Ididn’tneed it anymore. I was past caring what people thought of me and I only wore it for other people’s benefit, so they’d know they weren’t alone.
Passing it on seemed like the best thing I could do.
“Thank you,” Carter said, closing his hand around it and letting it flop back down on the bed as I climbed back in, making myself comfortable to look up at the stars a little longer.
I grinned as his pinky finger curled around mine.
“This is a really magical queer moment,” I said.
Carter snorted. “And you’re determined to ruin it by pointing it out?”
“It’s not ruined.” I tightened my finger around his, just enough for him to feel it. “Just want you to know I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Carter said.
We fell silent, watching the stars above, one point of contact enough for both of us, and my heart clenched at the thought of how sweet this was.
I was in trouble.
19
Carter
“You’re cute in the mornings,”Aiden said, licking milk foam off his upper lip.
I looked up to meet his eyes, raising an eyebrow.
“What?” Aiden grinned. “You are. You’re only half-awake. It’s adorable.”
“Adorable,” I repeated, rolling the word around in my mouth to try it on for size. “You’re the only person who’s called me that since I was like… eight, I guess.”
“Shame,” Aiden said, sipping his coffee again.
He’d taken me to the bakery he’d been getting breakfast at this morning. It was warm, and cozy, and the table was small enough that we couldn’t help our feet being tangled together under it.
The lace curtains were what really made the place.
Well, the lace curtains and the hot, fresh, sugary donuts Aiden was determined to fatten me up on.
I’d finally figured out that he liked watching me eat, and I wasn’t afraid to make the most of it, breaking my donut off in delicate bite-sized pieces to draw it out for him.
He’d done a lot for me, this was the least I could do in exchange.
Besides, I liked the way he looked at me. No one had ever looked at me like he did.
“Oh, hey,” I said between donut bites, interrupting the glazed look on Aiden’s face. He was moments away from drooling, and Ilovedthat.
I’d never been sure about how to turn a partner on before, and I’d never reallyhadto, because it hadn’t been about me. It’d been about a relatively stable boyfriend who looked presentable in public and let them have whatever they wanted in bed.
I was still thinking about howdifferentit’d been with Aiden as I opened my coat, turning it so he could see the badge he’d given me pinned to the inside pocket.
Maybe I wasn’t quite ready to wear my heart on my sleeve—or my lapel, like he did—but I appreciated the gesture, and I wanted him to know that.
Aiden’s eyes widened, surprised joy lighting his pretty features up.
How was he wearing perfect eyeliner at this hour? I was struggling to drink coffee out of a travel cup without spilling it.
“You don’t have to wear it,” he said, nudging my foot under the table.
