Still, Micah wouldn’t be there for at least another half hour, so Trevor got up. He smoothed his hands down his thighs and went to the kitchen to take a bottle of water from the fridge.
He drank from it and eyed the garden outside the french doors. Taking a walk couldn’t be a bad idea. It would probably help him with his anxiety, and if he wasn’t there when Micah arrived, well, Micah could always spend the day with Casey. They were best friends, and Trevor hadn’t even known. So much for being in his nephew’s life. He’d miserably failed at that, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it meant he’d fail at being a good mate too. Probably.
Something landed on the side of his head and he winced.
He looked down to see an orange, then turned to look at the person who’d thrown it—Keenan. “You could have hurt me. That thing’s heavy.”
“Pfft. You’re a manly shifter. One small itty-bitty orange won’t hurt you.”
Trevor snorted. “I’m on board with the shifter thing, less so with the manly one.”
Keenan arched a brow and looked Trevor up and down. Trevor suddenly felt self-conscious and sucked his stomach in. He knew he wasn’t in a too good shape, at least not next to most of the men who lived in the house. He had a small belly, not too big, but it was there. He wasn’t as tall, barely reaching five foot ten. He just didn’t look manly.
“I was under the impression you have a cock,” Keenan said.
Trevor’s eyes widened. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to how crude and straight to the point Keenan and Nysys were most of the time. “I, well...”
“Yeah, okay, it’s not the cock that makes the man, but you see yourself as a man, right?”
“Uh, yes?”
“Then you are one.”
Trevor sighed and leaned down to pick the orange. “You know that’s not what I was saying.”
“Yeah, I do, but what you were saying is almost too stupid to deserve an answer.”
Trevor barely managed to repress the smile from his lips. “Almost?”
Keenan hopped onto one of the stools at the counter. “You know me. I’m not happy unless I put the truth in front of people, even if it makes them uncomfortable.”
“I think everyone here knows that.”
“So you should also know I’m just trying to make you see the truth. I don’t know what happened to you in the past, but it’s obvious it hit your self-esteem pretty hard. I’m not saying you have to get over it, because I know it’s not easy, but when someone tells you that you look great or gives you any other compliment, you should believe them. I don’t lie, Trevor.”
Trevor put the orange on the counter. “I know.”
“Then you also know I really think you’re cute and sweet.”
Trevor cocked his head. He knew Keenan wasn’t lying. It really wasn’t something he did. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Not everyone has the same tastes, and thank God for that. You know as well as I do you’d be too shy to be with someone like me.”
“I don’t want to be with you. No offense,” Trevor hurriedly added.
Keenan waved. “None taken. You don’t want to be with me, I don’t want to be with you. Doesn’t mean I’m blind. Have a little faith, yeah? Not only are you cute, but Micah will feel the pull toward you, because he’s your mate. Have you asked Casey if he already told Micah about shifters?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“He hasn’t. He was planning to, in a few years if they were still friends, but for now Micah wouldn’t have noticed he’s aging slower than a normal human.”
“So you’re going to have to do it. I’d wait until the fourth or fifth date to do it.”
“Why?”
“Because that way he’ll already be half in love with you and he won’t want to run screaming for the hills.”
Trevor doubted it would be as easy as Keenan made it sound to make Micah fall in love with him, but he didn’t protest. It would only lead to another scolding, and Trevor was already nervous enough as it was.
The sound of someone running toward the kitchen thankfully distracted Keenan, and Trevor wondered if he’d be able to make a run for it before Keenan noticed and could stop him. When he saw it was Nysys running toward them, he knew it was a moot point. Nysys would get him if Keenan didn’t.
“He’s not here yet, right?” Nysys asked, breathing hard.
“No, and you really should start exercising,” Keenan told him. “You sound like my eighty year-old grandfather after he climbs up the stairs.”
Nysys cocked his head. “You don’t have a grandfather.”
“Well, no, but I imagine he’d sound like that if I did. You can’t even breathe! You really should come running with me in the morning.”
“Running is for masochistic people. It’s torture. What’s the point if no one is running after you to catch you?”
“You could ask Morin to do it.”
“Yeah, but that way I wouldn’t have an incentive to run away from him. I’d just wait for him and jump him.”
“True. Maybe if I ask Jonah to shift and do it in his wolf form.”
“That should prevent you from jumping him, although I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have any problems shifting back, and then he’d be naked and I’d see things I never want to see in my life.”
Trevor cleared his throat. He knew the terrible two, and they could go on like that for hours, talking about nothing.
Nysys snapped his head toward Trevor and held out the book he’d been holding. “I was looking for you! I went to buy you this. There’s even a cheat sheet in it and everything.”
Trevor knew nothing good could come out of it, but he still reached out for the yellow and black book Nysys was offering. He turned it over and read the title. Dating for Dummies.
Trevor looked at Nysys. “Really?”
Nysys shrugged. “Why not? You’re clearly lost when it comes to dating or even talking to your mate. This can only help, right?”
Nysys had helpfully marked the cheat sheet with a bright orange sticky note.
Trevor opened the book to that page and quickly went over the advice. “Ask for a date at least ten days in advance?”
