Trouble & the Wallflower (15 page)

A knock on his window startled Gavin from his thoughts. Devon stood outside the truck looking amused. Gavin flipped him off and opened the door.

“Fucker,” Gavin said with no heat to the word.

“Sorry, Gav.”

“What’s up, Devon?”

“I wanted to know how it went with Davy. I was about to bust not talking to the guys about what a dick you had been.”

Gavin scowled at Devon and punched him in the arm, getting a “Hey!”

“Come on in and see Ray, so long as you’re here.”

Gavin led the way into the house. Devon had made his way in to see Ray before Gavin had shut the door and taken off his shoes. When Gavin walked into the sitting room, Devon and Ray both went silent and stared at him expectantly.

“What?” Gavin shrunk under their gazes.

“Well…,” Devon said, rotating his hand in front of him, gesturing for Gavin to speak up.

“Well what?” Gavin feigned ignorance, which got him two disbelieving harrumphs that were eerily similar. Gavin was beginning to think he’d let his friends spend too much time around the old guy. He glared at them both.

“Spill it, Gav. Did you make up with Pretty Boy?” Devon pushed.

“And how,” Ray stated jovially, eyes crinkling in the corners with smile lines.

Gavin gestured to Ray. “The gossip queen there will give you a play-by-play if you bribe him with a foot rub. I’m going to change.”

Gullible Devon eyed Ray’s proffered feet warily. Gavin started to leave when Ray said, “I’ll even tell you about how that Davy boy stayed the whole night and how crazy in love our boy is.”

Gavin halted in his tracks and turned his surprised gaze on Ray. Ray held a hand up to stop the protest Gavin never intended to give. “Don’t deny it, boy. I suspected that the first time you talked about him. I knew it was different, but then I saw you with that boy. You were different. All’s I can say is, it’s about damn time you finally found someone to knock your socks off. And that Davy has got you tripping over yourself in love.”

Devon started laughing, but it died in his throat when Gavin smiled shyly and said, “Yeah. Yeah, I think I love him.”

That seemed to take Ray and Devon by surprise. Ray sat up straight in his chair, and Gavin realized he had struck the man dumb for the first time ever. Ray and Devon both looked at each other, then back to Gavin. Devon, like a puppy wagging with happiness, bounded over to Gavin and hugged him, lifting him a few inches off the ground and squeezing the breath out of him.

“Dude, really? Ohmigod! This is so great! I knew it!” Devon set him back down.

Gavin straightened his shirt, flustered, as Devon continued pounding him on the back. When Gavin noticed Ray, he was practically glowing. That seeped deep into Gavin’s soul. He knew Ray had been worried about him a lot lately, but he didn’t realize just how much until he saw how Ray was reacting to him finally getting his head out of his own ass. Ray gave him a pleased nod.

“And Davy? What does he say?”

Gavin realized he’d almost forgotten Devon was still there until he spoke again, even though the guy’s hand was still on his shoulder. “Oh, uh, I haven’t told him yet.”

“What?” Devon punched Gavin in the arm.

“Shit, dude!” Gavin rubbed his shoulder and flicked Devon’s nose.

“You two are idiots,” Ray grumbled.

“I just figured out that’s what it was, okay?” Gavin defended.

Devon looked properly apologetic. “Oh, I guess that’s why you looked all dreamy sitting out there in your truck.”

“I was so not ‘dreamy.’”

Ray harrumphed
again
and Devon objected with a “Whatever.”

“You were mooning over the boy all night. Janie couldn’t stop going on about how cute you boys were.”

“How enlightened,” Gavin said drily.

“Stop being a di— Well, stop being yourself,” Devon said. “We are just all really happy for you. You’ve been so down since you moved here.”

“Everybody needs love,” Ray said as though the subject was closed. “So, Devon, how’s school?”

“Well, it’s okay. Gavin’s been a big help in Macro….”

Gavin sat, listening to them catch up. He felt all warm and tingly, and a huge part of him wanted to wait for the other shoe to drop before doing anything drastic like admitting anything other than what he already had to Davy. But Gavin felt surprisingly calm for what he’d just admitted out loud for the first time. So today he’d admitted it to two of the most important people in his life, as well as himself. He supposed even with the good stuff, admitting it was the first step.

