right?
“One second,” I told him, taking my phone out again and shooting a text off to Zion.
Me: Boom wants to know who I’ve got hiding.
Zion: Up to you, but I don’t care if they know.
Just like that, he didn’t care about coming out, even when this was new for him, being with a guy.
Me: Okay, thanks. Talk soon!
Zion: Better, already missing you.
Fuck, the things he said got me mushy inside. I’d never been fucking mushy. The prick. Looking up, I realized I was smiling; so were Boom and Wendy.
“Whoever it is, we can see the person makes you happy,” Wendy said.
“Yeah, he does.”
“He?” Boom questioned. “Who is it? And if you say Lucas, be prepared for Wreck to kill you.”
I snorted. “Definitely not Lucas… but this person’s in the same family.”
Boom choked on his sip of coffee. “Saint?”
“What?” Wendy whispered.
“Zion and I have been seein’ each other for nearly two months now.”
Boom dropped his mug to the counter. “Saint? The fucker is a player. I swear to Christ, if he’s fuckin’ with you, I’ll end him myself.” He stood, grabbed his keys, and went to move out of the room.
“Boom, wait, Jesus. I’m not sayin’ I don’t love that you care, but this is happenin’, and it’s real.” Fuck, I hoped it was…. No, it was. Zion was being real with me.
Boom ground his jaws together. Wendy walked over and put a hand on his chest. “I’m still havin’ a word with him,” Boom said.
I sighed. “Boom.”
“Honey,” Wendy started. “You’re our kid. We’re going to want to take care of you no matter how old you get. Even I heard of Saint’s prowess when it came to women. What’s the harm if Boom has a word with him?”
When she put it like that, I couldn’t exactly tell them no. “Fine.” Especially since I didn’t think anything could scare Zion off. He’d been the one to chase me, to want me. When I’d been scared, it was all Zion going full force into this with me, not leaving me to cling to my fear about us together.
“Right then,” Boom said, then nodded. “We care about you, kid.”
Smiling, I rolled my eyes. “Not a kid, Boom.”
“Know that, but you always will be to us.”
Fucking hell, I loved them. They’d been the best people in my life.
“Love you guys. You know that, right? I don’t say it enough, but I do. Wouldn’t have lived if it wasn’t for you guys.”
Wendy’s bottom lip wobbled. Boom tucked her in close as he cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, you know you got our love. Now enough of this shit.” He kissed Wendy’s temple. “I’ll be back.” He pointed to me. “I won’t shed any of his blood if you help me in a couple of weeks to paint the garage.”
Grinning, I said, “You got it, Boom.”
I was already sitting at a table when West walked through the door. He looked good, but he always did. Not that I’d ever go there. Like Lucas, I knew West and I would be better as friends.
West smiled when he saw me and waded through the tables. “Hey, thanks for meeting me,” he said, pulling out the chair opposite me and sitting down.
“No problem.” I nodded toward the coffee. “Got it for you, plus the muffin.” I pushed the plate with the chocolate one on it closer to him, while I pulled my blueberry one in.
“Thanks, surprised you remembered.”
I shrugged. “Can’t forget how you went on and on about chocolate muffins.”
He snorted. “I didn’t go on and on—Jesus, this tastes amazing,” he mumbled around a mouthful. Chuckling, I raised a brow, and West gave me a glare.
“Anyway, what’s been happenin’?”
He stared down at his muffin before looking over my shoulder, then the other, and when he shrugged, he said, “Nothing much.”
“West, you didn’t call me here for small talk. We’re friends, right?” He nodded. “Then you should know whatever you say, I’ll keep it to myself.”
He let out a breath. “How are you finding working at… you know?”
“Things have been good. Are you findin’ it hard?”
“No… well, sort of, but….” He growled under his breath and ripped apart the muffin a little more.
“What’d the muffin do to you?” I asked.
He stilled, dropped the crumbs, and brushed his hands together before leaning back in his seat. Then he was leaning forward and blurted, “I’m in trouble.”
“What?” I clipped. “How?”
He shook his head. “Not the type you think…. Fuck, Kylo, I think I like a client.”
Oh fuck.
“I presume this person is a