Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Yep.”
“I agree.”
We let them know which one we wanted, filled out paperwork, then grabbed some dinner and headed back to Havenwood. It would be a week or so until we could bring him home. There was a whole process involved to make sure we would be good daddies for him. I told them we wouldn’t be good, we’d be the best, because obviously we would.
The house was dark when we got back home. Griff would be at the bar. Chase checked the place out first because he was a worrier like that, and then we showered, changed, and ended up on the couch, watching a movie.
“Remember that BJ I gave you ten years ago in this living room?” I fluttered my lashes playfully.
Chase nodded. “I do.”
“I think I need to give you another one, right here, for old times’ sake, you know?”
Chase grabbed me, pulled me to him, and kissed me. I laughed against his mouth, and he was doing the same. Even with all the shit going on in our lives, I’d never been happier.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Chase
I was losing my fucking mind.
It had been a few days since we’d been staying at Griff and Kellan’s. It was…awkward, to say the least. Griff and I hardly spoke. I was giving him space, and he was obviously still angry about everything, not that I could blame him. Kellan was trying hard to pretend everything was normal, when it so clearly wasn’t.
I missed my home. I wanted to be there, but I also wanted Kellan with me, and I wanted him safe and comfortable, which meant being at his place for now.
From the first day I’d met Griff, he had always been there for me. If I was struggling or dealing with something, I always knew I had him by my side. I loved having Kellan with me, loved knowing he was mine, that no matter what happened I had him, but I missed my best friend. I missed Griffin.
My dad still hadn’t come back to town, so that was weighing on us. I wasn’t working, and Kellan only had the one class, even though there were a couple more kids who had come back to the studio now. Every moment of every day the question in the back of my mind was, what if my father had done this? And even worse, what if he had something to do with the death of Kellan’s parents? I was sick to my stomach all the time, knowing it was a possibility. It felt like everything was unraveling, like my life was falling apart, but then, then it felt more full than it ever had too—because of Kellan. Because I had him.
How everything could feel like it was both a disaster yet the most complete I’d ever been, I didn’t know, but that was how it was.
It didn’t help that we stayed at the house most of the time, not getting out much because of the photos everyone had seen. It was hard looking people in the eyes when they’d seen our private moment.
It was a Friday night. Griff was at the bar, like he always was. Kellan and I had made dinner together, had eaten, and now we were doing what we did every night, pretending everything was normal, when Kellan shoved off the couch. “Let’s go!”
I frowned. “Where are we going?”
“To Griff’s. We’re doing something. We’re not going to waste away in this house. We’re not going to let them win.”
His words were exactly what I needed, were one of the things I loved about him so much—his strength, his determination to be himself and live his life his way, no matter what.
“Come on, Chase. I’m serious! Fuck them. I don’t give a shit if they know I like to get a little kinky with my boyfriend. Most of them are probably jealous. I mean, you’re hot, and I give the best blowjobs, so—”
I stood and pressed my mouth to his before he could continue. It wasn’t that I was so excited about going out. Hell, I wasn’t sure I wanted to, but it was hard not to feel his enthusiasm and impossible not to bask in Kellan’s light when he felt strongly about something. “Oh, baby boy. You’re going to kill me, I think. You got me all wrapped up.”
“Just where I like you.” Kellan grinned. “Now can we go out? I need a drink, and I miss the three musketeers. I need Nat and Josh time—with you, of course.”
I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t a little nervous about going out. If someone said something to us, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my temper in check, but still I said, “Yeah, let’s do this. Let’s go have a little fun.”
We showered, got ready, and Kellan messaged Natalie and Josh, telling them we were going out.