Page 111 of Jace
I eye the dent on the bumper of her Mini Cooper from when she was trying to park backwards at Target and hit a pole.She almost hisses before she closes the tailgate and gets in the driver's seat, slamming the door closed.
I follow her and lean on her open window sill. “You okay, Kyles? Did you already have a costume by the way? You’re coming to our New Year’s Eve party, right?” I ask, trying to distract her, referring to the yearly costume party our house gives on New Year’s Eve for all the students who are still on campus. This year, the team is not allowed to drink, though. Orders from the coach. The semi-final is on New Year's Day. It’s a home game in the afternoon, so we can sleep in, but still…
She rolls her eyes and deflates on a sigh. I know her. Just talk about something else and she’ll get over her tantrum. “Yes, of course. I’ll lookfabulousas always. I’ll see you there. Take care of the ducks, okay?” She waves to Lamar before she hits the gas and takes off, leaving two jocks with a couple of helpless baby ducks. Baby ducks which are a gift to a woman who doesn’t have one nourishing bone in her body.
Missy is going to kill him when we show up.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Missy didn’t kill Lamar when we showed up with the ducklings. On the contrary; she can’t shut up about them and is freaking in love with Patrice and Patrick. She even loved the names, and she loved Lamarhardthat night as well. Made me and Jace pack a bag for him and haul it to my place so we couldsleep.
Even now; a week later, at our New Year’s Eve party, I listen to Missy rave about her new kids, who now have a nice set-up in their postage stamp of a garden. Courtesy of Lamar, who turnedthe entire terrace into one big coop. We’re standing close to the stairs, waiting for Jace to finally come down.
“I put them indoors tonight. I don’t want them to be afraid of the fireworks display,” she says, sipping on a beer and flicking back one of her two pink and blue pigtails of her Harley Quinn costume. Would’ve figured she would dress up as Wednesday or wouldn’t dress up at all, but to my surprise she and Lamar opted for couple-costumes. Lamar with a green wig on is a sight to behold.
Me? I don’t really mind what I wear, so I just put the crown and red velvet king’s cape on like I always do. I know it’s cheesy because of my name, but oh well.
“The fireworks display is in the town’s center, right?” I reply loudly over the music. “That’s like five miles away. They would be fine.”
She gives me a glare. “They’rebabies.Fireworks are scary so I’ve put them in Jace’s room. It’s empty most nights anyway.”
True. Since he usually sleeps over at my place. At least last week, when Lamar was athisplace. We all sleep better this way.
“Now that you mention him…” My heart skips a beat like it always does when I spot him.
Yup, he finally makes his grand entrance, wearing a way too tight blue dress and a blond braided wig, waving to people from atop of the stairs. I almost drop my soda. Missy snorts.
Without a care in the world he struts down to me and makes an elaborate curtsy. “Well good evening, your majesty. What a big crown you’ve got.”
“You said that last night,” I crack, making Missy choke on her beer. “You look like Elsa on steroids.”
“I thought we could have a couple-costume as well, my king. See?” He spins around, showing-off the blue monstrosity and points at the tiara on his head. “I’m a princess!”
I can only stare. The dress is horrible, yes, but it is so tight and stretched you can basically count his delicious abs. “Where the hell did you get that dress and how did you make itfit?”
“My cousin likes burgers for breakfast,” Missy deadpans after she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “And she’s a big Disney fan. Emphasis onbig.”
I don’t know if I should be turned on because Jace’s big arms pop out of the dress like hell yeah, or if I should be horrified that my boyfriend likes to dress up on occasion. He has that pink glitter nail polish on again and... “Is that eyeliner?”
He actually flutters his lashes. “You like?”
“Itdoesmake your eyes pop,” Missy pipes in and okay, she might be onto something there... His eyes appear even grayer now.
“Is this going to be a thing?” I ask, still stupidly blinking at him, and I lower my voice. “If so, do you wear anything beneath the skirt?”
He laughs before he bites his lip and lets his eyes rove hungrily over me. “You want to find out?”
My eyes involuntarily flick around the crowd, and I flinch, not wanting to hurt him. He only smiles, though.
“Don’t worry, the music is loud enough, nobody heard it.” He gives me a wink.
“I did,” Missy snorts. “And I want tounhearit, thank you. Come dance with me Jace, make the music erase it from my poor ears.” She proceeds to grab Jace's arm and drags him to the makeshift crowded dance floor. He gives me an apologetic look over his shoulder, because he knows that no, I don’t dance.
Holding up my empty soda cup, I give him a smile. He should dance. He lives and breathes music, and I would never stop him from doing something that he loves. So I let him go and go hang with my roomies, watching from the sidelines how my lover entertains himself.
And Iwantto go there, sosobad, but fuck if the nerves don’t get to me. Again. It’s stupid, because my close friends already know, my parents know, hell… even myexknows. It’s just the rest of the student body and my career that I’m worried about. I know I should find my damn guts already and be as free as he is, come out for real instead of this half-assed thing I’m doing now, embrace that inner unicorn or something. But I’m terrified of my future.
I want to, I really do. I want to hold him and hug him and touch him and just show the damn world and all those stupid girls who fawn their tits over him that he’smine. More and more athletes come out and I wouldn’t be the first. But I just know it is still going to be a thing.
