Page 1 of New Year

PROLOGUE

Nat Hawking was fifteen the first time someone stuck a dick in his ass, and in the last eight years, he’d lost count of the number or names of the dicks who’d gone in once. He could, however, count and name the dicks who’d gone in more than once, and it was a short fucking list. And at the very top was Angelo Voltini.

Suave, sexy, wealthy real estate investor Angelo, who was, inexplicably, standing in the same convenience store as Nat, looking amazingly well for someone who’d nearly died a few days ago. And Nat’s sheer delight at seeing Angelo up and about for the first time since the sidewalk outside the burning bar, momentarily made Nat’s brain fall out of his head.

It was the only explanation for why he didn’t duck behind the protein bar display, and instead blurted out, “Angelo?”

Angelo jumped, jostling the iced coffee in his hand. He blinked dumbly at Nat, and then his eyes widened. “Jesus Christ.”

“Nathaniel Hawking, remember?” Nat teased, falling back on the kind of flirting that used to get him good tips at Tim’s. He knew he looked a mess. “Accidents always look and feel worse a few days later.”

“That’s for damned sure.” Angelo’s surprise melted into a gentle protectiveness Nat had missed so much. “When we texted, you said you were okay.”

“I am.”Liar.

“Your face looks like a Neapolitan pizza and your arm is in a cast. That’s not okay.”

Nat tried to shrug, but his hands were full of snacks he needed to deliver soon, or Austin was going get pissy. He also wanted to bask in the glow of a friendly face for a few more, precious minutes. “Hey, I’m alive, walking around, and pigging out on over-salted snacks, until I can find a job that’ll take a one-armed college dropout with bartending experience. Not a great résumé, but again, I’m alive. So are you.”

Thank God, they were both alive. Nat, Angelo and Sasha had gotten very lucky on Tuesday night. Nat and Sasha both worked at a local LGBTQIA+-friendly bar named Tim’s. Angelo had been too drunk to drive himself home, so Nat had volunteered. They’d been nearly finished closing up the bar when the boiler exploded. Sasha had superficial burns and bruises. Angelo had taken a piece of shrapnel to the gut, and all the blood had scared Nat to death, but he’d just needed stitches.

Nat had taken the brunt of the blast on his left side, and he had a still-healing burn on his cheek, a cast on his wrist, and two fresh injuries Angelo would never know weren’t from the accident.

“Wait, what?” Angelo tilted his head to the left, like he always did when puzzling out a problem. “When did you drop out?”

“This semester. Couldn’t afford it anymore but I wasn’t a great student anyway.” Both completely true, but not the entire reason; he needed to work and earn his keep, according to Austin. Not that he was bothering Angelo with his personal life in the middle of a convenience store, so he pasted on a sunshine-y smile. “There’s something better out there for me.”

Angelo finally smiled. “Yeah, there is. I can’t believe you’re already looking for a new job.”

“Well, it’s not like Tim’s comes with paid sick leave or severance, and a guy’s gotta eat.” He also needed an income stream again, if he was ever going to make a clean break from Austin. One of these days, Austin was going to push him too fucking far….

“A guy’s gotta eat more than beef jerky, too.” Angelo eyeballed his armful of snacks. “You know, you should sue. It was their boiler that blew us all to hell.”

Nat shook his head then flinched when his sore neck protested the sudden movement. “No, if I do that they’ll never reopen, and the neighborhood will lose the best bar in the city. Besides, the owners are paying my medical bills. Sasha’s too.” He glared at Angelo. “Don’t you dare sue them, either.”

“I’m not going to. It was an accident, and I have my own insurance.” Angelo shrugged. “Besides, I want to see the place reopen, too. I’ve had some pretty great times there. Including most of the last visit. Thank you for taking care of me that night, Nat. I mean it. Not just getting me out after the explosion, but not letting me drive. I know it’s your job to watch out for customers but still…thank you.”

Angelo’s sweet smile boosted the genuineness of his words, and they warmed Nat deep inside. He’d never stopped caring about Angelo—not even when Nat broke up with him. He’d broken up with Angelobecausehe cared. Angelo was safer away from Nat.

“You’re welcome.” Nat bit his lower lip then flinched at the shock of pain. Damned cut. “Ow.” He really needed to get going, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Um, so are you recovering alone or is your ginger bear bestie letting you recoup at his place?”

“Something like that. I’m staying in the carriage house behind the big house he lives in.”

“I thought you rented that to a single dad and his kid?”

“Patrick and his son actually moved into the big house with Russell a few months ago. Funnily enough, I found out they were dating the day after you and I broke up.”

“Oh, wow.” Nat had never met Patrick, and he only knew Russell from his visits to Tim’s, but he was still irrationally jealous of them both. “Are they happy?”

“Stupidly happy, and I’m happy for them, especially Russell.”

“So you’ve got the carriage house all to yourself, huh?” Maybe, just maybe, Nat could have a place in his back pocket to crash at, if he ever found the balls to leave Austin, once and for all. Maybe?—

“No, actually, Patrick’s older brother Bryan got out of prison and I rented the carriage house to him. He’s letting me stay with him.”

That news kicked Nat right in the teeth. So much for hiding out with Angelo for a while. And his disappointment unleashed his snarky inner bitch. “Really? You rented to a felon?”

“Patrick vouched for him, and I got to know Bryan before I agreed to it. It’s why I’m comfortable living with him for a while.”

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