Hardwood - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,90
goofiest dance I’ve ever seen, all while singing along, never taking his eyes off of me.
The people around him continue to dance too, but I can’t look anywhere but Ev. He dances toward me, his voice carrying over the music in the most tone deaf and completely amazing singing voice on the planet.
When he reaches me, he falls to his knees directly in front of me with a hopeful smile on his lips and adoration in his eyes.
“I know you always wanted a flash mob…” I cut him off with a kiss, attacking his mouth as everything inside me bursts with happiness.
“This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,” I tell him when I pull away from the kiss to catch my breath.
“I love you, Wats. I’m sorry you ever thought this was a temporary thing for me, but I am all in. I am so fucking all in. I want you to get to know my family, and introduce you to all my friends, and talk about the future, and do all the things people do when they’re in love.”
A happy sob escapes my throat, and I kiss him again. “I want that too,” I say between kisses, unable to stop myself from going in for just one more every time I try to pull away. “I love you.”
At some point the song must end, but I’m too busy kissing Ev to notice.
Someone clears their throat behind me, and I reluctantly stop kissing him to see who would dare to interrupt the most romantic moment of my life.
“Just wanted to let you know that we’re taking off,” Jordy tells me with a wink.
“What? No, wait. Isn’t this your last night before you leave?”
“Nope, I lied to get you here for Everett,” he confesses, smirking at me. “We’re going to do my real going away night on Saturday.”
“You don’t have to go,” Ev says. “I thought we could all hang out for a bit, all our friends getting to know each other?”
I look up and find his friends clustered around us as well. “Um, hi.” I hastily wipe my mouth off and stand up.
Ev gets to his feet as well and we go through all the introductions while Mia waves Van over to get enough drinks for everyone.
“We’re glad to finally meet you,” Cole says. “And, uh, sorry about that whole barking up the wrong tree thing the last time.”
I chuckle. “Not your fault, you had no idea,” I assure him, waving it off.
“Did you like the dance?” Ollie asks.
“It was amazing, thank you all.”
“Good, that makes all the damn blisters I got while rehearsing it worth it,” he says.
“You know what they say,” Stone says, clapping him on the shoulder. “No pain, no pain.”
“Wait, what?” I cock my head. “That’s not…”
“It’s no pain, no gain,” Dare corrects his boyfriend, and Stone furrows his brow.
“Huh, I guess the other way is a bit redundant, but you can’t argue the truth of it.”
“Your friends are strange,” I whisper to Ev.
“I know. Aren’t they great?”
“They are,” I agree.
We spend the next couple of hours sipping our drinks and all getting to know each other. Ev and me trading casual touches and kisses like it’s no big deal, his smile growing bigger with every one.
“Can we please go home and have a proper reunion now?” he whispers into my ear around nine o’clock.
“Oh my god, yes please,” I groan with agreement. “It’s been great meeting you all. Now, I’m going to go home and suck his cock,” I announce to the group. They all cheer, and Ev blushes and reaches for my hand.
We get even more applause and catcalls from bar patrons on our way out, but Ev doesn’t seem the least bit shy about it.
“I just realized how bright it is out here. I guess the owner finally got around to fixing all the streetlamps. It took him long enough,” he muses as we make our way to his car.
“Oh yeah, I was starting to think he’d never get around to it. It’s nice to see it all lit up again,” I agree.
“Your place or mine?” Ev asks.
“Mine is closer.”
“Yours it is,” he agrees.
“By the way, I came out to Val,” he tells me as we pull out of the parking lot.
“You did? How’d it go?”
“Difficult but good. She wants to meet you properly,” he says, and my heart gives another happy flutter. He really is all in.
“I’d love that.” I reach across the center console and put a