crazy twinge there before I’d come to my senses, even though Noah was the single thing in life that I knew down to my bones I’d always be able to count on. But all those worries aside, was I proud as fuck that he’d wanted to take this one? Fuck yeah, I was. My boy was gonna kick Phase Two’sass.
And don’t get me wrong, I totally got off on how damn needy he usually was, how sweet and compliant and eager to please. How he thrived when I exercised my natural tendency to take charge of shit. But all that took a back seat to wanting him to believe in himself, too. To know how fucking amazing he was, like I did.
Noah’s version of amazing wasn’t one that other people always appreciated the way they should, so I figured it was up to me to make sure he never doubted it… which meant I’d had to bite my fucking tongue and back off this time, even though it kinda killed me not to be with him right now.
Fact: neither backing off nor biting my tongue were my strongest skillsets, but for Noe? Whatever it took. Besides, he was right. His parentals weren’t my biggest fans. I normally gave zero shits about that, but yeah, it was true. There was probably a better chance that they’d pull their heads out of their asses and pay attention to him if they weren’t busy stewing about the fact that Noah and I were a package deal.
I’d still have his back if facing them down went south, though. That was a motherfucking given. We’d already agreed that he’d text me when he was ready for me to come get him, and answermytexts—with none of that going-dark bullshit from the other time—if I got a little antsy before I heard from him.
And in the meantime… well, fuck.
I couldn’t just sit out in the driveway without them getting all weird about it, so I guess… huh. Guess I’d head over to where my parentals lived. Definitely not “home”—homehad always been wherever Noah was, not some big-ass house where no one actually gave a shit whether I was present or not—but heading there would kill some time. They were always out at charity galas or fundraising events or whatever on Friday nights, so pretty sure I wouldn’t run into them, which was a plus.
Noah went inside, and I started up the Jeep and pulled out onto the street, driving on autopilot since the ten minute route was one I’d driven every damn day since getting my license, at least up until we’d headed off to college. I knew it by heart… which meant there was nothing to distract me from hoping I was right about the Friday night thing.
