29
Harlow
LoveHarley: I met someone.
KnotMyProblem: Oh, you mean like I SAID YOU TOTALLY DID JUST YESTERDAY?
xVerity: Knot, keep your voice down. Harley, that’s fantastic news. Who is he? What’s he like? Assuming, of course, he’s a he.
LoveHarley: lol, nah, xV, you got it. I’m gay. And he’s wonderful.
KnotMyProblem: Let me guess—he was your hit, but he batted his eyelashes at you and asked you to reconsider when you had the gun pressed to his head, so you couldn’t pull the trigger.
LoveHarley: uh…
KnotMyProblem: So now both of you are on the run from your crime family.
xVerity: Um?
KnotMyProblem: And you’re going to shack up in Aurora, take up fake identities, and pump out babies until the end of time
LoveHarley: Knot, you okay? I just said I met someone. It’s not like we’re getting married.
KnotMyProblem: Harley?
LoveHarley: Yes?
KnotMyProblem: Okay, so, bear with me for a second. When is the last time one of the Single Dads met someone theydidn’tmarry?
Harlow rolled his eyes.
LoveHarley: So far, Gwynn is the only one married. TD and xV are engaged.
KnotMyProblem: Oh, like getting engaged is totally not serious or indicative of a lifelong commitment. I forgot.
Most of the time, Knot was the group’s lovable asshole, always quick to respond with a snarky comment or a witty remark. Right now, Harley didn’t feel his playfulness at all—Knot was acting as if he was genuinely upset. That couldn’t be the case, could it?
Harlow looked through the dark at Simon, who was sprawled across his air mattress, sound asleep. If Knot knew how sweet and caring Simon was, he could never stay upset. All Harlow had to do was make him see that what he’d found was something positive—that after years of walling himself off from others, he’d found a man who made him happy. That was easier said than done. Without disclosing identifying details about his life, Harlow wasn’t sure how he could get the message across.
While he loved the Single Dads, he wasn’t sure their friendships would stay the same if they figured out who he was. Celebrity status, even if Harlow wasn’t the one who was famous, messed with people’s heads. It had kept him from forming meaningful bonds in the past, and he didn’t want it to destroy the few bonds he’d managed to make since coming back to America.
LoveHarley: I’m sorry if I upset you :( it totally wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to celebrate something positive with you guys. It’s been such a long time since I’ve felt this way
xVerity: Harley, you don’t need to apologize.
KnotMyProblem: I’m being an asshole, Harley. I’m sorry.
Was it as simple as that? Harlow smiled. Knot would come around—he always did.
LoveHarley: no, I totally get it. You’re allowed to feel what you’re feeling, too, you know? It’s okay
KnotMyProblem: You must be the worst mob boss in the world, being so cheerful and positive all the time. You kill your targets with kindness or something?
LoveHarley: I’m not a mob boss :P
TeenDad2: OMG HARLEY!!! You met someone???
TeenDad2: Tell me!
