Fox added his own voice. “And besides, I love that you’re with Beckham. No wonder he’s been smiling so much lately. I thought he was carrying around that London gray with him permanently, but I think you pushed all that away.”
“Yeah, Olly, I’m fully supportive of this. You deserve happiness, and it’s obvious that’s what Beckham is giving you.”
I sniffled and wiped at my nose and dried my tears. “I don’t know what came over me… I just, I guess you two were one of the biggest barriers for us. If you both didn’t approve, then we’d have some serious issues. I’m so close to both of you, I wouldn’t have been able to handle it. That scared me.”
“And why wouldn’t we approve?” Fox asked.
“Because he works with you guys. Because you might have known something about him I don’t.” I took a breath, controlling the tears. “Because he’s older than me. By a lot. And that sometimes bothers people… I didn’t know if it would bother you both.”
“Oliver, does it bother you?” Jonah asked me bluntly.
“No.” There was confidence in my voice, even though emotion made it raw. “No, I don’t care. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I really don’t. I know I’ll never catch up, and I know there could be some challenges we have to face in the future, but what couple on earth doesn’t have to do the same? There’s always something to overcome, for everyone. I’m just happy I can do it with someone I’m in love with.”
Whoa. Holy Ru Paul’s Drag Race. I said it.
It was too soon. Logically, I knew that. But since when did logic ever factor into love? I wasn’t about to run and tell him, not yet, but I wasn’t about to take it back now it had slipped. And it seemed like neither my brother or Fox were angry about it either.
“And that’s exactly what life is about,” Fox said and Jonah nodded, neither of them making a big deal of me spilling my heart out onto the coffee table in front of me. “That’s how I felt when I found Jonah, and I know I wouldn’t let anything break that connection. The same way you shouldn’t.”
“Seriously, Olly. As long as you’re happy, then so am I. It’s the same thing I’ve wanted since I was pushing away bullies for you and introducing you to eligible friends of mine. Granted, you beat me to the punch with Beckham, but I’m glad you did.” His eyes told me he wasn’t lying. He wasn’t sugarcoating or glossing over this. He was saying every word he meant, the same as Fox.
“Thank you, guys. Really. I don’t know why I was so nervous.”
Jonah went back to his spot on the love seat. “I think it’s because you already feel so connected to him. You were scared something would mess it up.”
“Yeah. I think that was it. Not that I assumed you two would have an issue or anything.”
“Don’t even stress it,” Fox said. “I can’t wait to get to Stonewall tomorrow, though. I’m gonna rib him a little bit for keeping it secret.”
I chuckled at that. “Rib him all you want, I’m sure he’ll give it right back.”
My heart was filled with a vibrant joy. It was such a contrast to the fear I’d been feeling on the lead-up to this meeting. It didn’t help that I was beginning to feel watched at every second. The paranoia only bred with the anxiety, keeping me on a constant edge.
But now, things felt like they were falling back on track. I had the full support of two people who were incredibly important in my life. I still had to introduce him to my parents, but I didn’t have doubts about how that would go. Both my parents were such open spirits, I knew they would get along just fine with Beck.
Now it was just the other bullshit we had to deal with. The life-threatening bullshit that was starting to keep me up at night.
Thankfully, every time I’d wake up in the dark room with my heart racing and pulse pounding, Beckham was there next to me, his body heat serving as a grounding force, his gentle breathing and his sleeping presence making me feel like it was all going to be okay.
19Beckham Noble
Iwas buttoning up my shirt when I heard my front door opening. I hurried to the living room, catching Oliver as he came in.
“So how did it go?” I asked Oliver the second he walked in through the door. He wasn’t crying or upset which was a good sign.
“Great!” He came over and planted a sweet kiss. It was hard to control it, to not let the kiss unfold into something greater.
“Of course it went great,” I said as we separated. I matched his smile, feeling the happiness spread from him. I knew how much the idea of talking to his brother stressed Oliver out, although I had a gut feeling there wouldn’t be any issues whatsoever.
Thankfully, I was right on this one.
“I know, I know.” Oliver went over and sat on the couch. Mason came over from his cat tree and hopped up on Oliver’s lap, purring up a storm. Jar was a little slower, stretching first before sauntering over. I’d never owned a cat before, but I had to admit, I really liked those furry little guys. I wasn’t sure how much longer Oliver was planning on staying over my place, but I knew for certain that I wasn’t in any kind of rush to get him out. I was happy he felt safe with me, and I wanted him to keep feeling safe for as long as possible.
Oliver broke down what happened with Jonah and Fox, both men being just as supportive as I knew they would. Of course, part of me was just as nervous as Oliver, but I didn’t let that part show. It was a big deal, there was no denying that. We were a great match, I knew that with my entire being. From the outside, though, I also knew that our relationship could cause issues with some people. Age was a funny thing. It carried a taboo even though birthdays were something that were celebrated every year. With the gap between Oliver and me, there were going to be some people who would cling to the taboo and see nothing else. They’d miss the powerful attraction and the intense connection the two of us shared. They’d only see the years separating us and react negatively to it.
Jonah and Fox weren’t those type of people, though.
“Well, good.” I kissed Oliver again. It was difficult keeping my lips off him. With every kiss, a chain reaction went off in my body, resulting in my cock pulsing between my legs. “All right, come on and get changed,” I said, knowing there wasn’t any time to focus on the needy throb against my thigh.