Page 126 of The Shots You Take

Adam snorted. “I was probably a much worse kisser.”

“No,” Riley said seriously. “It was perfect.”

“It was,” Adam agreed. He hadn’t meant to darken the after­glow by dragging their past into it, but it felt important. “I just wanted you to know. Despite how I acted after, that first time together meant everything to me.”

Another long silence and then Riley said, “Thank you.”

He went back to gently stroking Adam’s skin. He didn’t need to tell Adam what that first time had meant to him. Adam knew.

And he also knew that, now, nearly twenty years later, he was in the arms of the man he loved, and if Riley would let him, he would devote the rest of his life to letting him know that he still meant everything to Adam.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Riley probably should have guessed that the wait while Adam was in surgery would be agony. Somehow, despite knowing that he was terrible at managing feelings, and knowing that he was still reeling from the sudden loss of his dad, Riley hadn’t considered that he’d spend the entire two hours—now two hours and eighteen fucking minutes—terrified that he was about to lose Adam too.

It’s just an operation, he reminded himself.He’s had tons of them, you’vehad a few yourself. The surgeon has probably performed a million of them. He’s fine. He’s fine.

He hadn’t brought a book or anything. He’d spent most of the past few hours texting Lindsay, because she was the closest person to a doctor that he knew.

Lindsay had, lovingly, told him to chill the fuck out after the first hour. As if Riley knew how to do that.

Finally,finally, after nearly three fucking hours had passed, a man wearing scrubs entered the waiting room and beamed when he spotted Riley. “It really is you,” the man exclaimed. “Riley Tuck. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dr. Pandev, I performed Shep’s surgery.” He extended a hand to Riley. A handthat had just replaced Adam’s shoulder joint and had possibly taken his pain away for good.

Riley shook it. “He’s okay? He’s…okay?”

“Absolutely fine. I think his life is going to be much easier now. After he recovers, of course.”

Riley nearly collapsed with relief. “Thank you.”

“Well, I could hardly let anything bad happen to him,” the doctor joked. “The city of Toronto would have my head.”

Riley couldn’t quite manage to smile at that. Dr. Pandev looked to be about Riley’s age, maybe a bit younger.

The doctor gave his bicep a chummy pat and said, “I was a huge fan of yours. I was sorry when you left. You’re doing well?”

“Thanks, uh, yeah. Doing well.”

“That’s great. Good to hear.” He laughed. “I couldn’t believe it when Shep told me you were in the waiting room. It’s cool that you’re still close.”

“Yup,” Riley said uneasily.

Dr. Pandev beamed at him for another few seconds, then said, “So I’ll be checking in with Shep later today when he’s in his room, but a nurse will come let you know when you can see him.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

The doctor left, and Riley returned to his plastic chair. Adam was fine. It was over, and he was fine.

The nurse—a young man with kind eyes named Hassan—arrived about twenty minutes later.

“Can I see him?” Riley blurted out immediately.

Hassan smiled in a way that seemed…knowing. “Yes, you can come with me. He’s settled in his room, and he was asking about you.”

Riley’s heart swelled. “Yeah?”

“He is very tired still, and he needs to rest,” the nurse warned him.

“Of course. Yeah. But he’s good?”

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