Page 12 of Taking It Off

“My dad was a banker,” Luke says. “He just helped people invest their money. Nothing too exciting.”

Jeremy looks at me and grins. “My dad is the CEO of Franklin and Jeffries, the most prominent law firm in the city.”

“Oh, that’s exciting. Do either of them dabble in any other kind of business?” It’s not like I can ask, ‘Do you know what kind of kinky shit your dads are into?’ because that’s not exactly casual conversation.

“They go golfing together all the time, with Will’s dad, too. He’s the other half of the law firm. Or they did go golfing together,” Luke says. I don’t want to push anymore because I can tell he’s barely holding it together.

“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to bring up more sadness. We can go home whenever you need to. Unless you have to stay for your mom,” I say, squeezing his hand. This is by far the most awkward situation I’ve ever been in, and I’m not sure that I’m helping Luke any.

“Yeah, I think I’d like to go home now,” he responds.

After saying goodbye to his mom, Luke and I wait in the car for Jeremy to find Will. Apparently, his father needed to talk to him about a few things while everyone else was paying their respects. It didn’t sound good, and I’ve been a little worried about him.

Once we’re back at the guys’ apartment, Luke decides to lay down for a while. I go with him to his room and help him into comfy pajamas. I tuck him into bed, and he pulls me on top of him.

“Will you stay with me until I’m asleep?” he asks. I nod, wrapping my arms around him and scooting to lay beside him instead of staying on top of him. “And will you still be here when I wake up?”

“I’ll stick around, I promise. If I’m not right here with you, I’ll still be here.” The promise is easy to make. I have no plans to go anywhere else today. I need to be here as much as he needs me.

“Okay. Thanks for today. I don’t think I could have made it through this without you.” His words are meant to convey appreciation, but instead, I feel more guilt. This entire situation is my fault. If it wasn’t for me, Luke wouldn’t be laying here in his bed with a forlorn expression.

“It was nothing, really. I wish I could do more for you,” I answer. I hold him as he finally lets his tears fall. My heart breaks for him. Luke rests his head on my shoulder and I rub his back while he purges his emotions.

I know he hasn’t eaten today, and that he won’t do so willingly. But he needs to keep up his strength. “Luke, you need to eat something. At least drink a little blood. Please.” I hold my arm in front of his face and he shakes his head. “You can’t let yourself suffer. Please.”

His eyes meet mine, and he gives me a sad smile. They stay locked on mine as he sinks his fangs into my arm and drinks deeply for a moment. I wish he’d take more, but he only drinks a little. Then he licks the punctures to help them heal and rests his head on me again.

“Thank you for taking care of me. I need you to know how much it means to me that you’re here,” he says. His words are quiet, and I can tell that he’s starting to doze off.

“Shh, hush now and rest. I’ll see you in just a bit.” His eyes close and his breathing regulates. I know he’s not asleep yet, because he keeps tapping on my leg. After a bit, I recognize the rhythm from a song he’s fond of. I hope it helps him to relax a little. I kiss his forehead and smooth his hair back.

When he finally falls asleep, I wait a few more minutes before untangling myself and heading to the living room. I want to check on Will. He didn’t seem too excited about having to hang out with his dad during the services. I wanted to ask him about it earlier, but Luke needed me more.

I find him in the kitchen, making lunch. “Are you okay? Things seemed strained with your dad.” I don’t want to push, but I will if I have to. It’s ridiculous that I expect them to be honest with me when I can’t tell them the truth about anything.

“I’m fine. Sorry he wasn’t very social. He’s got a lot on his mind with what just happened to Luke’s dad. As for our talk, he just expects a lot from me, and I’m not living up to my potential. It’s frustrating for sure, but I can handle it. Dad’s mad that I won’t join the company. I’d rather not be stuck in a stuffy board room all day.” Will seems annoyed with his dad, but not upset about the conversation.

“Oh, was that all? I guess that’s not too bad,” I admit, relieved that it wasn’t more serious. “I thought maybe you were in trouble for something.”

“He also told me that I could do better than sharing a trollop with my friends. But don’t worry, I punched him for that one.” Will’s tone is so nonchalant that I almost miss what he says.

“Wait, what? Your dads know that we’re all in a relationship together?” My eyes go wide, my chest constricts, and I feel like I’m going to throw up. This wasn’t something I expected to be public knowledge.

“Of course they do. We’re all proud of you. We don’t have anything to be ashamed of, so we told our families about you. Is that a problem?” he asks.

“That does explain a few whispers and stares today. It’s fine. If you guys aren’t worried about it, I’m not either.” And I’ll try to mean that. I don’t care what other people think of me, but I don’t want anyone talking shit about my guys. “Did you really punch your dad?”

“Of course I did. No one talks shit about our girl. He’ll either respect you or I’ll keep punching him. I told him as much, too.”

“That’s insane. But thank you for defending my honor,” I tease. He winks at me and hands me a plate.

Will and I take sandwiches into the living room where Jeremy is just getting off the phone. “Did you hear about Steve?” he asks.

“No. What about him?” Will asks in response, handing Jeremy a plate.

“Who’s Steve?” I ask at the same time.

“He was a PI who worked for my dad. He got killed last night, just a little after Luke’s dad. I wonder if their murders were related,” Jeremy explains.

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