Page 32 of Christopher

“Or maybe he’s looking out foryou. You’re his mate’s brother. That trumps best friends, doesn’t it? Besides, I’m not even sure I’m his best friend. It’s always been the five of us. Maybe Dennis feels closer to Jacob or Taylor, or even Eddie.”

“Or maybe he’s worried about you and trying to look out for you,” Chris repeated. “He didn’t say anything bad.”

“But he did say something.”

“Yeah.”

At least Chris wasn’t going to lie. Drake had been afraid of that, and he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done. Pushed him until he admitted what had happened? Ignored it and put on a smile?

“I don’t want you to act any differently than you normally would,” Chris said. “I don’t care if you feel like you’re needy or goofy or a nerd. I don’t care what your exes said about you. You wouldn’t be my mate if the real you wasn’t the right man for me.”

Drake blinked and told himself not to cry. He was going to kill Dennis, dammit. He’d told Chris everything. “You weren’t supposed to know all of this,” he croaked.

“I know, and I don’t like that Dennis went behind your back when it’s clear you didn’t want me to know any of it, but I’m also glad he did. You wouldn’t have told me, and I might not have realized what was happening until it was too late.”

“Too late?”

“If the man I’m supposed to fall in love with is the real you, how could I have fallen for the fake you? I think that eventually I would’ve thought that things between us couldn’t work, even though we’re mates.”

Drake sucked in a breath. “You can’t say that.”

“And you can’t say that I wouldn’t fall in love with the real you. Why would Fate have chosen you, of all people, for me if you weren’t what I need?”

Drake had never thought about it like that. He’d been focused on the way he’d ruined his previous relationships, and he hadn’t considered the mate angle. If he was Chris’s mate, that had to mean something, right?

He sighed. “Being myself hasn’t worked great for the past few years. I was terrified that it would ruin everything again, and I wasn’t ready for that to happen. I’m still not.”

Chris was incredibly gentle when he took Drake’s hand. He linked their fingers together, and Drake found himself stepping closer because how could he not?

Chris wrapped his free arm around Drake’s waist and held him close. He was tall enough to bury his face against Drake’s hair. Drake was pretty sure he heard him sniff, but he wasn’t offended. It wasn’t as weird for a shifter to sniff his mate as it would be for a human to sniff his boyfriend.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll love all of you,” Chris said. “I’m sure there are things you’ll hate about me, too, like maybe that I never make my bed and that I’m messy or that I’m happy to let the dirty dishes pile up in the sink. I wouldn’t say I’m dirty,but Iammessy, and that’s been a problem for my sister and my grandfather. It doesn’t mean they love me any less, though.”

“But we’re not talking about dirty dishes here.”

“Whatare we talking about? I already know you talk a lot and that you’re passionate. I like it, Drake. If you want to talk my ear off, I’ll listen to every word you have to say. I realize I’m a quiet person, but it doesn’t mean you have to be. Can you imagine if we were both like that? We’d never talk.”

Drake couldn’t resist anymore. He buried his face against Chris’s chest, doing what he’d noticed Chris do earlier. Chris smelled like home, and Drake prayed he’d never have to give that up.

That was why he’d been so anxious about getting Chris to fall in love with him. It was why he’d tried to change himself. No one else had wanted him before, but it was important thatChriswant him.

“Look, I can promise that if it becomes too much, I’ll talk to you,” Chris said. “But no more hiding. I want to fall in love with my mate, not with a weird version of him.”

Drake looked up. “You want to fall in love with me?”

“Of course. I really like you, Drake. I think all I need is a little more time with you, and I’ll be there.”

Drake felt the same way. He’d never really understood how mates could fall in love with each other so quickly, but now he realized it was because he’d never felt the bond before. Knowing that the person in front of you was supposed to complete you and make you happy for the rest of your life helped. Technically, there was no danger with Chris. He’d be there for Drake, whatever Drake needed, which was more than Drake could say about any of his exes.

Chris smiled sweetly, and when Drake reached up to kiss him, he met him halfway. They were out in the open in the parking lot, so the kiss didn’t turn deep, but it helped Drake feelmore settled. Feeling Chris’s arms around him, his lips on his, grounded him.

He was sure he’d have trouble reminding himself that he could let go because it was so ingrained in him not to take up too much space, but he’d do it.

Chris stepped away, but he didn’t let go of Drake’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Drake finally looked around. He’d expected another restaurant—sans Karl this time—but there were no permanent buildings. His eyes widened when he saw the ice rink. He’d been in Green Hill for two years, so he knew that every holiday, the town set up the ice rink and a few rows of stalls that sold anything from food to warm drinks, but he’d never gone. He’d always meant to, but things were always busy during this time of the year.

And now, he was here with Chris.

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