“You all right?” I asked.
Nico looked over and away from the passenger-side window to nod. “Yeah, yeah. I’m all right. It’s just…” he trailed off, taking a moment before continuing. “It’s been a long time, you know? Since I’ve seen him feel hopeful. I’ve been going and trying to keep his spirits up since he went in, but it didn’t seem to be doing much good for him, but now? Now he seems relieved and, yeah, hopeful. I can’t tell you how it feels.” He smiled as he was explaining, as though just talking about it was lifting his spirits, too. It felt, finally, like there was light at the end of the tunnel, that Nico might just get everything he wanted, and Oliver, everything he deserved.
We didn’t say much else as I drove us over to Noah’s house. After things had settled down after Nico’s stunt, he had been pestering me for weeks to have Nico over so he could meet him for himself. I was nervous for them to meet. I didn’t really have anyone else in my life whose approval I wanted, but it was important that Noah and Nico got along. Nico had been understanding, laidback, when I’d explained exactly why we had to go to Noah’s house to visit him and how it couldn’t really happen anywhere else, and it was relieving to be with someone who was willing to try and understand Noah’s rules. Noah, for his part, wanted more than anything to ‘see me happy’ or some sort of sensitive shit. I’d brushed him off, but secretly, I was glad after everything, he was still here and that someone wanted good things for me.
Noah welcomed us in with a smile, introducing himself quietly to Nico before leading him into the open main level.
“I hope you like Italian, Nico,” Noah called from over his shoulder as he started pulling things off the stove.
“Honestly, anything with flavor would be wonderful,” Nico answered. “This one seems to think seasoning starts and stops with salt and pepper.” He gestured towards me.
“Hey, it’s not that bad,” I argued. “I ate that thing with the peppers last week.”
“Bullshit,” Nico replied. “Fajitas, Landon. They were fajitas.”
“Yeah, see?”
“Fajitas aren’t even Cuban, idiota. Fajitas are American.”
“Come on, I was in the army, I’m supposed to be able to eat anything.”
Noah just laughed and shook his head. “Doubtful. Do you know how long it took our mom to convince him to try literally anything other than chicken nuggets?” He looked over at my glowering face. “Nah, this one’s perfect for you, Landon. Gives you just enough shit.”
Ugh. Never mind. It wasn’t important that they like each other. Better if they never got together to torment me again.
“Whatever, he’s usually not so mouthy,” I stated, shooting Nico a narrow-eyed look.
“Hmph, says you, cabron,” he replied, giving me a sweet smile all the while. I’d make him pay for that later… but, only if he asked nicely.
Noah smiled again. “Come on then, let’s set the table. Before I have to call the police on you two,” Noah teased.
“You keep trying to make that joke after all this time,” I said just as Nico snorted.
Noah shot me a winning smile. “And good thing, too, because it looks like it just paid off, little bro.”
Dinner went even better than I expected, all of us laughing and eating, until I looked at my watch and realized that two hours had passed. In a quiet moment, I heard shouts and the beeping of a truck backing up. From where I was sitting, in the dying light of the evening, I could see two young guys going back and forth with boxes.
“New neighbors?” I asked, as I watched Noah looking out his window. Noah didn’t say anything for a long moment, and Nico and I shared a puzzled glance before I tried again.
“You all right there, Noah?” I asked.
That seemed to get his attention. “What? Oh, yes. Yes, I’m fine, fine. Sorry.” He closed the curtains before rejoining us at the table, but not until he had one last lingering glance outside. “Probably my new college neighbors, I suppose. I’m sure they’ll make working on new compositions easier.” Noah rolled his eyes, but I could tell from years of watching him that his apparent irritation wasn’t what it seemed. Rather, he seemed flustered, possibly curious about the new additions to his neighborhood. Noah and I never really had any sort of conversation about sex or romance, and he’d never really said one way or another what he liked, who he liked. But, watching him react to the young bucks outside, I’d have said there was more than just a neighborly interest. I didn’t press him on it. But, after all of the changes in my own life in the past few months, I couldn’t help but think that he’d be happier if he’d just give over into what he wanted, who he was, just like me.
I looked over at Nico at my side, as he glanced up from his plate and thought about how much I owed him, how grateful I was that he’d come along. Without him, I wasn’t sure that I would have ever found a way to be the person I wanted, in bed, sure, but also in life. It made me want to spend the rest of my life living up to what he deserved.
“Well, so, what’s next for you two?” Noah asked, looking for a change of subject from what had clearly gotten him so riled up. “What’s in store for Detective Case and his boyfriend?”
I slung my arm across Nico’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to his jaw.
“I dunno. What do you want, Nico?” I asked. It wasn’t necessarily meant to be vulgar, but it certainly wasn’t meant not to be either.
Catching the playful tone of my voice, Nico turned his head to the side, catching my lips with his own. “I don’t know, cariño. Mainly, I just want you.” I could hear the double meaning, the promise in his eyes.
It was sweet. It was also filthy. I was a lucky man.
“That’s good, baby. Because all I want is you.”
And, it was.
Get ready for Book 6 in the Worth It Series, Worth A Thousand Words.
Coming March 31st!
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Worth A Shot
Worth It: Book 5
Peter Styles
© 2019
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18)
Worth A Shot: Worth It: Book 5 Page 14