Velvet Midnight - Max Walker Page 0,72

again, and I felt as if wings had sprouted from my shoulders. I shut my eyes and envisioned us drifting through the milky-white expanse of stars and moons and planets, swirling around comets and twirling underneath asteroids, holding hands as we flew through the rocky rings of Saturn, our souls joined as one while we explored the endless reaches of the universe.

That’s how it felt kissing Rex, professing my love to him underneath that velvet midnight. We had come such a long way from the lost and confused souls we met as. Maybe it all happened exactly as it was supposed to, then. Maybe no other path would have lead to this exact moment, a moment I would never forget, not for the rest of my life or for whatever came after.

“I love you,” I said again, against his lips, the words tasting as sweet as the elixir of life on my tongue.

“Forever,” Rex replied, a response that would indeed last us forever.

Epilogue

Two Years Later

My dad worked a crop circle into the beige carpet of the hotel room. His eyes were glued to the paper in his hands, his two aides sitting on the round table next to the window, scrolling through their phones for any last-minute updates. I sat on the couch with Benji, going over my speech one last time. I felt nervous, but unlike my dad, I found that I could contain it a little better.

Although my constantly bouncing leg would probably argue the opposite.

“One more time?” Benji asked, flipping the page over so we could start from the beginning.

I shook my head. “No, I think I’ve got it.”

“I’m sure you do.”

I leaned in for a reassuring kiss. I never got tired of Benji’s kisses. We could be on a sinking submarine, heading down to the ocean floor, and just one kiss from Benji would float us right back up to the surface. He was my everything, and I felt like the luckiest guy in the world whenever his lips were on mine.

Today was no different.

Well, maybe it was a little different.

“Dad, how ya feeling?” I looked to my father, who wore a sharp suit, his pants pressed and his light blue shirt ironed to within a thread of its life.

“I’m feeling all right. These things always give me the heebie-jeebies.”

“I think you might be the only one who still says heebie-jeebies.”

“Sorry, sorry. What’s the trending phrase, then? Jeebie-heebies?”

Benji and I both laughed. “Yeah, sure, go with that.”

My dad gave a sarcastic smile and got back to looking at the sheet of paper. A cool spring breeze floated in through the open windows, the bird of paradise plant next to the couch rustling in the wind.

“How ’bout you?” I asked, turning my attention to my boyfriend. He looked so fucking handsome today (and every day for that matter). The dark blue shirt he wore made his light eyes pop, and his fresh fade haircut made his strong brows and jaw even more prominent, drawing my eyes to his perfect lips.

Those lips curled into a soft smile. “I’m not the one who’s about to be onstage.”

That’s what you think.

“And your test?” I asked, keeping my thoughts to myself. I focused on keeping my leg still. My nerves felt frayed, and it wasn’t just because I was supposed to take the stage with my dad today at the GLAAD Awards. Although that in itself was nerve-racking as all fuck, especially thinking about all the big names in the crowd and all the people watching at home. But there was something even bigger on the horizon that kept my heart hammering against my ribs like a caged hummingbird.

“Which one?” Benji asked, giving a deflated laugh. “I’m set for the quizzes next week, but I’ve got to study up on biochem tonight.”

“Once we get back to the hotel we can hit the flash cards.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry, Rex.”

“Baby, I’m never worried about you.” I leaned in for another kiss. I put an arm around his shoulders and let his head fall on mine. “Besides, it helps keep my brain sharp, too. I’m learning all about chemical reactions and animal anatomy and how much coffee a human can conceivably drink before turning into a jittery tap dancer.”

Benji laughed, a sound I could never get tired of. “I don’t drink that much coffee.” He sat back up and shrugged. “Sometimes I switch it up with Red Bull.”

“Great,” I said, arching a brow, smiling. “Even better.”

“I’ll take the studying help,” he said,