Page 27 of Strip Bare

It was early enough that birds were still flitting in and out of the trees we walked underneath and people still lounged on the grass, soaking up the last of the sunshine for the day. It should have been a pleasant walk. Instead, I felt sick.

“It’s just so strange,” I rambled. “My dad’s meticulous about his car, especially when it comes to long journeys. But I’m glad to see them for the extra day, though—” I glanced up at Kit quickly and then sharply away when I found him watching me. “—I’m obviously sorry it meant another day of pretending for you.”

“I don’t mind,” he said easily and I tried not to sigh. It wasn’t that I thought he was lying, but Kit was nice enough to try and spare my feelings.

I didn’t bother replying, just tried to keep breathing steadily as the greenery passed by, inhaling the smell of freshly-cut grass and breathing out my anxiety like it was a physical thing I could release.

A hand caught mine and I looked down in surprise, a kernel of warmth growing inside me when Kit didn’t let go and instead pulled me closer. I didn’t pull away and his fingers tightened around mine for a moment as we walked, the silence suddenly feeling less oppressive.

This was our final night together as an us and I still hadn’t figured out whether or not Kit had liked being together enough for me to convince him to stay. I wanted him, and it scared me. My mom said the best things in life are normally the things that scare us the most, and that definitely rang true when it came to Kit.

Giorgio’s was relatively quiet considering we were nearly at the end of the week—though admittedly it was the kind of place you took your parents or a date, so it wasn’t usually as packed as The Box or Cocoa & Rum.

My parents were already waiting at a table in the center of the hall and I looked longingly at the more secluded booths that lined the windows. I hated being seated so out in the open where the server could lean over and get in my personal space without warning. What alarmed me most, however, was the pretty top my mom was wearing and the faint hint of make-up on her eyes and cheeks. My dad, usually forever casual, was in a shirt and that was akin to black-tie for him.

I’d prepared for a nice meal and a night of small talk. My mom caught my eye and her smile said mischief. It was a look I’d seen on Saylor too many times before. Fuck. This wasn’t some casual thanks for having us dinner. This was an interrogation.

“You okay?” Kit murmured as we walked closer and I realized I was probably cutting off the circulation in his fingers.

“I’m sorry for this.”

He shot me a raised-eyebrow look of concern before hiding it quickly as we pulled out our chairs and sat down opposite my parents.

“You both look nice,” I said sourly and my mom grinned.

“Thank you, sweetie. I feel like we’ve barely had any time to speak to you with all the sight-seeing we’ve been doing, so I thought it would be nice to have a proper catch-up.”

I narrowed my eyes and my dad had the grace to look a little guilty. Kit’s eyes flicked back and forth between my parents and me, blissfully ignorant about what was happening. It had been so long since I’d let my parents meet anyone I was seeing that I’d forgotten how my mom tended to react.

“Of course,” my mom continued, “it’s been nice getting to know you better too, Kit. Tell me, how did you and Leo meet?”

“Mom,” I said warningly, trying to head her off when Kit’s mouth turned up in a half-smile.

“You know, I’m not sure I remember. It feels like Leo’s always been there, by my side.”

A strange sensation swooped in my belly and I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, not wanting him to see anything in my eyes that might give away how he made me feel in that moment.

“Football,” I said softly. “Through the team.”

“And you were friends for a while first?”

“Yes,” I gritted out and was relieved when the server came over to take our drink order, offering a brief reprieve.

“And after college, once you both have your degrees, what then?” My mom continued once the server had walked away.

“Mom,” I protested and she blinked her eyes innocently at me.

“What? It’s not like this is a brand new relationship, Leo. You need to think about these things! I don’t want either of you getting your heart broken because you thought this relationship is something it wasn’t.”

I sat back, surprised. She’d never been this defensive before. What was different? “It’s our relationship, Mom. We’ll figure that out together. It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“Leo…” my dad said, a warning clear in his tone and I bit my tongue for a moment before releasing a slow breath.

“I’m sorry, I appreciate your concern. But I don’t need you to worry about my relationship—or interrogating my boyfriend.” The words made my stomach tumble for a second. Was it the first time I’d said those words aloud?

“Oh,” Kit said, laughing, but his eyes were full of a languid heat that made me swallow as he looked first at me and then to my parents. “That’s what this is—you want to know my intentions towards your son. It’s very honorable.”

“Well?” my mom said and I groaned.

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