Page 91 of Joey

Joey shrugged. “It depends on their schedules. We don’t usually leave the shop unattended and closed, but I’m happy to make an exception. It might be too short notice, though. We can arrange another holiday. Make it a bit further away, and I’ll make sure everyone can make it if they can’t this week.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Ooh!” Christi said. “Let me see your tattoo.”

Ethan glanced at Joey, whose cheeks reddened. “I was excited and might’ve broken the news.”

Ethan chuckled and put his plate down, sliding his T-shirt off and turning around.

“Oh, I love that,” Kole said.

Joey explained the different parts of it, and when he got to the ovals in the middle, he said, “And these are the rings we will eventually exchange.”

Ethan gasped and stared at him. “You never told me that!”

Joey bit his lip. “I didn’t think you’d mind. Was I wrong?”

Ethan dropped his T-shirt to the floor and jumped up Joey’s body, wrapping his legs around him and trusting that he’d catch him.

“I don’t mind at all,” he whispered. “I’d gladly be your husband…when you ask me.”

Joey grinned and kissed him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Can you have your wedding in Italy? It’ll give us an excuse to come back,” Christi said.

Ethan smiled and kissed Joey again. He didn’t care where they got married as long as they did. It was too soon—far too soon—but he knew. He knew with no uncertainty that Joey was the one for him.

“Don’t worry. Joey will do anything for me. I’m adorable, remember?”

****

Chapter 24

Joey

Six months later

Conflicting and busy schedules had not allowed them to book a holiday until six months after his and Ethan’s visit to Italy. It had taken another couple of weeks to decide where everyone wanted to go, but they’d eventually decided on Lanzarote. According to Dallas, it was the perfect blend of relaxation and fun. Joey didn’t care where they went as long as they were all together.

After thinking about it, he’d realised it had been a while since the four of them had been together for any length of time. They were always off gallivanting somewhere for work. Maybe that had been his fault for pushing them too hard, but he was going to change that.

Their holiday coincided with another event they were going to celebrate while they were there—Elliott’s birthday. It had been a tough road he’d walked, but with the support of everyone around him, he’d come out the other side of therapy with a new awareness of himself and what he was capable of.

“Good afternoon. The plane will begin its descent into Arrecife in the next few minutes. Please ensure your seatbelts are secured, and all belongings are stored in the compartments. Thank you for flying with British Airways.”

Joey inhaled and glanced at Ethan. “Are you ready for two weeks of chaos?”

Ethan grinned. “Can’t wait.”

“You may regret that later.”

“I think I’ve spent enough time with them over the months to know how they are. I’m not naïve.”

Joey raised his eyebrows. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, sweetheart. This isn’t real life. This is a holiday. All bets are off.”

Ethan didn’t look like he believed him, and Joey kept his smile to himself. As he’d said, all bets were off on holiday. He couldn’t wait to see what Dallas got up to. Finn would probably stay by the pool or the beach for most of the time, and Beck… Well, he would probably find as many hookups as he could while he was there. It was something he didn’t indulge in often when they were home, mainly because he wanted to find his person. His version of Ethan. But when he took a break, he went wild. Joey wondered what Kole would think about them all. Ever since his attack, he’d been more reserved around men in general, but maybe they could persuade him to take a chance on someone while they were here.

Ani, Christi and Di were planning to stay away from the guys and find their own fun. Joey didn’t blame them. He planned to split his time between Ethan and his friends. After all, what was the point of them all going on holiday together if they never saw each other? He’d already told them that dinner together every night was mandatory.

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