Almost like things were fine.
Tav knew the truth. The minute Jack came back—the moment he so much as scowled at Luca—he was a dead man. And Tav wouldn’t be alone in taking him out.
“Tav! Get in, you fucking loser!”
Tav slid into the water, and struck out for the team, pushing Jack aside, and letting the summer, and the goal of Luca being able to come back to school in September, albeit in the year below, take over.
Whatever it took, they’d manage.
“Alright?” Tav said, kissing a chlorine-tinted cheek when he reached them, and Luca laughed, hooking an arm over Tav’s shoulders and using him as a life-raft. His kiss was powerful, even if his grip wasn’t, and they momentarily sunk before Tav kicked out and pushed them back up to the surface, water streaming from Luca’s curls and wide smile when they broke apart.
“Baci,” he said.
“Baci,” Tav echoed—and knew it would work out alright.
THE END
ABOUT MATTHEW J. METZGER
Matthew J. Metzger is an asexual, transgender author from the wet and windy British Isles. Matthew is a writer of both adult and young adult LGBT fiction, with a love of larger-than-life characters, injecting humour into serious issues, and the uglier, grittier edges of British romance. Matthew currently lives in Bristol, and—when not writing—can usually be found sleeping, working out at the gym, and being owned by his cat.
Find out more online at matthewjmetzger.com.
ABOUT QUEERTEEN PRESS
Queerteen Press is the young adult imprint of JMS Books LLC, a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance. Visit queerteen-press.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!
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