Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“I got two and I don’t plan on eating any, so unless anyone else wants one, they’re both yours.”
“This is why you’re my favorite.” Will opened the box.
Danny nudged my arm. “I like sprinkles. Did you get me sprinkles?”
“Adults specifically look for sprinkle doughnuts? I thought that was for kids.”
“Ha-ha. Very funny. I see sprinkles in the box, though. I bet you secretly like them. It’s okay, Carson. I won’t tell your secret.”
“I’m not embarrassed to like sprinkles. I just don’t. Somehow, I had a feeling you might. And also, there might be a Mountain Dew in my fridge, tainting things.”
“You got me a Mountain Dew?” Danny pretended to swoon. “My hero!”
I rolled my eyes, chuckling, before glancing at Will and Jameson to see they were both watching us. Will’s face was pinched in confusion. “What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Jameson said.
“Yeah, nothing,” Will added, and damned if my hand didn’t go back to my neck, rubbing it the way I did when I was uncomfortable.
“Don’t be strange. Otherwise, I’m going to eat your maple bars.”
“You will do no such thing!” He plucked them both out of the box and ran away with them, making us laugh.
We stood around in the kitchen for a few minutes, stuffing our faces. Jameson chose an apple fritter, Danny his sprinkles, and I got lemon-filled. There were drinks in the fridge, and I’d gotten a Mountain Dew specifically for Danny. I was trying to work on the whole being-a-nice-guy thing.
When we were done, Danny clapped his hands together and said, “Let’s do this!”
“I separated everything.” I showed them what went in the back of my truck and what belonged toward the front or back of the U-Haul, so it would be easier at the storage unit, before taking the rest to Danny’s apartment.
Everyone jumped in and got to work. Danny lingered close to me, helping with things I needed another person for. We laughed and talked about random things as we got shit done. Sometimes it was all of us, but others there were conversations just between Danny and me. He made me laugh, and I didn’t feel like…I didn’t know, as if he tried to be careful around me, like he thought I would break. I knew Will wanted to be supportive, but sometimes, with him or even Jameson, I felt like they walked on eggshells around me. Danny didn’t.
We made quick work of everything. I wasn’t the kind of guy who had a lot of stuff.
We were almost finished when Danny was helping Jameson with something and Will made his way over to me. “How’s it going, big bro?”
“Not bad. How’s it going, little bro?”
He shrugged. The serious expression on his face told me I probably wasn’t going to want to discuss whatever he planned to say. “Listen…I know this has to be tough for you—shit being strained with Nolan and Brad, uprooting and moving, a new job. I just want… I know I’m your baby brother and all, but I want you to know I’m proud of you. You said I had opportunities you didn’t because of the pressure Dad put on you, and I can see that. I’m glad you’re keeping your options open now, is all, and no matter what, I always have your back.”
Not gonna lie, I was filled with both gratitude and discomfort. It meant the world to me that he was in my corner, but…
“Too much mushy?” Will asked, reading my mind.
I chuckled. “Too much mushy. Thanks, bro.” The truth was, I didn’t know if I deserved it. Not from Will.
“We can always talk about Danny instead.” He waggled his eyebrows, and I rolled my eyes.
“He’s my roommate. It’s a good thing we’re becoming friends.”
“It is. I’m just giving you shit.” He nudged me. “Now, let’s finish up and get the hell out of here.”
Will had once told me that everything changed for him when he moved into Atlanta. That he figured out who he was and what he wanted. I hoped the same thing happened to me.
CHAPTER SIX
Danny
“I’ll ride with you,” I told Jonathan once we had everything loaded.
“Yeah, sure. Sounds good.” He gave his brother the name of the storage facility so they could meet us there.
We jumped in the truck and got on the road before I asked, “Do you like baseball?”
“Yeah, sure. I like most sports.”
“Do you play?”
“I have played… I also have a feeling this is going somewhere.”
“Of course it is. There’s a summer league that includes a local gay team, and I want us to play.”
“Wait. What?” His eyes darted toward me, then back at the road.
“Which part do I need to repeat?” I teased.
“All of it.”
“No. Methinks you heard.”
“Methinks you’re crazy,” Jonathan replied.
“Why? Because it’s gay?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Of course not.” The second part was added as if he was trying to convince himself. “I start my job next week. I can’t already ask for certain days or times off. Plus, I don’t do that. I’m not really the joining kind of guy. I haven’t played organized sports since high school.”