Chapter 69

“It’s going to be okay,” Jason said. He’d been saying that, or something very like it, for a while, as if he believed repeating it would make it true.

The cab pulled to a stop. Time to face the music.

Andy opened the door and got out, and turned to pull his backpack out. Trick was barking, and Andy turned, and—

“Oof!”—collapsed from the unexpected and slightly lopsided collision of excited dog. “Oh my God, get off, you horrible thing.” Andy grabbed Trick and hugged him, stupidly relieved to see him again. “You dumb mutt, what the hell, huh?” Trick licked his face happily and Andy didn’t even try to push him off, just scrunched eyes and mouth shut and waited for it to be over.

“You.” Kat was there, looking down at him. “Get up.”

Andy climbed to his feet. “Kat, I…”

She brandished the tee shirt at him. And then hugged him so hard his ribs ached under the strain. “You…you…” Kat let him go, then stomped her foot. “I gave my ice cream to Scooter because of you.” And then she ran off, slamming the door to the restaurant behind her. Sobbing.

Andy winced. “I am going to owe her so. Much. Ice cream.”

“Yep,” Jason said from behind him. The cab was pulling away. “You can’t even make up the difference in orgasms.”

He could feelScooter standing just off the parking lot in the sand.

Jason clapped him on the shoulder. “Go get ‘im, tiger.” He followed in Kat’s wake, calling Trick after him with promises of bacon.

Andy swallowed. Took a breath. Turned.

Scooter managed to push himself away from the pillar, took a few tentative steps in Andy’s direction. He didn’t meet Andy’s eyes, but his face was ravaged, eyes red and faint, sticky tracks marked his cheeks. “Hey.”

“Scooter.” It wasn’t even a whisper of breath. Andy sucked air into lungs that fought him, and tried again. “Scooter. I’m so, so sorry.”

Scooter stared at him. “What for?”

“I, I panicked.” Andy said. “I didn’t trust you, any of you. I should have, I should have asked. But I panicked and I couldn’t thinkand all I could do was…run. And you didn’t deserve that, and I hurt you. And I’m sorry.”

“I should’ve trusted you with the truth sooner,” Scooter countered. “You shouldn’t have found out like that,” Scooter said. “The tablet, you…you left it on, I saw, and I…I’m sorry for that. I’m just so glad you’re okay. That you’re safe.”

Andy stepped toward him, drawn like a magnet. “That’s what Jason said after Kat called. That you…Wanted to know I was safe.” He stopped just out of arm’s reach, willing Scooter to hear the question he couldn’t figure out how to ask.

Scooter’s hands were stuffed in his pockets, his muscles corded with tension. “Yes,” Scooter said. “I…hoped you would come back, but if…If I made you feel unsafe, I’d understand why you had to go.” He bit his lip, already worried nearly to bleeding. “If you…If you decide that’s best for you. Safest. Then of course you have to go. But please, if you do, keep in touch with—with Kat? We worry about you.”

Of course Scooter knew what he was asking. “I came back,” Andy pointed out. “Jason explained it all. I’m, I’m staying. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay, that’s…That’s good,” Scooter said, pressing a hand against his chest and panting for breath like it was hurting. “You came back. You’re staying. I’m glad, I—Andy, I don’t…Tell me what I can do. What you want. Please.”

Christ, he looked so frightened. Shaken and tossed and hurt, but determined, not quite meeting Andy’s eyes. Half-braced for a blow and yet ready to fetch the moon out of the sky if that was what Andy wanted. And God, all Andy wanted was…”I’d like a hug,” Andy said. “To start.”

Scooter reached out for him, hand shaking, and pulled him in so, so carefully, like Andy was a baby bird, fragile and terrified. “Oh, God,” Scooter murmured in Andy’s ear, arms going around his back. “Oh, Andy, I thought…I thought…Kat said…oh, God.”

And then Scooter was sobbing into Andy’s shoulder, shaking so hard he could barely stand.

“I know,” Andy murmured, clinging to Scooter just as tight. Holding Scooter up, and that was another gift Scooter had given him without even knowing it, relying on Andy’s strength rather than dismissing or ridiculing it. “I know, honey, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I should have trusted you more, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He drew in a shaking breath. “I, we should, I should tell you some things. When you’re ready.”

“Yeah, okay. Okay. I’m…Let’s…let’s get you moved back in. Trick missed you like crazy,” Scooter said. He wiped his eyes. “And Kat stabbed me with a spoon. So, you know, it’s been a horrible morning.”

Andy paused. “Why did Kat stab you with a spoon?”

“Um…” Scooter glanced at the closed door. “I’m not sure I could explain it right. Maybe she—I don’t know. I have little bruises all over my chest! Women don’t make sense, don’t ask me!”

“Okay,” Andy said. He took Scooter’s hand and laced their fingers together. “Let’s just…go put my things away and—”

“Take a nap,” Scooter said.