This was Seth’s wedding day, and it was our job to give him hell. Gentle hell. Just enough to let him know we loved him.
“You guys suck,” Seth said, but he didn’t mean it.
“Rumor has it that Harvey does, anyway. In your guest bathroom,” Wes said, still grinning.
The tips of my ears got so hot so fast I wasn’t sure theyhadn’tcaught fire.
Dante. Dante must’ve told him.
“This isn’t about me,” I defended. “Seth’s the one who suddenly doesn’tmake love.”
“I would’ve picked Mark as the making love type,” Andre said. “He seems romantic.”
“He is,” Seth admitted. “And he’s so fucking smart and funny and he’s hot whether you agree with me or not,” he added. “I love him, guys. I love him so much it hurts when I think about it because there’s not enough room in my heart for all thefeeling, y’know?”
“I know,” Wes sighed dreamily.
Andre and I glanced at each other.
Secretly, I was starting to worry that Ididknow what it was like.
I just didn’t have the first idea what to do about it, except for the overwhelming impulse to run the hell away. Big feelings werescary, as it turned out.
I’d never had to feel feelings like this before.
At least, not since I was an always-scared teenager with one best friend who made everything feel easier. Iggy was the only shelter I’d ever had. I’d loved him like Theo loved him, as best friend and protector and…
Someone I really,reallywanted to kiss, but wasn’t allowed to.
So pretty much exactly like Theo. Only Theo never got in trouble for breaking that rule.
The point was, now I was thinking I loved him adifferentway, and I was terrified.
A bleat from behind me made me turn just in time to see the collared goat running full-pelt in my direction. I tried to get out of its way, but my feet had been sucked into the mud by now, and all I managed was to drop to my knees with yet another squelch as it ran in and headbutted me in the kidneys.
“Ow,” I hissed, grabbing at it only to lose my grip because of all the mud on my hands, the goat bouncing away from me with another mocking bleat.
Andre offered me a hand while Seth looked on in horror at the mud stains that now ran from my ankles to my knees. Before, I’d been damp and slightly dirty.
Now, I was filthy.
We all were.
“Did you know goats are probably the first species of animal humans ever domesticated?” Andre asked, surveying the few still roaming free. “They’re responsible for human civilization, basically.”
“They’re currentlyresponsiblefor ruining my wedding,” Seth said, pulling out his phone. “People are gonna start arriving in less than ten minutes.”
“Okay, people,” I said, using my best team leader voice. “If our ancestors could do it, we can do it. Let’s herd some goats.”
22
Iggy
Whatever I was expectingto find when I got to Seth’s wedding venue—Dante had given me and Theo a ride—it wasn’t Harvey covered in mud and wrestling a goat to the ground, Wes and Andre standing by and cheering him on. Also covered in mud.
Theo took off as soon as I set him down, leash slipping right out of my hand as he barked his tiny head off to go and defend Harvey from the goat he was rolling around in the mud with.
“Hey, Iggy?” Dante said, moving to stand beside me. “Your boyfriend’s weird.”
