“You sound like a man angling for another sugar baby,” Seth said, threading his arm through Mark’s. “It’s okay, I don’t mind sharing you with Hayden. He’s cute and he could reach things on high shelves for me when you’re not around.”
I glanced at Wes, who was no help at all. All he did was grin at me and laugh when Seth wiggled his eyebrows.
Traitor.
“You’re more than enough trouble all by yourself,” Mark said, but he managed to make it sound likeI love you and I wouldn’t have anyone else. “How about it, Hayden? It’s just down the other end of the street.”
I looked at Wes again, remembering the trip he needed to make to the hardware store. He’d agreed to keep me company today, I didn’t want to abandon him.
“You go with Mark,” he said. “I’ll keep Seth occupied looking at shiny things while you’re gone.”
“Hey!” Seth objected, but with very little force behind it. “I also like brightly-colored things.”
Wes snorted. “I’ll take you to the paint chip section,” he promised. “Hours of entertainment. We can meet up for that croissant back here later?”
He was so impossibly easy to get along with that I only just believed he was real.
Seth switched arms, taking Wes’s with obvious delight, and tiny surge of jealousy ran through me.
After hesitating for a second, I gathered all my nerve and moved to stand in front of Wes, stomach swooping as I cupped his jaw and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to his lips.
He stared at me open-mouthed when I pulled back, as shocked as I was nervous.
I didn’t kiss in public. I wasn’t used to it.
But Wes wasmine, dammit, and I knew Seth didn’t really want him anyway, but that wasn’t the point.
I’d just needed to kiss him.
“Figured it was time I gave you that back,” I said, remembering that final kiss from last night.
“Oh mygod,” Seth whispered beside him. “Oh my god, why didn’t youtell me?” he asked as I turned to follow Mark to the other end of the street.
“I thought it was a secret,” Wes said as we walked away, still sounding dazed.
Warm tingles danced in the pit of my stomach as Mark and I stepped back out into the full sunshine.
I took out my phone to message Wes.
Hayden:It doesn’t have to be a secret in front of your friends. We can talk about dad later.
“Seth likes you,” Mark said as we wandered down the street.
He was Aaron’s age, but he didn’t remind me of Aaron at all.
“I like Seth,” I said in response, because it was true. Ididlike Seth. And Andre. I was glad I’d met them.
“I know,” Mark said. “He’s not to everyone’s taste, and I know that, but I like seeing him make friends. I like seeing him happy.”
“You love him,” I said. Even if Wes hadn’t been positive that was true, I could see it with my own two eyes. Mark radiated love for Seth.
“More than anything,” Mark said, pausing at one of the shopfronts and holding the door open for me.
As soon as I stepped inside, the distinct smell of an antique dealer hit me. I’d missed the sign on the way in, but I’d know that smell anywhere.
Dad had dragged a bored twelve-year-old Hayden into so many of these up and down the coast on weekends that I’d never forget it. I hadn’t set foot in one since, but the familiarity was surprisingly comforting.
I missed going on road trips with my dad. Maybe he’d have time to do that this week, if I planned it out.
