“Edison, come on,” Trent groaned. “I think you’re going a little too far with the whole… whoa, that’s nice.”
Edison held up a jet-black, slim-fitted pullover turtleneck with a small silver POLO emblem on the collar. “It’s nice, right?”
“Yeah, man, it is.” Trent held his hand out and accepted the nice piece thinking it’d go well with his black boots. “You sure about this?”
“Happy to help.” Edison grinned. He checked his watch and began to usher Trent back to the front of the house. “You better get going if you wanna have time to get ready.”
“Edison, you’re treating me like this is my first time.” Trent detoured and went into the kitchen to snag a few chocolate chip cookies from the jar.
“Well, it kinda is, right?” Edison said, leaning against the refrigerator with his hands in his pockets. “It’s all right if you wanna ask me a question, Trent.”
Trent kept his back to Edison as he poured himself a glass of water from the faucet. He gripped his drink tightly to keep his hand from trembling. He needed to stop being silly and speak up about the other reason why he’d come there.
“Are you nervous?”
Trent didn’t answer. Instead he gulped the water, refilled it, then chugged it again as if it was tequila.
“Trent.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, you’re answering me or yes you’re nervous?”
“Both.” Trent went to refill his glass, but Edison came up behind him and snagged it out of his hand. He placed the glass in the sink, then turned Trent slowly so could look him in his eyes.
“Trent. I’m really glad that you’re finally following your heart. And I think you have nothing to worry about.” Edison smiled softly. “I think Wood is a good, patient man. And I have a feeling he’ll make it perfect for both of you.”
Trent nodded since he was unsure of what else to say. He wouldn’t dare ask Edison any stupid questions like what he should expect to feel because he already believed that being with Wood would be indescribable.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Wood
“You didn’t say much tonight at the meeting,” Brody said as he pulled into his driveway.
“I know. Not much to say, that’s all. It feels shitty starting over, especially when I didn’t have to.” Wood held the silver, twenty-four-hour sobriety chip in his palm. “I’m freakin’ stronger than that.”
“Every man falls down at some point in his life, Wood. What matters is if he gets back up.” Brody tapped Wood’s forearm to pull his gaze away from the soft lighting in Trent’s bedroom window, knowing he was in there getting ready for their evening. “Put that chip back in your pocket, and go on inside and enjoy your date. I have a feeling you’re no longer listening to me anyway.”
Wood chuckled. “You encouraging me now?”
“Not at all. But you’re gonna do what you want anyway.” Brody laughed. “And you want him. But I do think you know what you’re doing, Wood, and Trent appears to have his head on straight… no matter how hot it is.”
“Yeah, man. I think he’s… he might…” Wood ran his hand through his hair, realizing he was nervous.
“Might what?” Brody asked.
“I don’t know.” Wood wasn’t ready to admit anything yet. “I’m just glad I waited and didn’t hit up Sixteenth Street like I’d planned when I first got here.”
“You’re getting way too serious over there, man. You’re sounding as if this guy’s the one.” Brody frowned. “Wood, I understand wanting to have a social life and needing some male touch and—”
“It’s so much more than that. Yeah, I do need his touch and his warmth, but I also need his stubbornness. I need that challenge he gives me and the energy to want to push myself every day. He’s not like any young person I’ve ever met. He has this grim outlook on life, and he keeps people at arm’s length for good reason. He’s as unsure about going into this as I am… but you’re right, it don’t mean I ain’t doing it. He trusts me, Brody… I’m not… I can’t just leave him.”
“Goddamnit, Wood.” Brody looked as if he wanted to bang his forehead on the steering wheel. “What if he leaves you? Did you think about that? Did you think about what it would do to your self-esteem, your confidence, your pride?”
“All I care about is my heart and my sobriety. And with Trent, both of those things are in good hands.”
“Wood, listen to me—”
“I do listen to you, Brody. I really do, but you need to listen to me on this one. For the rest of my life, people are going to look down on me for what I’ve done. Trent is the only person I’ve tried to let close who’s not turned off by my past. He doesn’t judge me for accidentally killing an innocent woman. Even Bishop had a big problem with that when we first met. Trent’s not disgusted that I’m in AA or offended by my tattoos. He doesn’t cringe when I reach for him.” Wood sighed heavily and waved at the trailer. “I’m gonna need to come to terms that this might very well be my damn life, Brody. I got no license, no portfolios—I got nothing. Do you have any idea how it feels to clean goddamn toilets when you have a master’s degree?”