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“You’re a good man, Joey. A better man than me.”

“You need to get your head examined,” he said.

But he was smiling.

And that was good enough for me.

CHAPTER 35

JOEY

Mom hovered near the pool house door as I taped the last box shut. Kit was in the bathroom, packing the last of the toiletries into a duffel bag now that Moving Day was finally here.

“I wish you weren’t going,” she said, twisting her fingers together. “We’re happy to have you here.”

We’d had this conversation before. Several times, in fact.

“It’s time, Mom.” I crossed the room and tugged her into a hug. “We’ll still see each other. I’m only moving across town.”

“We barely saw you when you were across the lawn,” she said with a watery laugh.

I gave her a squeeze and pulled back. “I’ll come for dinner next weekend, okay? We’ll probably see each other more. I just…I need to build my own life.”

Dad came across the lawn, a toolbox in his hands. He held it out to me. “Every man needs a toolbox.”

“Oh, I’m fine⁠—”

“Take it, son. Use it to start building that life of yours.”

A pickup pulled into the circle drive. Tex was at the wheel, Hollywood beside him. I didn’t see Ruby, so he must have dropped her with family. Probably for the best.

Aiden’s hatchback pulled in behind them.

Ghost parked at the curb.

It was late in the day for a move, but I didn’t have that much stuff, and the guys were confident we could take it all in one trip.

I took the toolbox my dad held out. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to take the furniture in here?”

There was a bed, a dresser, a computer desk and chair, and two matching armchairs.

“Of course,” Mom said. “Take it. No one else will use it out here. If there’s anything you want from your old room⁠—”

“No.” I’d been too abrupt, judging by the way her smile sagged. “I’ve got everything I need.”

Kit came up beside me and slipped an arm around my waist. I leaned into him. It was instinct by now to lean on him, to seek out his warmth whenever he was near.

“Ready to start hauling boxes? We can get them all packed into the cars first, then start on the furniture.”

“Yeah.”

Thank god for Kit. I was ready to escape the family goodbye, and he knew it. Knew me.

I never thought I’d be so close to another person. When I believed myself to be in love with Trevor in high school, it had been a shallow river. Trevor never actually knew the real me. I’d been terrified to show him. But Kit was an ocean, growing deeper every day. He’d seen my very worst flaws, and he chose me anyway.

He kept choosing me, and I was in awe of it. But I was grateful too. Grateful I could know this kind of love, despite my mistakes.

Tex and Hollywood came up the driveway. I made hasty introductions for my parents’ sake, while Kit and the guys scooped up boxes. Aiden and Knight soon joined them, then Ghost.