Page 73 of Saving You

Oz’s whole body moved with the shock of that statement. ‘What?’

‘He knows he did something very wrong. This happened last year, only I was able to catch the back of his shirt,’ Frey explained, moving further into the room. ‘He saw a cat running into some bushes when we were downtown. He took off without warning. Scared me to death. Almost literally. I thought I was having a heart attack for a minute.’

Oz stared. He had no idea what to say.

‘Renato and I are getting him evaluated,’ Frey went on. ‘He’s such a good kid, but sometimes he doesn’t think even when he should, and I’m worried. The next time, there might not be someone to catch him or push him out of the way. And he can’t hear someone yelling for him to stop. I can’t take being worried like this all the time, and it’s not like I can put him on a leash.’

That was true. Oz had seen kids on little backpack leads, but they were tiny toddlers. Rex was far too old. And he hadn’t been a teacher long, but he did notice some signs that Rex maybe had a bit more going on than enthusiasm.

‘Please don’t hate us,’ Frey signed.

Oz snapped out of his thoughts and pushed off the bed, ignoring the pain in his shoulder to throw his arm around Frey. “I don’t hate you,” he said aloud. “I feel like a total failure for looking down and not holding his hand.”

“Let’s not do this to ourselves,” Frey said, sniffing a little. “Everyone’s mostly fine. Renato and I are going to work with Rex, and you are going to go home, let your hot firefighter spoil you, and recover.” He pulled all the way back, still holding Oz by the tops of his shoulders. “Promise me you’ll call me if your job tries any bullshit.”

‘Promise,’ Oz signed.

Frey nodded, then yanked him into a hug again. “I don’t know what I would have done if anything happened to you.”

There was a moment Oz wasn’t sure he heard those words right. He had extreme hearing fatigue, his head was a mess, andhe was still a little loopy on the drugs. But the way Frey was holding him told him that yes. Frey meant that.

And in spite of trying to keep himself at a distance to avoid yet another family-like group of people from being able to hurt him, they’d somehow crept in. And he was loved.

“We’re all okay,” Frey told him roughly. He stepped back and glanced at Ridge, who was smiling softly.

Frey looked between them. “Boyfriends now?”

Oz rolled his eyes, but he didn’t stop Ridge when he stood up from the bed and put one arm around Oz’s waist, lifting the other. ‘Yes.’

‘Good,’ Frey signed. ‘Text me later. I want details.’

Before Oz could tell him it was none of his damn business, he spun and left, and the room went quiet again. Ridge held him a little tighter, then nuzzled his neck. “Boyfriend,” he rumbled.

Oz laughed. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Too late. It’s already made a comfy home there,boyfriend.”

Oz bit his lip as he turned, but he felt a little…unsure. And nervous. “Is that okay? I mean, we haven’t really talked a lot about what we are and what we want.”

“I want you. And we’re whatever you like us to be. The only thing that matters is that I’m yours.”

“Come home with me tonight.”

“Like I’d literally go anywhere else,” Ridge said. “Adele has Ina until morning.”

“Bring her over tomorrow,” Oz said. He was feeling tired now and sore all over. “Let’s have a-a family day.” He stammered over the word a little, not sure where Ridge’s boundaries sat.

But he didn’t look anything other than a little stunned and a lot happy. “You sure?”

He nodded. He’d never been more sure in his life, and despite the fact that he was terrified of the pain this could causeif Ridge decided this wasn’t what he wanted, he was ready and willing to take the risk.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

RIDGE

He was still shaking pissed—andfrankly, shaking scared—by the time they got back to his place. Halfway down the hospital driveway, Oz had grabbed his arm and said he didn’t want to go home.

“My place is too accessible to them.”

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