Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
While I tried to figure out how to tell Tully my friend Zane was a famous musician without sounding like a douche, Kenji tapped his tablet and handed it over. It showed the Wikimedia page for Zee Barlo, which featured a photo of him from the Billboard Music Awards.
Instead of the usual reaction of widening eyes and some form of “You’re friends with Zee Barlo?” Tully seemed to shut completely down.
“Oh,” was all he said before releasing my hand and turning to look out the window.
I glanced at Kenji in hopes he might understand why Tully’s reaction had been so strange, but Kenji looked just as confused as I was.
“So…” I began. “If we can make the timing work for one of those events, I’d love for you to meet him, Tully.”
Tully nodded at the clouds outside the window. “Sure… Maybe.”
I glanced at Kenji again, who took it as a silent request to vacate the premises. Once he was gone, I moved to kneel on the floor in front of him before reaching for his hands. I tried to be as gentle as possible, watching him closely for any hints of what he was thinking. “Hey. What just happened?”
He glanced over to Kenji’s empty seat before responding. “I just feel like I don’t know you at all, Dev. And it makes me feel ridiculous. I had this… idea in my head of who you are, and now I’m discovering things about you that make me feel like… maybe you’re a completely different person.”
“I’m a different person because I have a famous friend?”
“No. It’s not that. I don’t care that you’re friends with Zee Barlo. It’s really great, actually. I’d love to meet him. But you’ve never talked about him. I’ve lived with you for almost two weeks now, and you… you’re like a fucking puzzle box with latches and locks. I thought you were this smart, quiet ranch hand, but every time I turn around, I feel like I’m accidentally finding out big things that change my perception of you. I thought you were a scholarship kid like me, and now I discover you’re a millionaire.”
“I was a scholarship kid. And Tully, I hate to break it to you, but you’re a high-powered attorney at a big Dallas law firm.”
“Yeah, I get it. But I don’t have enough money to give someone millions of dollars without even knowing I did it. Jesus fuck. And it’s not the money. It’s not. It’s…” He pulled a hand out of my grip and waved it around. “It’s the not knowing. It’s the fact I’ve learned all this shit unintentionally. Like you don’t want me to know anything, and I feel like I’m intruding by learning it anyway.”
I reached for his fluttering hand and brought it to my lips. I hated seeing him agitated, but most of all, I hated that he was right. “It’s not about you,” I assured him. “I started realizing this week that I’ve been keeping people I care about at arm’s length for a long time. I figured the fewer close attachments I had, the easier my life would be. You know that Silas, Zane, and our friends Bash and Landry are the nearest thing I have to family, right? But I didn’t even tell them I’d agreed to help Katie conceive until a few days ago.” I shook my head ruefully. “I don’t want to do that anymore. So if you have questions, ask them, and I’ll answer…” I thought about my agreement with the brotherhood and added, “…as long as the answer doesn’t involve other people. What do you want to know?”
Tully’s cheeks were deeper pink now, and I was beginning to realize he’d been upset since before the subject of Zane had come up.
He took a breath and exhaled slowly. The edge of his lips turned up, surprising me. “I want to know if you like… like me, like me.”
I blinked at him.
His cheeks darkened. “I want to know if I’m the only one who…”
I lurched forward and kissed him on the lips. Hard. “Fuck no,” I breathed against his lips. “Not the only one.”
He moved his hands up to clasp my face so he could kiss me more. I could taste a hint of cheddar Goldfish crackers on his tongue, which made me laugh. I pulled back from the kiss. “Lellie didn’t have anything crunchy to eat earlier because you stole her fucking snack, you shit!”
“They’re made with something nefarious, Devon,” he said earnestly. “It’s like… crack or meth or something, I don’t know. It’s not my fault. Blame the fish.”
I leaned in and kissed him again before murmuring in his ear. “I want you in every way. I’ll do better at trying to be open with you. I promise.”
He shuddered and leaned closer. “Just talk to me. I want to know you—the real you, not the one in my head.”