Simple Things(28)

He pushed Troy back. "Honestly. I've just been making shit so complicated."

Troy's brows went up, obviously thinking Jeremy was insane. "Clarification would be nice."

"I'd love to explain it to you, but really, I have something I have to  do." He took Troy's cheeks in his hands and planted a huge kiss on his  lips, then quickly left, running down the stairs, laughing the whole  way.

His first realization that he had been dealing with Troy longer than he  had thought was that it was very dark out. Then he saw the crowd was  very thin outside, and Daphne was swaying as she danced alone, singing  as she put dishes in the dishwasher.

Slipping in behind her, feeling fucking buoyant--yes, he felt like one  of those smiley-faced helium balloons-- he kissed her soft cheek. She  started, but laughed as he took her hand, spun her around, and danced  with her for a minute.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Sense," he said.

She snorted. "Well, that's been a long time coming."

"Hater."

"Brat."

"You win," he said, grinning.

She stopped, a happy grin gracing her face. He realized she hadn't  looked at him like that in ages. She was almost more of a mother to him  than his own. And in reality, his mother had been a good mom. Daphne had  just actually travelled some of the bad days with him, when even his  own mom had been finished with him.

She put a hand on his cheek, still studying his face. "You okay, baby boy?"

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm being a bit of a drama queen-"

"You?!" She held a hand to her chest dramatically.

"Shush, you." He looked out the window. "Where's Carter?"

Her smile dropped. "Oh. Hon, he left."

"What?"

"That's why the party wound down. I figured they told you."                       
       
           



       

Jeremy stepped back, blinking. "Where were they going?"

"He had to go see his dad." Jeremy turned to find his dad looking at him quizzically.

"His dad?"

Daphne said slowly, "Yes."

"Holy. Shit." Carter couldn't leave. Not now. "When did he leave?"

His dad looked at him like he'd gone a little crazy. Maybe he had. He  felt like it. "Son, maybe you should slow down and tell us what's up?"

"When did he leave?"

"An hour ago?"

"A fucking hour?!" Jeremy's voice squeaked. Okay, he deserved the wide eyes he was getting from Daphne and his dad now.

He ran up to his room to grab his phone and his keys. Troy tried to stop  him, but he didn't have fucking time. He practically tripped running  back down into the house, because he'd left his keys on the counter.  Both his parents and Daphne were standing there. "What airport?"

"Airport?" his mom asked. "What?"

"Son-"

"Dad, not now." He thumbed through his phone, but other than a What r u  thinking? from Sarah, there were no messages. "How could he not tell me  he was leaving?"

His mom sounded as lost as Jeremy felt. Lost wasn't the word. He was fucking bereft. "Well. It was sudden. And they're just-"

He ran out to his truck and was about to jump in when his dad grabbed  him by the back of his shirt. "Son, would you wait just a goddamned  minute."

"Dad!"

"Drama queen. This is why everything goes to hell in a handbasket around here," his mother grumbled.

"No. Listen to me, guys," Jeremy practically wailed.

"No. You listen, for once in your damn life," his dad said, looking annoyingly amused.

"What the hell is going on?" Sarah snapped, walking up on the other side  of Jeremy's truck. Ella walked up behind her, looking surprised.

Jeremy's heart stopped. Right there. Bringing up the rear, looking a  little bleary eyed and a whole lot of confused, was one gorgeous  redhead.

"Your brother is losing his mind for some reason," Jeremy's mom said.

Jeremy rounded the truck and grabbed Carter, trying his best not to shake him. "They said you went to see your dad."

Carter grimaced. Obviously Jeremy had shaken him a little. Oops. "Um. He's at my cabin. He showed up-"

Jeremy was over this. He kissed Carter. In front of God and everyone. He  pulled back a little. "I'm sorry." He kissed him again. "So fucking  sorry."



* * *



Carter couldn't tell if he was drunk, or if Jeremy was drunk, or if he was dreaming, or …

"What?" he asked. But Jeremy's lips were on his again. Fuck, though, he  couldn't help but melt. Jeremy was kissing him. One of those real,  welcome home kind of kisses. With their chests pressed together, Carter  could feel Jeremy's heart beating so fast, so hard.

