Page 15 of Wants and Needs
They’ve been like parents for CJ almost all his life, since he met Adam in kindergarten, so they’re more than guests of honor for his birthday.
While we were all at Cavendish near San Francisco, I got to know them as well, and they never failed to make me feel at home with them.
“Come on you two, it’s my turn for some time with my boys,” Diana says, after we’ve all been catching up for a while. She gestures to CJ and me, and Adam squawks indignantly where he’s sitting next to his younger brothers, Kevin and Elliott.
“We’re your boys,” he protests.
“Oh please,” Diana waves him off. “I talk to you all the time. Now come on you two, let’s go out to the deck.”
We follow her dutifully, though Wolf makes a point of kissing the hell out of CJ before we do.
“Tell me all about your party,” Diana demands from CJ once we’re sitting.
“There’s going to be a waterslide,” he starts out excitedly, and I smile and sit back. “A bouncy house big enough for adults, though probably not Mike, but it’s pretty palatial. There’s gonna be hot dogs and all kinds of fair food, and even a piñata, and fireworks at midnight. We tested them only two days ago, on the Fourth, to make sure it all worked out well, and it wasamazing!” he ends with a little cry.
I know CJ didn’t have the best of childhoods, in fact, if it weren’t for Adam and the Darnells, he’d probably be a very sad person nowadays. The worst part is he wouldn’t even know it.
So for his birthday, he decided he was going to set up everything he’d ever wanted and never got as a kid. I mean, he has more than enough money to go all out, so there’s no one to stop him from getting absolutely whatever the fuck he wants now.
According to what Hawk has been saying in the group chat we have, Wolf has been working tirelessly to get everything ready. Whatever CJ wants he’ll get if that grumpy puppy has anything to say about it.
Any time someone’s made the mistake of questioning one of CJ’s choices on the event, Wolf has started growling, and I swear if anyone says anything critical tomorrow he’s going to go feral on us.
I smile at the thought—weird, but the truth is I have a softspot for Wolf. He’s so unapologetically protective over CJ, how could I not?
And I’m so bloody happy that CJ finally has someone who loves him fiercely by his side.
I keep quiet while Diana asks CJ more and more questions, which he answers without a second’s hesitation. I let them visit for a while since I don’t think I’ll have a lot to tell when it comes my time to be interrogated.
It comes too soon, though having all of Diana’s attention is nice. She always makes me feel like I’m the most important person in the world, and I don’t get that anywhere else.
“Now you,” she declares, as she deliberately turns in her seat to look directly at me. “How was your trip?”
“It was good,” I tell her honestly. “I reconnected with a mate from school and even met his new boyfriend, who as it turns out, is from New York.”
“That’s nice.” Her smile shows that she’s not just saying that, she really means it. “And the sale of the house?”
“It went flawlessly. We had the sale practically wrapped up a week after I arrived, and Milton stayed to give them the keys the day I left. I spent the whole month packing everything I want to keep and selling most of the furniture, though the new owners wanted to keep a great deal.”
“And what about Milton? You told me you were going to ask him to come help you with the brownstone.”
My eyes shift to CJ of their own accord, and seeing his peaceful smile, something inside me settles.
It’s his brownstone. Just one of the properties he inherited when he gained access to his trust fund, and one of the few hedidn’t sell or isn’t trying to sell. It was his idea to ask Milton to move so he could help me manage it.
Back in May we came over to the ranch because Wolf and Hawk were doing a few shows for their latest album, and he asked me to keep living at the brownstone.
I could technically buy it from him, but that means I’d be left with practically no savings. Even with the sale of my parents’ home and with all the money Dad left me, a brownstone on Park Avenue is fucking expensive, and the upkeep would be a big burden.
So we compromised that I’d pay the upkeep while I’m living there and he won’t let me pay rent.
“He’s flying over in two weeks,” I tell Diana. “We managed to sort out his visa without any issues, and he’s actually excited.”
“You know you can make whatever changes you want to the brownstone,” CJ tells me.
“It’s perfect the way it is now,” I disagree, shaking my head at him. “I’m sure Milton will have the whole thing in tip-top shape in no time.”
“And the galleries?” Diana asks.
