Page 53 of New Year

“No, it isn’t. I hope you’ve discussed your own mistake with our Zack?”

“The broad strokes. I’m not ready to paint in the details.”

“And you don’t have to be. You haven’t been out of your situation for all that long. Do it in your own time.” Chase winked. “But in the meantime, let Zack take care of you. If you allow it, he’ll treat you like the prince you are.”

Nat was no prince. He also wasn’t a complete fool, and he would continue developing his relationship with Zack. Take care of Zack and let Zack take care of him—unless or until things became intolerable again. If the worst happened, Nat didn’t know what he’d do. So he didn’t think about it.

Live in the moment. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Because nothing good in his life ever lasted. But he could enjoy this while he had it: a safe home, a steady job, a friend next door, and a maybe-boyfriend-roommate. Enjoy it and keep making amazing memories to take with him when things crashed back down to earth.

Things always crashed.

“Ready to go?” Chase asked. “We’d better go, or I’ll be late to spend thirty minutes past my appointment time sitting in the waiting room, because everything is scheduled too close together.”

Nat laughed at the perfect description of appointment times at any medical office, no matter how early in the day you scheduled it. “Yeah, let’s get going.”

It took Chase two tries to stand from the recliner and a few extra seconds to start walking. Nat followed him through the kitchen to the mud room door. Grabbed the car keys from the hook next to the coat rack.

“You sure you don’t need that pillow for your behind?” Chase quipped.

“Ask me again and you’re driving yourself.”

With a saucy smirk, Chase mimicked locking his lips with a key. Nat rolled his eyes and then followed his friend/boss to the car.

CHAPTERTWELVE

Gradually integrating his life with Nat’s was easier than Zack expected, and so much more than he deserved. Living together before and while dating should have complicated things, made some things awkward between them, but the transition was so seamless it felt like they’d always shared their lives with each other. He made room for Nat in his bed, for Nat’s clothes in his closet and dresser, and for Nat in his heart.

He didn’t want to admit yet that he was falling in love, but as July 4thapproached, Zack wasn’t sure how else to describe what he felt. Between their different work schedules, they spent as much free time together as possible, in and out of bed. They didn’t have sex every night, and when they did, it was always a unique, wonderful experience. But the things they did outside of the house? In public with their clothes on? Each moment was an adventure.

Nat was still nervous in public, and that was something they were working on every time they went out. Not only reinforcing the fact that the odds of running into Austin were pretty low, if they purposely avoided the bars and restaurants Austin had preferred, but also boosting Nat’s confidence that he could manage an interaction if one occurred. They went to the movies twice with no incidents—other than having a lot of fun sharing popcorn and a giant soda, and making out in the top row.

Zack took him to Neighborhood Shindig several times for breakfast on the days Zack worked late, and they always brought something back for Chase. He loved the pastries at Hallowed Grounds almost as much as Nat did, but even when Zack invited him, Chase always begged off. He said he didn’t want to interrupt the “honeymoon phase.”

Their trio discussed a small barbecue at home for the Fourth, but in the end, Nat insisted he wanted to attend the big celebration at Shindig. They were advertising live music from eleven to four, plus food specials at all the trucks. Chase and Zack had already agreed to close the restaurants so their employees could spend the holiday with family and friends. In the past, Chase typically closed on major holidays, while Zack preferred to open for limited hours.

But River Bistro was Chase’s baby, not Zack’s.

The Fourth was a Thursday. Zack worked the closing shift at the Bistro on Wednesday night, so he could be sure it was clean and locked up until Friday’s morning shift arrived. Chase hadn’t been at the restaurant for the last two days, in order to save his energy for Thursday, so Zack wasn’t surprised that Chase’s half of the house was dark when he arrived home. They had plans for Chase to join him and Nat for breakfast tomorrow at nine.

Zack let himself into his place, then turned to lock the door and set the alarm. He’d always been fastidious with locking the door, but ever since Nat came to live with him, he couldn’t relax until the alarm was also set. He didn’t know what sort of threat Austin actually was to them, but Zack wasn’t going to take any chances with Nat’s safety.

In the week and a half since becoming an unofficial couple, his sofa bed remained a sofa, and he was never lonely at night. The main apartment was dark, save the microwave light, which Zack turned off after pouring a glass of water to take with him to bed. The nightlight behind the mostly-shut bathroom door gave Zack enough visibility to see Nat asleep in their bed. Nat always slept facing the middle, as if waiting for Zack to return and fill in space.

Zack studied the barely visible planes of Nat’s face for a few moments, astonished that someone so beautiful and fragile was relying on Zack to protect him. His fully awakened libido wanted him to wake Nat and see what he was up for, but that was selfish. Zack was old enough and experienced enough to control his desires for his partner’s comfort. Sometimes Nat stayed up until Zack came home and sometimes?—

Nat squirmed and stretched, and then he spotted Zack in the dark. “Hey, hot stuff.”

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I don’t think you did. I was having a dream. Pretty glad to get out of it.” He reached out to Zack. “Come to bed?”

“I’m going to be that guy and say I need to brush my teeth first. Give me two minutes.”

“M’kay.”

Nat was asleep again when Zack returned from the bathroom, in his boxers and ready for bed. He slid under the covers on his side and gently maneuvered Nat so Zack was spooning him from behind. Legs twined, back to chest, sharing a pillow. Nat didn’t wake, so Zack didn’t press. He closed his eyes, concentrated on the rhythmic sound of Nat’s breathing, and drifted.

---