Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
When he did, everything had changed. His entire being was tense and guarded. Not new emotions for me, I knew him well, I wasn’t sure there was anything he hid anymore, but he was also in a mood.
Too bad for him. “What’s happened?”
“I don’t know. If you didn’t take the picture, who did? We’re very careful,” Slade said, walking past me without drawing me to him or touching me in any way. This had to be serious. I pivoted to watch him closer.
“I didn’t take the picture,” I said with a hint of defensiveness I couldn’t mask.
“I know,” Slade said, dropping down in his seat, reaching for the bottle of water on top of the bag. He twisted off the cap, taking a long gulp. “Am I ever gonna be at one with Pepper?”
My eyes narrowed, my steps to him were slow as I considered what that change in subject meant. “So who took the picture and why does Tommy have it?”
“Don’t know, but they’ll figure it out. They found it on Instagram. The account looks bot-esque.” Slade finally glanced at me. I saw the concern and worry he tried to hide, which increased my anxiety. He quickly looked away, patting the chair next to him. “Sit. We can’t do anything to help figure it out and I don’t wanna waste our time together. Did I tell you I’ll be home sooner this summer?”
Yeah, several times. “Was I in any pictures?”
“No. The page is a celebrity gossip page. That was the only recent picture of me. None of you. I verified that,” Slade said, reaching for his sandwich this time. “We better eat. I’m hungry.”
“I packed two extra,” I said and continued to stand feet from him. My thoughts shifted into protection mode, but the security I sought wasn’t due to my sexuality. I’d come to terms with who I was, mainly due to never wanting to be without Slade in my life. What concerned me right now was my family. They deserved to know the truth before we were publicly outed.
I wasn’t sure I’d put all that together until right that minute.
“Sit, Mace. I’ll take care of this. Don’t freak and pull away. I got this.”
“I think we need to start thinkin’ about tellin’ my parents. I don’t want them to find out through the tabloids,” I said and took my seat. All my attention still on Slade, taking in his first reactions to my words. He no longer hid those from me.
“We could. I guess. That’s a change for you,” he said, taking a solid bite of the sandwich. “Ham. Miracle Whip. Good. I’d say let’s wait on your parents. Let me see what they find.”
“Wantin’ to tell ’em isn’t new for me,” I explained. Slade’s chewing came to a stop as he assessed me. “We don’t need to tell anyone else. I prefer it that way, but my parents sense my distance. They’re pokin’ around. I want to tell them before they figure it out.”
He reached for my hand, giving me an appreciative squeeze as he continued to chew until he swallowed. “I wouldn’t mind that. I feel like Linda Bryant—Bryce and Gray’s mom—should know too. I can’t imagine Wyatt keeping us quiet, but I’ve thought about telling Linda. She really tries to be my mother figure. She’s safe. If we were careful, we could be a larger family. Do your parents make a big Thanksgiving dinner?”
How accurately he’d nailed my country-living life caused me to grin past the uncertainty. “Best meal Mom makes. All southern recipes. Her dressin’s next level. She uses poultry seasonin’ like she owns the seasonin’ company. Yeah, you need to experience it.”
“No religious resistance to us?” Slade asked quietly, glancing away while reaching for the water bottle.
“Nah. You know, true Texans are anarchists. We don’t bend the knee to anyone. My problem with bein’ out is the judgmental eyes that’ll begin to wonder if I’m the top or the bottom in a relationship,” I tried to explain, cringing at the weirdness that went through people’s heads.
“I get it. It’d still be a problem for my career, but I’m diversified. If my career ended today, I’d be financially okay, I guess. Maybe.” Slade lifted the sandwich for another bite but paused before it hit his lips. “You good with that?”
All right, we were back to normal. Middle class would balance us and that didn’t sound bad to me. “I think I’d like that better,” I admitted, pondering the possibilities. Slade’s bark of laughter stopped me from saying more.
“I’m talking about having to split time in a private plane with another person, not food stamps.” Now Slade laughed at me. I let it go and unwrapped my sandwich. Money wasn’t actually a problem between us anymore either. I’d become locked into Slade, and that was where I always wanted to be.