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Rhys whispered, “I actually am gay.”
It actually felt like a physical ache to stand by and watch as Rhys leaned over the counter and pointed at the stuffed toys as the guy winked in his direction.
“Looked like you were busy.” Emerson glanced back to the basketball booth, where Rhys’s new friend was eyeing him with a shy smile. “What? I wasn’t—” A blush crawled across his cheeks. “It’s okay. I get it.” Or he would. Someday. Right?
Rhys was tall and lean, with muscles in places only scaling tall structures could create, and cognac-colored irises. His dark bangs continually flopped over his eyebrow, and his crooked smile still made Emerson feel instantly better.
“Once we got to know each other better, I trusted him, and my attraction only grew.”
“Tell me what you want,” Rhys rasped, a slight tremble to his lips. “You’re not always good at looking after your own needs.”
“I just…want to feel something other than numb,” he confessed.
“So tell me what you want.” “I want…you. Just you.” It was simple, really. Yet complicated as hell. And he had just totally put himself out there. Fuck.
“No matter what, I will always be your friend.”
He was feeling sorry for himself again and needed to cut it out. He didn’t even know what the future would’ve held between him and Rhys anyway, and now he may never know. Maybe it was for the best.
“You’ll have lots of good things to look forward to in your own life, Audrey. I promise.” “And what about you?”
He looked back at the Rose family one last time so he’d have a snapshot of them captured in his head. Just in case.
But Emerson could not soothe the profound ache in his chest when he looked at his battered and bruised—and beautiful—friend, nor the ache to touch Rhys in a meaningful way. Instead, he’d feed him and care for him and let him know he wasn’t alone. It was the best he could do in a terrible situation.
“That’s why I thought it was a good gift for you…because you’re sort of going through your own kinda metamorphosis.”
“I want to be here too—for all of you.” “You already are,” Emerson murmured. “They adore you too. We all do.”
Did he have feelings for Emerson? Would the kiss have evolved into something deeper? Rhys didn’t know anything except he wanted to be close to him right the fuck now. Emerson always made him feel more like himself. Like everything would be okay and would eventually make sense.
Holy fuck, Emerson was sitting naked in front of him, his cock straining against his stomach, and Rhys couldn’t remember a time when he’d wanted anyone more.
Because he couldn’t imagine not feeling for his best friend what he did right now. No fucking way.
“Why did you stay?” Rhys asked, his heart beating double-time. Emerson gripped the door handle. “Because you’re family.” That was the exact moment Rhys knew no other person would ever compare.
“I was gonna say you looked stunning sitting there with the sun glinting off your eyelashes. Peaceful too.”
“I was slowly falling in love with you…during all the bigger and smaller moments in our lives…and all the spaces in between.”
“Even when I didn’t think I had a chance with you, I was already in love with your courage, your resolve, and your heart. And then having the opportunity—twice—to act on those feelings? That’s lucky. To get to hold you and kiss you. To watch you give yourself to me? That was a gift.” Emerson could barely fucking breathe, his entire body trembling. “It’s always been you, Em, for me.” He stared straight into Emerson’s eyes. “And maybe it took my accident to realize it. Maybe not. Life is so fucking strange sometimes.”
“Tell me again how we fell in love?” His heart stuttered. “We?” “Uh-huh. You and me falling in love.” “Slowly…” he replied in a hoarse voice. “During the bigger and smaller moments in our lives…” “And all the spaces in between,” Emerson murmured.
“You have me, Em. I’m yours.” He reached out to lift Emerson’s chin with his thumb. “The question is, are you mine?” Emerson
“I’ve always been yours,” Emerson said, and Rhys’s breath caught. “I’m in love with you. And I want us to be together, even if we stumble along the way.”