“You know Micah’s dad lives with him. He probably needs to make sure his dad is fine being left alone or something.”
Trevor read ahead. “And you’d have waited ten days to see Morin again when you first met him?”
“Well, no, but I’m not as shy as you.”
Trevor looked down again. “You’re cuter when you’re happy? Really?”
“We already went over the fact that you’re cute,” Keenan pointed out.
“Right. Use your whole body?”
Nysys snickered. “I’m sure the book doesn’t mean it like that, but if you feel like it, sure. Why not?”
The book made Trevor feel like a dumbass, but he couldn’t deny he had no idea how to start asking Micah out. Asking people out and actually going on dates had always been painful for Trevor, even when he’d been forced to date women and he hadn’t cared about them, at least not in the romantic sense of things. Most people took a look at him blushing and stammering his way through an invitation and said no. Some did accept, but he knew it was hard to go out with someone who kept his mouth shut most of the time because he was scared to say the wrong thing.
Trevor’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out. “Yes?” he asked Isaiah when he answered.
“There’s someone at the gate for you. Micah Riggs.”
Trevor swallowed. “It’s the computer guy. Can you let him in?”
“Of course. You’ll open the front door?”
“Yes.”
Isaiah hung up and Trevor put his phone back in his pocket. He looked at Nysys and Keenan, who were both beaming at him. Nysys came forward and straightened Trevor’s shirt, opening the first button at the throat and stepping back to check how it looked. Keenan jumped down off
his stool and played with Trevor’s hair for a few seconds before they both declared him ready to go.
Trevor’s heart was beating too fast, but he nodded at them. He took a deep breath just as Micah knocked on the front door, and Keenan pushed him toward the entrance. “We’ll be in the living room if you need us.”
They disappeared into the room, leaving Trevor alone in the entrance. Micah knocked again, and Trevor opened the door.
* * * *
Micah smiled at the man who opened the door. “Hi, I’m Micah Riggs.”
The guy blushed and looked down. He rubbed one of his hands on his thigh—he had a book in the other—apparently realized he was doing it, blushed again, and finally offered Micah his hand. “Trevor Stephens.”
“Casey’s uncle.”
“Yes.” Trevor stepped to the side. “Come in. Please.”
He still hadn’t looked at Micah’s face. Micah would have been offended if he hadn’t already realized Trevor was shy, maybe the shiest man Micah had ever met.
Micah walked in, his eyes widening at the sight of the entrance. It was huge, with a stair case on each side and a big chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a hallway between the staircase on Micah’s left and the wall, and Micah could hear noise coming from it. There was also an arch between the staircases that led to another hallway.
Trevor was at the bottom of one of the staircases, waiting for Micah. Micah held up the cupcake box. “Where can I put this? Casey asked me to go buy cupcakes before coming.”
For some reason, Trevor blushed even more and gestured toward the top of the stairs. “We can stop by his room on the way to mine.”
Micah wiggled his eyebrows. “You’re already taking me to your room? You don’t waste time, huh?”
Trevor looked away, his cheeks tomato red. Micah smiled at the sight, because damn, Trevor was cute. Still, it was obvious Trevor wasn’t taking Micah’s flirting well. Maybe he was straight, or maybe just too shy.
“My computer is in my room. I can bring everything down here if you’d rather go to the living room,” Trevor said.
Micah shook his head. “I was joking. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
Trevor looked at him for a few seconds, then smiled lightly. “It’s fine. You didn’t offend me.”
“Great. Lead the way, then.”
Micah tried to remember if Casey had ever talked about his uncle, and if he had, what he’d said. Trevor didn’t look old enough to be Casey’s uncle, to be honest, but then Micah didn’t know Casey’s mother. Maybe she’d been much older than Trevor. He did know both Casey’s parents were dead and that he didn’t have siblings, but that was about all.
Casey had talked a bit about the people living with him, and from what Micah had understood, most of them were gay, but that didn’t mean Trevor was. Maybe he lived there just because of Casey. He hadn’t seemed disgusted by Micah’s attempt at flirting, but it could go either way.
Micah wondered why he found Trevor so interesting. He was cute, sure. Very cute, and the way he blushed made Micah smile. It also made him want to be the one person Trevor wouldn’t blush with, because he’d be so comfortable he wouldn’t. That was kind of ridiculous, since Micah had just met him, but when it came to sex and feelings, Micah tended to go with the flow.
He was interested in Trevor, so what? His next step would be to find out if Trevor might be interested in him, and from there, well, he’d see what would happen.
Trevor stopped in front of a door and Micah nearly collided with his back. Trevor took a step away and knocked on the door. Micah smiled when Nolan opened it, and he thrust the box into Nolan’s hands.
Nolan blinked and looked down, his lips turning up into a wide smile. “Cupcakes! You bought them at Darin’s?”
“Yup. Casey told me to go there.”
Nolan looked from Micah to Trevor, then back at Micah. “We’re having lunch, right?”
“Yeah, as soon as I find out what’s wrong with Trevor’s computer.”
Nolan snorted. “It probably ran away.”
Micah arched a brow and looked at Trevor. “Yeah?”
