Always and Forever

by Jerry Cole

  “I hope so.”

  We worked through the afternoon, and I got a message from Keller asking if I wanted to stay in or go out to dinner. I told him that I’d be happy to stay at the house and he seemed pleased about that. I knew I was going to dress in jeans and a t-shirt that would hopefully come off as soon as possible. I wanted dessert more than I wanted dinner, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

  Mallory disappeared before Keller was supposed to arrive so I could get ready. She kissed my cheek and told me to be happy before she bounced out the door. I grinned and went to change before I heard a knock at the door. I opened it and smiled at Keller as he stood with his hands in his pockets. “Hey, you.”

  “Hi.” He licked his lips, and I reached out my hand to pull him inside. I kicked the door closed and pushed him against it to kiss him. Keller returned it, reaching around to cup my ass and pull me closer. I knew that neither of us cared about dinner as I tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss.

  We only made it to the couch before he was bent over before me. I gripped his hips and slid inside of him, hearing him groan my name. I fucking missed him and showed him how much with every thrust. Keller rocked with me, reminding me how perfect we were together.

  We rested together on the cushions, breathing heavily. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you,” I replied as I slipped my hand over his stomach. “I love you.”

  He stilled and stared into my eyes. “I love you, too. It’s so fast, but I do.”

  “I don’t want to question it.” I kissed him, and he pulled me closer, nearly making me fall off my couch.

  Eventually, we made dinner and watched a movie on the couch as we ate. It felt good between us as we ate and laughed and made our way to bed to make love again.

  We woke up in the morning and got up to make coffee. Mallory was going to stop by, and I loved that he was okay with that. Trey didn’t like it and wasn’t at my place too much. When I stayed with him, I lost touch with my family and suffered through it.

  Keller was everything that I wanted in a man, a partner.

  We decided to hang out for the weekend and spent time in town. The three of us went out to lunch and a movie, deciding to stop by Mom’s house after we called to make sure it was okay. She sat down at the table with us, and once she found out that Micah met my family, she beamed. She wanted to know all about how it went and my mom’s condition, looking thoughtful as I explained it.

  “I am going to get us all together. We love you, and your family loves Micah, so we need to come together.” She looked happy, and Micah laughed beside me.

  “You go, Mom.” Mallory laughed and sipped her water. “I suppose we’ll spend the holidays together?” She and Micah laughed, and I gazed at them. “She loves having people for the holidays. There’s always friends or someone that doesn’t have anywhere to go.”

  “Not that your family doesn’t have a place to go. I just want them to know that they’re always invited. I feel like I already know them.” Their mom clapped her hands, and I leaned against Micah with a smile. She was great, and I felt like I had three moms after such a short time.

  We ended up having a light dinner there and watching a movie before heading back to Micah’s house. Mallory went into her home, and he led me to his front door. Micah unlocked it and pulled me in before closing and locking the door. He kissed me once we finished, and we stumbled across the house to his bed. We stayed there for hours, enjoying our alone time and finally passed out.

  We all decided to sleep in on Sunday. We might get coffee once we were up or go for breakfast, but we were sleeping in. There were no definite plans. There was family dinner at Micah’s parent’s house, but we were excused if we wanted to be. We were there the night before, even if it was casual. His mom told us she’d love for us to come and hoped that Keller’s family could come soon.

  We went to a diner for breakfast and agreed that we would go to dinner. We all loved her cooking, and the siblings were accustomed to the tradition. I sensed that being a part of their lives was going to keep me busy. I also knew that my family would get involved with them, and lives would be permanently changed.

  Everything about it made me love him more. I wanted this to last because if it ended, my heart would be shredded.

  Dinner was a bigger event than the previous night, and we laughed and chatted through the meal. Olivia was feeling good and joined in for longer than before. Irene asked about Keller’s family coming over, and he agreed that would be possible. Many days were good for her, and she loved getting out of the house when she could.

