Today it was going home day. I’d extended my stay to spend the last few days with Justin, but now I needed to head to Calgary and the flight home. He was going west to Seattle for an appearance that he couldn’t get out of unless he forfeited the money he’d been promised. It was the final KlecksoCream event, even though he’d left pointed posts on his social media about how he would prefer his fans not to use it. They seemed to think any publicity was good. Particularly when they somehow found out he’d been the runner-up in the show. So, today, in the carpark was our last chance to make plans for the future.
“Mom has invited you for the big day. Will you come?” I said as we kissed by his loaned BMW.
He nodded, but I could tell from his expression that he was lost in thought.
“Maybe it could be possible.”
I’d take a maybe over a no any day besides, we could text and call, and it wouldn’t be long until he was done with everything at the end of the year. Then maybe we could meet in the middle and give this new love of ours a go. He still hadn’t repeated the words, but that was okay, I understood why, and I was happy for what I could get at the moment. I’d work on him for the rest. As I said to Adam, meeting Justin had been fate, and I was convinced we should be together in a completely non-stalkery way. Adam had laughed for ten minutes straight, but then my twin was an asshole, and I ignored him.
“Okay then, I need to leave, but I’ll have my phone in the car, and I can pull over if you need to talk to me for any reason. Any reason at all.” Like you want to talk more, like you don’t want me to get on the plane, like you worked it all out, and you can say you love me again.
He tugged my hand to stop me and pressed his other to his chest. “It hurts, and I don’t like it. I don’t want you to go even though I know you have to, and I don’t want to call you, I want to see you.” Then he dropped his hand. “But that’s going to have to wait. I know.”
It doesn’t have to wait. I don’t need to go back today, I could stay with you, we could talk and fall in love a day at a time.
He kissed me one last time and then smiled. “We’ll talk soon. Drive safely.”
That was it? “You too,” I replied, lamely, and with one final look, I headed for my car. I was almost there when something hit me in the center of my back. I turned to look at what it was. The remains of a snowball were on the ground and then another one hit my chest. Justin was stalking toward me, dragging a case with a duffle over his shoulder, scooping snow from cars and with one hand making loose snowballs to throw at me.
“The hell?” I said when he stopped in front of me.
“I’m coming with you.” He let go of his case and ensured it stayed still before dumping his bag on top of it.
“Huh?”
“I’m coming with you,” he repeated.
“I got that. But what about Kleckso—”
“I don’t love Kleckso. I love you.”
“You… what?”
“Before you, Brody? Jeez, I had nothing but loneliness and a fake me that was forever smiling and acting like he cared. You make me want to care about everything. I want to kiss you, hold you, and I hate it even when you go and get another coffee, and I can’t see you. I’m obsessed. I want you. I need you. I love you.”
He took off his gloves and let them drop to the ground, cradling my face and kissing me deeply. I tugged at every part I could get a hold of just to pull him closer, and we kissed as if we were never going to kiss again.
“Oh my GOD is that Justin Mallory!”
“We love you, Justin!”
“It’s him! Take a photo!”
“Is that his boyfriend!”
We separated reluctantly, and a group of young men and women were taking photos, but Justin pushed me behind him. “No photos, guys, this is private.” He lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, Brody, I didn’t know, this is shit.”
I instantly knew what he was doing, shielding me, showing me that he wasn’t deliberately letting our love be exploited. But he was a celebrity, and these people owned a small part of him that I had to let go. Now I had to show him that I trusted him and understood what he was doing to protect me. So in front of them all I snuggled into his hold and kissed his cheek.
Love was all about what mattered to us, not what we showed the world, but I was happy to share what we had.
Because it was real.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Love is baking, passion, and a happily ever after.
Justin
Next Christmas
Rita wasn’t in a good mood.
Everything had started to go wrong when the Christmas tree fell over in the foyer, smashing five crystal ornaments and almost knocking out the AD. That was why I’d escaped the chaos in the conservatory and was now sitting in the hiding space behind the refrigerators. I was so damn nervous anyway, add in a rabid floor manager, and I was ready to find the nearest box and lock myself in.
“Thought I’d find you here,” Brody said with a smile then slid in next to me, even though there was a perfectly good space in front. Thank God for Brody getting up in my space because my nerves were shot for a hundred different reasons. The creators of World’s Best Baking Show had decided to start a junior version, and I was co-hosting with Courtney, who insisted on hanging onto me as if she was about to fall over, which was likely given her five inch heels. She’d married on Thanksgiving, and Brody made the cake as requested but her being high maintenance didn’t cut it. She was beyond high maintenance.
When we got back to our place in Corning after the wedding, Brody laid on the bed completely exhausted and vowed to me he’d never work with her again. I kissed it all better, and it was the best sex of my entire life.
“Hey,” Adam said from the gap and then clambered in to sit facing us. He was a good friend, so much like the man I loved that it was freaky, yet also so very different. Brody’s family had embraced my addition to their tight-knit group with rabid focus. I called his parents Mom and Dad. I played racquetball with Adam and poker with Brody, Adam, and Joe. And as for Lacey, I was the big brother she wished she had. I never corrected her because I’d always wanted a sister, and I knew it messed with her brothers’ heads.
“In here? For real?” Lacey said from outside then clambered in and sat on Adam’s knee before Joe made his way in as well. Was Brody’s entire family hoping to fit in this space?
“How you feeling?” Lacey asked me, patting my knee.
“Nervous.”
“Don’t be, the show’s a success and a Christmas special is just the icing on the cake.” She paused for a moment. “See what I did there?”
“You’re an idiot.” Joe patted his sister’s head affectionately and elbowed Adam at the same time.
“Is there room for us?”
Oh my God, Brody’s mom and dad as well? His dad squeezed in first, his mom sitting on her husband’s knee, and abruptly I was squashed into this space with Brody’s parents and siblings. I don’t know what they were trying to achieve, but I had to admit their open affection was something I’d become addicted to.