“Congrats, man.” Elliot gave Josiah a hug.
“Thanks.” No matter how much Josiah tried to hide the smile, he couldn’t. It made Tristan do the same.
He wrapped an arm around Josiah and pulled him close. With his mouth close to Josiah’s ear, he said, “Did I ever tell you I have a fantasy about fucking someone in their cap and gown?” Which was a lie, but he had one now.
Josiah fisted his shirt. “We can do that.”
Tristan waited as Josiah and Elliot made plans for lunch later in the week and then they headed back to the car. “So what do you want to do? Dinner?” Tristan asked.
“Can we go for a walk first?”
“Sure.” Tristan drove to the Warf. Josiah pulled off his gown and tossed it into the seat, wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt. Tristan couldn’t help but look down at his slacks and chuckle.
“What?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
They took the same path they took every day, only this time with no food. It was a cool, June evening with a light breeze.
“You’re happy,” Tristan said as they walked.
“I’m ecstatic. I did it, Tristan. I never thought I would, but I did.”
“I asked my realtor to look around for buildings. There’s a lot you’re going to have to look into before opening up your own business, but—”
Josiah stopped walking.
“What?” Tristan asked.
“I don’t have the money to open a coffee house, Tristan.”
“You don’t? I thought you had thousands of dollars waiting.”
“That’s not funny. I can’t let you do that. I won’t.”
And he’d expected that. Respected the hell out of him for it. “You’re right. It’s none of my business. I have no doubt you’ll figure it out.”
Josiah locked his fingers with Tristan’s. “Everything about me could be your business if you want.”
Jesus, he wanted that. Wanted it so damn much. He didn’t want to be alone. Didn’t want to waste time the way Ben had wasted time loving him. Didn’t want Josiah to do it, either.
Still, the words were lodged in his throat. He wasn’t sure how to say it.
“I don’t want to push you, Tristan. I know there are reasons you still can’t share, but—”
Push. Tristan opened his mouth to tell Josiah to push, when he felt him tense. His face went pale as he stared over Tristan’s shoulder, a wave of white starting at his forehead and flooding down. His grip on Tristan’s hand tightened, but that was the only movement he made.
“What’s wrong?” Tristan asked, but Josiah didn’t reply.
Turning his head, Tristan looked behind him, searching for what held Josiah’s eyes.
He stiffened, too, emotions battering him hard and fast. He knew. Knew when he saw the dark-skinned man standing twenty-five feet away from them. Knew before Josiah said a word. Still, he pulled his hand away. Found that spot on his wrist and lost himself one, two, three, four, five as one word slipped past Josiah’s lips. “Teo...”
PART THREE: Josiah, Mateo, & Tristan
Chapter One
Mateo
I knew he’d come...
He told himself when he came to walk by the water that it was to say goodbye. That it was better to bail before he screwed things up for Josiah. That Josiah had a life now that was a whole hell of a lot better than anything he’d had with Mateo, but that didn’t stop the tension from seeping from his aching muscles when he saw Josiah walking his way. Didn’t stop the heavy breath from deflating his lungs.
“Teo?”
Mateo turned to see Josiah taking slow steps toward him like he didn’t know if Mateo was really there or not. His man walked right behind him, his body looking as tight as Teo’s felt. The other man’s eyes narrowed, anger stabbing straight from them and into Mateo. He bit down to keep from telling the bastard to back the hell off. That he’d never hurt Josiah. But that was a fucking lie. The reasons he sent Josiah away didn’t matter, because it had hurt him regardless.
He saw that in Josiah, but something else was there, too—confusion; and damn, he thought he saw want as well.
“Guess I owe you a congratulations. Knew you could do it, Jay.”
Josiah stopped in front of Mateo, his hair a darker shade of blond than it used to be. His body was wider with muscles he didn’t have when Mateo pushed him away. But he knew that. Knew it because this wasn’t the first time he’d seen Josiah.
Teo watched his former lover, not veering toward the man who looked like a fucking accountant or something.
