#Rev (GearShark #2) (19 page)

“How about what?”

“How about we get our own place.”

One minute my heart was beating along just fine, and then it stuttered. I felt it trip and then restart. He wanted to move in together.

A serious case of homesickness washed over me. Just the idea of permanently occupying the same place as him made me long for that home. As if all along I’d known that’s where I belonged, but I’d only just gotten the directions.

“You just want me to blow you every day.” I joked because it was the only way I could process what he suggested.

It was so intensely craved, I almost hurt.

To belong somewhere, to someone, and for that blessing to meet me every day at the door…

“You already do that.” Drew pointed out, humor in his tone.

It sounded odd, the humor, because even though I’d just made a joke, there wasn’t anything funny about this.

“You really want to get a place?” I asked.

“I really do.”

“Me, too.”
Damn.
My voice was hoarse.

Drew stood and held out a hand to me. “C’mon, I feel like taking a shower with the door open.”

I chortled and placed my hand in his, allowing him to pull me to my feet. I started toward the bathroom first, but he pulled me back around.

His arms were strong when they wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me in for a tight hug. I stepped in a little closer to soak in as much of Drew as I could while returning the hold.

“Thanks for being there tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

Like I’d be anywhere else.

“I’ll always be here for you. Best friend’s honor,” I vowed. Because even though tonight was about us and the part of our relationship that was more than friends, the kind of support we needed for something like coming out to Gamble could only be the kind a best friend could give.

Drew pulled back but kept hold of my hand to lead me past the king-size bed and into the bathroom. “I hope you didn’t plan on sleeping tonight.” He reached out and grabbed my cock right through my open jeans.

As if.

With Drew, sleep was always the last thing on my mind.

Drew

A single touch.

It contained enough power to move mountains.

Enough power to rip apart families.

Trent

I’d never seen him like this.

While I welcomed all the firsts I experienced with Drew, I wished this didn’t have to be one of them.

In some ways, I’d grown used to living in the moment with him. It seemed for a while, it was all we had. Stolen moments, shared looks. Minutes of unrestrained feeling and unbridled chemistry. Ever since he sat beside me in Screamerz that first time, our relationship was defined by moments.

Moments were fleeting… weren’t they?

Not really.

Because the feelings and impressions single moments left as imprints stayed long, long after the moments were gone. It was those imprints we carried into future moments. They shaped us, influenced us. Conditioned us.

I was afraid.

Not really a new feeling, I know, but just because I knew it didn’t mean it was any easier. If anything, the fear got harder. I was in so deep, tangled so tight, I’d never get out, and that’s what scared me. Because if today went terribly wrong, I’d be twisted in a lot of upcoming moments that would break me.

I didn’t know Drew’s father, not enough to make any kind of guess on how he’d react to us. Sure, I’d met his parents a couple times when they came to town, but it was never more than a casual introduction.

I knew they were good people. Of course they were; they raised Drew and Ivy, who were both awesome. They’d been strict as parents, and they had remarkable ideals. They loved their kids, though, and to me, that was most important.

Still, the closer we got to Drew’s North Carolina home, the more I began to doubt love was enough. I knew firsthand sometimes all love did was complicate things and hurt people more.

By the time we stepped off the plane and climbed into a rental car, Drew became more withdrawn as the miles between us and his childhood dwindled. Though it worried me, I knew it wasn’t me he was withdrawing from. It was from the situation, from the emotions erupting inside him. Right now, all he could do was retreat inside his head; it was the only way he could try and process.

At first, it freaked me out. I’d asked him a question, and he didn’t reply. So I asked him again. When he still didn’t answer, I wondered what I’d done to piss him off. Nothing. Even if there were something, he wouldn’t give me the silent treatment.

No offense to the ladies, but men didn’t operate like that.

Fine, that was a broad generalization. Drew and I didn’t operate like that.

He simply hadn’t heard me. He was deep in the confines of his busy mind. So I left him there. Trying to pull him out would be like waking a sleepwalker.

