A serious, firm look gets aimed my way by Jackson. “Is Trevor your real name?”
I wince. “No.”
Eli nods in understanding. “Well, lots of things make sense now. You’ve always been oddly paranoid about where you are, but I honestly just thought it was your anxiety. Also, one time when we were out grocery shopping, I called your name like ten times, and you never answered me. I threw a lemon at you.”
Oh God, I remember that. The lemon had clocked my right cheek and Eli had apologized profusely for weeks.
“I remember that.”
“So, what’s this all got to do with Beau… why all the subterfuge?” Jackson asks.
“Just to be clear,” I tell Jackson with a very serious look, “I have never once claimed to be intelligent.”
Benji blinks rapidly. “Okay.”
“I was his fake boyfriend for a wedding. Took me about twenty-four hours to fall in love with the man. Then his father died, and he asked Claire for me, but I was contracting with Nolan at the time. But we worked it out so I could come. Claire only took her cut, and I came and was a fake boyfriend for the funeral. And it hurt so much. I wasn’t ready to feel that way about someone. I was still in college and my parents were causing me problems… it was all too much.” I avert my gaze from Eli’s sad eyes and pick at a thread on the quilt covering the backof the sofa. “So, I ran. Left him, asked him to wait for me. I didn’t know if I could ever do it. But I graduated and you found your happiness and I thought… can I do it? Can I have that too? Did Beau wait for me? It’s an asshole move, I admit it, but I thought if he waited for me, then it was a sign that maybe I’m not a piece of shit like my parents. Maybe there’s something good inside me too that’s worth being loved by someone as good as Beau Callahan.”
“Oh, Trevor.” Eli’s tone is so heartbreaking that I have to bite my lip to stop tears from falling. “You’re so worth being loved. So many people love you. I love you, and Jackson loves you, and Benji… now Beau. A lot of people love you.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just… hard to remember sometimes.”
“Your parents never told you they love you?”
I sniff and wipe at my nose. “Infrequently.”
“Sweet Trevor,” Benji whispers, heartbreak clouding his gentle face.
Benji crawls to the sofa, and envelops me in his arms, swaying back and forth on the sofa. We sit in silence for a long time with him just petting at my hair. I had missed them so much the past few months. My dearest friends. My only friends really. Now Eli and I live right across the street from each other. The world is so small and beautiful. Benji pulls away so that Eli can hug me too. I allow the affection despite not quite knowing how to accept it still.
“Colby is such a good man,” I whisper into Eli’s wild curls.
“Yeah,” Eli admits with a soft little sigh. “He’s a great man. I’m so lucky to have him.”
“MaybePretty Womanisn’t so far off.”
Eli smacks my head. “We’re both Julia Roberts in this scenario. Even with the age gap.”
A moment later the back door opens to reveal a tired-looking Beau. His eyes meet mine first, then flit over to the other boys.One of those gorgeous, patented Beau smiles spreads across his face. My heart beats double time in my chest just from that single smile.
“Hey, everyone, stopping by for a visit?”
Beau slips off his shoes, then heads into his kitchen for an ice-cold water.
“Dropping off this jerk’s duffle bag.” Eli stands with a sigh, dusting off his tight jeans with his hands. “Colby is waiting for us in the Jeep to take us out to dinner.”
“Yeah, I chatted with him for a bit outside. Maybe we can do a double date sometime?”
Eli practically beams. “I’d love that! Now, if you make Trevor anything but happy, I’ll kill you. Lots of places to hide bodies out here.”
Beau just chuckles as Eli pats his arm as he exits through the back. Jackson salutes Beau on his exit, while Benji gives Beau a tight hug despite them only briefly meeting the other day. A honk fills the air, before the sound of gravel kicking floats through the open back door.
“All good?” Beau asks gently.
“All good.” I walk over to him in the kitchen, wrap my arms around his neck, and go up on my tiptoes to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Tired?”
“Been a long few days. I usually take Tuesday and Wednesday off, that’s my weekend. You wanna do something fun with me tomorrow?”
“The answer to that question is always going to be yes.”
