Page 79 of Sugar

“I love you a lot,” Phoenix said.

Piper felt that all the way in his chest. “I love you too. Can we arrange to see you soon? I hate that it’s been so long.”

“Mads suggested that maybe we get married out there next year when he’s up for it. He misses the East Coast.”

“Definitely. I’ll help with whatever plans you need. Talk soon?”

“Yeah. Tell Juno I’m sorry.”

“I will, but he won’t mind. Have a good night, and hug Mads for me.” He didn’t think Phoenix was going to do that. His brother didn’t find logic in passing along physical gestures from one person to the next. He understood the concept, but it always rubbed him the wrong way.

And for making that request, Phoenix hung up on him. Piper laughed as he set the phone down, then went for the bathroom door, which was cracked open. Juno was under the spray, his hair tied up and out of the water that was cascading down his back.

“Is it helping?”

Juno started and glowered over at him. “What the fuck?”

“Sorry,” Piper said through a short chuckle. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to see if the shower was helping your back.”

“Not as much as it’ll help getting to a better bed,” Juno groused.

Piper sighed. “Yeah. About that…”

“Please don’t say we have to stay here another night,” Juno all but begged. He shut off the water and reached for his towel. It was a shame to cover up all those cut lines of his body, but Piper liked him every which way he came.

“We don’t have to stay here, but Nix just called and said the wedding’s off. Mads was hurt, and he’s having surgery.”

Juno’s eyes went wide. “Oh, shit. Do you need to fly out there? I can’t drive your car back, but I could find my way home if you need me to.”

Piper’s brows furrowed deeply as he took Juno’s face between his hands. “Sugar, I would never just leave you behind. Christ.”

“No, I know that, but I’d probably be in the way, and?—”

“Hey.”

Juno swallowed back whatever he was going to say and met his gaze.

“Nix doesn’t want me there. Mads has a lot of healing to do, and they don’t need to worry about guests right now. We just need to figure out where to go from here. There’s still Yellowstone, which was on the list, and then the Rockies. You said an Arizona sunset, and that’s way out of the way, but since we don’t have to hit California, we could make time. And there’s?—”

“Piper.” Juno’s voice was so soft Piper barely heard him. He immediately stopped talking and stroked his thumbs over the curves of Juno’s shoulders. “Can we go home?”

Piper studied his face. “Of course we can. You sure you want to abandon your list?”

“There’s a lot I can still see, but there’s a lot that I won’t be able to,” Juno said softly. He leaned into Piper’s arms and rested his cheek against his chest collarbone. “I don’t think I have it in me to be disappointed.”

“Was the observatory bad?”

Juno shook his head. “Adam had that cool lens, and I really was able to see everything. It was amazing. But I doubt anyone else is going to have that for me. I…I need to make a therapy appointment, and I need to talk to my friends. And figure out what to do about work. And—” He hesitated for a brief second. “—I need to call those places my doctor recommended so I can figure out where to go from here.”

Piper eased him back and cupped his jaw. “Okay. Let’s go home.”

“If you’re out a bunch of money?—”

“It doesn’t matter. I can get refunds on some, and I’ll eat the cost on the rest. I literally do not care,” he emphasized when Juno looked like he wanted to argue. “Make it up to me by letting me test all your new cupcake recipes. That’s what I’d be spending all my extra cash on if we’d never left.”

Juno blinked, then burst into laughter. “The worst part about this is I know you’re serious.”

Piper leaned down and kissed him slow and soft, hoping Juno could feel just how much he liked him. No. Just how much he loved him.

---