I used the time to think. What would I say if they didn’t accept us? What would I say if they did? Would this be awkward? Would they look at me as someone looks at a stranger when Drew told them he loved me?

That’s what I feared the most.

Becoming a stranger to people to whom I would have otherwise just been me. It’s like everything I was, the college student, the athlete, the friend, the son… the man—all of that would somehow be cancelled out when people found out where the heart inside my body lay.

I was still the same.

Drew was still the same.

So far, we’d been lucky. We’d yet to become strangers to people we knew. How long would it last? How much luck did one man get?

Surely I’d used up my lifetime allowance. I had Drew; he was like the jackpot of luck.

After our meeting at Gamble Speedway, we’d driven to the airport for the quick flight to North Carolina. The Fastback was parked at headquarters where the pros kept their cars. There was no way we’d leave the car in the long-term lot at the airport, so Joey had driven us, dropping us off right at the curb near the terminal.

It wasn’t going to be a long trip. We were catching a plane back tomorrow night. I had classes Monday morning and frat shit all next week.

GearShark
jumped on the interview when we called. Well, technically, Emily, the journalist, jumped on the interview. Even though we didn’t say what it was about, she knew, and of course she wanted the scoop. I wasn’t surprised. I expected it. I was surprised she wanted me as the main feature of the article. I wasn’t the racing star. But it was what we’d all discussed Friday night at dinner, and it was what Drew wanted.

I was waiting on a call back from her on the schedule and details. However, the interview would be soon. Emily didn’t want any chance one of us would get cold feet.

I glanced at Drew and frowned.
Is he getting cold feet right now?

Drew grew up in the mountains of North Carolina where the trees were tall and thick, the landscape was green, and the dialect was unmistakable. His parents were well off, not millionaires or anything, but they lived a comfortable life. They didn’t live in a totally secluded area; it was definitely within driving distance of a more populated area, but the land they owned and the fact their home sat deep on the property made a man forget they didn’t have to drive hours for a gallon of milk or a pizza.

I wouldn’t necessarily call where they lived a farm because there weren’t livestock roaming around and tractors in the field, but there was a definite feel of country here.

The road stretching across their property was paved and well maintained. I drove slow across it so I could gaze at the open fields, tall grasses (yes, even coming out of the winter season), thick areas of tall pine trees, and a distant view of majestic mountains.

The speed I’d chosen was also of benefit to Drew. He needed all the time he could get.

Soon, a ranch-style house came into view. It was a big house, only one story so it sprawled out horizontally. It was a nice place with a natural stone exterior and wide porch with an arched cover over the double front door. On the cement porch were oversized planters filled with greenery that spilled over the sides and didn’t appear bothered that it wasn’t quite summer out. ‘Course, around here it didn’t matter. This was the South. It was sunny and bright and approaching eighty degrees.

There was no garage attached to the house. Instead, the cars were parked on a paved driveway that ran alongside the house instead of in front of it. There were two cars there, and my stomach twisted a little. Both his parents were here. Waiting.

I knew they had questions.

Drew literally called them up a few days ago and told them he was coming to visit. He didn’t offer much by way of explanation. While I knew they were excited to see him, parents wouldn’t be parents if they didn’t know when something was up.

I had a very strong suspicion this was the reason he suddenly hated looking at his phone. He didn’t want to have to try and explain via text or voicemail why he was coming. He just wanted to ignore his mother’s questions.

I didn’t say shit about it. When he powered down his phone and shoved it inside his duffle before we went through security at the airport, I pretended not to notice. He didn’t need me harping on him. He didn’t need me to tell him he was wrong or, hell, tell him he was right.

Who was I to say?

Drew got to deal with this the way he knew how. He got to feel whatever he wanted.

There was no right and wrong for this. Even if there was, I wouldn’t know what it was. I was here to back him up. I was here to validate him and remind him it was okay.

And if need be, I’d be here to protect him.

