Skyler used a finger to tip his chin up. “Almost. He’s written more than the rest of us combined.”
“Not true,” he repeated.
“Stop being modest,” Skyler told him. “You know you’re so talented.”
“Thanks, baby,” he said in a quiet voice only meant for Skyler to hear.
Skyler cradled his cheek and angled his face for a kiss. It was completely innocent, barely more than a peck, but Layla chose that moment to come strolling in, and she pretended to gag dramatically.
“Stop being gross,” she said, snatching Skyler’s half-eaten cookie out of his hand and taking a bite.
“Just for that,” Skyler said, “we’re going to have sex so loud tonight you won’t even be able to drown it out with your angry girl rock.”
Theresa spun on her heels and promptly left the room, while Trevor caught Mr. James trying to cover a laugh.
Layla rolled her eyes. “Don’t pretend you don’t listen to that music too. And seriously, Sky, I love you, but if I hear you having sex, I won’t stop at shaving your head. I will actually kill you.”
“What would be the point of shaving my head then?”
Layla looked like she was going to smack him, but Trevor jumped in. “It’s okay, I told him I was going to ga—”
Skyler snatched his cookie back from Layla and shoved it into Trevor’s open mouth, crumbs landing all over his chin.
He laughed and tried not to choke as he swallowed it. He’d only been messing with him, but he didn’t know where else he could have gone with that sentence, so it was probably good Skyler stopped him.
Layla looked back and forth between the two of them, narrowing her eyes like she’d gotten the gist anyway. Then she shouted out, “Mom, Skyler stole my cookie!”
“Sorry, I can’t hear you!” her mom called back. “I’m afraid I currently have no children!”
Mr. James chuckled and said, “Skyler, would you please apologize for traumatizing your mother?”
“What about my cookie?” Layla asked. But her dad fixed her with a straight-faced stare until she sighed and went to the counter to grab one for herself.
Trevor couldn’t help but grin at the way all of them interacted, constantly giving each other shit.
Skyler went to get his mom. Leading her back into the kitchen, he said, “I promise I’ll stop talking about all the hot, wild sex Trevor and I have.”
“Sky!” Trevor and Mr. James admonished him at the same time.
“I’m kidding, sheesh! I swear I’ll stop.”
Theresa sighed before turning to Trevor. “I don’t know how you put up with this one.”
He considered making a joke, but one glance at Skyler’s brightly smiling face had him going for sincerity instead. “Guess I just love him.”
Layla gagged again and chucked a cookie at him from across the room, but the pleased looks he got from Skyler and his mom made it worth the smudge of chocolate on his shirt.
Later that evening, afterspending two hours watching Skyler play a very intense game of Scrabble with his dad, Trevor was sitting on Skyler’s bed with his legs spread and Skyler between them, rubbing Skyler’s back.
“If you keep doing this, I’ll fall asleep,” Skyler warned, leaning back into Trevor’s touch despite his words.
Trevor pinched the skin right above his hip, making him squeak. “That’s okay. We can sleep.”
“Not yet. I want to show you something first.”
“You’ve already introduced me to Freddie.”
Skyler turned his head and rolled his eyes at him. “I’m serious.”