Carter's eyes opened and behind them, he focused on the entire Beck  family, plus Chris and Troy. A shocked audience. Embarrassing, party of  two.

"Jeremy, what are you doing?"

Jeremy stopped. Really stopped when Carter held a hand out to make him  take a second. Then Jeremy Beck's cheeks flushed a deep red as he turned  back to his family. "Oh. Wow. This …  Sorry." But he turned to Carter and  gave him a shove. "What the hell, they said you left!"

"The party. We said he left the party," Dale said.

Carter suddenly felt the embarrassment of all the attention on him and  seeing Troy, he remembered Jeremy had ignored him all night, the  humiliation of Jeremy taking Troy up to his room. Carter looked over and  scowled at Troy, who looked as lost as Carter felt. Then he narrowed  his eyes and looked at Jeremy.

And punched his arm.

"What the fuck, Jem?"

Jeremy rubbed his arm, but he was smiling. "I love you."

Carter blinked so much his vision blurred.

"Um. How about let's … " Dale said, clearing his throat. Everyone seemed  to take pity on them and started going inside. Though, Carter noticed  Troy looking particularly chagrined. Maybe he felt a little satisfaction  at that.

When they'd all gone, even though the curtains were twitching, and a few  folks straggled in the backyard dancing drunkenly to Patsy Cline songs  on the speakers, Carter turned to Jeremy. "Say what now?"

Jeremy, who never looked ruffled, who was always the picture of  confidence, was …  lost for words. It was a moment Carter was afraid to  revel in because not two hours ago he had been preparing himself to  leave Jeremy behind and let him get his shit together on his own.                       
       
           



       

"I love you."

Carter stood still, not realizing he was holding his breath until Jeremy scowled and said, "Dammit, breathe."

Carter exhaled and felt dizzy for a second. Jeremy kissed him again and  Carter thought for a second that maybe he was just losing his mind. But  the kiss felt so real. "How?" he heard himself ask.

Jeremy looked at him, looking as sad as anyone Carter had ever seen.  "I'm sorry you have to even ask." He took Carter's hand and pulled him  toward his truck, letting the tailgate down. Our redneck love affair.

That made Carter giggle. Ok. Maybe I'm still a little inebriated.

The smile on Jeremy's face was so serene, it made Carter really, truly get how serious Jeremy was. "I don't understand."

"Turns out, I'm a bit of a drama queen."

Carter quirked a brow.

"Okay. I'm usually better at doing this with music. Which sounds dumb, but I'm gonna try this."

Jeremy took a deep breath. "Life to me was always so heavy. The angst of  being a rich kid. The angst of feeling everything so much. I kept  thinking if I just simplified my life, stop looking at me like that, I  know you're tired of hearing ‘simple.'" Carter smirked at Jeremy.

"It was why I thought no one loved me. You tried to tell me. Even as a  teenager, you tried to show me that love isn't always dramatic.  Sometimes it's messy. But most of the time, it's as simple as blood, or  just being there for each other. But, while I thought I was so laid back  and so chill, turns out I'm really just another angsty asshole looking  for big declarations and flashing signs.

"If I thought I was in love with Troy, maybe it was because it was  …  intense or a hot mess or whatever.

"But over the last few weeks, I had this feeling, this thing that I  couldn't put my finger on because it was me and you and nothing was on  fire and nothing was blowing up. There were sparks during sex, but the  rest of the time it was just us laughing.

"Then Troy kissed me-" Carter puffed up at that, but Jeremy held a hand  up. "Please. Let me get this out. Please?" Carter scowled, but nodded,  because wow.

"Sometimes love is just in the quiet moments, it's in support and  friendship and wanting to be with someone because they feel like home.  Hell, I'll use my favorite word again: simple. Sometimes love is found  in the simple things, the simple times. When you find a love that  doesn't hurt, that doesn't mean it's not real. Hell, it sneaks up on you  that way. It's how I didn't even realize ‘til I realized I was about to  throw it away for something complicated, and more than that, something  ugly."