Trevor blushed and looked at his feet. “Technology and I don’t go together too well.”
“So I’ve been told.” Micah turned back to Nolan. “Tell Casey I said hi and that I’ll see him later.”
He was pretty sure Nolan was already opening the box as he closed the door. Micah had considered the fact that Nolan might start eating the cupcakes before lunch, though, so he’d bought plenty of them.
Trevor walked by a few other doors and finally stopped in front of one. He opened it and waited for Micah to enter before stepping in and closing it behind himself.
Micah looked around. The room was nice and neat, almost too much so. A king-sized bed dominated most of it, pushed against the wall on their left. A bench covered in cushions was under the window, a bookshelf next to it. There was a door on the bed’s left and another one on the right side of the room, probably leading to a closet and a bathroom. A desk and a dresser finished the room, and where the room was neat, the desk definitely wasn’t.
It was obvious Trevor had tried to give the things on it an order, but there was still a pile of notebooks and sticky notes scattered around. A few were stuck on the computer screen, bright pink, and Trevor blushed when he saw Micah looking at them.
“Keenan is the one who buys stationary for the... commune, and he likes pink,” he said, an apology in his voice.
Micah smiled at him. “I like pink, although I prefer softer tones. This one is very bright.”
“Like I said, not my fault.”
Micah put his bag down and nodded at Trevor’s computer. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Trevor had talked about smoke, but something obviously worse had happened. The side of the box was in pieces and black with ashes. Even without giving it a close look, Micah could tell the thing was dead and that nothing he could do would revive it.
Trevor put his book on the desk and rubbed the back of his neck. “It might have exploded.”
“Exploded?”
“Yes. I don’t know what happened, and I don’t really have hopes you can save it, but I thought it was worth giving it a try. I’ll pay you even if you can’t do anything for it, of course.”
“Right. Let me take a look anyway, but from what I see, I don’t think I can do anything. Your best bet is to buy a new one. Have you thought of saving your work somewhere else?”
Trevor smiled deprecatingly. “Of course. I know how computers react to me. I’ve been saving my work every other way I can—external memory, cloud, everything. Don’t worry. It’s not, well, this is not the first time I’ve had a computer dying on me.”
Micah chuckled. “I bet.” He kneeled next to the carcass, and opened the side of it, but he didn’t even need to take the rest of his tools out. “Yeah, there’s nothing to do. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m sorry I made you come all the way here, though.”
Micah got back up and leaned against the desk. “I’m not. I hadn’t seen Casey’s house yet. He’s a bit secretive about it and the people who live here. I just know there are a lot of you.”
Trevor looked nervous again, and Micah wondered why. “Yes, we’re many. Most of us don’t have a family, or the family we do have kicked us out.”
Micah cocked his head. “Did your family kick you out?”
“No.” Trevor sighed. “Not really. Casey’s parents died some years ago, and the rest of the family wasn’t exactly easy to live with. My sister and I came to visit here, and she met her husband. I didn’t want to go back to Orston on my own, so I stayed too.”
Micah nodded. He looked down and his gaze fell on the book Trevor had carried before. Micah had thought he’d recognized the black and yellow cover, but now that he could see the cover, he laughed. “Dating for Dummies?”
He’d seen Trevor blush quite a few times in the few moment
s they’d spent together, but nothing as spectacular as this. Trevor grabbed the book and pushed it into his desk drawer, slamming it closed and looking everywhere but at Micah.
Micah felt kind of bad, so he tried to comfort Trevor. “Hey, everyone needs a little help when it comes to dating.”
“I bet you don’t.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that. I haven’t dated in a long while.”
“That’s because of your father. It can’t be easy to have a love life when your father lives with you and you have to take care of him.”
Micah narrowed his eyes. “I never told you about my father living with me.” Of course, Casey could have told him, but why should he have? “How do you know?”
Trevor suddenly looked afraid, but he nodded. “I, well, I noticed you a while ago. I thought you were... beautiful, and you looked nice, and, well...”
Micah straightened. “Wait. You’re the guy leaving me cupcakes?”
* * * *
Trevor bit on his lower lip, so hard he hurt himself. He looked down, unsure how to answer Micah’s question. What if he said yes and Micah got angry? He’d tell Trevor to stop and he’d never want to see Trevor again, but Trevor didn’t want that. Micah was his mate. It would be like losing half of his soul before even finding it.
“Trevor?”
Micah didn’t sound angry, though. He sounded curious, and maybe amused. Trevor slowly looked up and saw Micah was smiling at him. “Yes?”
“Are you the guy leaving me and my dad cupcakes?”
“Umm, yes?”
Micah’s smile grew. “Was that a question?”
“Maybe? What would happen if I said it was me?”
Micah’s eyes flickered toward the book on the desk. “So was that for me? I mean, to ask me out?”
“Maybe?”
Micah huffed, but the smile was still on his lips. “Okay, let’s do this hypothetically. If hypothetically you were the guy leaving me cupcakes, and if hypothetically you happened to like me and wanted to take me out on a date, then I’d hypothetically say yes. If you did ask, of course.”
Trevor swallowed. “Hypothetically.”
“Exactly.”
Trevor Page 3
