Reid was beautiful. It made Gabriel’s heart hurt to see him like this and not be able to reach out and touch him, press him up against the wall, loosen his tie and leave him gasping for air before gently putting his hair back into place and sending him out.
Or going out with him.
He went tospace. Surely one award night wasn’t totally impossible?
Especially since Reid was already out to all those people. None of them would be surprised. He wouldn’t be going if he didn’t feel welcome.
Reid had picked maybe the least convenient neighborhood in town to live in because he felt welcome there.
“And you’re still more important to me,” Reid said, his voice low. He ducked his head to catch Gabriel’s gaze. “I love you.”
For a moment, it was as though someone had sucked all the air out of the room. Gabriel’s chest tightened, his lungs burning as he struggled to breathe.
That was a lot to take in.
He was in love with Reid, too. That was why the past week had been agony, that was why he’d hated himself so much for losing the best thing he’d ever had.
He wasn’t alone. Reid felt the same way, and if that was true, then Reid didn’t want them to be apart, either. He couldn’t have.
“Reid, I…” Gabriel began, unsure what to say.
Reid had come here instead of going to the most important event of the year. He’d blown off his entire profession for Gabriel.
There was only one response to that. Only one thing Gabriel could do for both of them.
“I have to get dressed,” he said.
Reid blinked at him.
Clearly, he hadn’t followed Gabriel’s train of thought. That made sense, since all of it had happened in Gabriel’s head.
“I can’t go to your awards night in a pair of sweatpants and an oldStar Warst-shirt, can I?” Gabriel asked.
“You’re coming?” Reid blinked again, his brow furrowing.
Gabriel took a step toward him, reaching out to take both of Reid’s hands, squeezing them tight. He looked up, meeting Reid’s eyes, and then leaned in close to kiss him, letting his eyes fall closed as their lips made contact, his heart skipping as Reid responded.
In an ideal world, Gabriel would have just stayed like this, with Reid, all night.
But in the world where he wanted to be a good boyfriend—a goodpartner, the man Reid deserved—he had to go and get dressed up.
He could do this. He’d done it once without giving it a second thought, and then let himself get scared out of it bychildren.
Like Alice said, it wasn’t stupid to have doubts. But itwasstupid to let doubts get in the way of living his life. He wanted Reid more than he wanted to hide.
He didn’t want to hide at all. Not really. Not when he knew what he’d be missing out on if he did.
Reid was worth anything. He was wortheverything.
“I love you, too,” Gabriel said. “And if you can do something as incredible as blowing off all your colleagues to come here and tell me that… I can stand with you at your award night. And you can introduce me as your gorgeous boyfriend.”
“Really?” Reid asked, his whole face lighting up.
Gabriel couldn’t help but smile back. As nervous as the idea made him, a sense of peace was settling over him, too. This was the right thing. This was the path he was supposed to take next.
The path that meant Reid would walk beside him.
