Page 68 of The Jock
“You’re incorrigible,” Milo said. “Thank you.”
He wondered if Neville was really going to leave him alone this time, but he also decided that it didn’t matter. Let him be a nuisance. Milo wasn’t alone. He’d never been alone. He might not have had many people, but he’d always had Gino. He’d only let Neville convince him he was alone. But Milo knew now that he had a wonderful family he could rely on. He had people who loved him.
Including Colby.
CHAPTER 29
COLBY
By the timethey got back to Milo’s place, it was late and they were tipsy. Not drunk, because neither of them particularly wanted to forget a single moment of that night. Not even the moment when Colby had learned that Milo had a whole fucking group of people who were willing to do what it took to look out for him.
Especially not that moment. Truthfully, it had healed something in Colby to know that he didn’t have to be everything for Milo. That he didn’t need to be everywhere for everyone. Taylor had people who were willing to be in his corner. So did Milo. And if it was true for them, it was obviously true for Jonah, who had Spencer, and their dad, who had everyone.
Milo’s bedroom was a disaster of clothes. Like a tornado had whipped through his closet. “Fuck,” Milo’s shoulders dropped. “I knew there was a reason I wanted to go back to your place.”
Colby laughed at the state of the bed, all piled with rejected outfits. “Did you try on your whole closet?”
“Gino kept some of my things for me. Neville thought I threw them away, but I couldn’t.” Milo scoffed. “I should’ve thrown him away sooner.”
“Hindsight is always 20/20. Come on, I’ll help clean this up.”
Colby started to gather things off the bed and carefully laid them over his arm, all the while fully aware of the way Milo was looking at him. Aroused and confused about something.
“You really don’t mind, do you?”
“Mind what?”
Milo waved his hands at the mess on the bed. The feather boas and the nylons and the glittery clothes. The shoes and the things with sequins attached…whatever they were.
Colby took his armload of clothes over to a chair in the corner and gently set them down before returning to Milo. Instead of saying a word, he grabbed Milo’s face. One hand on each cheek, he crushed his lips against Milo’s. His tongue made its way into Milo’s mouth and he explored, caressed, danced with Milo’s tongue until his boyfriend was breathless and clinging to him, weak in the knees.
“I’m not Neville,” Colby said simply.
Milo flinched. “I don’t think you are. I’m just afraid.”
“I know, and if you need me to tell you every day that I like you wearing panties under your workout clothes, I will. If you need me front and center at every show you do, I’ll clap the hardest. I’ll cheer the loudest. And one day you won’t be afraid that glitter is going to scare me away. I love you, Milo. All of you.”
Milo threw himself at Colby. Wrapping his arms around him, he held on tight and Colby held him in return.
“I’m not going anywhere, and I won’t ever ask you to change for me. Not a single thing.”
Milo responded by kissing Colby’s neck. Shivers danced up his spine. Truthfully, he’d been rock-hard ever since Milo stepped out on that stage.
Milo changed at the club before they came home. He’d ditched the wig and the fake eyelashes and had scrubbed off thedramatic drag makeup. He seemed slightly nervous and Colby was suddenly worried about why.
“At the club, before we left, you insisted on changing. If you did that because you thought I wanted you to, you need to know that you can always be yourself with me. No matter what that means in the moment. Okay?”
Milo went rigid in Colby’s embrace. Soft touches smoothed down Milo’s back helped ease some of his tension.
“Old habits can be hard to break. Neville… Never mind.” Milo mumbled into the crook of Colby’s neck. “I’m sorry.”
Colby had figured that Milo’s sudden bout of jitters could be traced back to his shitty ex-boyfriend. He held Milo tighter, trying to reassure him with more than words.
“You don’t have to apologize. And you don’t have to hide. If you wanted to change because drag honestly looks like a lot of work and you were tired, that would be one thing. But I don’t want you to change because you’re trying to make me more comfortable, or you’re worried about what I’ll say. I thought you were fucking hot.”
Milo laughed softly. “You have to say that because you’re my boyfriend.”
“I have to say it because it’s the truth. I always think you’re hot, no matter what you’re wearing. But I’ll admit there is a certain something about seeing you all dolled up. You fucking shone, Milo. Your soul was lit up like a Christmas tree. You looked happy and confident and that made you even sexier.”
