“What are you going to do now?” he asked.
I glanced out the window at the setting sun. “I don't know,” I lied.
I knew what I had to do, I just wasn't ready to do it.
Not yet.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Daisy
We filled our mugs and went to sit on the sofa as we had so many times before. I sat beside J.T. and let my head tilt to rest on his shoulder. As I knew it would, his arm came around me.
We sat in silence, sipping our coffee. When he spoke, I thought he was going to tell me what to do about Grams or Royal. I was wrong.
“I've been seeing someone. At school.”
I froze inside. This was what I'd been waiting for. For J.T. to talk to me like he used to. I tried to play it cool. “I figured that.”
“His name is Clay. He's, uh, he's— I'm, um…” J.T. sucked in a quick breath. “I'm gay.”
“I know, dumbass.” I ducked my head forward to catch his eyes. “Is that what this has been about? You didn't know how to tell me?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I guess? It happened so fast—”
A laugh burst from my gut, so big I almost spilled my coffee. I set the mug on the table and turned to sit sideways on the sofa, facing J.T.
“Fast? You call that fast? You got kicked out of your house for kissing a boy like seven years ago! And you haven't kissed anyone else since then! Fast?”
“Well, I mean…” J.T. shifted under my laughing gaze.
“Am I right? Clay is the first guy you've dated?”
“You know he is.” J.T. relaxed a bit, finally getting that I wasn't mad, but I was going to give him shit. He'd given me enough over Royal. It was only fair.
“Fast,” I muttered again, laughter still bubbling up. This time, J.T. laughed with me. “Is he nice? Is he good to you? I want to see pictures.”
“He's amazing. He's funny, and sweet, and so cute. I swear—”
J.T. pulled out his phone and started to swipe for pics. I settled back into the sofa beside him, leaning into his side as I sipped my coffee and waited. When he showed me the screen of his phone, I grinned.
A handsome blond man stared back at me. A little older than us, maybe late twenties, with ocean blue eyes and golden stubble on his cheeks. He wasn't runway model handsome like J.T., but he was adorable, and the earnest affection in his eyes was all I needed to see.
“Do I get to meet him?” I asked. “Are you going to bring him home now that you told me?”
“I haven't told Grams,” he said, and the caution in his voice made my heart hurt.
“Maybe you should wait until this thing with my dad is resolved. Grams won't care about you dating a guy, she'll be happy for you, but my parents will be assholes if they hear about it. Neither of you should have to put up with that.”
We sipped our coffee in silence for a moment, finally in perfect accord after so many months of weirdness. Into the quiet, I said, “I'm glad you told me. I knew you needed time, so I didn't want to push, but you know I love you, right? You're my family. I don't care who you sleep with, I just want you to be happy.”
“I am. Now that things are good with us, I'm happy. I'll bring him to meet you. Soon.”
“Soon,” I agreed.
“Can I keep the apartment after you move into Heartstone Manor? Or are you going to be too good for me once you're living in the big house?”
“I'm not moving into Heartstone.”
J.T. just gave me a look, one dark brow arched above his piercing green eyes. “Sure, you aren't.”
“I'm not. I don't know. I can't think about that yet.”
“Then what are you going to do? You can't hide out in here forever, and I know you're not baking that pie for us.”
“I'm not. But before I bring it to Royal, I have to call West.”
J.T. leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I knew you were a smart girl, Daze.”
“Sometimes, I am. And sometimes, I'm a dumbass.”
“We're all dumbasses every once in a while.”
I pulled out my phone and opened my contacts. Before I could dial the police department, a knock fell on my door. I jolted, panic spiking through me.
J.T. stood. “Keep your phone in your hand. If that's anyone other than Royal or Grams, go ahead and call West. Especially if it's your dad. Got it?”
I nodded in agreement. I lurched to my feet, ready to bolt for the privacy of the bedroom to make my call if J.T. gave me the signal. He checked the peephole and laughed.
Swinging open the door, he let West into the apartment. “I swear, you have ESP or something. We were just going to call you.”