Page 12 of Winning You
Gage sighed but did as he was asked, and since they were in the privacy of Gage’s car, Lucas let himself do a little hand-flapping stim. But just a small one.
“That right there,” Gage said.
Lucas froze halfway leaning down to pick up his cane. “What? Where? Is it a bug?”
“It’s you,” Gage said. “You’re…being weird.”
“I mean…yeah. That’s kind of my whole thing,” Lucas said slowly.
“No! You’re being less weird, which is more weird. You’re not stimming like you used to with your hands,” Gage said, like that somehow answered all of Lucas’s questions. When he said nothing, Gage sighed. “Oliver said something about your stimming, didn’t he?”
Lucas knew he had a totally garbage poker face. He was screwed.
“I will kill him. I will tie him to a tree and cover him in honey, and release fire ants that will?—”
“Okay, whoa, Nero. No ancient Roman torture or…wherever that shit comes from,” Lucas told him quickly. He should never have convinced Gage to study history. “It’s fine, okay? He made a couple of shitty comments, and I ignored them because I don’t give a fuck what people think about me.”
“Yes you do. Especially when you like them,” Gage said. “You and I almost stopped being friends because I was being an angsty, angry teenager who wasn’t careful with your heart.”
Lucas allowed himself a small laugh. “You and I both know that was for the best. You are my platonic soulmate. We didn’t need to complicate it.”
“Yes, but you can’t sit here and tell me I didn’t hurt you.”
He couldn’t. So he didn’t.
“Anyway, so honey and…ants? A boat. Some hungry sea creatures and Oliver’s tormented body that?—”
“Gage. Just…leave it, okay? Everyone else likes him, and they’ll probably have a better time if I’m not there.”
“I won’t.”
“Yes you will. Go have weird tentacle sex with a Mindflayer and call me when you’re done,” Lucas said. He didn’t give Gage time to argue with him anymore. He swiped his cane off the ground, unfolded it and tapped the curb, then stepped out with the rest of his burrito, chips, and guac tucked under his arm. “See you.”
“Bye.”
He slammed the door and hurried toward the entrance to his corridor before Gage could change his mind and follow him inside.
Rotting alone on his couch with leftovers was hardly the worst way to end his night. Maybe it wasn’t the best, but he’d live. He’d be fine.
And someday, maybe this wouldn’t be his life.
Someday, maybe?—
“Das mine.”
Lucas froze three feet into the building. A child? He didn’t live near a child. Except…ohshit, the new neighbors. He’d almost forgotten he’d heard someone moving in. Oh god help him. God save him.
“Mine,” the tiny voice said again, and then without warning, Lucas’s cane was ripped from his hand, and he hit the ground on his knees with a heavy thud.
“Elodie! Oh my god, what are you doing?” The voice was gruff and a little familiar, but Lucas had never been good with fresh voices. It usually took him several times meeting a person to recognize them.
“Is my cane. See? Dis…dis is mine.”
“I am so sorry,” the deep, rumbling voice said. The poor bastard was out of breath, and as Lucas climbed to his feet, he heard the man wrestling with the child. He knew tiny fingers were both quick and strong, and in spite of the fact that he’d now lost his burrito and his guac somewhere, he smiled.
“No harm.”
“Yes, but—” The man grunted, and the child let out a screech that made Lucas want to shove his head into the concrete floor. “Sorry, Jesus. Elodie, go inside right now, or I’m going to duct-tape you to the sliding door.” The man paused. “Please don’t call CPS. It’s an empty threat.”
