Page 81 of Tender
Casting his eyes down for a second, Miles sighed. “Yeah, but it was worth it. You deserve it, and I felt really awful for the way I just up and left the wedding. Also, how she behaved.” He didn’t feel like saying Selene’s name right then. “Besides, I’m doing better now.”
Oliver gave him a look. “Seems like it.”
Miles attempted to change the subject.“I missed you.How was your honeymoon?”
“Like a dream.”Oliver’s eyes fluttered closed, and he gave a small, happy sigh.“I can’t believe he wanted to marry me.Me? Can you fucking imagine?”
Miles scoffed.Oliver had never seen the entirety of his own worth, but seeing Oliver and Victor together, he knew when Oliver’s ego fell short, Victor would be there to fix it.And vice versa.
Miles wanted that.He thought maybe he could have that.
“Yes, I can. I wanted to marry you once, remember?”
Rolling his eyes, Oliver laughed. “Babe, you were eleven, and we would have made terrible husbands.” That was no lie. Miles had no regrets. “Anyway, so,” Oliver said, lifting his brows to signal he meant business.“What’s your crisis? Your text seemed kind of…I don’t know…frantic?”
“It’s not a crisis. Not…exactly. I met someone new.”
Oliver stared at him for a beat. Then he cleared his throat.“Are you saying you and that woman…”
“Selene,” Miles supplied.Her name tasted like ash. Even though they’d cleared things up, Miles wasn’t ready to let everything go. The pain would be fresh for a while.
“Are you two done?”
“Yeah.We’re over.”
Oliver sagged forward over his phone screen.“Thank fuck.I’m sorry, babe, but I hated her.Haaaaated her.”
His dramatics were appreciated now that any lingering feelings of loss over Selene were gone.He chuckled and shrugged.“A lot of people did.But, uh.It got complicated.”
Oliver’s gaze went into laser-focus mode.“Tell me everything.”
Miles took a breath, and then he did.He spilled it all.The lunch, her cheating, the break-up, Emmett finding him in the parking lot.He decided to skip the part where he thought Emmett was hurting Cosimo because Oliver didn’t need to know all of that.
He also skipped the part where Emmett was his Daddy.That Cosimo was his everything else. That he was cared for in a way he’d never known.He didn’t say how Cosimo held him tight every night, how Emmett made him come so hard he sobbed into his pillow. How he was pulled apart and put back together again by four powerful hands.
But he did say, “I’m in love with them.”
Oliver was silent for a long while.“There’s more, isn’t there? You’re not telling me everything.”
Miles flushed.To Oliver, he’d always been transparent.“Yes.But I don’t…it’s kind of…private? I guess? I’m not trying to keep secrets. I swear.” It was silly, of course. Oliver had been an escort. He’d probably done the Daddy thing more than once in his career. If anyone would get it, it was him. But Miles still felt like he wanted to hoard this part of their relationship to himself.
Just for a little while.
“No, babe.I get it.”Oliver stroked his fingers over his chin.His nails were painted a pretty light blue.“You seem…different.Happier. But you also look a little scared.”
He let out a breath. He wasn’t really afraid, but his insecurities were loud today. They were in love with each other. They’d said as much. But there would always be a part of himwaiting for the other shoe to drop. “I’m afraid they’re going to wake up one day and realize I’m too much.”
“I don’t know them.I’ve never met them.But, babe, anyone who thinks you’re too much isn’t worth your time.”Oliver had said that before, and while Miles appreciated the sentiment, that didn’t mean much in the face of so much rejection.“I also have experience with a thing I never thought I could have, and I can tell you that when you know, you know.It’s just hard to listen to your gut.”
His gut was telling him that this was it.That this was right.And it was maybe even forever.
“If they ever don’t want me anymore, can I come stay with you?” Miles asked quietly.
“My home is your home.It always will be,” Oliver said firmly.“But have a little hope.You owe it to yourself.”
Miles was willing to accept that.“I love you.I miss you.”
“Aww, babe.I love you so much.Promise me the three of you will come visit.”