  We went back to my house that night, and Keller planned to spend time with his family the following night. I offered to come with him to see them, and we could make dinner there.

  He showed me how much he appreciated it that night before we fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Nine

  Keller

  In the morning, I woke up with Micah’s mouth wrapped around me. I smiled and looked down, slipping my fingers into his hair. “Hey.”

  He smiled around my cock and sucked harder, making me moan and close my eyes. I loved waking up this way and dropped my head back as the pressure began to build. I gripped tighter with my hand and rocked against him as I breathed his name. When I came, everything went black, and I felt like I left the room for a moment. When I opened my eyes, Micah was sitting up with a satisfied smile on his face. “Have I told you that I love you lately?”

  “You have. Was that another way of doing so?” I asked, still breathing heavily. I glanced down to see him hard and raised a brow. “Need some help with that?”

  “I could just jerk off myself, but since you offered…” His voice trailed off, and I smiled before pushing him back on the bed. I kissed down his body, memorizing every muscle before getting to my destination. We took a quick shower together and started coffee, smiling across the room at each other. Mallory arrived at eight, and we got our coffee and decided on breakfast. I offered to make eggs and sausage while we started since my work would take less time, and Micah kissed me in appreciation.

  I was falling hard for this man, and there was no stopping it.

  I managed to finish the draft of my article after breakfast using my notes. Mallory looked at the paper and smiled. “Echo Hearts? I love them.”

  “They were a lot of fun to see.” I nodded and sipped my coffee.

  “Moira has been claiming that she can convert Micah since they met.” She laughed, and I raised a brow as I looked at Micah. “If there were a woman to do that, it would be her. She’s so vibrant.”

  “That’s what I thought when I met her.” I agreed as Micah shrugged at me.

  “You would convert for her?” Mallory checked as I chuckled. I shook my head, and she laughed. “I do think that Lance is hot. He’s the one that talks the least and a bit hard to get to know.”

  “Lance?” Micah questioned as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t date someone in a band. It can be a crazy lifestyle.”

  “You’re in a band, and you don’t have a crazy lifestyle,” she pointed out, and he frowned.

  “Not on the surface, Mallory. There’s just a lot behind the scenes that goes on. People already talk about him, and they would talk about you. It’s harsh sometimes.” They shared a long look, and she tilted her head to the left. “I already think about what they’re going to say about Keller.”

  “I don’t care. I know who I am and who you are.” As I spoke, I remembered what the guy said to me at the Indian restaurant. I frowned, and Micah caught it, staring intently at my face. “I can handle that part of us.”

  “Can you?” Micah pressed, and I nodded slowly. He left it alone, but I knew we’d be talking later, and so did Mallory by the way she fell silent and focused on work. I knew I’d have to tell him what happened, and we’d clear that up, but I just wanted to forget about it.

  That talk happened on the drive to my house later that day. Micah asked as soon as he pulled into t
he street, and I sighed. “I saw that waiter when I was picking up lunch the other day. He told me that you cheated on Trey repeatedly and that you wouldn’t be around for long with me.” The words hurt as I spoke them, and he hit the steering wheel.

  “Fuck. I knew that something happened that day. Your face said it all.” We stopped at a light, and he gazed at me. “I never cheated on him. I wasn’t happy with him, but I never strayed. I knew he did. I don’t ever sleep around, Keller.” His eyes were full of pain, and I reached for his hand.

  “I know. Things just hit me in a weird place sometimes. I love you, Micah.” I squeezed his hand, and he nodded.

  “I don’t want to lose you over this, Keller. This shit has always made me crazy, but now that I have you in my life, I hate it even more.” A horn sounded behind us, and he jumped, looking forward as he drove.

  We pulled into my driveway and walked to the house. I unlocked the door and entered, looking around the living room. There was no sight of Mom, and I frowned as I called out her name. “Where is she?” Micah asked as I shrugged and went to check the garage. Her car was there, and I went back in, glancing at the sliding glass door that led to her beloved backyard. Micah smiled and followed me out and around to the back, where we saw her sitting on a stool in her garden as she spoke with another woman her age.

