Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,16

hands almost in a surrender. “I guess I owe you an apology too.”

Simon couldn’t stop his eyebrow from lifting, from the words falling past his lips. “You guess?”

James flushed and looked almost curiously at him. “I do owe you an apology. I mean, we’re not friends.”

“No,” Simon agreed from behind a sigh. He wished he could change it, but he didn’t know how to just be normal for once. Not even in this important moment.

“Levi uh…he explained why the bacon and cheese thing was so fucked up. I didn’t… I’m not antisemitic,” James said, and there was just a hint of desperation in his voice. He glanced down at his feet where Rocco had started to wind around him, and he reached for the little beast, cuddling the cat in his arms.

Simon’s chest warmed with understanding. Levi was bitter at him for being so observant, but as a Jew—even as a secular one, Levi still understood better than any gentile would. He knew damn well Levi would never give his heart to someone who hated what they were—who they were—so he had no problem believing James had been acting out of ignorance, not malice. “I don’t think you’re anti-Semitic.”

“I didn’t realize what I was doing. I just…Levi eats those things, so I just assumed you were just being an asshole about it. I didn’t think it was a big deal, and I won’t do it again. I still don’t like you,” James added, like he couldn’t let peace entirely exist between them. He scratched Rocco between the ears, and he purred loud enough for Simon to hear across the room. “But yeah. Sorry.”

“Forgiven,” Simon offered, easily and simply, because he knew James meant it. He was a difficult man, but a good one. “Do you want something to drink?”

Awkwardness settled again, but luckily the door opened and Levi saved them from any real small talk. His arms were laden with to-go boxes that bore the mark of Cibo Di Strada, and Simon’s eyes got a little hot.

“I hope you’re hungry. Enzo basically threw all this shit at me after I made his boyfriend cupcakes.”

There was a hint of dishonesty in his tone, Simon knew, because Levi couldn’t let things be easy either. But the unspoken truth that Levi had gotten this stuff specifically for him was enough.

“I’ll get forks,” Simon told him. “You two get comfortable.”

Levi was almost a stranger now, in the apartment he’d grown up in, but it was okay. That’s what happened, after all, when you moved on with your life. And it stung—it was empty nest, Simon knew. It was change, and he had never liked that. It had always been forced upon him, but he wanted this to be good.

He gathered silverware and drinks, and together the three of them sat around the coffee table on the floor, and it was almost—almost—normal.

Fresh from his shower, Simon slipped into his room and sat at his desk. With Levi and James there, he’d all but forgotten about the video until he saw the envelope icon with a little number one hovering over it.

His heart beat in his throat. It could be anyone, anything. Could be a porn bot or some company advertising CBD gummi bears. His finger hovered over the icon then he clicked it.

@SylentOfficial: U Deaf?

@thechametz: No, sorry.

@SylentOfficial: LOL y u sorry?

Simon’s face burst into heat like he was on fire, and he pressed hands to his cheeks because he wasn’t expecting a response. He wasn’t expecting anything. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Tell this man he had seen him twice on campus before his life went to hell so he spent years wanting him so bad he could come at the mere thought of him?

Even that made his dick hard.

@thechametz: I don’t know? Sorry, I’m awkward.

@SylentOfficial: u say sorry a lot. It’s fine. Thank u for ASL video.

@thechametz: I thought it might be nice to have something in your language. I’m not good at it.

@SylentOfficial: better than most. Better than my brothers.

@thechametz: I’m…sorry?

@Sylent Official: LOL. No worries.

@SylentOfficial: what is chametz?

@thechametz: it’s Hebrew for bread. Or leavened things. The stuff we can’t have during Passover. It’s also the name of my Bubbe’s bakery.

@SylentOfficial: u run social media?

@thechametz: I run the shop. My bubbe left it to me when she died.

@SylentOfficial: Sorry.

@thechametz: it’s fine. Um.

@SylentOfficial: is a good job? Bakery?

@thechametz: it’s a job. It’s not doing well.

He stopped. “Fuck, fuck. Fuck! Simon, what is wrong with you?” He dropped his head to the