Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

DALLAS

Kylen didn't speak much on the drive. Flora was dozing with her dose of Dramamine, and Dallas seemed to realize that Kylen needed to be inside his head to make this all work. And to keep from falling to pieces. He'd had exactly one conversation each with his mom and his sister, and nothing was resolved. He simply told them he'd be there.

He'd waited a beat for an apology from Grace, but it never came. Her tone was all ice as she said she'd see him at the campgrounds. She didn't mention Dallas. She didn't ask about Flora. And he wanted to say he was disappointed, but a small part of him was grateful that she was behaving like her usual self.

As much as this routine sucked, at least it was a routine.

His mom had been the same, though a little more cautious with him. She asked how her mother was doing, and when he tried to talk about how she'd been settling in, she cut him off and said she'd see him soon. He didn't really understand how she could be that way with her own mother, but he wondered if maybe he'd be detached the same way if she started down the same path.

"You okay?" Dallas asked after more than an hour on the road.

Kylen startled, then offered a sheepish smile as he spotted the turnoff. They had another forty minutes down the county road, and then they'd be at the lake. "Yeah. Sorry I'm not the best company."

"You're not bad company." Dallas grabbed his hand off the wheel and kissed the inside of his wrist. It sent warm shivers through Kylen's whole body. "I just wanted to check in on you."

Kylen wasn't used to that. Not really. Dani always made sure he was okay, but she relied more on her own intuition than asking how he was. It was strange to have the floor like this—to have someone wait for him to say what it was he needed.

He could get used to it, though in a way, he hoped he never did.

Glancing over at Dallas, he smiled as he took his hand back. Pretending with him would be too easy on this trip, mostly because it wasn't pretend at all. He told himself he needed to be patient. Dallas wanted to talk about what this was when they got home, and Kylen wanted to respect that.

And it wasn't like Dallas was being opaque about his feelings. That was never really in question. What worried Kylen was whether or not Dallas had room in his life for something complicated. They could like each other—hell, they could love each other—but it didn't mean that would be enough.

"You good, or do you want to stop?" Kylen asked, trying to distract himself from his thoughts .

Dallas shifted, frowning, then shook his head. "I'm good. I don't want to wake up Flora."

Kylen appreciated that. His daughter got terribly carsick on long drives, and it was best to let her sleep until they were stopped. He smiled once more, then turned his attention back to the drive and hoped to God they could get through the weekend without any disasters nipping at their heels.

The campground was the same as it was every year. It was cloudy with the promise of afternoon rain, close enough to the coast there was a touch of brine on the breeze, which mixed oddly with the smell of lake water. The road was bumpy, and the cabins were all full with family members he only saw once a year.

His mom had given him his spot near the bathrooms, which was nice for Flora. It meant being near her, but he could tolerate it, considering how much time Flora would want to spend with her grandparents. At the very least, she'd be a good buffer between him and everyone else.

He had no idea what his mom had told them about Dallas, but he had a feeling the word "good friend" had been used with emphasis. His stomach was a little sour as they pulled up next to his mom's SUV.

"This is it," Kylen said as he put the car into park.

Flora was waking up, and she blinked sleepily at him in the rearview mirror. "Nonny?"

"She's here, sweetpea," Kylen said as he hit the button to turn the car off. Before he could tell Flora to wait, she was unbuckling herself and pulling the straps off her chest. " Wait—" But she'd already clambered over the console and onto Dallas's lap.

"Should I?" Dallas was struggling to keep her little hands from the door handle.

Kylen glanced through the windshield and saw his mom peering through the open door of her cabin. He let out a sigh. This was not how he wanted to do welcome greetings, but he should have known Flora wouldn't have given him a choice.

"Go for it. That's my mom."

Dallas let Flora go as his gaze fixed on the woman watching them. Kylen could see the disapproval in her face—the way her lips were thinned, and her mouth was tipped down in the corners. He swallowed heavily as she crossed her arms, but her expression changed the moment Flora went bolting toward her.

"It's so hard to feel this way about her when she's such a good grandma."

Dallas reached for his hand and linked their fingers together. "I'm sorry you have to deal with all of this. You don't deserve it."

Kylen shrugged and lifted Dallas's fingers to his lips, kissing them. "It's okay. I have you this time."

"Yeah. You do."

Kylen lingered only a moment more before opening his door, and he and Dallas silently unloaded the car. He could feel eyes on him. Most of his family was distracted with unpacking their own cars, but he knew they were a spectacle. He could hear soft whispers, could feel the weight of their judgment.

Not everyone was terrible, but most of them disapproved, and it made him sick to his stomach. He was tired of being a circus attraction to them. The statistic. The outsider.

"Breathe, baby," Dallas murmured, putting his hand on the small of Kylen's back. "And let me help you."

Kylen straightened from where he'd unloaded their cases and turned to Dallas. "Kiss me?"

"Is that really what you want right now?"

It was. It absolutely fucking was. Dallas seemed to read the answer off his face because without waiting for him to say it, he took Kylen in a gentle grasp, one arm around his waist, his other hand pinching his chin, and he kissed him slow and thorough.

