Page 59 of Considering Us

“He’s gross,” I retorted. “I don’t understand the magnetic pull they feel to him at all, even though it doesn’t seem overtly sexual. More like mind games and manipulation.”

“Anyway, enough about him. We don’t need to waste our time talking about that asswipe. Back to the issue at hand—do you really think I should move into your apartment?” he asked, pulling me on top of him and grabbing the backs of my thighs in a way that was just so sexy.

I melted over his body and sighed. “Maybe eventually,” I said. “We probably have to give everyone a chance to get used to us as a full-fledged couple. This is what we are now, right?” I hoped so. For once, I was sure.

“That’s what I want if that’s what you want,” he said, gently lifting my face up so I was looking at him. “I love you, Devon. I realize I haven’t said that yet. I should’ve said it yesterday. I was just so excited that all of this was finally happening that I forgot to say it. But I have felt it the whole time. I love you and have loved you since the day you got here, and I brought you those Coors Light cans.”

I felt a rush of emotion and bliss. “I want all of it. I love you, Kyle. I think I always have. I never forgot you, but I pushed you to the very back of my brain for all those years because it hurt so much. I never want to let you go again.” We kissed, and I felt tears drop from my face onto his, which I wiped away. “Promise me you’ll never go to London again, okay?”

“If I go, you’re coming with me,” he said, hugging me closer to him.

“I think I need to go to work,” I grumbled, looking at the clock on the wall. “I’m sorry. Don’t you have to teach a class today or something?”

“Maybe. But I’m also really hungry,” he said. “Maybe there will be bacon for breakfast?” he asked hopefully, and my mind drifted back to us posing the same question before we were separated from each other so many years earlier.

“Luckily, I know who’s in charge of the kitchen,” I said, rolling over to grab my phone. “Oh my God. Charlie sent me a message on Instagram.”

“Who’s Charlie? Is this another emergency responder you’ve connected with?” Kyle asked, kissing my shoulder.

“He’s a bartender in Los Angeles who is old enough to be my father and prefers spending his time in the company of men,so you have nothing to be concerned about.” I showed him the screen so we could read the message together.

Dearest Devon – I hope you don’t mind that I reached out to you here since you have a private Instagram account. I wanted to thank you for the Celtics ticket and the chance to witness one of the most memorable games I’ve ever seen, particularly since I knew David had been struggling to achieve this level of success. Well, he did it, and I know you must be so proud.

As for the other topic you and I spoke about late into the evening, I hope you are seeing the clarity you were seeking. You, Devon, will be a gift to whoever is lucky enough to land you. I wish you well and hope you will connect when you return to LA.

With all the best everything, Charlie

I cleared my throat as I felt so much gratitude wash over me. “Do you believe in guardian angels?” I asked Kyle, putting my phone down. “Like people who appear in your life just when you need them?”

“Absolutely,” he said. “This guy’s smart, by the way. You are a gift.” We were now lying on our sides again, facing each other, and despite the fact that I really needed to go to the dining hall and he needed to teach, I wanted to stay in bed with him all day.

“Have you ever encountered one? A guardian angel?” I asked, surprised by his answer. Kyle was a scholar and an intellectual and crossed the line into cynicism at times. A guardian angel seemed like a stretch for him.

“I have,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose. “You.”

“What?”

“You showed up right when I needed you. I was trying to come back from everything awful that had happened to me. I was on the slow road to better days, but from the moment I saw you that day when you visited campus, everything felt better.”

“Even when it didn’t? It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.”

“I think I always knew,” he said, kissing my lips this time. “I knew that somehow, we would end up like this again. And I would finally get to say all the things I needed to say to you. Just in a more comfortable bed this time.”

“That dorm bed sucked,” I said with a laugh. “And I think we’re better at all of this now anyway.”

“You’ve always been amazing,” he said, kissing the top of my hand. “What else did you and Charlie talk about? He said you were seeking clarity. Was it about Heath?”

“It was more about you,” I explained. “I asked him if fifteen years was too late to rekindle a one-night stand. Although we’re closer to sixteen years now, I guess. But you get the idea.”

“What did he say?”

“He answered me with a question of his own. He asked me if the two people involved were better suited for each other now than they were then.”

“I think we’ve answered that question over the last almost twenty-four hours,” he said, pulling me to him again. “I never want this to end, Dev.”

“Me neither. I’m all yours now.” I kissed him again and groaned as I rolled out of bed. “You ready to shock the hell out of the campus community and walk down the steps of Wentworth together and across campus to the dining hall?”

“But will they be all that shocked?” he asked. “I think most of them will be relieved. A lot of them have been very concerned about my well-being since the karaoke incident. There have been many inquiries and concerns.”

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