  “I haven’t seen her out back in a while. This is great.” I kept my words low, so only Micah could hear me, and he stood beside me with a smile.

  “I think you being here helped her out a lot.” He took my hand and squeezed it. “I know it’s helping me.”

  I missed my mom in California so much, but I loved it here. I’d visit and call as much as I could, even though dating Micah cut down on all of that. I needed to fix that, and I looked back out at the garden. “Let’s leave her and go inside. She’s having a great time.”

  “Why did your dad leave?” He asked once we were alone inside the living room.

  “I don’t know the exact reason. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and I guess he thought things were going to get too hard. He left my mom just as abruptly, but we found out that he met someone else later.” I thought back to how heartbroken my mother was, and Micah wrapped an arm around me. She was dating someone now and seemed happy. That was another reason I felt good about coming here. “I was always close to them here. I never held any resentment toward any of them. I was hoping he’d do it right this time, to be honest.” I barely had a relationship with my father since he left Mom, and we were only civil when he lived here. I visited for Evelyn and the girls. “Mom’s dating someone back home. He treats her well, and I feel okay being here.”

  “I’ll bet they’re both amazing women. He just sounds like it’s too easy to run when things get tough.” I nodded. “That’s what I try not to do. I know I keep people at a distance, but when you’re in, you’re in.” I smiled at him, and he leaned forward to kiss me.

  That was when the door opened, and I blushed as Mom cried out. “When did you get here?”

  “A few minutes ago. You were having a good time out there, so I thought we’d wait in here.” Mom beamed as she led the other woman in, introducing her as Mary. “You must be having a good day.”

  “She is. We went for breakfast and everything.” Mary smiled as she sat on the couch. She studied Micah and me and I had that sinking fear that she’d be a person that would judge us. Mom lost a couple of religious friends when I came out, and though she swore she wouldn’t keep them in her life, I felt bad about it. The same thing could happen to Evelyn, and she needed all the support she could get.

  Mary smiled and settled back, making me sense that she was fine with us. We chatted for a while, and Mom offered to cook dinner for us. I accepted since I knew how much she loved to do that. The twins were due home a couple of hours after school ended, and she planned to make roasted chicken and mashed potatoes.

  “My mother would love to have you over for dinner sometimes. All of you. They make a Sunday dinner every week, and it’s a big thing for her.” Mom smiled and looked at me.

  “They’re amazing,” I assured her, and she nodded.

  “We’d love that. If they’re anything like you, they are kind.” She smiled at Micah, and he thanked her. Mary left after an hour of getting to know us, and Mom explained that she was part of a support group she joined a few months back. She had a few good friends that way, and I expressed relief as Mom laughed.

  “I worried about you being alone after he left.”

  “I had a life before that man and after. He hurt me deeply when he chose to leave, but I have my girls, you, and my friends.” Evelyn smiled. “He won’t get me down that much.”

  “That’s my mom as well. You two inspire me,” I assured her as she laughed.

  “She’s a wonderful woman. We got along from day one. Rachel has helped the girls and me so much.” Evelyn smiled as she gazed thoughtfully through the window. “She needs to come here soon. I’d like to meet that boyfriend of hers.” It was a new enough relationship that Evelyn didn’t meet Bryce, but I thought he was good for Mom.

  “I’m going to talk her into it. I’d like her to move here, but she’s got ties in California.” I shrugged.

  “I’d be fine to visit her with you. Just saying,” Micah threw in as we laughed. “The ocean isn’t that close to us, unfortunately. Colorado is gorgeous, but I’d like some time by the ocean.”

  “It’s awesome. I miss it.”

