Page 129 of Code Word
Maddox laughed. “Pretty sure that was ABBA.”
“It was?”
He nodded. “Agnetha.”
I sighed. “The similarities of Luke and me wanting to live as recluses in Mexico are not lost on me.”
Maddox grinned at me, then clapped me on the shoulder. “I’m so happy for you. And Luke, of course. We’ll support you guys, whatever you decide to do with your music. We all will.”
Relief settled over me; a weight I didn’t even know I’d been carrying was gone.
“So,” Maddox said with a nudge. “You and Luke...”
I laughed. “Yeah. A bit of a surprise, huh?”
He made a face. “Not at all.”
That made me groan. “I was the last person to know, wasn’t I,” I said, not a question. Not anymore. I sighed again. “Full disclosure, I’m still not sure what I am, what label suits me,” I admitted quietly. “To be honest, I don’t like labels. Not for me. Luke’s bisexual and he’s happy to claim that, and I’m happy for him. But me? I dunno. Technically, I guess I’m bibecause there’s been women and Luke. But he’s the only guy ever, and like I said to my mom, it’s not about the fact that he’s a guy. I love him, the person. I think Luke said maybe I’m a demigod.”
“Demisexual,” Luke said as he walked over.
I made a face at Maddox. “Like I said. Demigod. So anyway, demigod, bi, whatever; I just know that I’m not gay.” I looked at Luke. “Though what we did last night was pretty fucking gay, so who knows.”
Luke closed his eyes slowly. “Christ.”
I laughed and, taking Luke’s face in my hands, kissed him soundly. “Babe, the word is demigod.”
Luke gave me a shove and Maddox laughed just as Benny ran out to us. “Unca Bake,” she called, running straight to me with her arms up. “Squills.” I picked her up and she looked at Maddox, at his earrings, and tried to reach for them. “Pwetty.”
I laughed. “Yeah, he’s pwetty. He’s always pwetty.” I tried to tap his face, but he ducked my hand.
Amy stood at the door. “She was supposed to tell you lunch is ready.”
“Iwas supposed to tell you lunch was ready,” Luke said, smiling at me fondly. “You guys good?”
“Yeah,” I replied, and Maddox nodded.
“I’m happy for you guys,” he said.
“Sorry for putting you in the middle,” Luke said to him. “I didn’t mean to.”
“No apology necessary,” Maddox said. “I’m just glad it all worked out.”
“Squills,” Benny said, pointing to the trees and kicking her legs to get me to move.
“Okay, okay,” I said. “I’m on uncle duty.”
A second later, Amy came out and took her. “Let Uncle Blake go have his lunch.”
I kinda got the feeling she was giving all us guys sometime to talk. At the table, the seat next to Luke was empty, reserved for me. As it usually was over the last ten years, it’d always been me and him.
But it was different now.
As I looked around the table, I had flashbacks of us at sixteen, as scrawny kids with nothing but ambitions and dreams. We were so naïve back then, ready to conquer the world.
Then I remembered sitting around the table at Maddox’s, wondering if we should quit. Then at Jeremy’s when we’d decided it was time.
And now again, here and now, knowing it was time for a new start.
