16
“You know, as nice as it was to have Ryan all to myself for a few days, I missed this place,” Oscar said as he sat down at the table, passing Ezra a mug of coffee.
“But you guys had fun, right? Because you’reglowing,” Ezra said, his heart soaring for Oscar. If anyone deserved a fairytale ending, it was him.
“So much fun.” Oscar beamed. “Some of it was even out of bed. We went for long walks all bundled up in scarves and gloves, and drank hot chocolate in front of the fire. Sat and watched the stars. And every time we saw one of the little Key deer, I thought my heart was gonna explode.”
Ezra grinned at the thought. “So sounds like Ryan picked a good place to take you.”
“He did,” Oscar agreed. “He’s incredible. I love him so much and I still can’t believe I get tokeephim.”
“Have I mentioned lately that you two are gross?” Ezra teased. He was thrilled for Oscar, and they both knew it. Oscar and Ryan had worked hard for what they had together, been gentle and kind with each other, and built a beautiful relationship that formed the core of this place, now.
Seeing them together was a little like watching wild birds work together to build a nest, Ezra thought. They justgot along, lived in perfect synergy, knew instinctively what the other needed.
He wanted that, too, and it gave him hope to see that someone else had it. That it wasn’t impossible.
“Noted,” Oscar said. “The sex was also great, for the record.”
Ezra rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t quite hide his smile. Besides, right now,hewas getting laid, so he didn’t feel personally attacked by the fact that other people were.
“So, what’d I miss?” Oscar asked. “I notice you guys didn’t burn the sanctuary down while we were gone or anything.”
Ezra snorted. “Nah. You know winter’s always slow,” he said.
Should he tell Oscar what was going on with Mike? He was desperate to tellsomeone.
But on the other hand, he knew that for Mike, this was a secret. Their little secret.
It wasn’t as though he’d told Ezra to keep it that way, but he knew Mike wasn’t exactly ready to tie a rainbow flag around his neck and march at next summer’s pride parade. Oscar wouldn’t judge—and he wouldn’t tell anyone, either, but…
“Something happened,” Oscar said perceptively. Obviously, Ezra’s face had given him away.
Dammit.
Well…
He didreallyneed to talk to someone about this. Someone who wasn’t Mike. Because if Mike thoughthewas confused, he had nothing on how Ezra felt right now.
“I’m screwing Mike,” Ezra said. That probably wasn’t the best way to break the news, but it was all he could think to say on short notice.
Oscar choked on his mouthful of coffee, tears welling up in his eyes as he forced himself to swallow and then coughed a few times, thumping his fist on the center of his chest.
“Holy shit,” he responded, voice still rough. “Holyshit.”
“Sorry.” Ezra winced. He probably should have waited until Oscar had swallowed, considering what a surprise this was bound to be.
It was just that once he’d decided tosayit, he had to get the words out as quickly and clearly as possible so he couldn’t chicken out. Actually saying it out loud changed everything.
Now it was real.
Now it wasn’t a secret anymore, not just something he and Mike were doing behind closed doors, sneaking around. Now that Oscar knew, it had entered the world as something that was really happening, not just a fleeting memory that both he and Mike could choose to forget later.
Not that Ezra wanted to forget, except that maybe one day hewouldwant to. If Mike just… moved on after this, and walked out of his life all over again, then he wouldn’t want to keep thinking about it. He wouldn’t want the pity, or the knowing glances, or people tiptoeing around him.
“No need to apologize, my lungs probably needed the coffee,” Oscar said, clearing his throat one final time. “Jesus, okay. So. Tell me all about that.”
“Uh.” Ezra scratched the back of his head. What was there to tell, exactly?
