My mother didn’t look old enough to have four children. Especially not one who was nineteen and living in New York City, or one who was off living her best life with her friends. My sister, Hazel, had run off the second she turned eighteen and hadn’t moved back home yet. Not that I had been surprised. Hazel had been destined for bigger and better things. We had been closer as kids. She was the reason I had started dancing, because I had watched her and wanted to be exactly like her. But Hazel had changed her mind about ballet when she turned thirteen. Decided that it wasn’t for her anymore and never put her slippers back on again. It had hurt more than I wanted to admit. Because it had been our thing. Like racing was Silas and Mia’s thing.
I dropped my head back. “Mom, please.” I didn’t want to have this conversation with her right now. I was a grown adult. I could do what I wantedwhenI wanted. With whom I wanted.
“Reed, honey, I just want to make sure you’re being safe.” Mom tipped my head back up and pinched my chin between her thumb and forefinger. “And protecting your heart. You suffered for a long time over Cole last time. Your father and I were worried about you.”
Of course, she was right. She always was. I had mourned Cole like a lover, and we hadn’t even been together back then. We had barely been friends.
“I promise I’m being safe.”
“And the other part?” Mom raised her brows. “Are you being careful with your heart this time, too? Cole seems nice, but what happens when you both go back to school? And you will go back to school, Reed Kelly. You will not give up your dreams for that boy. Do you understand me?”
That came as a shock to me. Mom had done just that for my father, whom she loved with all her heart. And they were two of the happiest people I knew.
“I have no plans to move to Boston.”
“Good.” She dropped her hand before she tugged me into a hug. “And if you fall in love with Cole and get married, that would be okay, too. You know I want to be a grandmother someday. I don’t think Hazel even wants kids.”
I snorted. I doubted my sister was ever going to get married, never mind have a baby. “We’re nineteen. We’re not even thinking about marriage. Don’t rush things.”
But I could already feel my heart falling for him again. Those eyes. That smile. The way he said my name and called me baby. I knew I was going to go back to New York heartbroken and lonely, but it would be worth it just to have a few weeks with Cole. The memories would last a lifetime. They would be the ones I held close for the rest of my life. I would compare Cole to every single man who came after him. No one would ever live up to him.
“And you’re using protection.”
“Mom! Please don’t go there.”
Her brows shot up. “We’re both adults, Reed. If you can’t talk about sex with me, that’s a you problem.” She folded her arms over her chest and pursed her lips.
“Dad already talked to me about sex when I was twelve. You don’t have to do this.”
That was probably the most embarrassing conversation of my life. Necessary, but still... Not something I needed to relive. I had just come to terms with my sexuality, so he had sat me down, talked to me about the importance of condoms and how important it was to be careful. To be fair, Dad had done a great job. I was the one who had had been embarrassed. Every single time the words condom, lube, and STIs came out of my father’s mouth, I had wanted to die a million deaths. Dad had never faltered. Not once. I was lucky to have such an amazing father.
“Hmm, well, Hutch was always better at those things with you boys. He just sat down with Silas and had the same conversation this—”
“Mom!” I shook my head. “Please, that’s enough.”
I didn’t need to know anything about my younger brother. Silas had already come to me, and we had our own discussion about him being bisexual. He had a lot of questions that I was sure Dad wasn’t going to be able to answer.
“And don’t even say a word about Hazel and Mia.”
“Sweetie...” Mom reached up and brushed the hair from my forehead. “You know I’m just looking out for you. Your father and I love you. That’s all this is. We want you to be happy.”
I knew that. “Yes, of course.”
My parents had always been supportive of me. When I came out, they told me they would always love me. I wasn’t sure why I had been so worried. Dad was friends with Killian Hampton, the lead singer of Mulligan Downtown, who was openly bisexual,and my parents were good people. They liked and loved everyone. My roommate back at school had not been so lucky. His parents thought he was going through a phase, and they thought he would outgrow it once he graduated and went back home.
“That being said, if Cole hurts you, I will cut off his balls to make a keepsake.” She grinned just as the door opened, and her first students arrived. “Good morning.” Mom greeted them happily, leaving me gaping at her.
AFTER THE CLASSES FINISHED, I headed home. Cole and I hadn’t set definite plans, other than he wanted to take me out. I smiled at the thought. I hadn’t been on a real date in a long time. Just random hookups when the itch hit me. I had dated someone for a bit in high school, but once we graduated, he didn’t want to do the long-distance thing. I wasn’t attached to him, and we parted ways as friends, but after that, I didn’t want to catch feelings.
I suppose maybe I was still getting over Cole. My heart had never really recovered from what had happened between the two of us when we were kids. Even though we had never met, I had liked him more than I should have. When Cole had told me about the kiss he’d shared at hockey camp, it had broken my heart.
I shook my head at the thought, thinking about the shower I needed to take to wash the sweat from my body, and then came to a complete stop when I found my father talking with Killian. But that wasn’t what surprised me. No, it was Cole standing next to them. I took a moment to take him in. His usual hat sat backwards on his head, and his dark curls stuck out from beneath it. The shirt Cole wore did nothing to hide his thick, muscled biceps or his broad shoulders. He held an energy drinkin his left hand, and his jeans hugged his thick thighs. When I met Cole’s eyes, a smile spread over his face, and my heart drummed against my chest at the sight of him.
Mine, mine, mine.
At least, for the summer. Or as long as he would have me.
“There you are.” Dad waved me over. “Kill and I were going to head out in the boat when Cole stopped by. I invited him to join us, but he said that the two of you already made plans.”