Stubborn Boys (Perfect Boys #3)

by K.M. Neuhold

“Why?” he asks. “I’m sure you have a lot more exciting things to worry about than mine and Gannon’s sex life, or whatever.” Hardly. “Why?” I repeat. “Because, sadly, I am utterly incapable of seeing a boy cry without stepping in to help.”

“That’s not…” He clears his throat, looking a little helpless as he drops his gaze to the container of fried rice in his hand. “I’m not the right guy for you.” “Why not?” I set my food down on the coffee table and lean forward. “You know I don’t give a fuck about your leg, right? Or your scars. I’m…I’m kind of crazy about you, Gan.” Fuck it. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Huh,” he says thoughtfully. “I’m starting to think you’re a lot different than I’ve been imagining.” I’m not sure why, but the simple statement does something inside my chest. I know he doesn’t mean anything by it. He has his heart set fully on Gannon—and who could blame him—but there’s something nice about it all the same.

I learned to accept my scars years ago, but it never occurred to me until this moment to wonder if anyone might ever love them simply because they’re part of me.

“Yes, I was planning to meddle. Would you prefer I not?” I ask, and when he doesn’t answer, I take that as permission to do exactly as I’d planned. “I’m still not entirely sure why, to be honest,” I confess. “It’s my good deed for the year, I suppose.” “What do you mean?” “Surely it’s been painfully obvious that I’ve…admired you for quite some time.” I know Barrett and Kiernan have noticed. At times I’ve assumed that was the root of Gannon’s standoffishness around me. “Admired me?” he repeats, staring at me with a dumbfounded expression that slowly morphs into irritation. “What do you mean it’s been obvious? This isn’t middle school. When you have an interest in someone, you should tell them.”

But as in love as I am with Gannon, the thought of walking away from Alden makes me physically sick. I always thought that anyone with multiple partners must not love any of them enough to commit, but now I think I was underestimating the capabilities of the heart. It doesn’t feel like there’s a finite amount of space that I’m trying to split between the two of them. It’s more like my heart is expanding so there’s room for both.