Page 103 of Noah

It was just after eight when Liam arrived. He'd never been to my home before. We hadn't spent any time talking other than some chit-chat at the pub. To be honest, I was nervous. Noah loved this man. I didn't know what to expect from them away from the scrutiny of the pub.

Liam ambled into the living room. Six foot three of absolute gorgeous bliss. Noah had his arm around Liam's waist, tugging him further into the room.

"Liam, glad you could make it, man," Noah said.

"Wouldn't want you starving to death." He handed Noah a large paper bag containing our dinner. I suspected there would be enough for three. I liked that idea.

"Hey, Liam." He took my outstretched hand, giving it a warm shake. "Thanks for bringing the food for us. I'm terrified to let Noah into the kitchen. You saved us from certain death."

Liam laughed. "Yeah, he's not going to be a chef anytime soon." His gaze wandered my face. "You're almost your gorgeous self again. Noah told me you were pretty banged up."

"My entire body felt pulverized."

"How much longer are you in those casts?"

"Six weeks."

"That sucks. Any trouble claiming on your car insurance?"

I waved my hand at him. "It is what it is."

"We should eat," Noah interrupted and went about grabbing cutlery and setting our dinners on the coffee table. He brought a tray table over for me and transferred my dinner onto it. We'd ordered the hot turkey sandwich tonight with all the fixings including cranberry sauce.

"Pub busy?" Noah asked as he cut up my food for me.

Liam watched our necessary ritual for a second then lifted his dinner into his lap. "Pretty standard for a Wednesday night. Maddy is killing it."

"She always does." Noah handed me my fork then turned to his own food. The following pub talk didn't interest me other than it excited Noah. When they turned to stories of their youth, the change in topic had me listening closely. They'd been through a lot together. Forming bonds by way of epic video game battles and battles with bullies prejudiced against their sexuality.

I learned more about Ethan and Owen too and how the Salish Sea Society had formed. Ethan, I had only experienced briefly, but I hadn't even met Owen. The love in their eyes as they talked about their friends was inspiring. They were incredibly lucky to have found one another.

"Movie?" Noah offered.

"Sure." Liam set his dinner container beside Noah's and tucked up against Noah's side. "Nothing sappy, though. I don't want you two getting all lovey-dovey on me."

"You'd be entertained," Noah replied. "Takes some doing working around those casts."

Liam looked at me. "Is he riding you too hard?"

I actually grinned. "Just the perfect amount."

We spent the rest of the night like that, watching the movie and talking over it. Liam was easy to like. Noah had told me about Liam's hangups, how he stressed over his appearance. I found stories of his self deprecation to be insane. The man looked like a Greek god. His constant battle with his body worried Noah a lot so it pained me. On the outside Liam appeared so confident.

We said our goodbyes then Noah tucked me in bed and joined me. Having Noah in my bed every night brought me peace. This felt like home. I never wanted him to leave. But that was the plan. Once my casts were off, he'd be moving back to his apartment. It was going to crush me.

Forever. I needed forever from him.

Chapter Twenty-One | Noah

I decided to take a turn behind the bar while I was there for the evening. Friday night and the pub was hopping. Liam was appreciative of my assistance. We fell into a familiar pattern moving around the bar and mixing drinks. Every time I moved past him, I could smell his cologne.

It was a scent that made me feel warm and cozy and loved. We had a slight reprieve, allowing us to catch up for a minute. It had been a few days since Liam had been over.

"I was thinking," Liam said.

"Always dangerous. Smells like burning tires."

"Ha. Ha. Fuck off. I was thinking that the gang needs to meet Brody properly. He's become such an important part of your life, we all want to get to know him."

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