Chapter Twelve
“Hey, uh… are you coming to bed?” Brent asked as he watched Riley settling down on the couch, shoving one of the cushions under his head.
It had taken him this long to work up the courage to say something. He wasn’t sure whether last night had been a one-time deal or not, but he didn’t even want more sex right now. Hedidwant Riley’s company.
They were heading back home tomorrow, and Brent wasn’t sure he was ready for that yet. Not without being able to lean on Riley a little more.
“Uh… if I’m invited? I wasn’t sure. You didn’t say anything.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d want to come.” Brent looked down at his feet, smiling a tiny, wry smile. “I’m not asking for sex or anything. But I am asking… I’d like to cuddle a little, if that’s okay?”
They’d done that when they were kids sometimes. Brent had always felt like he could be physically close to Riley, like it made sense to touch him.
In hindsight, he was surprised they’d never had sex before.Especiallyas horny teenagers.
He knew why he’d never suggested it. He didn’t want Riley to know how he really felt about him, and he didn’t want to be out to the whole town, either.
Hope Springs had come a long way in the last fifteen years. It had never been a horrible place, but it was a lot more open now. Hell, it was a gay tourism destination now.
Sometimes, Brent wished he’d been able to come out to his parents. Even if he’d never dated another man once, it would have been good to know he had their support.
He was pretty sure he would have had their support. He hoped so.
Riley sat up, tucking the couch cushion back into place. “I’m not gonna say no to that.”
Brent breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Riley stand and stretch his arms high above his head. He’d been afraid of Riley saying no.
“You’re going to bed now, right?” Riley asked, scratching his stomach where his t-shirt had ridden up.
Only Riley would wear actual pajama pants and a t-shirt to bed, but sit outside naked and meditate.
“Uh, yeah. Unless you wanna stay up?”
Riley shook his head. “No, I was just making sure that I wouldn’t have to break out the puppy eyes to get you to come with me. It takes a lot of effort.”
As far as Brent had seen, it didn’t take any effort at all. Riley was very good at looking at him with his big, soft brown eyes until Brent did whatever it was Riley wanted him to do.
It was never anything Brent didn’t want to do in the first place, but still. Where Riley was concerned, he was an easy mark.
“I’d race you, but I’m too tired to run and I know you’d win,” Brent said. He could already imagine Riley vaulting over the back of the couch in an effort to beat him.
Riley was the most Zen person Brent knew, until there was a challenge on the line. Then, he’d do anything to win.
Which was fine, because Brent rarely cared about winning, and at the few things hedidcare about, Riley was never going to beat him.
As he aged, he realized Riley wasn’t putting any effort into beating him at those things. Which was exactly what a real friend would do.
Riley stood in front of him, reaching out to take both of his hands, and then turned to back away toward the bedroom. Brent followed without a word of protest, eager to crawl into bed and get a nice, long night’s sleep.
Their flight tomorrow was ridiculously early in the morning, so going to bed early was the only way to accomplish that.
“Can I kiss you?” Brent asked as Riley sat down on the end of the bed, the urge suddenly overwhelming.
This was maybe his last chance to do that. He wanted to take it.
“Always,” Riley said, his whole face lighting up.
Maybe he really wasn’t just doing this for Brent’s benefit. Maybe he reallywasinto it, somehow.
