What He Left Behind(63)

“Yeah, I do.” He kisses me softly. “I’ve been trying to work up the nerve for a while, and part of me just realized how stupid it was to be afraid to do anything with you.” He caresses my cheek. “Because you’ve proven time after time after time what I’ve known without a doubt since we were kids—that there’s no one I trust more than you.”

“Of course you can trust me,” I whisper. “Always.”

“I know.” He smiles tightly. “The thing is, I kind of feel stupid for not coming to you about this years ago. Or even telling you what happened.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“No, but it would’ve done me some good. I didn’t know how badly I needed my sexuality back until I started getting it back. For the first time in years, I actually feel like me again. Completely. I didn’t even realize how important it was to me, and how much I missed it until…until you…” He exhales, and then he kisses me, letting the soft contact linger for a moment. “Josh, you and Ian gave me back the last thing Steve took away from me.”

I’m…speechless.

Michael sweeps his tongue across his lips. “What he did, it’ll always be there. What’s done is done. But now it’s like when I f*cked up my knee in high school. There’s still some damage, and it still gives me trouble once in a while, but it’s healed. And that’s how this feels too. Like it’s less of an open wound now and more of a scar.” He clasps both his hands around one of mine, and the intensity in his eyes damn near drives me to tears even before he whispers, “Which means I can finally move on.”

I still can’t speak, so I just free my hand and wrap my arms around him, and that doesn’t really help me get my emotions under control.

After a moment, I clear my throat. “He didn’t deserve a single piece of you. I’m so glad Ian and I helped you get this one back.”

“Me too.” He holds me tighter. “Thank you, Josh. This means the world to me.”

I kiss the top of his head. “You’re welcome.”

Because you mean the world to me, Michael.





Chapter Twenty A few days after Ian and I reconnect, I’m meeting Michael for lunch. That’s not unusual; we’ve been having lunch together a couple of times a week ever since I started working on the same side of town as the vet clinic.


But when he walks through the door of our usual restaurant, I do a double take. There’s a grin on Michael’s face that he can’t quite suppress, and he’s definitely trying. When he takes his seat across from me, he’s practically bouncing.

I cock my head. “What?”

“Hmm?” He presses his lips together, but that only makes it worse. “What?”

“You know what.”

He stops even trying, and that smile takes my breath away. “Dr. Klein was in the clinic this morning.”

“Oh yeah? And did you talk to him?”

“I did.” He’s beaming now. God, he’s beautiful when he’s this happy. “And uh, I told him I got cold feet before, and asked if the offer was still open.”

My jaw drops. “You actually asked him out?”

Michael laughs. “Come on, don’t sound quite so surprised.”

“Well, I…”

“It’s okay.” He reaches across the table and puts his hand on my arm. “It kinda surprised me too.”

“So, was the offer still open?” As if I need to ask.

Michael squeezes my arm, then withdraws his hand. “We’re having dinner tomorrow night. Then I guess, um…” He laughs, sounding nervous and relieved at the same time. “I guess we’ll see what happens.”

I chuckle, arching my eyebrow. “You don’t have to call him Dr. Klein over dinner, do you?”

“No. It’s just a habit at the clinic.” He smiles, and I’m surprised little hearts don’t appear in his eyes. “I guess I’ll have to get used to calling him Ben.”

The sound of the doctor’s first name hits me in the chest for some reason. “I’m sure you’ll get used to it.”

“Just have to remember not to call him that at the clinic. Ah, hell. If I do, who cares, right?”

“Though hey, what better way to remind yourself you’re dating a doctor?”

“We’re not dating. It’s one—”

“Not yet.” I grin. “But after tomorrow…”

“We’ll see.” Michael picks up the menu, even though he and I have both memorized it a hundred times over. He gives it a cursory glance before he lays it down again and meets my gaze, that grin still crinkling the corners of his eyes. “This is so weird. I haven’t been on an actual date in ages.”

“Well, don’t expect me to come over and help you pick out what to wear.”

Michael snorts. “Right. That’ll be the day.”

“So where are you guys going?”

His lips quirk. “I don’t know. We didn’t get that far. We’re meeting at the clinic since we both know where it is.” He half shrugs. “I guess we’ll see what happens after that.”

I smile, though I’m not sure why it takes so much work. “I guess we will.”