Page 121 of All Roads Lead to You

He walked over and shook my hand limply, scanning me up and down.

“I don’t know what kind of man you are, but you sure are nice to look at.”

“Uhm, okay. Are you… gay or something?”

“Rude, but yes. Very. Is that going to be a problem?”

He folded his arms, but not defensively, more like how Mia stood there with her ‘don’t mess with me’ look when Nick or I were in trouble.

“No problem. I’m… gay, too.”

Wow, I said that out loud to a stranger.

Ryan clapped and jumped. “You are?! We’re totally going to be the best of friends.” He smirked and winked. “Or more if you like.”

I got the hint. “Ah, no. I’m taken.”

“I’m teasing you, Logan. I have a boyfriend who also goes here.”

I rubbed my neck, desperately trying not to blush. “Oh, cool.”

“You’re so totally adorable! We’re going to have so much fun! Where’s your BBF?”

“BBF?”

“Best boy forever, of course.”

“Uhm, Nick. He’s at Stanford, but he’ll transfer here next semester.”

“I can’t wait to meet him.” Ryan spread his arms and spun in a circle. “As you can see, we’re cramped in here, but if you want your Nick to stay over, he can. If you want sex, though, warn me in advance, and I’ll stay with Jamie.”

“Hey, yeah, thanks. That’d be awesome.”

“See? We’re friends already.”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m still new to all this.”

“No worries. Jamie and I will show you and Nick around town. I grew up in San Fran.”

“Sounds stellar.”

I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. Now I could go to school here, live in the dorms, and just be myself.

Ryan planned to stay with his boyfriend Jamie, who still lived at home with his parents—and who weren’t too far from campus—allowing Nick to stay over for the weekend. We couldn’t do this all the time, but it was more than I ever expected or hoped for.

Of course, Ryan insisted on staying until he officially met Nick, dragging over Jamie to meet us, too.

When Nick knocked on the door, Ryan rushed to open it, scanning him as much as he scanned me the first time we met, and then pulled him into a hug.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Nick! You’re gorgeous!”

“Uhm, hey. Ryan, right?”

Nick looked at me, smirking, and hugged Ryan back.

“Yes! And this enormous brute is my BBF, Jamie.”

Jamie was definitely huge. He had at least four inches on me, putting him about a foot taller than Ryan. But he was leaner than his boyfriend, looking more like a surfer than anything with his bleached-blond hair and blue eyes. He looked very much like the California boy.

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