Probably.
“I think I can manage. Thank you, though.”
He nods.
“I’ll wait in the bedroom, just in case. There’s a large, stone bench seat in the shower if you need to sit, and the showerhead on the right comes off the wall as a handheld unit if you need it.”
Instead of feeling suffocating, his concern and proximity bring comfort, despite the frustrating feelings I have. It’s not just the differences in our sexual orientations; we come from completely different worlds, and although I wish I could fit into his, I just don’t.
A week later,Talon and I are finally starting to find a rhythm. He’s gotten me a new phone, put the whole thing in my name so it couldn’t be taken away from me, and paid for five years of service up front—which I didn’t even know you could do.
After that, he’d tried to take me car shopping, but I adamantly refused until he gave up. There may come a point where my not having a way to get around independently is a bigger burden on him than borrowing his money, but we aren’t there yet.
Besides, Rebecca said she’s happy to bring me home any day I need her to once I return to work.
She has many questions about Talon and me, but it helps that she knows who he really is. All of Summit does now. Butthey don’t know about Derek or the abuse, or that I’ve moved in with our boss.
I caught up with Gio and everyone from the theater and really sold the lie Derek told about me being sick. I guess that part is kind of true. A splenectomy can happen for various reasons, and thankfully, no one asked for details. However, I haven’t been back to the theater itself. Not even Talon knows that’s where the night of horrors started.
My stitches came out yesterday, and I’m working on adjusting to this new life.
It’s still cold as hell, and this morning is no different. Sliding out from under the covers, I pull on one of the pairs of sweats Eloise picked up for me, grab a T-shirt, and slide into Talon’s Harvard hoodie.I hope he knows he’s never getting this back.
After brushing my teeth, I make my way to the kitchen. Talon’s banging around out there, and I swear the man is going to kill me with his adorable, incessant need to feed me.
It’s not until I’m about to step onto the tile kitchen floor that I realize I’m still in bare feet.
I brace myself for the cold only to find…
“The floors areheated? That’s a thing?”
How the fuck have I missed that this past week?
I’m caught so off guard by the warmth radiating up the soles of my feet that I completely miss the sight in front of me until Talon opens his mouth.
“Pretty sweet, huh?”
“Oh,holy shit.”
Christ. Way to not make it weird, Zeke!I mentally berate myself.
“What’s wrong?” Talon asks obliviously.
“Uh,wrong?Nothing.Problematic? Your outfit,” I sayhonestly. If we’re going to be roommates, the man needs to know.
Talon looks down at his black Henley—with the motherfucking sleeves rolled up, I might add—and gray sweatpants.
“What’s the matter with it?”
“Talon, I’mgay.”
“So?” he asks, still not getting it.
“You really need me to spell it out for you?” I ask, taking a seat on one of the barstools while he holds up a pot of coffee, questioning if I want a cup.
I nod as he says, “Guess I do.”
“Well, your sweatpants leave nothing to the imagination, whichI’mmore than fine with, butyoumay find a bit uncomfortable when I can’t hide my reaction.” One that I’m starting to feel stirring. It’s a relief as much as it is concerning. “And if you didn’t already know, Henleys and sweats are the absolute Achilles’ heel of the girls, gays, and most theys I know…and you’ve just paired them together.”
