The waythese three macho baseball players are practically drooling at the sight of me is hilarious (and really good for the ego). Even more so, since Julian is supposedly straight. I laugh as I let them into my flat. I’m a bit uncoordinated with these wings, but there was no chance I wasn’t going to be an angel for Halloween. Craig is squirming in Julian’s arms, so I direct him to let him go. I’ve set out a bowl of water for him in the kitchen, and there are enough eyes here to make sure he stays out of trouble. The insanely adorable pirate pup takes off with his nose to the floor as he investigates this new space.
“Hey, baby! Nice place you’ve got,” Jules says, hugging me tightly before planting a noisy kiss on my cheek. “This is for you, from me, and AJ.” He hands me an envelope, stepping out of the way, so I can say hello to AJ, who hands me a bottle of wine. That's when I notice their costumes for the first time. I cackle loudly, drawing curious gazes from Wes, Ezra, and Bennett, who are standing in the sitting room talking.
“It must have taken the two of you quite a bit of time to come up with those clever disguises,” I tease, and Darío barks a laugh. Honestly though, there isn’t a more fitting theme for the two of them. I firmly believe that if Jules weren’t straight and AJ weren’t opposed to a relationship, they’d make the perfect couple.
“They waited until the last minute, so this is what happens,” Darío comments from beside me. I turn to him in his pirate costume, with the shirt open practically to his navel. His eyes are lined with black liner, and he’s wearing leggings that I would kill to get a better view of his arse in. Even the over-the-top, cheesy pirate hat looks good on him. God, he looks so fucking hot. “This is for you.” He indicates the large square leaning against the wall in the foyer.
“Thank you so much! I told you not to bring anything,” I chide, heat flooding my cheeks. “I’m just thankful that you were able to come.” I’m not the least bit surprised that these three didn’t listen. They have a tendency to spoil the people they love. Not that Dare loves me. Thankfully, Julian interrupts my derailing thoughts.
“We’re happy you’re back home, Harlan. Open your gifts,” Jules insists, a huge grin plastered on his face. Penny hands them each a beer before ducking out of the way. I start with the envelope in my hand and pull out a card with a note that AJ and Jules have booked me a full day at my favorite spa. Manicure, pedicure, massage, facial, and sauna. I squeal with delight as I thank both of them profusely. Setting the card aside with the wine, I move to the impeccably wrapped gift from Dare.
“I hope you love it,” he says, softly. I already know I will. I run my hands over the shiny black paper before carefully tearing into it. I gasp when I see the canvas. The most perfect sunrise is pictured over the lake in Prospect Park. The leaves are at the peak of changing, with vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds on thetrees and spread out over the ground. The sun catches the colors so perfectly, it almost doesn’t seem real.
“Dare, this is magnificent. My god, I love it,” I whisper. I run my fingers over the canvas in awe as I continue to study the picture. “I can’t believe you got this for me. Thank you so much.” I turn to hug him, and he returns my embrace. I let myself sink into it for a moment because there’s nothing better in this world than a hug from Darío.
“This way, you’ll never miss another Brooklyn sunrise,” he whispers in my ear before stepping back. We both become aware of everyone watching us at the same time, and he clears his throat as I turn to hide my flushed cheeks from our nosy friends. When I attempt to lift the canvas, he stops me. “Tell me where you want to put it, and I’ll move it. When you’re ready to hang it, I can come give you a hand.”
After having him deposit the picture in my closed office, we return to the sitting room, where everyone is chatting and drinking. Penelope demands a picture of Wes and me in our matching costumes. Wes’s wings are a shimmery black, and he looks hot as fuck. I catch a scowl on Bennett’s face, but he quickly schools his features. I wink at Wes as we move to my balcony, where fairy lights are strung along the railing. The view here isn’t as fancy as the house I shared with Dare, but it’s my own piece of Brooklyn, so I love it just the same.
“Your brother is awfully clingy tonight,” I observe as Wes and I stand outside for a few minutes. Our wings keep catching on each other, causing us to laugh maniacally. We finally manage to face each other without any further issues. I watch his eyes track Bennett inside and decide that they’re both clingy. “Or is it a twin thing?”
He chokes out a laugh. “Something like that,” he mutters as he looks inside again. Bennett is making his way to us, effectively endingthatconversation. For being identical, they are oppositein almost every way. Wes is outgoing and quick to laugh. Bennett tends to look like he’s chewing nails and rarely smiles.
“You two are going to freeze out here with no clothes on,” he grumbles, never taking his eyes off his brother. I watch with fascination at how protective he is of Wes. It’s hardly hypothermia weather, but I choose to let my friend handle his twin.
“We have clothes on, Bennett. Don’t be ridiculous,” Wes snaps as he makes his way back inside. He looks back at me, giving me an apologetic frown. Bennett follows him inside, and I realize I forgot to ask what’s going on with Wes and Layton. I need to remember to check in with him. Rather than going inside, I turn to stare out at the lights, losing myself in the noise of the neighborhood. I can still hear kids shouting, and Halloween music filters into the streets, as parties kick off in neighboring buildings.