G
AVIN
TAPPED
his pen against his desk in class, eventually calling enough attention to his impatience that his Art History professor paused her lecture and peered through her half-moon glasses at him. “Somewhere more pressing you should be, Mr. Walker?”

Of course he’d call attention to himself in his one class that was small enough that the professor knew him by name. He gave his most charming smile and apologized, which she didn’t buy at all, but she continued on. He checked his phone every two minutes. He was ready to get out of the lecture hall. He was meeting the boys and Davy for dinner, and it was going to be the first time they’d all hung out since he and Davy had patched things up a little over a month earlier. Sure, they’d all seen each other in groups of three or four at a time, but no more than that because Gavin was obviously not hitting the clubs with the guys anymore, which shocked the hell out of them. But, at this point everyone knew the score between Gavin and Davy.

He was eager to see how everyone handled the situation. He’d not had anything resembling a relationship since he’d moved to Seattle three years earlier. Everyone seemed okay with the idea of him and Davy being a couple, and why shouldn’t they? But Gavin was still nervous. And Gavin was never nervous. This was all new to him, completely beyond his ken.

He still hadn’t even admitted to anyone other than Ray and Devon that he was in love with Davy. And at this point, he could say he was in love with complete certainty. In the last two weeks, they’d spent nights together both at Davy’s apartment and Gavin’s house. Davy had come to a few more boys’ nights and had even driven Janie to church in Ray’s old Cadillac the previous Sunday when neither her grandson nor Gavin were available.

Gavin was still in awe of Davy and how easily and quietly the man fit right into his life, his arms, and his heart. But how wouldn’t he? The guy was all patience and calming steadfastness. Davy had stopped being awkward around Gavin long ago, speaking openly and animatedly about his interest in Gavin’s studies and family. It was as though something had totally changed, and Gavin was still a little afraid to admit that the very hidden romantic in him wondered if Davy might not be
The One
.
He knew that was an antiquated ideal and that guys his age didn’t usually think that way, but what could he say? He was raised old-school.

But to think Davy was
The One
seemed a bit much, especially with having only officially known each other a few months. But Ray didn’t seem to think so when Gavin had admitted it during one of their whiskey heart-to-hearts where Ray had also shared that his prognosis was worse than they thought, with only months left and the clock ticking fast. Ray had said, with eyes a bit too bright for Gavin’s comfort, that he was happy for Gavin and that of course he’d want to find
The One
, not because he was old-school, but because he had an old soul. And for all of Davy’s innocence and naïveté, Gavin thought much the same of him.

Then he wondered when the hell he’d become such a sap.

Finally, the professor called an end to the class. Gavin was the first person to bolt from the building and rushed to his truck. When he got to the restaurant they’d agreed on for dinner, he was the last to arrive. Of course. He made his way to the very large corner booth they’d managed to snag in the back of the restaurant. Everyone at the table had a large margarita in front of them and enough chips and
queso
for three families.

“Gavin!” Mason was the first to notice him as Gavin approached the table.

Davy looked up with such open adoration Gavin’s whole world zoomed in on him. Gavin slid into the seat beside Davy and placed a peck on his cheek. The whole table erupted in “Awwww.” Gavin didn’t give a shit. Davy blushed furiously, but he never lost his smile.

Fucking beautiful.

Gavin directed his attention to his friends. “What’s up, guys?”

Sean had his arm around Mason’s shoulders, but somehow that didn’t surprise him. Davy and Gavin had discussed the possibility of them getting together. It was pretty damn obvious they were getting closer and closer lately. Devon was beaming at Gavin, his pretty face the shade of red that was the telltale sign that he was well on his way to intoxication.

Then there was Nate. His face was set in a sneer, and he looked away as soon as Gavin made eye contact.
Gavin felt kind of bad. He considered Nate a friend, but the guy knew the score between them. There was no reason to be a dick.

Gavin couldn’t have been more pleased with how the dinner went. His nerves had been for naught. They’d all joked and had an awesome time. They’d embarrassed Davy after a few margaritas, trying to get info about his and Gavin’s sex life. Then the tables got turned on Mason and Sean, who suddenly got very coy. Gavin knew that when Devon had gotten reduced to his random drunk giggles when no one had said anything funny that the night was drawing to an end.

