Page 61 of Angel

“That… I’ve been seeing someone,” he speaks so quietly I can barely hear him even though I’m an inch away. “Seeing a guy.”

My fingers tighten on either side of his face.

He told Mario. That he was fucking a guy.

My heart swells with joy even as fear strikes deep. It can’t be that simple. There has to be a catch. It can’t be as easy as me wanting Angel to be gay and suddenly he is.

“Uh huh,” I croak.

“I didn’t tell him it was you, though. I…” He blinks, lashes fluttering, then hesitantly meets my gaze. “I didn’t know if you’d be okay with that.”

I swallow again, forcing the jumble of emotions down, and nod. “Yeah, I get it. Thanks for thinking of me.”

Angel stares at me, rich brown eyes so full of something I’m afraid to identify. “I’m always thinking of you.”

My heart stops. Oh god. Fuck. How am I supposed to resist that? How am I supposed to not fall for that? I send a silent apology to Hayden, wherever he happens to be right now.

I don’t know what this means or how Angel’s confession to Mario will change things. Maybe Angel will decide I’m not worth the risk of getting ostracized from the neighborhood. Maybe I’ll still get my heart broken. But it doesn’t matter.

Angel’s here now. And as long as he’s here, he’s mine.

I lean in for one more hard kiss, using the moment to get my heart beating again. We’re both panting when I break the kiss, and there’s a noticeable bulge in Angel’s jeans. But he’s been working all day, so my teddy bear needs food. Eat first. Sex later.

“Come on.” I slide my hand into his, intertwining our fingers. Grabbing the takeout bag, I lead him to the living room.

Angel unpacks the food on the coffee table while I grab plates and napkins and utensils.

“I got barbecue, I hope that’s okay,” he says when I drop down on the floor next to him.

“Yup. Love barbecue.” I mean, it’s fine. It’s not usually my go-to, but I enjoy it when I have it. But if Angel likes it, then I’ll have barbecue every freaking day.

He got us ribs and brisket, plus corn, mashed potatoes and Swiss chard. It’s way more than the two of us can finish and when I say so, he smiles shyly.

“I wasn’t sure if Hayden was here. And I figured you could have leftovers.”

I pause in the middle of scooping mashed potatoes onto my plate. He thought of Hayden. Hayden, who disapproves, who has been polite, but nowhere near as friendly as he usually is. Angel knows how important Hayden is to me and remembered to include him.

I lean over and plant a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” I murmur, and warm satisfaction spreads through me when his ears go pink.

“It’s nothing.” He gives me a little shrug.

I put a hand on his shoulder and wait for him to glance at me. “It’s everything.”

He holds my gaze for a moment before his Adam’s apple bobs and he drops his gaze.

I set my plate aside and pull Angel into my arms. It’s a little awkward, with him sitting on the floor, back against the couch, and me kneeling next to him. His arms come around my waist and he buries his face into the crook of my neck, but my knees are in the way. He makes a small, frustrated sound while trying to tug me closer.

So I swing a leg over his thighs and settle myself snugly in his lap.

“Better?”

He nods, beard rubbing on my collarbone as he gives me a squeeze.

I hold him. Or we hold each other. In silence, for long moments. My eyes drift shut and I savor the feel of Angel against me, the thickness of his arms, the soft yet scratchy texture of his beard, the scent of sawdust that clings to him, fresh even after a full day of work.

I hold him until the tension in his body dissolves, until he breathes deep, full breaths.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, as I continue carding my fingers through his hair. “About Mario?”

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