Page 27 of Tender
It was a tough pill to swallow, but Cosimo had only ever been intrigued by one other man like this, and that man was at thetable with him. So he wasn’t going to give up hope. He wasn’t going to give up trying.
Miles was something special, and he was determined to see if they could finally have the missing piece in their almost completed puzzle.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MILES
He'd been herea few days now, and Miles was starting to wonder if he was going to last. He hadn’t shown for dinner when Emmett asked him to join them.He hadn’t shown his face much at all.He ate because Emmett showed up at his door with plates covered in cling film, and that morning there had been several bags of groceries on the doorstep.
Guilt was eating at him because he wanted to be better to his hosts, but he felt like such an imposition, he didn’t know how to shake it.
It changed that afternoon while he was lying beside the pool.A dark shadow fell across his vision, and he looked up, heart kicking in his chest when he realized it wasn’t Emmette standing there.
It was Cosimo.
He looked even more imposing, if that was possible.He wore a linen button up and long shorts, hands in his pockets.His face was drawn and unfriendly as ever, and he cleared his throat loudly before asking, “Is it me?”
Miles quickly sat up.“Is what you?”
Cosimo heaved a breath, then sat down on the bench beside Miles and rested his forearms over his thighs.“Emmett thinksI’ve been unwelcoming. He thinks that could be the reason you never take him up on our invite to dinner.”
Miles had been terrified of seeing Cosimo again.The man had been gruff and seemed pretty pissed off at the lunch.But since then, Miles hadn’t seen him at all, so he could be honest in his answer.“It’s not you.Uh.I don’t like being a burden.”
“I got that impression,” Cosimo said.His posture relaxed a fraction.“But even if you were, we can handle a little bit of a burden.You get that, right?”
Miles couldn’t help a small snort.“I guess so.”
Cosimo’s mouth twitched almost like he was going to smile.“I’m not like Emmett.I’m not going to apologize for Selene.She’s a grown woman, and spoiled or not, she knows right from wrong, and she chose to be cruel.”
Miles rubbed a hand down his face.“I wasn’t expecting either of you to apologize.Or to make amends for her.”
“That’s not what this is,” Cosimo said.“To be blunt, we both knew you had nowhere to go, and neither of us could live with you being thrown out onto the streets.I have no idea why our daughter turned out the way she did.My family isn’t the most affectionate, but none of us have ever been like her.And Emmett comes from a line of people who act like living teddy bears.”
Miles couldn’t help his grin, but then his face fell.“She’s…related to you?I mean, genetically?”
Cosimo’s eyes turned sharp.“Is that not what she told you?”
She hadn’t directly said she was adopted, but she’d implied it enough when Miles was sharing his own story.“She didn't tell me anything about you, or Emmett, or her life before I met her,” he said.
Cosimo let out a tired smile.“Emmett gave birth to her.”
It took Miles a second to realize what that meant.“Oh.I didn’t…oh. So he’s…”
“Trans, yes. And if that’s uncomfortable for you—” Cosimo’s voice had immediately gone sharp. Threatening. A warning to Miles.
“What?Oh my God,no,” Miles said in a rush, panicked because he didn’t mean to be insulting.“I just had no idea.I’m sorry.Everything feels so upside down right now, but I have no problem with that at all. I swear. And it’s not you or him keeping me out of the house. I just…don’t want to be too much for you.”
Cosimo grunted softly. “I understand.And neither of us want to push you, but Emmett’s been worrying himself sick over you not eating properly.First, he thought you hated him for being pushy.Then he thought you hated me because I can come across a little…unfriendly.I didn’t think it was either of those things, so I wanted to come ask you directly if you’d join us for meals. For his sake, if not for your own.”
“All of them?” Miles asked.
Cosimo’s gaze was steady.“As many as you’d like.But we’re both decent cooks.I’m making homemade pasta tonight—the good kind.It’s not bad warmed up, but it’s better fresh.So…?”
Miles’s chest felt a little tight, and he swallowed past the lump. It was the least he could do. And frankly, he didn’t want to tell Cosimo that the main reason he’d been avoiding them is because he had a crush on them both that he had no business having.
But it was time to show his gratitude. He didn’t mean to make either of them worry or blame themselves. “Count me in. I promise this time.”
“Good.”Cosimo slapped his thighs, then pushed to stand.“I have to run to my office, but I’ll be back by five.Come inside if you want to get out of that little cottage for a while.I think Emmett will enjoy your company.”
