Page 35 of Brett (Boys & Toys Season 2 2)

Lena smirks, appearing smug.

I don’t quite follow the meaning of her peculiar expression.

Until from behind her, Skylar emerges, his hair an adorable mess, wearing a plain striped shirt and jeans, somehow looking like a dream walking right out of the frat house of my memories.

I stare at him, uncomprehending.

Lena peers around me once more. “Connor, baby, sweetie? You can come on inside for some coffee and bagels if you’d like. I think the lovebirds here are about to go for a little walk.”

20

Skylar and I stroll leisurely down the street, its pretty trees lining the curb and providing a gentle shade from the fierce morning sunlight.

But for as calmly as we may be walking, there’s a lot of wild and impatient activity in my chest.

And it’s all to do with the man at my side. “So you missed my calls and texts because you were—”

“—on a flight, yeah.” He lets out a little chuckle. “Emilio was waiting at the airport to pick me up, so I didn’t even bother turning my phone back on.”

We arrive at a park, which encompasses an entire city block. The pair of us seem to make the same decision, continuing our stroll straight into its bright greenery, the irregular shadows of trees and branches and leaves passing over us as we go.

“It’s really pretty on this side of town,” I point out. “Nothing at all like the grit of Mayville.”

“There’s some glamour over there, too. Grit … and glamour.” Skylar smiles, hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, I guess so.” I stop suddenly. “Why did you fly in, Sky? All the wedding stuff is over with.”

He stops, too. With the gentle morning breeze in his hair, he faces me. “I’m guessing it’s probably the same reason you crossed the whole city to ask my sister where the hell I was.” He lifts his face to mine, pain in his eyes. “I shouldn’t have left.”

“You shouldn’t have,” I agree. “I was a fucking mess without you. You should have seen me last night, dude. I was …” I give that statement another thought. “Actually, no. It’s a good thing you didn’t see me. I took someone home, but it was only to cry about missing you, apparently. Plus I ate a sketchy street vendor hotdog. Oh, but hey, at least I saved my stripper neighbor from having his thongs stolen by an obsessed fan! So there’s that.”

Skylar isn’t sure how to respond to all of that. “Uh, wow …?”

I take hold of his hands suddenly, pulling him close to me. Skylar lifts his eyebrows in surprise. Our faces are close. The city feels miles away.

Nothing can touch us.

“After spending the week home,” he tells me, “I realized I couldn’t just … move on with my life. Not after the taste I’ve had of … us.”

I bring my hand up to his face, caressing it. “I know it’s a longshot, Skylar. I know it won’t be at all easy. We might even come to regret trying this. But I will regret saying goodbye to you even more. I will regret not giving this a chance.”

He puts his arms around me. Our foreheads touch. “Can we make this work? Living in different cities? Being so far apart, yet … together?”

“We’re about to find out,” I tell him, “because there’s no way I’m letting you go back home today without calling you my boyfriend.”

The most adorable grin breaks Skylar’s face in half. Then our lips come together in the sweetest, most meaningful kiss. Out here in the middle of the city, surrounded by gently whispering trees and the sighing grass and the dancing shadows, we share this perfect, untouchable kiss together. Not even the crisp morning air can come between us.

[ BRETT’S EPILOGUE ]

It’s the perfect day for Brett—sunny, temperate, and surrounded by friends. He and Skylar are out on a date with Connor and Alan, as well as Lena and her new husband Emilio, who were all too happy to join them. The six enjoy a fancy lunch on a deck that overlooks the river.

Brett can’t keep his hands off of Skylar—or his lips.

EPILOGUE

“Seriously? Can you spend a single second not making out in front of us?” teases Connor.

Skylar and I pull away from our kiss. My arm is slung over my boy’s back, holding him against me. “If Skylar’s sis and lovely new bro-in-law can deal with our abundant kissiness … I think you can, too. Besides, it didn’t stop you from cleaning your plate, and we just spoon-fed each other cilantro rice in front of all of you.”

“It was kind of adorable,” puts in Alan, smiling.

“Super cute,” agrees Lena. Then she eyes her husband. “You need to up your game. You’ve never spoon-fed me anything before.”

Emilio gasps in protest, then realizes she’s right. “Well, that’ll have to change. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”

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