38
LEVI
I had trouble swallowing my lunch for three reasons. First, excitement over not being turned away and somewhat having things settled between us. Second, the nerves over what would happen after we escaped upstairs kept me hard and aching…while butterflies fluttered the whole forty-three minutes and twelve seconds we sat at the dinner table.
And the third reason?
Zeke’s parents. Their acceptance of me without question, without wary glances…he’d been so lucky being born to them. His dad had called me son when greeting me. And his mom? She’d hugged me tight, welcoming me to the family when Zeke told them I’d agreed to be his roommate.
At least he hadn’t shared the benefits part.
I’d glanced at Zeke, and his smirk and shrug melted my heart. My eyes burned bad enough I barely kept
