Rachel Reid

You are way too excited about the possibility of a two-minute interaction with a man who is not at all interested in you, Kip.

Kip wanted to die. He had just been flirting with Scott fucking Hunter and now Scott was going to leave forever because what the hell, Grady?

But for the first time in his career, Scott felt—absurdly—like he was leaving someone behind.

There was just something about him. Scott wanted to talk to him for hours, and find out everything about him. Show him everything. Give him everything.

Oh no, Hunter. You are in trouble.

The way Scott looked at him then, Kip would never forget it. If they were alone, and if he were someone else and Scott were someone else, he would have expected Scott to lunge across the table and haul him into a hungry kiss.

For some reason Scott had liked the idea of Kip being in his apartment, even when he wasn’t there.

“And I like that you’re so worried about me. It’s really...sweet.”

In that moment, Scott could imagine all of it. Being with Kip. Living with him. Going to bed and waking up together. Preparing meals and going to restaurants and traveling together. Not hiding anymore, just being happy and complete with a man he...cared about. Being brave enough to let the world know who he really was.

“Because he just lit up like the goddamn sun. Jesus. You guys are doomed.”