Page 123 of The Shots You Take

“It’ll be boring. Come on. Who wants to hang out in a hospital? Do something downtown at least. See the aquarium!”

“I’m not going to a fucking aquarium while you’re in surgery, Adam.”

“But you’ll—”

“Adam,” Riley said sternly. “I’m not leaving you.”

Adam’s lips twitched, then curved into a wobbly smile. “Okay.”

Riley nodded, satisfied that he’d won.

* * *

“You can hang your stuff up in my closet, if you like,” Adam offered. Given the usual crisp state of Riley’s clothes, he assumed he wasn’t keen to live out of a suitcase.

“Thanks.”

Riley had his suitcase open on Adam’s bed, rummaging for the gift he’d apparently brought. Adam had his fingers crossed for five more cinnamon buns.

“Here,” Riley said finally, then turned around. “Thought you might like one of your own.”

He held out a silk robe, similar to the one he’d tantalized Adam with back in Avery River. This one was black with large white flowers. “Oh wow,” Adam said as he reached for it. “For me?”

“You don’t seem to do color,” Riley explained. “I also think it’ll make your eyes look sexy.” He paused, then corrected himself. “Sexier.”

“I love it.” Adam rubbed the liquid fabric against his cheek. “And what do you mean I don’t do color?”

Riley counted on his fingers. “Black, gray, brown, navy, white.”

“Those are all colors.”

Riley sighed. “Technically.”

At the moment, Riley was wearing a pale purple T-shirt and teal shorts that couldn’t have had more than a five-inchinseam. He’d changed into them before the pizza had arrived and Adam had been losing his mind about them ever since.

“It’s just what I’m used to,” Adam argued. “And those colors all go together.”

“Hm.”

“You want me to try this on?” Adam asked. “You packed yours, right?”

“I did. But I have to warn you,” Riley said gravely, “once you put that on, you are officially super gay.”

Adam laughed, then unfastened his belt.

“Need help?” Riley asked, then started unbuttoning Adam’s shirt.

“I might need lots of help, after today,” Adam said. “Dressing, undressing,bathing.”

“That doesn’t sound as hot as you think it does.” But the way Riley kissed him then suggested otherwise.

Eventually, they broke apart and Riley carried a small stack of shirts toward the closet. The double doors were already open.

“Thisis your closet?” Riley asked. “Jesus, no wonder you didn’t want to leave it.”

Adam laughed so hard he had to sit on the bed. He was still laughing when Riley returned from the closet.

“I’d worry about never finding my clothes again in there,” he said, “but they kind of stick out.”

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