“Why’s your hair wet?” I ask Eli around a mouthful of ice cream.
Eli flushes. “Trevor’s helping me train for a marathon.”
“A marathon,” I repeat in utter disbelief. I don’t think I once saw Eli use the gym at the clubhouse back in Georgia.
Eli shovels ice cream into his mouth until he looks like a chipmunk, cheeks puffed and eyes set firmly over my shoulder. He’s definitely avoiding something. I’m too stupid to figure out what it is though.
Eli shrugs. “I just want to be better at running. It’s important to be healthy. I want to… I want to be serious about my health for Colby. Take care of myself.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why?”
Eli bites his lip and pushes some of the ice cream around. “Well, he already lost one man. I don't want him to lose two.”
“That’s kinda morbid, Eli.”
“Well.”
“Colby is so lucky to have you. You love him so much, don’t you?”
Eli glances behind his shoulder at the fridge where a selfie of them grinning on the beach at sunset hangs. When he turns back to me, his eyes dance with what I can only assume is love. I’m so happy for him and Trevor and Jackson, the happiness they’ve found here is second to none.
“I love him more than I can ever say.” Eli leans forward and rests his hand over mine with a sweet smile. “It’s okay to love Nolan like that too. He looks at you like you hung the goddamn moon. That doesn’t come around all that often.”
“Does he really?”
Eli’s grin inches up until his eyes crinkle. “Oh yeah, Benji. I wish you could see how he looks at you. Pay attention next time, when he thinks you’re not looking. A million stars at once in his gaze.”
Armed with a containerof ice cream and cookies, I push through the front door. The air is chilly as the sun sets, and the heat isn’t on. I kick the heat up to lower the chill, then pad my way toward the bedroom. Nolan is still asleep, dressed in one of the hoodies from my suitcase. The sheet only covers his calves since he probably tossed and turned for a while since he was alone.
Quietly placing the containers on the nightstand, I carefully crawl into the bed with him. I curl around him, nuzzling my headinto the crook of his warm neck. He makes a surprised sound before tangling his fingers into the hair at the base of my neck.
“Hi,” Nolan mumbles, voice thick with sleep.
“Hi.” I press my mouth to his warm cheek, tracing the line of his jaw with my lips until I can softly kiss him.
Nolan hums against my lips as I tug him until he’s lying halfway over me. He tastes like coffee, which I know he probably drank just before taking his nap because he can somehow drink coffee and immediately fall asleep. I crack my eyes open to watch him as we kiss, only to find him already looking at me.
Nolan pulls away with a frown. “Why were you watching me?”
“Why were you watching me?” I repeat.
A beat goes by, and then Nolan is laughing and falling heavily against me. God, I love the way his laugh sounds. His laughter sounds like he’s singing, deep and musical. The best sound I’ve ever heard. Being the source of his laughter is my greatest accomplishment in life.
“Nice nap?” I ask quietly.
He rubs his face against my stubbled jaw. “Would’ve been better if you’d been here.”
“You wanted to nap alone.”
Nolan sighs softly. “Better in my head than in actuality.”
Gently moving him off of me, I roll over to grab the now melted container of ice cream and cookies. I hand them over to him with a hesitant smile, but he only looks up at me like he does sometimes, eyes full of wonder.
“I figured you were hungry.”
“I wasn’t but now I am,” Nolan admits, voice so low that I barely hear him.
I push back against the headboard and tug him to sit between my legs. The ice cream is kind of melted, but Nolan doesn’t seem to care. He mixes the cookies into the ice cream, breaksthem with his spoon, and proceeds to happily and quietly eat the concoction. After a few bites, he lifts the spoon over his shoulder for me to eat some as well. It’s good in that comforting sort of way ice cream can sometimes be. Nolan finishes the dessert and bends forward to set the containers at the edge of the bed. I let my hands coast over the breadth of his ribs, then slip back up when he bends back to fall against my chest.
