Surrounded by fresh air and after hours of exercise, Aaron would have been happy with a piece of plain toast, so the feast Jay laid out in front of him was truly mouthwatering. Sandwiches, carefully wrapped in cellophane, a container of neatly cut watermelon slices, and two giant chocolate chip cookies. Aaron unwrapped his sandwich and moaned with satisfaction. “Caprese is my favorite. How did you know?”
Jay winked and popped a piece of watermelon into his mouth, clearly not planning on giving up his secrets.
Later, when all the food was gone, they lay side by side and squinted at the sky. A heavy stillness hung around them as the midday sun blazed down, its relentless heat causing sweat to bead on their skin. They’d have to pack up and get moving soon, but Aaron wanted another minute of feeling Jay’s shoulder against his, of listening to the rustle of leaves and faraway chirps, of watching carefree birds flit from branch to branch.
Of basking in the fact that the man he loved knew him well enough to bring him on a hike and feed him his favorite sandwich.
“I love you,” he murmured, not bothering to turn his head. He knew Jay would hear.
There was a sound of movement, and the sky was gone, replaced with Jay’s beaming face.
“I love you too,” Jay whispered and dipped down to place a soft kiss on Aaron’s lips. It tasted like basil, watermelon, and the future.
Epilogue
TWO YEARS LATER
AARON
“Well?” Mark’s tinny voice blared through the cell phone speaker, but Aaron couldn’t be bothered to turn down the volume. He hovered over the simmering stew with a watchful eye, wielding a wooden spoon like a weapon.
“It smells good. I got the recipe from his mom,” Aaron replied, squashing the desire to start stirring just to keep his hands busy. He glared at the kitchen timer and forced himself to step away. “I got everything ready.”
“Wish I could be there.” Mark sounded almost wistful, and Aaron shuddered at the thought.
“I don’t. We’ll get enough of you when we see you next month.”
“I can’t wait! Rachel has so many plans for you.”
“You do remember that I lived there for most of my life, right? I’m fully capable of showing Jay around without the two of you. When we visited last year, you barely let us out of your sight.”
Aaron sensed Mark’s pout without having to see it. Time apart had not dulled his senses when it came to his ex-husband, but it had also given him the ability to set firm boundaries. The silence dragged on until Mark sighed dramatically.
“Fine, but we still get the weekend. Rachel made reservations at some fancy restaurant. And I bought tickets for a battle reenactment.”
Aaron groaned, about to tell Mark where he could shove his reenactment tickets, when the front door opened.
“I gotta go—he’s home. No reenactments!” He hung up before Mark had a chance to argue and skipped into the living room.
“You’re home early!” Jay’s face lit up. He dropped his bag on the couch and closed the distance between them, enveloping Aaron in a full-body hug. Aaron melted into Jay, all the worries of the day quickly disappearing, replaced with the warm glow of their all-consuming love.
Living together was amazing. Aaron had moved in a year ago, abandoning the high-rise apartment in favor of Jay’s cozy house. The furniture they’d picked out together on one of their first dates fit neatly into the household, just like the rest of Aaron’s possessions. Jay’s house was the place he was meant to be, somewhere he truly belonged.
“Whyareyou home early?” Jay asked after they emerged from their embrace. Both of them were already breathing hard, feeling the pull of desire. Aaron had to fight to keep his hands from delving under Jay’s clothing. He had a plan for tonight, and that plan didn’t involve fucking Jay before dinner, so he cleared his throat and stepped away from temptation.
“I took the day off to run some errands.” He flashed a quick smile at Jay before hurrying back to the kitchen. “Hang out, relax. I’ll have dinner out soon.”
“Do you want help?” Jay asked, even though Aaron had already retreated. Poking his head back into the living room, he narrowed his eyes until Jay raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll relax. I’ll go jump in the shower.”
Aaron blew him a kiss and sauntered back into the kitchen, picking up his pace as soon as he was out of eyesight. He turned off the stove and waited for the shower upstairs to turn on before rushing to the guest bathroom, where he’d stashed his clothes. It didn’t take long to slip into his outfit and apply the eyelinerand mascara with a trembling hand. He’d just put on some strawberry-flavored lip balm when the water turned off, and it was time to head back for the finishing touches.
The rich aroma of turmeric and lime permeated the small kitchen as he filled the plates and carried them out into the dining room, setting them on the large table.
They’d never used the dining table for its intended purpose, usually eating their dinners at the coffee table, and it had taken Aaron a few hours to put away the random paperwork and stacks of books littering the surface to set it up for a romantic meal. The outcome was well worth it.
After drawing the curtains and dimming the lights, he stepped back to admire the fruits of his labor.
Mismatched candles in the middle of the table provided most of the illumination. Their flickering flames cast dancing shadows on every surface of the room, adding to the cozy atmosphere. Perfectly folded cloth napkins and meticulously arranged silverware spoke to Aaron’s nervous energy from earlier in the day, but even they didn’t detract from the intimate setting.
