Reservations

“Babe. I didn’t want to freak you out. I was already in the works of buying the place before we got together.”

Levi stared at him, not saying a word.

“I bought a house in Ellicott City. It’s maybe thirty minutes to Johns Hopkins. It’s the town I told you about. The one I love to watch storms blowing in. Remember?” he asked hopefully.

“Thane,” Levi started with that doubting tone he’d grown to hate.

“It’s a great house, in a great school district. Luke’ll do wonderful here. He told me how much he enjoys aviation. I found a program nearby…” Thane’s words trailed off and his heart began to sink as he watched Levi’s head slowly shake no. He could see the fight forming right there on his boyfriend’s face.

“Babe,” Thane said desperately, but Erin took the phone from his hand.

“You’re very handsome. I can see why Thane’s nuts about you,” Erin rattled happily as if she and Levi were the best of friends. She even turned the phone, showing Levi the living room and kitchen while talking about the benefits of the area before disappearing upstairs. Thane scrubbed a hand over his face then lifted the bottle of beer to down the rest of the liquid in a few short gulps. It did nothing to fill the pit that had formed in his gut. He had to remind himself this was always going to be a fight. He was rushing things, but dammit, he was in. He knew what he wanted and time would do nothing to change any of his feelings.

When he heard Erin walking back down the stairs, still happily chatting, Thane went to rescue his hopefully still boyfriend by taking the phone back. When he looked down at the screen, Levi’s face was inquisitive. He’d even been laughing with Erin.

“I was going to tell you,” Thane said carefully.

“Yeah, eventually. She wants me to tell you they’d be great in the basement,” Levi replied, grinning when Erin’s head popped into the view.

“Great job. That sounded convincing,” Erin said to Levi.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m never going to be friends with her again.”

Levi just laughed at him as Erin playfully slapped Thane’s arm.

“I gotta go to work,” Levi started, but Thane quickly cut him off. He couldn’t let this sit between them unanswered.

“Babe, I was gonna tell you. I was just taking it in steps. I wanted to make sure I got the place first. You know you don’t like to be rushed,” Thane tried to explain.

“Thane, we’re just not there yet.” Levi moved closer to the screen, talking softer like that would keep Erin or anyone else from hearing for that matter. “We have a long way to go. We haven’t really talked about a future together. We’re kind of just living in this moment.”

“We’re in a holding pattern because of Logan’s school. Otherwise, we could already be up here,” Thane argued, and that seemed to confuse Levi which almost devastated Thane.

“We’ll have to talk about this later. I gotta go to work,” Levi said after a moment of silence.

“Call me when you’re off.”

“It’ll be late. I’m closing,” Levi reminded him.

“Call me,” Thane insisted, he didn’t care about the time difference. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. Not after this uncertainty. Levi finally nodded at him, watching him for several beats before his eyes narrowed.

“It’s gonna be weird without you at the club tonight. I know it’s an inconvenience for you, and Julian bitches about you taking up precious real estate, but I like you there.” Levi stopped speaking and stared at him. Thane loved hearing that, the words easing the concern that had gripped his heart. “I’ll call you when Julian cuts me.” Levi lifted a hand in a tentative wave, making Thane smile.

“Bye, Levi,” Erin called out.

“Bye, Erin!”

Thane waited until the screen went dark before he turned and gave Erin a disbelieving glare. She lifted both hands, immediately on the defensive.

“So not my fault. You didn’t tell me.” She singsonged her excuse.

“Seriously? Do you think I’d be doing all this so frantically if he was in on the deal? He’d be here with me, picking the furniture he wanted,” Thane declared, throwing his hands in the air.

“Okay, that’s a point in your favor, but I have one in mine. He picked Luke’s room. He agreed he needed the one with the better view since he’d be here the longest,” Erin gloated, grinning wide like she’d handed him a winning lottery ticket as she extended a hand in a high five.

“He did not.” Thane lifted his hand to give her a high five, but paused as doubts began to push away his excitement. Was she messing with him? Levi was never that agreeable.

“He totally did. And he also agreed we should move into the basement, because Logan’s going away to school.” Thane narrowed his eyes, staring at her as he considered that bit of information.