Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Yeah…I’m okay. I’m sad about Theo’s dad, and…it makes me think about Henry. Is that okay to admit?”
“Of course it is. I wondered if it might.”
“I hate that he’ll never have this…the strength Theo has and the love I feel for you. All because of something as stupid as someone’s gender. Why the hell does it matter so much?”
“I don’t know,” I answered simply. Not everyone got their happily ever after, but I would make damn sure we did.
“I love you.” Cam dropped his forehead to mine. “I love you so damn much.”
“I love you too. You’ve made me happier than I ever thought I would be…but do you know what I hate?” I teased.
He grinned. “What’s that? Clothes? Because I hate them too right now. I’m wanting some Naked-Jude time.”
Damned if I didn’t chuckle. “Yes, clothes, but also…this condo. It’s not me.” Just like finance hadn’t been me and maybe art would be. I was tired of settling. I wouldn’t do that anymore.
“What about my house? Is that you?”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
“No,” Cam said, and I playfully shoved him.
“Asshole.”
“Yes…move in with me. We can get a dog!”
I had no idea where that came from, but that was Cam. He would always keep me on my toes.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Let’s do it.” There was no time like the present to be happy. I grabbed his hand and began tugging him toward the bedroom.
“Fuck yes. Naked time! Best boyfriend ever.”
“So I really did it? I passed Boyfriend 101?” I asked.
“You fucking aced it,” Cam replied, tumbling with me onto the bed, and we got the naked time we both wanted.
EPILOGUE
Camden
Three Months Later
“Lady, come on, girl,” I called to our chocolate lab puppy, and she came running, ears flopping like crazy. She was going too fast and slid before running into the door.
Jude laughed. “Silly puppy.” He bent down and petted her, which made her jump all over him and lick his face.
“She’s just like her daddy.” I winked at him as we headed out to the truck.
“Yeah, she does take after you,” Jude countered.
“I meant you, asshole.”
Jude opened the cab door so Lady could jump in, and then we both climbed into the front, with me behind the wheel.
We were on our way to Rush’s place. He’d won the Supercross championship the week before, and there was a party to celebrate.
“We’re going to be late. I’ll text Theo to meet us downstairs,” Jude said, and I nodded, starting to drive.
Theo was doing better. His father hadn’t come around, but his mom was working hard to mend her mistakes. It was obvious she loved her son and wanted to do whatever she could to support him. She was making more time for him, and Theo had become a regular at the center with Trey. Annie had joined a group for LGBTQIA+ parents there as well.
It felt good to see them both doing so well. Theo was comfortable in his skin in a way he hadn’t been before, and I knew part of that was because of the man sitting beside me.
Reaching over, I put a hand on his leg and squeezed. “I love you.”
Jude’s brows pulled together. “I love you too. What was that for all of a sudden?”
“Nothing. Aren’t I allowed to tell my boyfriend I love him?”
“All the time. All day every day,” he teased, and I would because I was so damn thankful he was mine.
We pulled up in front of Jude’s old condo. Theo was there waiting, beanie still pulled down over his head like always. He jumped into the back of the truck and began giving Lady love. “Hey, guys! Thanks for picking me up. Mom said thanks too. Oh my God, we went out to dinner last night at this really great sushi place. Mom let Trey come too. I think she thinks he’s my boyfriend, but he’s not…I mean, I’m not saying I don’t want him to be. I don’t know if I want him to be, but right now we’re just friends, is all I’m saying.”
I chuckled, because no matter what, he was still the same old Theo and I loved that.
“You have time to figure it out,” Jude told him. He really was like a big brother to Theo, even more than I was. Their relationship meant a lot to them.
The drive to Linc and Rush’s didn’t take long. Theo and Lady tumbled out of the cab almost before I had the truck parked. Methinks he was a bit more excited to see Trey than he realized.
We headed into the house. Everyone was in the backyard, so we went straight for the door. Ray and Kathy were the first people we saw, and they were holding hands.
“Hey, man. What’s up?” Rush gave Jude a hug. “Does it still weird you out that our parents are dating?”