Page 42 of Until We Kiss

“I know, right?” He’s still got tears in his eyes, but they brighten behind them. “It’s like the hugest deal of mylife. And I don’t want anyone else. This mythical person is bullshit. No one makes me feel the way you do. It’syou, bro.”

I close my eyes, breathing him in. “Why do you call me that?”

“What? Bro?” His thumb smooths along my neck. “Because it’s for you. I never call anyone else that. Not even some random dude on the street. You’re the one. You’re it.” He hesitates, leaning back so that he can look at me. “Do you want me to stop?”

A shiver races from where the rough edge of his thumb brushes my neck. “No.”

“Because if you do, then I can. It’s just?—‍”

“No, I’m good with it.”

He grins, and I love that smile.

I make a silent promise.

I don’t know what it will take for me to be okay. For me to fix myself. I can’t even guess how that would look, but I’ll do it. Rehab, therapy, looking at life differently. Not just for him, not just for us, but for me too.

I won’t fail this.

I lift the to-go box. “I brought you pie.”

“You did?” He breaks into that big smile, dimples and glee and enthusiasm. “Holy shit, that’sawesome. What kind?”

“Mango.”

His eyes say so much.

10

We spendthe night pretty much like the one before. A few added activities. Rimming isdefinitelya go. Fisting ourselves together gets a standing ovation. Edging… we need to explore more. And we might have gottencloseto a few other things.

But I can’t stop smiling.Me. Theo. The guy who’s been depression-incarnate for the last six months.

What does happiness feel like?

I never gave it much thought before, honestly. I just focused on the NFL. I thought that I’d be satisfied when I got there. That everything would shift into place once I was finally drafted.

But I never really thought abouthappiness.

Never thought that I would?—

“Wake up, Theo.” Carter’s breath tickles my ear, his chest warms my arm.

I roll over. “My dick can’t take anymore.”

“Don’t need your dick.” He laughs, way too loud and jubilant, and then kisses my temple. “Just you. We’re going somewhere.”

“You’re fucking with me.” I mumble, squeezing my eyes shut.

A pillow knocks the side of my face. “Theeeeoooo. I need you to get up.”

I groan. “Why?”

“I want to watch the sunrise with you.”

That gets me moving. I flop off the bed, then with my eyes barely open, I lurch to the bathroom to take a piss, wash my hands, and slip in my contacts.

We step outside, the early morning air cooling the sweat on my back. His hand slips into mine, our fingers lacing.

---