Noah lifts an eyebrow. “How?”
“Think of your stepbrother, instead.”
Noah makes a gagging sound and Weston and I break out in laughter, right before the graduation song begins.
“Never say the wordstepbrotheraround me again,” he protests.
“Stepbrother. Stepbrother. Stepbrother.”
“Torin Jensen, coming right up.”
Noah’s laughing now, even if he hates us for it.
“Maybe you’ll like him,” Wes offers.
“Not going to happen.”
Graduation is hot but beautiful,and I’m surprised to feel emotional watching the seniors go up and get their diplomas, knowing it’ll eventually be me on that stage.
It gets me thinking about the future.
The future isn’t something I ever cared about either, and all I really wanted was simple: to get my engineering degree, get a good, challenging job, and make sure Mom was always taken care of.
The rest ofthe futurefelt like a swirling, unknown fog.
Now I turn to look at Weston and see something else.
Something grounded.
An actual future with love, against all fucking odds. I used to think I’d be bad for Wes, because he’s a man with a true soft heart behind the walls he always used to put up.
But when he’s the good boy, it makes it even better when he’s bad for me.
I love every particular thing about him.
That he’s more likely to eat a food item if it has the wordharvestin the name.
That he cares about doing things thoughtfully, from cutting vegetables, to making the perfect whiskey cocktail for me, to taking my cock in his throat like it’s his duty.
I love that there is someone in the world who truly cares about things, on a level as deep as Weston does.
It’s how he cares about me, too.
Even before he had any reason to, when I was just as stubborn as him.
After the seniors finish their procession and toss all of their graduation caps up into the air, everyone gets up and the crowd applauds and begins to dissipate.
“What are we doing tonight?”
“Partying,” Noah says. “Of course.”
“I’m glad that partying no longer meansblacking out drunkfor you, Noah,” Weston tells him.
Noah smiles. “I’m beginning to have a love affair with red wine, because I can only have a glass or two before I just get sleepy, and that’s plenty for me.”
Noah finds some of the other guys as we head into the crowd, leaving the football field.
For a brief moment I’m just here walking with Weston, even though I know the other guys will surely find us again soon.