Page 47 of Another Chance
EPILOGUE
Funny how so much could change in just a few months.
His little house looked the same as it had when he was growing up, but it was in better shape than ever. The roofs had been redone, and the hole in the wall had been patched up like it had never existed at all. From the outside, it looked good, but from the inside, even better.
With the moldy carpets gone, hardwood floors practically glowed a dark amber, and fresh paint had been applied to the whole place. There were even new fixtures so that the place was much more modernized. With the work that had been done, the value of the house had gone up sharply, and if Theo wanted to sell, he would have made a tidy profit.
“So say something,” Eric’s voice was amused, but there was an undertone of anxiety there, too, Theo was sure of it. “Do you like it?” Eric came over to Theo and wrapped an arm around his waist, which not only felt nice but surprised Theo a hell of a lot.
The rest of Eric’s team was there, all of them, and while Theo didn’t think that this relationship was exactly secret, neither of them had exactly shoved it in anyone’s face. It was a small town, and Eric was a fairly respected person, and it just seemed easier to keep it to themselves.
But Eric was touching him, right out in the front yard, where anyone could see. Theo looked at him, startled, and then smiled a little and draped his arm around Eric’s shoulders, giving him a one-armed hug.
“It’s amazing,” Theo admitted. And Eric had done all that work for free, though Theo had tried to insist on paying him. He had paid Eric’s team, and the contractors, of course, but for Eric’s part he refused to take any money.
Well, it wouldn’t matter soon. Maybe. Assuming Eric didn’t just laugh in his face, which, let’s face it, he probably would. It was way too soon for him to be thinking about what he was thinking about, but at the same time, he’d always thought that when it was right, he would know.
It was right. And if he wasn’t completely delusional about that, Eric would see it, too. The fact that Eric had allowed himself to touch Theo intimately in front of other people, and the fact that those people didn’t even blink, that was a good sign.
Theo slipped his fingers into his pockets and smiled as he caressed the ring box inside. He’d been thinking about this for awhile, but he’d only gotten the ring itself about a week ago. He’d been waiting for the perfect moment, and the day that they finished his house, that somehow seemed like the exact perfect moment.
“Thank you, guys,” Theo said, and he smiled at each and every one of Eric’s team. They were good people, and he’d grown fond of them in their own right. Now, how to tell a group of people that he genuinely liked that he’d really like them all to pretty much just get the damn hell off of his property right now …
“Hey, you wanna go show Jupiter his new home?” Eric asked, and if Theo hadn’t already been in love with him, that would have been enough to do it. He grinned at him and even dared to kiss his cheek, trying out this whole open about their relationship thing which Eric didn’t seem to mind so much anymore.
“Yeah. Thanks again, guys,” Theo smiled around at all of them, and they even smiled back as they started to pack up their tools. By the time they got back with the cat, they would be long gone, the house still and silent, and then it would be time.
For a moment, Theo found himself wishing that Eric’s friends had stuck around just a little bit longer, but no. He needed to know. So he took a deep, deep breath, letting it fill his lungs completely, and let it out slowly as he followed Eric across the street.
Theo was acting weird, which was strange because he did seem to be genuinely pleased with how his house had turned out. To be honest, Eric had worked himself hard, wanting Theo’s house to be completely perfect. Not wanting him to have any reason at all to change his mind about his decision to stay.
Eric frowned as he watched Theo pick Jupiter up into his arms. The cat was bigger now, though still a kitten, but with paws and ears so enormous that there was no doubt that he was going to be a big boy when he got older. He still looked very tiny nestled in Theo’s protective arms.
It made something in Eric throb when he saw Theo with that damn cat. Eric had never been any sort of a cat person but seeing Theo so protective over something so small, cradling it in his arms, well. A guy couldn’t help but have thoughts about that. Which was probably insane and he would never tell Theo because the guy would either laugh at him or run, but he felt it anyway.
Theo was so quiet as they went back across the street, Eric carefully shutting the door behind him. Theo put Jupiter down, and he looked around, then gave Theo and Eric a highly confused, doubtful look. Funny how the tiny scrap of a kitten had been half feral, at one point, and had now gotten so used to Eric’s house.
“It’s okay, buddy,” Eric told him and squatted down so that Jupiter could rub his cheek over Eric’s outstretched fingers. “It’s all good. This is your home now. You and Theo.”
He snuck a look up at Theo, who was staring at him with this incredibly fixed expression on his face. Eric didn’t know how to read it, but Theo seemed to be quite serious about something, and suddenly he found himself worried that Theo was going to end everything. Was it possible that Theo had only been with him while his house was getting ready so he could live at Eric’s house?
Eric hated himself for being so paranoid. He hated himself for not trusting Theo, but the truth was, he wasn’t sure that he deserved anything as good as what he had with this man. It was a dream come true that he had him at all, and if he lost him, part of him would feel like that was nothing but right and proper, a return to the way things should be.
He had to know, and he stood up, looking Eric dead in the eyes and refusing to let him look away.
“What’s going on?” He could let himself be too scared to ask, or he could know, and maybe get some reassurance. Either way, it would be better to know, right? To be prepared, even if his worst fears were true?
Theo slipped his hand into his pocket and opened his mouth, and Eric found that his mouth kept going, without his consent. Theo was going to tell him that nothing was wrong, that everything was fine, he somehow knew it, just as he knew very clearly that something was going on.
“And don’t you dare say nothing. Are you breaking up with me? Did I do something?” He focused very hard on not making his voice sound too pathetic. He hoped. But losing Theo was pretty much the number one fear in his life.
“What? God, Eric, no,” Theo protested, and he reached out and took Eric’s left hand, his fingers cradling it with a surprisingly gentle touch. “No. I’m not breaking up with you.”
Eric closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, almost feeling like he could float right up into the air from the release of tension there. Okay. Theo wasn’t leaving him. Whatever else it was, he knew he could deal with it.
“Then what?” Eric asked, and then watched, completely uncomprehending, as Theo slid his right hand from his pocket, holding a small box cradled in his palm. Eric frowned. Why did Theo have a …
Oh.
