Love Him Desperate (On the Market #5) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,101

a stranger. And let me help if you need it.”

Raphael nodded, and then he was struck with an idea. It was half a year before the start of the coming summer—months before the next ritual of star gazing and Chinese take-out. But now was the best time to start. “I wanted to give him a gift. Maybe you can help with that?”

Isaac’s eyes sparkled, and he stood, offering Raphael a hand up as he used his other to drag his chair closer. “Let’s go to my studio and talk.”

Raphael grinned as he sat down and adjusted his feet. His legs were spasming a little from his stress, but his argument with Jayden seemed miles away now. He loved Dmitri, harder than he’d loved anyone, and for the first time since accepting that they were going to make a go of this, he felt like their future had truly opened up.

Raphael was just finishing up dinner when Dmitri walked in, his cheeks red and nose red from the cold. He offered a quick smile to Raphael as he unwound his scarf and shook the snow from his hat. It had been coming down hard, and Raphael could tell it was going to be a harsh winter, but he was happy to deal when he had Dmitri in his arms.

“How was the drive in?” he asked as he started to ladle soup into bowls.

Dmitri groaned, setting his bag down and stripping off his coat. “Shitty. I got an email from the dean saying that they might close campus this week depending on how bad this storm gets. If that’s the case, they’ll either delay exams or they’ll have them online.”

Raphael bit his lip as he pushed the bowl toward Dmitri, and they both took a seat on the stools at the breakfast bar. His conversation with Rian was still fresh in his mind, as was the fight with Jayden. He hadn’t heard from either since then, but he didn’t want to keep them a secret from Dmitri.

“I got a phone call today,” he started slowly, watching as Dmitri sipped the broth. “From Rian.”

Dmitri made a soft choking nose, and he scrubbed his hand over his mouth. “Oh. Well. Uh.”

“He says you haven’t been to his class this week.”

At that, Dmitri rolled his eyes. “Can you blame me?”

“No,” he answered slowly, “but he can only do so much to keep your grades protected.”

Dmitri bowed his head over his food and stirred a whirlpool through the soup. “Yeah. Fuck.”

“He wants you to come back. He’s promised he won’t speak to you at all if that’s what you want.”

Dmitri’s eyes widened as he looked over, his face almost panicked. “I…what? Why?”

“Because he feels guilty,” Raphael answered him. “He dragged you into his relationship with me, and now you’re avoiding him.”

Dmitri pulled both lips between his teeth, then sighed out through his nose. “I just figured he hated me. You know, because I basically stole his boyfriend.”

“There was nothing to steal,” Raphael said, putting his spoon down. He turned on his seat and curled his fingers around the back of Dmitri’s neck. “I was always yours.”

Dmitri smiled, his lashes fluttering as his eyelids lowered. “You’re…charming.”

Raphael chuckled softly. “Am I?”

“Yes. Charming enough that I can’t even be annoyed that you and my uncle had some big fight about me.”

Raphael bit the inside of his cheek as he let his hand drift back down to his lap. “That was the other thing I was going to tell you.” He nudged Dmitri’s elbow until the younger man began eating again, and Raphael resumed his own meal. “I don’t want to cause problems between you and your family, and maybe it’s something we should discuss.”

“What? Jayden?”

“The differences in our age,” Raphael said carefully.

He saw the way Dmitri’s eyes narrowed. “No.”

“It’s only that…”

“No,” Dmitri said again. He pushed his bowl away and he stood. “I’m tired of people patronizing me. I’m quiet, and I didn’t speak up for myself before, but I’m not stupid. I know what I want, and just because Kyle had the physical advantage over me doesn’t mean I’m too naïve to choose the person who makes me happy.”

“That’s not what I was going to say,” Raphael said, trying to keep his tone moderated. He felt an uncomfortable itch right in his core, and a headache started to form at the base of his skull. He breathed through it, but he’d need meds, and he’d need to lie down.

Dmitri seemed to notice, because he offered a hand and