“Park over there,” he said, the sound of his voice almost startling against the silence. He gestured to a giant shed that could have possibly been considered a barn. It was shaped like one, with the traditional barn doors on the front. I imagined it was where they kept their lawn equipment and anything else a property this size needed. Basically, it was a detached garage.

I pulled in close to the building, driving right up onto the grass. I felt like maybe parking on the side where the car was out of sight from the house might give Drew a little bit of relief, make him feel they weren’t standing inside, staring out from the windows, watching and trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

I shut off the engine but left the keys in the ignition. Once I adjusted the baseball hat on my head (I knew it didn’t really shield my healing bruises, but it was an effort), I rested my head against the seat and stared out the windshield.

His hand reached for mine. He didn’t move or look at me, but he sought me out. I opened my fingers and turned my palm up. Drew’s hand slid home, entwining with mine.

“We used to play football in the field over there,” he said quietly, pointing through the windshield. “And that hill, just beyond over there”—he pointed again— “is where I used to race my modified Big Wheel down the slope.”

My heart squeezed. I could almost envision a small version of the guy holding my hand running through the grass with sunlight glinting off the blond in his hair. How carefree he must have been, how innocent.

I wanted to tell him we could just forget this. My fingers actually trembled with desire to turn over the ignition and put the car in reverse and leave this place.

But there was no going back.

There was no
never mind
or
cancel
button on the way we felt. Drew and I made a choice.

We chose to accept the decision our hearts made for us.

So even though I felt like running, even though my heart splintered when he reached for my hand for comfort, we were doing this. Once this was done, we would do it again with my family and then the entire world.

“I don’t want to disappoint them.” His quiet voice filled the car.

“I know.”

His eyes turned to me for the first time in what felt like hours. The blue was sort of icy, like maybe inside he was feeling cold.

No, not cold. Numb.

“I don’t want to disappoint you either.”

I made a choked sound and forced my body around to face him. My knee lifted, bending between us and falling over the cup holders in the center to make more room for my new position.

I cupped his jaw with one hand. “You will never disappoint me.”

“What if I do?” he whispered.

“I’ll love you anyway.”

He smiled. I rubbed my thumb along his jaw, lightly scratching over his stubble.

“I didn’t tell them I was bringing you,” he admitted, a grimace pulling at his features.

I drew back and pulled the keys from the ignition. “I know.” If he had, he would’ve had to explain why I’d be with him, and that was something he avoided until the very last possible second.

With a deep breath, Drew got out of the boring sedan we rented and reached into the back for his duffle. I did the same. Before we even hit the porch, the polished-wood door swung open, and a woman stepped out.

Drew’s mother was of average height, not tall and not short. Her hair was a medium shade of brown that she wore in a shoulder-length style. Today she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Over the shirt was some sort of flowy-looking sweater with draping arms in a gray-and-pink flower pattern.

She wasn’t wearing shoes, but slippers that looked kind of like loafers, but they were pink and had fur poking out from the inside.

Her eyes were blue like Drew’s and Ivy’s. Her smile was quick, and when she noticed her son wasn’t alone, it didn’t dull. I thought that was a good sign.

“Andrew!” she exclaimed happily and held out her arms.

“Mom.” Drew grinned and jogged up the stairs to wrap her in a hug. He was a whole head taller than her.

When he pulled back, she turned to me. “Trent, it’s great to see you again. I didn’t realize you were coming.”

“Mrs. Forrester,” I said and quickly gave her a hug. “Hope you don’t mind me crashing your visit.”

“Not at all!” she said. “And you know better than to call me Mrs. Forrester. Call me Adrienne.”

“Is Dad home?” Drew asked, fidgeting a little.

“Of course. He’s inside. We’ve both been waiting for you to get here. I wish you would’ve let us pick you up from the airport.”

“Ivy sends her love,” he said as we headed for the door, choosing not to acknowledge the fact he’d been ignoring his texts and avoiding a car ride with his parents.

“She called this morning.” Adrienne went on, heading inside. “Nova’s getting so big. I was just telling your father we needed to plan another trip out there to see her.”