I search his face, looking for any sign of doubt or uncertainty, but all I see is determination. I take a deep breath, a slow smile spreading across my face, because right now all I feel is peace. He’s the calm in everything that is chaos in my life. “You are allI will ever want, Dre. Forever. Just don’t break my heart, okay? I couldn’t live without you.”
The sad thing is, that’s a pretty accurate statement. I can barely keep myself alive on a good day.
I couldn’t imagine what my life would be if I lost him.
Andres grins, pulling me in for a quick kiss. “It’s a good thing I plan on never letting you go.” He kisses me again, this time a little harder. “I’ll always bring you back, baby. I won’t let you go.”
It feels right, being with him like this.
No games, no bullshit. Just us.
The Chinese restaurant we frequent comes into view, and, as if summoned, my stomach rumbles loudly. Andres chuckles. “¿Tienes hambre, hermoso?”
I rub my stomach, grinning. “Starving.”
Inside, the aroma of spices and sauces washes over us, and my mouth waters. I feel a little nauseous, a little jittery. That’s my body’s sign that my blood sugar is heading down. So I order my usual: sweet and sour pork, broccoli beef, and a side of BBQ pork chow mein. Andres raises an eyebrow. “You sure you want that much food?”
I nod, unapologetic. “I’m a growing boy. Plus leftovers for later. I’m sure you’ll have me exhausted to where I barely want to leave the apartment.”
He laughs, shaking his head as he places his order. Steamed rice with veggies and ginger sesame chicken. We find a table by the window, the city sprawling out before us. It’s a good view, but not as good as the one sitting across from me.
The man is a god. What’s that guy from Greek mythology again… Oh, right.Adonis.Andres is my Adonis. Not that I’m comparing myself to Aphrodite or anything, because I’m nothing special.
But he makes me feel special.
He leans back in his chair, a contented sigh escaping his lips. “You know, I’ve been thinking about something…”
I raise an eyebrow, taking a sip of my water. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
He pauses, his expression turning serious. “I want to know where you see us going. Like the future.”
I set my glass down, leaning forward, my elbows propped on the table. “I see a lot of baseball games and traveling, early morning workouts, and a lot of us being together—preferably naked. I see us supporting each other, pushing each other to be better athletes. I see a future where it’s us and whatever life throws our way.”
Andres’s eyes soften, and he reaches across the table, taking my hand. “That sounds pretty fucking perfect to me.”
I don’t add how I want to be his husband. How I see us—in a small three-bedroom, two-bath house in the suburbs with a dog and maybe a kid. How all I want is to grow old with him.
Our food arrives, and we dig in, conversation flowing easily between us. My pump vibrates, and I look up from my plate. Andres has his phone out, and he’s just given me insulin.
God, I love him.
We talk about everything and nothing, our laughter filling the small restaurant. It’s moments like these that make me realize just how right this feels.
How right he feels.
“Do you want to tell your parents about us?” I ask, pausing before shoving another bite into my mouth.
“Of course I do.” He leans back, draping his arm over the back of the chair next to him. “You know my parents already love you, Jack. The question is, do you want to tell yours?”
My leg starts to bounce, and I put my fork down, staring out the window.
Mom and Courtney will be fine with it. If anything, my sister has been my biggest support—through my being a confused young adult and my bisexuality. And my mom loves me more than anything, and she loves Dre for taking care of me.
It’s my dad.
I can already hear his voice in my head.
“No son of mine is going to be a fa—”Andres’s hand grips my thigh, pulling me out of it before the voice could keep going.
