Page 61 of Meet Me in the Blue

After the conversation I’d had with my mom about Vancouver, I’d arrived late. If my mom hadn’t insisted I come over here, I would have canceled altogether. I didn’t want to be the asshole who kept showing up mid-game. But they’d been in the middle of making Ry’s new character and hadn’t minded throwing one together for me as well.

“He’s on a date.” Will rolled his eyes. “Traitor.”

“Let the man have some fun,” Ron said as he sat back down and handed Will a bottle of water. “God knows he needs it, and Stacey is a good chick.”

“I thought Stacey was into Rook?” Ry asked, and Will threw an unsubtle elbow into his ribs. “Ow… what did I say?”

The whole table got quiet, and Rook shifted in his chair. I’d assumed everyone here knew about us. The whole fucking town did, according to my boss, but I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Rook about that fiasco. He stared at me, and I noticed Ron fighting a smile. Oh yeah, they all knew.

Rook’s foot pressed against mine under the table and I nodded. He swallowed, clearly more nervous than he needed to be. He tore the label off his empty beer bottle, avoiding all the eyes that were now swung in his direction. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you guys… or when… but I suppose now is a good time.” God, he was cute when he was flustered. “Luka and I… we… we’re…”

“Together?” Will asked, but it sounded more like a statement and not a question.

Rook was greeted with an entire table of knowing grins. I chewed the corner of my lip, trying not to smile too wide. He had no idea how sweet he looked at that very moment. All that vulnerability and hope, it made my fucking heart swell.

“You all already knew?” he asked.

“The entire Harbor knows, apparently.” I lowered my voice. “My boss mentioned something about our kiss in front of the bookstore…”

“Oh,” he said, wide-eyed and adorable.

“Yeah, oh.” Ron chuckled. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“Hello… What about me?” Will asked, more offended than anyone. “I didn’t even know you were gay.”

“I’m not.” Rook shook his head, ready to explain when Ry cut in.

“But you and Luka…”

Ron playfully shoved his shoulder. “Aw… you have so much to learn.”

“It’s always been hard for me to define it… How I’ve felt about relationships, and women, and I don’t know… I’m pretty sure I’m demi-sexual… which is kind of under the gray asexuality umbrella. I don’t really care about the label though. I’ve been questioning things for so long, wondering why I wasn’t like you guys, or why it was hard for me to connect with someone… I’m just happy I understand myself more. All my confusion … I have an answer for it now.”

“Asexuality…” Ry’s brows dipped. “I think I’ve heard of that, but…” I could picture wheels turning in his head. “Does that mean you’re—”

“He’s Lukasexual,” Will said with a snort and Ron groaned.

“Why are straight people so ignorant sometimes?”

“Hey.” Smirking, Will held up his water bottle and pointed it violently in Ron’s direction. “I am not fucking ignorant. I can’t vouch for Ry though… I don’t know him that well.”

Ry’s face pinked up, his eyes sparking with laughter. “Fuck off. You knew me well enough when you referred your dad to my office for an echo.”

“How did you meet these guys again?” I asked Ry as I caught my breath. It had been too long since I’d laughed this much.

“He’s a cardiac surgeon at the hospital.” Rook finished peeling the rest of his label off of his beer. “My dad and I met Ry at a conference right after he moved here from Oakville.”

“Wow,” I said, impressed. “That’s kind of cool.”

Ry was a big guy, definitely over six foot, with broad as hell shoulders and big hands. It was hard to place him doing something as delicate as operating on a heart.

“Only kind of?” Ron teased. “This man heals actual fucking human hearts for a living.”

Ry blushed again as Ron gave the back of his neck a friendly squeeze. “It’s intense, but I love it.”

“Can we circle back to the sexuality thing?” Will asked. “Does Travis know?”

“I think so.” Ron coughed out a laugh. “That’s why he asked Stacey out.”

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