in me, you know? Growing up, I figured that failure was in my blood. Maybe I thought I was t-t-tainted.
“People thought I was autistic. Or just s-s-slow.”
I felt something wet hit my back and knew then that Javi was crying. But I was so proud of him for sharing with me that I didn’t want to embarrass him by calling attention to it just yet. He deserved a safe place to open up, and despite how I’d messed up in the past, I wanted to be that for him.
“S-so I acted out like Andrew d-does. But mine got worse, and I really hurt s-s-someone. I did time in a juvenile detention facility. I d-don’t want that for him. I had a m-mentor at a center like the one Andrew is at. But he c-came after I’d already fucked up b-b-badly.”
When the marker didn’t resume its path on my skin, I judged it safe to roll onto my back. I turned over, pulling Javi onto my lap, and when I sat up, he hooked his ankles behind my back. I held him, gently stroking his sides and back, letting him feel whatever he needed to.
His tears ran in wet trails down my shoulders, onto my chest. He trembled as he struggled with the memories. When his shoulders finally slowed their shaking, I asked if I could meet his mentor, wanting to know the person who’d managed to see the amazing spirit Javi had in him.
“He d-died of cancer before I finished my apprenticeship with Reagan.”
“Oh, Javi,” I whispered before pulling him in tight.
I wrapped my arms around him, like I could somehow shield him from all the hurt he’d experienced. But I couldn’t. There’d been so much hurt. It was a balm to know that at least one person had been there to lift Javi up. One person had helped Javi manifest into the magnificent person he was today. But it made my heart ache to know he’d died. How much loss was Javi doomed to experience?
I knew I had to try my best to lift him up, to reinforce the good that mentor had started. “I think he’d be so proud of you, Javi. You’ve accomplished so many great things. I’m in awe of you, you know.”
I was rewarded with his blush, but for once he didn’t look away or diminish my compliment. It felt as if Javi had really heard me, a very welcome step in our relationship. “Hey, you mentioned during dinner that you wanted to tell me some good news? But we got distracted by Giuliana and then all the kissing.”
“I like the kissing,” Javi said, chuckling. “But yeah, I’ve got some kick-ass news. The shop is going to be featured on TV—some network is c-coming to film us and make a whole episode about the s-shop. Reagan wants me to use a client’s b-back piece as my featured piece for the s-show. It’s huge, and I’ve already put about ten hours into it, so they’ll be able to get a s-sense of what I can d-do while still having enough left that they can film me working on it, too.”
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek, his neck, before whispering in his ear, “See? You’re amazing. And now the whole world will get to see it.”
My cock was beginning to get hard from all the friction, and having a lapful of hot boyfriend. Having Javi this close, being able to smell his clean scent and taste the salt on his skin, sent me into a headspace that demanded more of him. All of him. I started to nuzzle his neck, pulling him closer so I could press my cock into the seam of his ass.
“Oh, no,” he said, gently pushing me back. “I shared something b-big. It’s your turn. And lie down so I can finish your d-drawing.”
Reaching up, I brushed some hair from his eyes. I loved looking at Javi’s eyes, the kind of hazel that leaned green when he was happy and stormy when he was upset. Giving him a quick kiss on his nose, I lay down and rolled back on my belly, peeking over my shoulder as I admitted, “I never planned on being a single parent.”
One of his eyebrows lifted in question, and I smiled. “I was married for six years. Kyle—my ex-husband—and I talked long and hard about whether to have a child. He was unhappy with where he was in life, and I think he