  The girls arrived home when we were in the kitchen working on dinner, hugging us with smiles. I suspected that they were looking at Micah as slightly more of a normal human being now, but their friends must be going crazy. They went up to shower and change from their soccer clothes before we ate, and Mom checked on the large chicken cooking in the oven. We made some steamed vegetables to go with the potatoes. Micah and I ate a lot, and Mom wanted to fill us up. He was a natural in the kitchen and worked well with Mom, making her laugh constantly.

  We sat down to dinner at six, and Mom smiled around the table at all of us. Everything was incredible, and we washed the dishes so Mom could help Marlin with some homework. She told me to go to Micah’s house and laughed as I blushed. “I haven’t forgotten how it is to be young. Enjoy it.”

  Micah laughed as we drove home, amazed at how easily I got embarrassed. “They caught us kissing, and you looked like you wanted to disappear into the floor.”

  “I just didn’t know how Mary was about things. I’m not the kind to be over the top in public, to begin with, but people aren’t always accepting. You’ve experienced that, right?” I asked as he shook his head.

  “Many times. Do you think girls are happy that I’m into men at the shows? No, they’re not. You’ve seen how bitter the men are. That waiter has hit on me more than once, but I never reciprocated. So, he tells you shit about me to try and break us up.” He shrugged. “I just have to be me, and because of the band, I’m selective about who I bring into my circle. I’ll defend you to the end, baby. Just be you.”

  “Has Moira hit on you?” I asked, and he burst out laughing.

  “Yes. Without a doubt, but she gets it. I might have to tell her you’re mine, so she stays away from you. Did you tell them?’ I pressed my lips together.

  “I want to do my job without the benefits of connections, Micah. I started it for the love of music, and that is what keeps me doing it. I love that I met you through it, and I’m not hiding that. I figure it will get out there on its own.” I kissed him as he parked in front of his house, and he slipped a hand around my neck. “I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  We went inside, and Micah checked that Mallory was okay next door. He did that every night, and I watched with a smile. He took care of his family like I did my own, and I imagined a future where we were all together. I could see the holidays in the future with weddings and grandchildren. I never wanted that with anyone before now.

  “Well, she had coffee with friends tonight, and Lance was there. They’re
going out next weekend.” He scowled, and I laughed as I dropped to the couch.

  “She’s a gorgeous girl with a great personality. I’m sure she’s dated in the past.” I teased him as he ran a hand through his hair.

  “She has.” He grabbed two beers from the fridge and joined me. “One of them at the end of high school liked to beat up on her. It took a toll, and despite how happy she is now, Mallory is still wary of people. She was with Ryan for a couple of years after that, but it didn’t work out being together. He met his wife a little after they ended and now, he’s happy. All the guys look at her like a little sister, and they’ll be all over Lance when they find out.”

  “He hit her?” I asked as he nodded.

  “She ended it, and a few guys threatened him to make him leave her alone. It worked, and I’ve kept a close eye on her ever since that day. Living beside each other works out well, but that won’t be forever.” He gazed at me. “I guess you probably feel this way about the twins, and there are two of them.”

  “I feel that way about every woman I know and love. I want to protect them, but everyone tells me to live my life.” I set my beer down and snuggled close to him. “I never thought that I’d find someone to do that with. It’s never felt so right before.”

  “I agree.” We both fell quiet as we relaxed in the room, sipping our beers and thinking.

  “I want you to stay here with me. I know you need to be with your family, and that will happen. I’ll go with you. I just want to go to sleep with you and wake up with you every day.” I stilled, trying to figure out what he was getting at.

  “Are you asking me to move in?” I breathed as I turned my head to gaze at him.

  “In a manner of speaking, yes. I just need you.” I moved with him, and our lips met, moving into a hungry kiss quickly. It deepened, and he pushed me to my back as we both moaned. I let him strip me there, cumming in his mouth before he took me with his cock.

  We stumbled to bed, and he pulled me close, telling me how much he loved me. I imagined this being my home and smiled as sleep took over.