He started tapping away on it.
“Anyway, just stopped by to grab some stuff from my room,” I finally said since they’d clearly used up their quota of curiosity about my life already, jerking a thumb over my shoulder toward the house before I remembered that I’d already decided to skip that shit. Nothing here I needed. But then, just for shits and giggles, and because I legit had no idea where they stood on the gay issue, I added, “Killing time while I wait for my boyfriend to take care of something.”
Dad kept poking at his phone, not bothering to look up.
“Oh,” my mom said, looking down to adjust the tasteful gold bracelet she was wearing for a moment. “A boyfriend? You’ve only dated girls in the past, haven’t you, Gage? Is this one of those… those college experimental phases?”
I snorted. Dated? That’s not what I’d done with girls in the past. And experimental? Noah? Also a no. Guess it was good to know I didn’t come from a homophobic gene pool, at least, since they weren’t flipping their shit.
Then again, did they ever?
Mom waved a hand as if dismissing the whole topic, not bothering to wait for an answer on the rest. “About your room, we had it re-done, Gage. Was there something you needed in particular? I think we just boxed the contents for donation. Stan? Is that right?”
Dad finally looked up. “Sorry?”
“The clutter from Gage’s old bedroom. Did we donate it?”
Dad shrugged, looking confused again, and I felt weirdly frozen. Not sure why. It was just whatever, you know? And like I’d already said, there hadn’t actually been anything I still needed in there. It was all just stuff, and no big if there was no bed waiting for me anymore since it wasn’t like I was gonna be staying here overnight while we were in town.
Or ever, I guess.
I cleared my throat. “Just a heads-up. I’m not gonna be back this summer. Noah and I are gonna get an apartment together.” I didn’t know what the fuck we were actually doing yet since it was all up in the air until we found out if Noah’s parentals were gonna foot the bill for another year of tuition. My mouth didn’t seem to remember that fact though, and just kept right on talking. “We’re looking at a place back near campus.” Well, we would be now, at least. Pretty sure there were some decent apartments around there. “A friend has some summer jobs at the climbing gym lined up for us.”
That part was true, not that I’d said yes to working there yet or mentioned it to Noah, but still, we could?
Mom glanced down at her bracelet again.
Oh, my bad. It wasn’t a bracelet, it was a skinny little watch.
“That sounds lovely, Gage,” she said, which was Mom-speak for “I give no shits and have something better to do, so are you done talking yet?”
“Be sure to email the lease paperwork to my attorney’s office,” Dad added, holding out his hand for me to shake again. “I’ll give him notice to take care of the rent on the apartment.”
“Great,” I said flatly, shoving my hands in my pockets again. “Will do, Dad.”
Not that I’d really expected him to put up a fight, but… yeah. At least that part was gonna be covered regardless of whatever Noah’s parentals said, and even though it had been some random spur of the moment idea, fuck if I wasn’t suddenly craving it.
Our own place outside the dorms, just me and him.
Noah would go along with it because of course he would, and it… it would be good.
My dad cleared his throat, frowning a little as he finally pulled his hand back and gave mine, still in my pocket, a pointed look.
I smirked. Rude? Sure. Ask me how many fucks I gave.
I got the world’s fakest smile in return.
“Actually, son, we have an engagement to get to tonight,” he said. “We returned to the house just now because your mother left the hostess gift here.” He lost the fake smile to send her a mildly disapproving look before turning back to me. “So if you’ll excuse us?”
“I got somewhere to be, too,” I said, even though Noah hadn’t texted yet. “How about you move that—” I tipped my chin at their newest Lexus, “—and I’ll get out of your way.”
Dad gave me a don’t-be-ridiculous-because-that-would-inconvenience-me look. “We need to collect something from the house first.”
He gave my shoulder an impersonal pat as he brushed past me to do just that, and Mom tried to make some small talk for a hot second, but then—thank fuck—my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I yanked it out.
Noah, natch, asking if I could come pick him up… as if he had to ask.
