I realized I hadn’t moved from my place by the chairs, lost in my own mind, when the front door opened. Reyes froze midstep, eyes wide.
“What the…”
I could barely suppress my laugh as I dusted off my knees. “If only you could see your face.”
He glanced back at the fort while I approached. “Was this your idea or Harrison’s?”
“His. Well, mine. Uh, I guess both really. We kind of got carried away.”
“I’ll say.” He reached up to touch one of the blankets tied on the coat rack above his head. “It looks like a cave.”
“Be sure to tell Harris that. That’s what started the whole thing. I promised him tacos and Transformers tonight, and somehow that turned into a movie den, which turned into all of us sleeping out here on an air mattress. I apologize in advance for any sore muscles and aching backs tomorrow.”
Rey’s beautiful eyes sparkled as he grinned at me. “It’ll be worth it.” He kissed me. “You’re better with him than you think you are, Jake,” he whispered.
“REY!” Harrison said excitedly, bouncing on the tips of his toes to look over the blankets separating us. He quickly ducked under it and crawled across the floor to us.
“Thought you were getting the pillows?” I asked when I saw what he was holding.
He ignored me, holding a very familiar toy in one hand. “Bumblebee wants to sleep with us!”
“I bet he does! Everyone wants to sleep in the coolest blanket fort ever!” Reyes lifted him and gave him a hug. “Looks like you had a good day with Jake.”
Harrison’s grin melted something inside me, making me smile. “Yeah, but I wish you were here too. It would have been even more fun.”
“Aww, but Jake is fun!” Reyes encouraged.
Harrison laughed. “I know he is! But it’s more fun when we’re all together!”
Reyes and I shared a look before he set Harrison down. “Jake said you’re making us tacos.”
Harrison flashed me an incredulous look. “Me!I can’t cook!”
“Well, if you want tacos, you’re going to have to help,” I said.
He huffed. “’kay. But no tomatoes. I didn’t like those last time.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. His single piece of tomato must have been one tomato too many. “Deal.”
Reyes went to shower while Harrison and I made dinner. When he came back out, Harris reached under a book on the counter and handed him a piece of paper. I only caught a glimpse of it before Rey accepted it, but could tell it was another one of his drawings. He’d drawn us something at least once every day since he’d been here. I made another mental note to look up art sets for him for Christmas.
Wait.Why was I thinking about Christmas with him?
Reyes’s smile faded as he looked at the drawing, and a hand came down to rest on Harrison’s shoulder. Whatever it was had struck Reyes completely speechless. Curious, I peeked over his shoulder and felt the same pang of shock Rey had.
Harrison had drawn all three of us, together. As a family. Wyatt was there too, but off to the side while Harrison stood between Rey and me, holding our hands with a big smile on his face. It looked as if he knew that’s where he belonged.
Because he did.
My throat tightened with emotion as I glanced at Reyes. When his sapphire eyes finally met mine, they were full of hope, confusion, and uncertainty. I had no idea what to say. Hell… I had no idea what to even think. Harrison’s picture hadn’t just blindsided Rey, but it’d caught me off guard too, igniting a desire in me I hadn’t even considered until that very moment. I wanted a life with Rey more than I ever wanted anything, but not justalife.Thislife. With Harrison.
But could I do that him? Could I take that risk, knowing there might be a day in his future where he wouldn’t have me anymore? I wasn’t sure I would ever get over the pain of losing my dad, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to put Harris through that. Until Harrison entered my life, the answer had always been a hard no. But now… fuck, now I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“This is great, Sport,” I said in a barely controlled voice. I managed to take the picture from Reyes and attach it to the fridge with a magnet before ruffling Harrison’s hair. “You’re quite the artist. I should introduce you to my friend Preston. He’s an artist too. Did I tell you that?”
“No.”
“He is. He can paint and draw and make all sorts of things.”
Reyes still hadn’t said anything, but as I stood at the counter and dished up the tacos for Harrison, I felt him come up behind me, kissing me on the shoulder. I looked back at him, giving him a small smile.
“One day at a time, yeah?” I said quietly.
Rey let out a breath and slid his arms around me. “If that’s what it takes,” he said softly.
