Page 105 of The Geography of Happiness

“He wants me,” Terry surprised me along with everyone else in the room. “Spencer wantsme.”

Hannah squealed with delight, which put a smile on both our faces.

Judah blinked. “He . . . what?”

Terry ploughed on, “And I know that sounds crazy and I know I should’ve told you about me a long time ago, but there are... reasons... for that.”

“Reasons?” Judah repeated the word. He sounded stung, and Mickey gave a soft whine of concern at his master’s tone.

Morgan slid an arm around his husband’s waist and spoke quietly in his ear. Judah nodded but his eyes never left Terry who circled the bed and laid a soft hand on Judah’s chest.

“Take a walk with me, please?” There was no mistaking the fear in Terry’s voice. “I was scared I might lose you. I’m sorry I wasn’t brave enough at the time.”

Judah frowned and wrapped his hand over Terry’s. “There’s nothing you could say that would make me walk away.” And for the first time, he smiled. “Come on then. I need to know when my best friend suddenly decided to turn frickin’ gay.”

“Bi,” Hannah corrected, then frowned. “Or something, right Dad?”

Terry smiled at his daughter. “Or something.”

Judah spun to Hannah. “You knew?”

She shrugged. “I guessed way before he told me. You’re losing your touch, Mister Madden.”

Judah scowled, but there was laughter in his eyes. “You and I are going to have words, young lady.”

Hannah laughed. “I can’t wait.”

Judah put an arm around Terry, a sly smile stealing over his face. “You do realise that the others are going to have freaking conniptions over this—” His eyes widened. “Oh. My. God.Leroy.” He laughed. “Please, please, please, can I be the one to tell him? You have to promise.”

Terry snorted. “Let’s just see how well you behave over the next twenty minutes.”

Judah looked affronted. “That’s bribery.” Then he grinned. “I like it. Come on, Mickey. I might need you to stop me from killing this guy.”

Mickey leaped to his master’s side, and when Judah and Terry left the room laughing and the door closed behind them, a sigh of relief swept the room.

“Right, everyone,” Morgan clapped his hands. “Now that’s sorted, who’s for breakfast?” He offered me a selection of pastries and I chose a cinnamon scroll.

I was about to take a bite when the door slammed open and Judah strode back into the room. He headed straight to where I was standing and stabbed a finger in my face. “Since I won’t get the chance again once Terry threatens me with bodily injury if I say anything, which he will, I want to be clear about something now. I’m gonna go with you being a nice guy and all, mostly because Terry has good taste in friends and an excellent radar for arseholes, well, apart from Amber. But know this. If you hurt him, I will find you and fuck you up. Do you understand?” He glanced over his shoulder to Hannah. “Sorry for the language, sweetie.”

Hannah shot him a sunny grin. “Don’t worry, I already gave him the speech.”

Judah chuckled and held up his hand for a high five. “That’s my girl.” Then he spun back to me. “Well?”

Since I quite liked my balls where they were, I swallowed the laugh bubbling up my throat and calmly held his gaze. “Damn, you are too cute for words.” I patted his cheek and his eyes flew wide in horror. “Terry said under all that piss and vinegar you were a pussycat, and I think he’s right.”

“Wh-what?” Judah’s hazel eyes stormed. “I’ll have you know I am neither cutenora... pussycat.” He could barely get the words out. “Morgan—” He whipped his head around to face his husband. “—tell him.”

Morgan was struggling not to piss himself laughing and Judah eyed his husband menacingly. “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, is it?”

I put a hand on Judah’s shoulder. “Go talk to your best friend, Judah. He loves you and I can see why. Hear him out.”

Judah’s gaze softened on mine. “Are you really in love with him?”

“I never said?—”

“Are you?”

I hesitated, then shook my head in defeat. “Absolutely. As bad as it gets.”

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