Tied to Trouble(39)
That shouldn’t have warmed Owen’s chest, but it did. “You’re a little ridiculous.”
Chad leaned in and pressed a kiss to Owen’s jaw. “Aw, but you like it, so what does that make you?”
Owen squeezed Chad’s hip. “I’m ridiculous, too.”
Turned out, Owen realized, other than the coffeemaker and video games, they didn’t have much in common at all.
Chad liked action movies, particularly ones with cars and explosions. Owen liked quiet indies. Chad listened to pounding club music while Owen had a fondness for Ed Sheeran and also admitted he liked Taylor Swift.
Every time they discovered new ways that they were completely incompatible, Chad would go on a laughing jag for several minutes. And then he would gleefully kiss Owen on the cheek and ask him to play another round of Aric’s Revenge.
They sat on the floor and played Uno, then they organized Chad’s bookshelves, resulting in Owen gagging when they found a leftover plate of something moldy on the top of the shelf. Chad had shoved it under his nose, and Owen shoved it back, so they were both dry heaving and laughing and leaking tears.
At one point, Chad dozed, his head on Owen’s lap while Owen read a dog-eared mystery paperback that he was sure Marley had left behind, because it looked out of place among the graphic novels and comic books.
When Chad squirmed awake, Owen put the book down—which surprised him, because he put books down for no one—and settled onto his side beside Chad. Chad’s hazel eyes were a little hazy from his nap. He yawned and scratched his head. “I fell asleep?”
“Not long.”
“What did you do?”
“Drew on your face with Sharpie.”
Chad bolted upright and ran to the bathroom then returned in a rage after finding his face devoid of doodles. He flung a pillow at Owen, whose gut was cramping with laughter. “You’re a dick.”
“Your face!” Owen laughed, wondering when he’d had this much fun, lounging around, joking with someone like he was a teenager again.
“I’m going to draw a damn bow tie around your neck next time you’re sleep. You just wait.” Chad sat down in a huff, elbowing Owen in the ribs. “I did it to my dad once, so don’t think I won’t.”
Owen settled his head on Chad’s shoulder and ran his hand over the letters on his sweatpants. “So, your parents—”
Chad’s entire body stiffened. Owen lifted his head and met Chad’s eye roll. “You gotta be kidding me.”
“I’m sorry for trying to get to know each other—”
“Look, I get what you’re trying to do, but talking about my parents will just annoy me. I had a good childhood, I love my sister, and I love my parents. But Mom and Dad think marriage should last as long as a roller coaster.”
Owen stared, unsure what to say next.
Chad held up a hand. “And please don’t psychoanalyze me, trying to find out if my parents made me like I am. I don’t know, and I don’t care. All I know is that if I do commit, I fucking commit, okay? I just haven’t had the urge to do it.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if Chad could commit to him, if Owen was worth it. But then Chad shrugged off the topic. “So what about your parents?”
“What about them?”
Chad smiled. “Tell me how they raised little gay Owen.”
He chuckled. “It’s all rather boring. I grew up in Connecticut. I was an only child. My mom was a teacher, she’s retired now, and my dad is a family physician.”
Chad blinked. “That’s all rather Lifetime.”
“Yes, I suppose it is.”
“And the gay thing…”
“They figured it out very quickly. We lived in a liberal area, and one of my best friends had two moms. It wasn’t really an issue. You?”
Chad dug his toe into the carpet. “I thought I was straight until I kissed my high school best friend.”
“How very young-adult novel of you.”
Chad snorted. “And I freaked out and told Marley, and then it ended up being this whole family meeting thing where we discussed Chad’s sexuality over meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”
“That sounds painful.”
“It was, but my parents were supportive. Still are, obviously. And all my sister wants is for me to be happy.”
“And what do you want?”
Chad thought about that for a minute. “I want…to be wanted.”
The earnestness in Chad’s expression nearly broke Owen’s heart. “You don’t think you’re wanted?”
“I think I’m wanted a lot but not…wanted.” He drew out the word, eyes pleading for Owen to understand.