Page 39 of The Hang Up

But I had a hard time focusing on my assistant because Brock had excused himself and gone inside.

Sean stood. “I’ll go check on him.”

Regina touched his arm. “Give him a minute, sweetie. He’s been under a lot of pressure with school and work and things.” She glanced over at Angel. The girl was shoveling food in her mouth. Brock had told me nausea and vomiting were some of her side effects from the radiation, but there was no sign of them today.

Sean nodded and returned to his seat, but I could tell he wanted to rush in there and help his friend. I had to fight myself to keep from going inside. I tried to interact with everyone as Regina told a story about her and Angel playing paintball “a few years ago.” And I assumed she meant before the cancer. “Never again. Those things really hurt.”

I stared at my food, unable to eat. The longer Brock was gone, the more I didn’t care what anyone thought.

“Joshua?” Regina said, sounding—or trying to sound—matter-of-fact. “Can you get the dessert out of the refrigerator? I think we’re almost ready for it.”

Oh God. Did she know? But I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. “Sure. I needed to go inside for a minute anyway.” Hopefully, they thought I meant the bathroom and not checking on Brock.

I checked the bathroom first. I really didn’t want to go to his childhood room. That would have been too much. The door to the downstairs bathroom was closed, but I could hear his frustrated breaths.

“Brock?” I glanced down the hallway to make sure it was clear. “Sweetheart?”

The door opened, and he was there, his eyes red and his mouth set in an angry line. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me in, closing the door behind me. Then he slammed me against the door and kissed me. It was hard and punishing and hot as fuck. I let myself get lost in his lips and then pulled back. “Brock—”

“Stop flirting with my mom.”

“I wasn’t.”

“It’s not fair. She can give you heart eyes, and I have to pretend we barely know each other.” He kissed my neck and bit my collarbone. Oh God.

“Sweetheart—”

“You’re mine. Not hers. You got that?”

“Yours.” And I loved hearing him claim me. Even though I knew it was temporary.

“I hate this. I fucking hate hiding while Sean and Ben get to hold hands and kiss each other.”

“I know, sweetheart.” I wrapped my arms around him and kissed the top of his head.

“I just want to be able to hold your hand. Kiss you in public. Show everyone you’re mine.” He shook his head. “Stupid, I know.”

“It’s not stupid at all.” I kissed his temple. “I say we do it.”

“What?” His eyes were wide, and he looked halfway between scared and angry.

“Go away with me—for the weekend. You’re off. Which seems rare. So let’s go to a place where no one knows us.”

“You’re pretty famous.”

“My name is famous, not me. But I’ll wear a hat, just in case.”

“Where?”

“It’ll be a surprise. Now go out there and show your mom you’re fine before she comes looking for you.”

“Wait. Where do they think you are?”

I winked at him. “Getting dessert.”

The rest of the barbecue dragged on. I wanted to get Brock home—my home—and naked. But it seemed wrong to think about that when I was helping Regina clean up in the kitchen.

“I was going to ask you out.”

---