The only one who didn’t seemed to be enjoying himself was Nate. He was a bitchy guy, but not usually this bitchy. Nate had ignored a few direct questions from Davy and made digs about PDAs when Davy had put his hand on Gavin’s knee under the table. Gavin got annoyed, but Davy had squeezed his knee and shook his head whenever Gavin had begun to say anything. That hand on his knee made Gavin’s whole body calm, as if Davy’s touch were a mood stabilizer. Gavin
would
deal with Nate later, regardless of what Davy thought on the matter. Everyone had given Nate the stink eye at some point for some of his rude comments because it was just weird to see anyone be rude to Davy.

“Dude, lay off,” Gavin snapped at Nate. Nate just acted like he had no idea what he was talking about. “Whatever. Time for the check?” When everyone agreed the time had come to part ways, Sean signaled the waitress for the check.

Gavin excused himself to go to the restroom. When he arrived back at the table, Davy and Mason were missing, Devon looked stupefied, and Sean was doing his best impression of his Latino mother, laying into Nate, who looked entirely unaffected and unimpressed. They weren’t fighting loud enough to draw attention to themselves, but Gavin knew them well enough to know shit was going down.

“What the fuck is going on?” Gavin asked.

Sean turned on Gavin, pointing at Nate with a growl. “This asshole was a total dick to Davy and it made Davy completely lose his shit.”

“
What?
” Gavin snarled at Nate.

“I was just telling the truth.”

“Whatever! You’re a total douche-bag motherfucker!” Sean yelled.

A waitress came over with the check and wisely didn’t bother to get involved when she seemed to notice the tension at the table.

“What happened?” Gavin snapped.

“Nate here talked trash to Davy. Total trash. Davy didn’t want us to notice that it hurt his feelings, so he said he’d wait for you at the car and cut out.”

Gavin got in Nate’s face. The only sign Nate was intimidated was the smallest flinch when Gavin put his finger in his face and said with deadly calm, “You. I will deal with you later.” He turned to Sean. “Davy’s still here?”

Sean nodded, still looking at Nate in disgust. “Yes. He’s waiting for you at your truck. Mason went to talk to him.” He handed Gavin a wad of cash.

“What’s this?” Gavin asked.

“Davy being Davy left this ridiculous amount of money that we all know he doesn’t have to pay for the meal, insisting he was sorry for ruining everyone’s night.” Sean finally looked at Gavin, this time with an apologetic frown. “Tell him I’m sorry and that I had a great time. Dinner is on me.”

“Are you sure?” Gavin wanted to hug his friend.

Sean just nodded and patted Gavin’s shoulder. “Just go to him. He was so embarrassed, Gav. I’ll handle this.”

Before he left, Gavin shot his harshest glare at Nate. “He may handle this tonight, but I promise you have not heard the last from me about this.” With that, he turned on his heel and headed out to find Davy.

When Gavin made it to his truck in the parking lot, he found Davy leaning against the fender, and Mason speaking calmly to him with his hand on Davy’s shoulder. Gavin sidled up to Davy and hooked a finger through a belt loop on Davy’s jeans. Davy looked so good tonight in a bright-blue polo and what Gavin knew he considered his best pair of dark-blue jeans. Why had Nate fucked up the night? Davy had seemed to really be in his element all night, and that was something Gavin had worked hard to create for him with the guys.

Gavin pulled Davy to him by the belt loop. “Hey, you.” He nuzzled in the spot behind Davy’s ear that he knew drove Davy nuts.

Davy flinched away from the contact. Gavin turned to Mason, who shook his head sadly. “Thanks, Mase. I got him.”

Mason patted Davy’s cheek. “We had a great time, dude. I’ll see you for lunch next week. Cool?”

Davy stared at the ground, silently chewing his bottom lip. Gavin could tell he was holding back tears. It broke Gavin’s heart. Gavin waited for Mason to leave before he pulled a rigid Davy into a fierce hug.

“I’m sorry about Nate, Davy. I know he can be a bitch. I don’t know what he said, but I’m sorry.”

Davy pushed him away. Gavin could have been stabbed in that moment and it would have hurt less. He grabbed Davy’s hand and used his other to lift Davy’s chin. “Look at me, babe.” Gavin didn’t even stop himself from using the endearment.

Davy chewed his bottom lip for a moment, then looked at Gavin. As soon as their gazes met, Davy’s eyes filled with tears and his face went bright red.