Page 94 of Inevitable
Ezra could feel Drew’s smile against his skin.
“Oh, you know. Got accepted into Boston University.” Ezra bit his lip to hold back his smile. “The usual.”
Bas’s smile was blinding as he went to Ezra and smacked a loud kiss on his mouth.
“Knew you could do it,” he declared.
Ezra had never really gotten to share his accomplishments with anybody. Seeing Drew’s and Bas’s smiling faces made the accomplishment feel about a hundred times better.
“And you know what that calls for?” Bas continued.
Ezra couldn’t help but laugh.
“No. I’m not going to the club again. I was supposed to get a year’s reprieve.”
“Tough shit.” Bas grabbed his hand and pulled him into position.
“Save me,” Ezra pleaded to Drew, but the traitor just laughed as Bas waltzed Ezra around the living room. Ezra felt like a bull in a china shop, but he couldn’t stop laughing all the same as they moved around, bumping into furniture, Bas singing at the top of his lungs.
Ezra was still laughing as he extracted himself from Bas’s hold.
“Dude, I have to go to school,” he said as Bas tried to pull him back to him. He pushed Drew in front of him. “Here you go. A willing victim,” he called over his shoulder as he escaped the room.
When he passed the living room on his way out, Bas had Drew in his arms. The wild dance moves from before had been replaced by something slower and softer.
Ezra smiled softly as he closed the front door behind him.
* * *
Drew squeezed his eyes shut as he breathed in deeply. He’d missed this. Having Bas against him. They hadn’t really been touching at all ever since the debacle with Ellie. Now he couldn’t seem to remember why.
They weren’t really dancing anymore. Just standing there. Bas was wrapped all around him. Drew could smell Bas’s aftershave and shampoo.
Hugs are underrated.
Bas’s words from a while ago came back to him, so he held him even tighter. Letting go seemed almost impossible.
“I’ve missed this,” Bas said as if reading his mind.
Drew swallowed.
“Me, too.”
Bas pushed even closer as if it was even possible. They were already plastered together, head to toe.
“I think I’m gonna go see my parents today.” Drew spoke the words into the side of Bas’s neck.
There was a beat of silence.
“Are you sure?”
“Have to rip the Band-Aid off sometime.”
“Maybe they’ll—”
“No. You know there’s no maybe about this. This will just be me… finalizing the divorce. I don’t need false hope.”
Bas’s arms tightened until Drew could almost picture that he was being merged into Bas. Like Bas was making room for him inside him so that for a little while, they could share the heaviness of the burden.