I still can’t believe Dare gave me that picture. He’s a thoughtful gift-giver, so I shouldn’t be surprised, but I never anticipatedthatwhen I invited him tonight. I hear his booming laugh from inside, and it makes me smile. He’s always been free with his smiles and laughs. It was something that drew me to him in the first place, but it’s been so long since I’ve gotten to enjoy that part of him. Being friends with him is easier than I thought, even when the nostalgia brings on pangs of longing and sadness. It’s not the unmanageable grief that I carried for so long, but it still leaves me wondering how different things would be right now.
“Hey, you,” Dare’s voice startles me. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiles sheepishly when I look at him. I wave off his apology, turning my gaze back to the streets below. I feel his eyes on me for a bit longer before he turns to where my attention is. “I was thinking, since we’re friends now,” he starts. I turn to look at him, but he’s still staring down. “Would you like to comefor Friendsgiving? If it’s weird for you, or if you think Oliver would have an issue, I completely understand.”
I didn’t mention Oliver and me breaking up when I saw him the other morning, but I had debated it. I didn’t want to make things awkward with our first experience as ‘friends.’ “Actually, Oli and I broke up a few weeks ago. We just weren’t in the same place emotionally, and honestly, having some time with myself, when I’m not a complete mess, is exactly what I’ve needed.” I hope this doesn’t make things weird for us, but I’m also acutely aware that this tenuous relationship is going to take time to strengthen. That starts with honesty.
“I’m sorry,” he says, and I know he means it. “I hope it wasn’t because of what happened at the party. Lan…” I place my hand on his firm bicep.
“It had nothing to do with that. Oliver is great, truly. He deserves someone who can give him all of them. I couldn’t. He wasn’t willing to wait anymore, and I couldn’t expect him to.” I pause, drawing in a breath before I continue. “It was fairly painless, as far as breakups go,” I say lightly.
“I’m glad you’re doing so well, Lan,” he tells me sincerely. We fall back into a comfortable silence. It should feel weird talking to him about my ex, but as with everything else, opening up to Darío feels as natural to me as breathing.
“I am, too. I would love to come for Friendsgiving. I missed it last year,” I whisper. The holidays were a nightmare for me when I was in London. I cried into a bottle of wine on Thanksgiving, since obviously no one was celebrating in the UK. It made me so homesick to think about the previous years with Dare’s family, and the Friendsgivings we would host the day after with our friends. I tried to get out of Christmas at my parents’, but Amelia didn’t give me a choice.
My dad badgered me relentlessly about what went wrong with Darío. He couldn’t understand why I wasn’t willing to makeit work. I obviously didn’t tell him that I cheated, because that would have been a bigger crime than wearing lingerie. I left it at the distance, and how difficult it would have been with our jobs. Mum was more understanding and hugged me while I cried through most of Christmas Eve. She told me that she believed in Dare and me, and that we would find our way back to each other eventually. She’s always told Amelia and me that “what’s for you will always be yours.” I hope, now more than ever, that’s true.
“I missed it last year, too.” I look at him in surprise. He shrugs. “I canceled it. I wasn’t in a good headspace either, you know.” I nod in understanding. “It’s ok, though. We’ll bring it back this year, and it’ll be amazing.”
Maybe it’s rude not to socialize with my other guests, but Darío and I spend a long time on the balcony talking about what to make for dinner, and we have a laugh about all of the recipes that went terribly wrong in previous years. Neither one of us will concede about who makes better mashed potatoes, so we agree to bring it to a vote over dinner. I know my way around the kitchen, but I was on quite a learning curve when it came to Thanksgiving menus. As with anything else, I didn’t rest until I perfected my recipes. Other than Halloween, Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday to celebrate, so I’m thrilled that I get to experience it again this year.
The chill in the air finally gets to be too much for all of the skin I’m showing, so Darío leads me back inside, where everyone is lounging about the sitting room. I notice Craig passed out in Julian’s lap, and I snicker. “Are you sure that’s your dog and not his?” Dare follows my gaze and sighs.
“That dog likes everyone more than me,” he grouses. “That’s at least true of you and Julian, but still. I rescued him. Jules was far more interested in the cows. I feed him, walk him, and love him. But fuck me, I guess.” I’m cackling now, as he pouts.
“Aww, poor Dare. Are you not getting enough attention? Don’t be sad,” I coo between fits of laughter. He lunges for me, and I try to escape, but he grabs my wings, preventing me from getting far. I’m doubled over in laughter while everyone stares at the two of us as if we’ve lost our minds.
“You are definitely not an angel, Harlan. Your horns must be hidden in those curls,” he retorts as he tries to get past my wings to grab me. I slip out of the arm bands that attach the wings to my shoulders and make a beeline for Wes, who is having an animated conversation with AJ.
“Wesley, help!” I cry as I launch myself at him. He lets out an oomph as I barrel into him, prepared to use his body as a shield. Instead of protecting me, Wes blocks me from getting behind him, and I feel Dare’s arms wrap around my waist. I shriek in protest as I’m lifted off the ground.
“Looks like Dare found the booty,” Julian announces, causing bursts of laughter around the room. Darío takes advantage of the momentary distraction that had me pausing my furious kicking and starts to tickle my sides, right above the waist of my pants. Of course, he knows all of my tickle spots.
