I took a seat next to Samuel, who smirked at me. “If only your high school self could see this coming.” He cackled at my scowl. “His homophobic little heart would have a whole ass attack.”
“Fuck you,” I grumbled. Sure, I’d been a dick back then, had acted like a homophobic piece of shit because I’d thought it was cool, but it hadn’t been right. I wished every day someone had put me in my fucking place back then. If I was Samuel, I’d have never given guys like me, Blaze, and Hunter the time of day.
“Nah. Hunter does that well enough.” He winked at his boyfriend, who chuckled and shook his head.
I mimed gagging, making Hunter snicker from the other side of Samuel. Blaze set a bowl in front of me, then set a napkin down with one of my pills, then a bottle of water. “Make sure you take that,” he said.
“You’re being a Daddy,” Samuel said, unable to help being a dick. Even so, my cheeks flamed red. I was not into the whole Daddy kink thing, but I did enjoy being taken care of. I could blame my parents for that one since they’d emotionally neglected me my entire life, but did Samuel have to be an ass about it?
“Not our thing,” Blaze told him as he lifted his own grilled chicken sandwich to his mouth. “But if you’re projecting, maybe you and Hunter should have a conversation.”
Samuel smirked. “I won’t lie and say I don’t have daddy issues, but I don’t need to be Daddied by my boyfriend, thank you.”
Hunter snorted a laugh. “Samuel is not submissive enough to be Daddied,” Hunter informed us.
I groaned. “Please shut the fuck up. I’m not trying to picture either of you being submissive or dominant or anything along those lines. Can we change the fucking subject please? You’re killing what appetite I have.”
Blaze pointed his finger at Samuel and Hunter. “If he doesn’t eat, I’m blaming the both of you. Don’t wear out your welcome.”
Samuel barked out a laugh. “And you say you’re not a fucking Daddy.”
“Again, Samuel, if that’s your thing, take it up with Hunter,” Blaze retorted. “Conversation over.” He looked at me. “The three of us are going to spread out in the living room and do some studying and get some homework done. You up to joining us?”
I sighed. I did not want to do homework, but it needed to be done. I was determined to graduate, no matter if it mattered to my parents, no matter if I never needed to actually work again, and no matter what kind of learning disabilities I now faced.
“I’ll join,” I grumbled.
“Awe, sound more enthusiastic,” Samuel teased. “Homework is fun.”
I cut him a dark look. “Says the guy who doesn’t even go to fucking college.”
Samuel mimed brushing dust from his shoulder. “Don’t be jealous that I managed to secure a job I love without a four-year degree.”
I leaned around him to look at Hunter. “Seriously, what the fuck do you see him?”
Hunter’s grin was pure trouble. “It’s his good dick.”
Samuel laughed so abruptly, he choked on his burger.
Chapter 19
Blaze
“Unfortunately, your optic nerves have been damaged,” the neuro-optometrist Jaxon had been referred to told him. I tightened my hand around Jaxon’s, my heart aching for him when his face fell. “Surgery won’t fix this. The best I can do for you is give you prism glasses in combination with your prescription, which will help the double vision. But as for the blurred vision, your peripheral vision getting any better…” He shook his head. “There’s unfortunately nothing that can be done about that.”
“So, this is permanent,” Jaxon said, his voice hollow.
Dr. Reids nodded. “Yes, unfortunately. I see it more often than I’d like, mostly in patients who play sports, especially high-contact sports.”
Jaxon sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Can we do the glasses then? How soon can they get in?”
“I can have them as soon as Monday,” Dr. Reids told him. “And I’ll order a cover you can put over your glasses to help with the light from your devices. I know that’s not very comfortable for you.”
Jaxon shook his head in agreement. I brushed my thumb over his knuckles. This wasn’t the news we’d wanted, but at least we weren’t left wondering if he’d ever get better. We now knew this was permanent, and we could adjust our lives accordingly.
“I know you had an eye exam done right after your injury, but I’d like to do one myself for my own comfort of mind. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine,” Jaxon told him.
