I watched as Danny headed back to Blake after our conversation. The pair shared a private moment, their laughter ringing out in sync. Blake pulled Danny into his lap, and Danny practically glowed as Blake continued speaking to him in hushed tones. The sight of them, so perfectly attuned, didn't spark jealousy as it once would have. Instead, it nudged me toward an important realization. Danny had moved on, found his happiness. It was time I did the same.
Leaning against a wooden pillar of the porch, I allowed my gaze to sweep over the gathering. Everyone was busy, some in laughter, some in deep conversation. It felt as if the past had loosened its grip, the weight of guilt slipping from my shoulders.
For years, I had been lugging around my mistakes like a heavy rucksack, the burden of guilt and regret bending me out of shape. But today, amidst the clinking glasses and lively chatter, something shifted. I had made mistakes, sure, but it was high time I let them be just that—mistakes from the past.
It was a hard truth to swallow, but necessary. Like yanking out an embedded splinter, acknowledging my need to move on was painful but freeing. The past couldn't be undone, but it shouldn't be allowed to taint the promise of the present and the possibilities of the future.
“Hey, are you okay over here? If it’s too much, we can head out,” Billy offered, enveloping me in his arms.
I melted into his embrace, loving him even more for offering to leave his parents’ party early if I was uncomfortable, even though we both knew I’d never let that happen. I still had a long way to go before I felt like his family wasn’t waiting for me to screw up, and I was determined to prove to them I was a changed man.
“No, I’m good,” I assured him, letting out a deep breath when I realized how true the words were. I leaned my head against Billy’s shoulder. “Danny and I talked. Or, maybe I should say he talked and made me listen. He’s grown one hell of a spine since I knew him.”
Luckily, Billy didn’t go into details of why that might be. He didn’t need to say that Danny’s change came about because he was determined to not let anyone walk all over him the way I had. Looking back, I realized I had no place playing the role of his Dom.
“I’m glad the two of you cleared the air. Are you feeling better now?” He nuzzled his nose behind my ear. “You know, if we ask nicely, I’d bet my mom would love having Henry stay the night to help with morning chores.”
“What about James?” I looked over, noticing the teen with his head buried in his phone. He laughed at something, and my heart warmed. It was hard to believe it was just a few short weeks ago that he didn’t so much as crack a smile. “Would it be weird for him to stay out here, too?”
“Crap, he keeps to himself so much when we’re home I didn’t even think about him being there,” Billy grumbled. He wasn’t wrong about that. James was taking full advantage of living with a family who respected his right to privacy. “I guess we’ll wait until he’s settled in for the night and then you’ll have to be quiet.”
“Ha!” I scoffed. “I’m not the one who woke Henry up last week as he busted a nut.”
Billy glanced around quickly before squeezing my ass hard enough I flinched. “Are you looking for a spanking when we get home?”
“Mmmm, yes, please.” If we had the house to ourselves tonight, we’d be able to explore a bit more. A spanking sounded like the perfect way to let go of any lingering negative feelings so I could give myself one-hundred percent to Billy. “Can we go home now?”
“I’m pretty sure my mom would have something to say about that.” Billy pressed his lips to the nape of my neck before sliding his hand into mine. “Now, let’s get in there and see what we can do to help out so Mom can enjoy her party.”
I was pretty sure shewasenjoying the party. She wasn’t the type of woman to hold court; she’d much rather play the happy hostess, knowing everyone else was enjoying themselves.
After seeing that everything was cleaned up in the kitchen and the snacks were all replenished, Billy and I headed outside to join the party. As I’d expected, Henry had a captive audience in Eleanor. His hands flapped all over as he told her a story, and she laughed and nodded along. James followed them around the yard, somehow stopping before running into either of them, despite having his nose still buried in his phone.
I wanted to be annoyed with him but he was doing something typical teens did every day. Most likely, something he hadn’t been allowed to do when he lived with his biological family.
James kept glancing in our direction, and I could see his lips moving as he typed. He looked somewhat flustered, his face flushed and eyes bright with a mix of anticipation and nerves. He was usually so composed, but right then, he seemed different, his fingers tugging at his unruly hair.
“Billy, Michael, umm…” he stuttered, his voice barely audible over the bustling chatter as he approached us. “Can I talk to you?”
Billy put his car talk on pause and excused himself from the conversation he was having with his dad and Carson. He led us around to the side of the house. “Everything okay, James?”
“Oh, yeah. Nothing’s wrong. So, umm, I was thinking,” James began, his gaze darting between Billy and me. “After the party… Can I, you know, go hang with Theo and the guys? I’ll understand if you say I can’t, but they invited me to go over to Birch Lake for some end-of-summer thing the high schoolers do and it sounded fun. And there won’t be any drinking or stupid stuff. It’s some sort of tradition and there are parents who host it or whatever.”
His words hung heavy between us, swallowed by the sounds of the ongoing party. It was as if he needed to get everything out as quickly as possible, anticipating every objection we might possibly have. I didn’t know who Theo and the guys were, but the way Billy smiled when he heard the other boy’s name, I was pretty sure he knew who James’s friends were.
I exchanged a quick look with Billy. He took a casual sip of his lemonade, ice cubes clinking against the glass.
“James,” he started, his voice smooth and reassuring, “there’s no need to stress, man. You're a responsible kid, but you need time with your friends. Of course, it's cool.”
I squeezed James's shoulder, reinforcing Billy's words. “We trust you to make good choices, okay?”
James broke into a relieved grin, a weight visibly lifted from his shoulders. “I will,” he promised. “Thanks.”
As he walked away, his steps lighter, I couldn't help but share a look with Billy. Parenting was never easy, but it was becoming apparent to me there were challenges we’d face with James that most never did, thanks to the emotional damage done by his father.
“Do you know what this means?” Billy asked once we were alone. He reached around and smacked my backside again. “If my mom watches Henry tonight, there won’t be anyone home to hear you. We can be as loud as we want.”
His hand slid lower, forcing its way between my thighs.
