with another person?
Electricity hummed through me as he stroked his thumb against my back.
I knew the answer. I’d started thinking about it the first moment he’d touched me.
Chapter Twenty
WE’D TALKED about going to brunch at the famous Bay Side Inn all summer, and finally we had a Sunday morning free.
The view was amazing. Sparkling water with sunlight dancing off it.
Boats sailing by. Fresh salt-air breeze. We sat at a table on the deck overlooking it all from the peaceful shade of a huge umbrella.
The food was every bit as amazing as I’d heard. Eggs Benedict with house-cured bacon instead of Canadian bacon. Eggs perfectly poached, hollandaise as rich and creamy as ice cream. We’d each polished off an order along with crispy hash browns, a basket of their signature cinnamon mini muffins, and a huge fruit platter with local honey and assorted cheeses. I couldn’t remember ever having a better meal. Or a better time.
We talked and laughed and held hands right at the table. I could have stayed there for the rest of the day and been happy.
“Tanner, Collin.” I recognized the voice immediately, even out of context. It was Eric from our dorm.
Tanner and I turned just in time to see him approaching the table.
Our hands slipped apart, but the look on Eric’s face made it clear—he’d seen. Breakfast suddenly felt like a cement mixer in my gut.
“Hey, Eric.”
Tanner stood and offered his hand. The same hand that had been holding mine. Jesus.
“Hey.” He shook it, then leaned across the table and shook mine. “I saw you while we were waiting for our table. My folks have a dock a few blocks up. I came up for the weekend.”
A woman who looked insanely similar to Eric came up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Our table’s ready, honey.”
“Mom, this is Tanner D’Amico and Collin Fitzpatrick. We’ve lived in the same dorm the past three years.”
A warm smile brightened her face. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you here with your families?”
“No, ma’am,” Tanner answered. “We’re renting a house with a bunch of friends. We’ve been working at Dorothy’s and Oz.”
“I love Dorothy’s.” Her eyes settled on me. “I think you waited on us a few weeks ago.”
“I think you’re right. Mahimahi with pineapple salsa?”
“Yes.” She beamed. “Impressive memory. I hope I tipped you well.”
I smiled politely. She had. “Yes, thank you.”
“Well, it was lovely to meet both of you, but our table’s ready and Eric’s dad will be wondering where we are. Enjoy the rest of your meal.”
“You too,” Tanner said, but his eyes were on Eric’s.
Eric nodded. “See you back at school.”
I watched as he waved and followed his mom.
“Fuck.” My voice came out as a whisper, but inside my head there was nothing but yelling. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Tanner blew out a slow breath. “You all right?”
“I don’t know.” I had a headache behind my left eye, and my heart was beating in my throat. If that was all right, then yeah, I was fine.
Tanner’s leg bobbed up and down, but other than that, he looked calm. “All things considered, he didn’t seem too shaken up.”
“No, he didn’t. But it’s not like he’s gonna start screaming ‘look at the gay guys’ while he’s trying to eat brunch with his parents.”
“I know. But he didn’t look that freaked-out. I think it’ll be okay. Eric’s a good guy. I’ll shoot him a text later, make sure he’s cool. Okay?”
I nodded.
“Collin, look at me.”
I raised my eyes to his, knowing I must have looked like I was about to lose it. My insides were still shaking.
He held my gaze. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It’s not like I don’t want to believe that, I just… I don’t know. I thought we’d at least get to tell people when we decided to, and how we wanted to. I didn’t expect to just get… caught.”
It felt wrong to use that word. “Caught” made it seem like we were doing something
Electricity hummed through me as he stroked his thumb against my back.
I knew the answer. I’d started thinking about it the first moment he’d touched me.
Chapter Twenty
WE’D TALKED about going to brunch at the famous Bay Side Inn all summer, and finally we had a Sunday morning free.
The view was amazing. Sparkling water with sunlight dancing off it.
Boats sailing by. Fresh salt-air breeze. We sat at a table on the deck overlooking it all from the peaceful shade of a huge umbrella.
The food was every bit as amazing as I’d heard. Eggs Benedict with house-cured bacon instead of Canadian bacon. Eggs perfectly poached, hollandaise as rich and creamy as ice cream. We’d each polished off an order along with crispy hash browns, a basket of their signature cinnamon mini muffins, and a huge fruit platter with local honey and assorted cheeses. I couldn’t remember ever having a better meal. Or a better time.
We talked and laughed and held hands right at the table. I could have stayed there for the rest of the day and been happy.
“Tanner, Collin.” I recognized the voice immediately, even out of context. It was Eric from our dorm.
Tanner and I turned just in time to see him approaching the table.
Our hands slipped apart, but the look on Eric’s face made it clear—he’d seen. Breakfast suddenly felt like a cement mixer in my gut.
“Hey, Eric.”
Tanner stood and offered his hand. The same hand that had been holding mine. Jesus.
“Hey.” He shook it, then leaned across the table and shook mine. “I saw you while we were waiting for our table. My folks have a dock a few blocks up. I came up for the weekend.”
A woman who looked insanely similar to Eric came up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Our table’s ready, honey.”
“Mom, this is Tanner D’Amico and Collin Fitzpatrick. We’ve lived in the same dorm the past three years.”
A warm smile brightened her face. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you here with your families?”
“No, ma’am,” Tanner answered. “We’re renting a house with a bunch of friends. We’ve been working at Dorothy’s and Oz.”
“I love Dorothy’s.” Her eyes settled on me. “I think you waited on us a few weeks ago.”
“I think you’re right. Mahimahi with pineapple salsa?”
“Yes.” She beamed. “Impressive memory. I hope I tipped you well.”
I smiled politely. She had. “Yes, thank you.”
“Well, it was lovely to meet both of you, but our table’s ready and Eric’s dad will be wondering where we are. Enjoy the rest of your meal.”
“You too,” Tanner said, but his eyes were on Eric’s.
Eric nodded. “See you back at school.”
I watched as he waved and followed his mom.
“Fuck.” My voice came out as a whisper, but inside my head there was nothing but yelling. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Tanner blew out a slow breath. “You all right?”
“I don’t know.” I had a headache behind my left eye, and my heart was beating in my throat. If that was all right, then yeah, I was fine.
Tanner’s leg bobbed up and down, but other than that, he looked calm. “All things considered, he didn’t seem too shaken up.”
“No, he didn’t. But it’s not like he’s gonna start screaming ‘look at the gay guys’ while he’s trying to eat brunch with his parents.”
“I know. But he didn’t look that freaked-out. I think it’ll be okay. Eric’s a good guy. I’ll shoot him a text later, make sure he’s cool. Okay?”
I nodded.
“Collin, look at me.”
I raised my eyes to his, knowing I must have looked like I was about to lose it. My insides were still shaking.
He held my gaze. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It’s not like I don’t want to believe that, I just… I don’t know. I thought we’d at least get to tell people when we decided to, and how we wanted to. I didn’t expect to just get… caught.”
It felt wrong to use that word. “Caught” made it seem like we were doing something
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