It wasn't pornographic, but it wasn't chaste. And it was so fucking possessive it made Kylen's toes curl.

"I changed my mind. Let's leave. We can get a hotel nearby and enjoy a weekend with just us."

Dallas snorted and knocked their foreheads together. "If it gets bad, we will. But let's give them a chance. I'm not going anywhere."

Kylen couldn't say he felt strength from those words, but he did feel something like courage. He brushed off the weight of everyone's stare, and together, they went into their cabin…where he stopped dead. Kylen's place had always had one full-size bed and one twin. Now, there were two twins and a cot.

He knew this was his mother's doing.

"I'm going to kill her."

Dallas slid up behind him and pressed his chest to Kylen's back. "What? Why?"

"My usual bed is gone. She put small beds here on purpose."

Dallas snorted and then spun Kylen with both hands so he could look into his eyes. "Fun fact—two twins together actually make a king, so she did us a favor. We can move that nightstand and make a nice cozy nest for us."

"You were a Boy Scout, weren't you?" Kylen asked.

Dallas just grinned, kissed him swiftly, then got to work. They used an oversized wool blanket to tuck around the edges to keep the beds from separating, then laid down two flat sheets before arranging the comforter.

It wasn't ideal, but it was the best they could do.

And it was worth it when Kylen glanced over at the half-open door to see his mother standing there, her face even more drawn than before. Kylen straightened and dragged a hand over Dallas's back before addressing her.

"Mother."

"You know how they feel about rearranging furniture," she said, her voice tense.

Kylen grimaced, failing in his attempt at a smile. "Yeah? How do they feel about people calling in and requesting a bed change?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Kylen fought back a laugh. "Right, sure. Anyway, Mom, this is Dallas Reed. My boyfriend." He took no small pleasure in watching her try to hold back a flinch. "Dallas, this is my mom."

"Mrs. Harrell," Dallas said, extending her hand.

She didn't take it. She gave him a slow up and down, and Dallas pulled away from her with a grace that turned Kylen on. Wildly. He flowed with each moment like he was water and the world was nothing more than the smoothest riverbed.

"You can call me Sharon."

"Sharon," Dallas said, his smile bright. "It's really nice to meet you. Thank you for inviting me."

"Oh. That was all down to my son," she said tightly .

Dallas winked at Kylen. "Well, don't worry. I've already thanked him plenty."

Kylen almost choked on his own tongue. He felt his cheeks heat as he stepped closer to Dallas, and his body went lax with a wave of relief when his lover took his hand gently and squeezed it. "Is there something you wanted?" he asked his mom after he'd regained his composure.

"Flora."

"That's my daughter, yes," Kylen answered with a touch of sarcasm.

His mom rolled her eyes. "She's asking to stay with us. I thought it might be better since you two are clearly sharing a bed?—"

"Like you and Dad do?" Kylen snapped. "Or are you trying to imply something?"

She paled a little. "Of course not. Don't make a scene."

"There's no one here," Kylen began, but he stopped when Dallas squeezed his fingers. His breath trembled in his chest, but he managed a long, slow inhale and exhale. "Flora's been waiting to see you for a while. She's more than welcome to stay wherever she wants."

His mom gave them another hard look, then turned on her heel and left. Kylen's chest felt tight, and he cleared his throat, letting out something between a laugh and a sob when Dallas pulled him close and wrapped both arms around him.

"Hey." Dallas's voice rumbled against his temple. "Hey. It's okay."

Kylen wanted to ask what he was talking about, but he realized he was shaking. He wrapped his arms around Dallas as tightly as he dared and let himself be held while his adrenaline faded. "I'm sorry she's so awful. "

"You don't need to apologize to me. She's not my mom."

But she could be family—if Kylen had his way—and that was a shitty gift for Dallas. He pulled back and blinked up at him. "It's probably going to get worse, and I can't promise it'll get better."

"And I can deal with it. I did my practicum in a middle school." Kylen wrinkled his nose, and Dallas laughed. "Exactly. If you want to have every single insecurity you've ever had, and a few you didn't know you had, exposed like a raw nerve, spend a few days in a seventh-grade math class. Trust me, I can deal with your family."

Kylen wanted to believe him. He did trust him. He just didn't think Dallas knew what he was getting into.

They didn't see anyone until dinner. The rule for family camp was that the first night was family barbeque. His family called it the opening ceremonies, and normally, it was fun for most people. Kylen had never really enjoyed it. His less direct family members avoided the topic of his love life like the plague. He could deal with that.

The others, well…normally, he tuned them out. He'd become a master at ignoring pointed questions. But with Dallas there, it would be different. He had no idea what to expect.

As they walked toward the massive stone grill, Dallas could see his mother, father, uncle Robbie, and aunt Shelly in a small circle. He felt when their gazes hit him, and by the way Dallas stiffened, Kylen knew he felt it too.

Their hands found each other between their bodies, and Dallas made an obvious show of kissing Kylen's knuckles .

Some conversation quieted. Others got a bit louder.

His mother looked like she wanted to set them both on fire with her eyes. His father just looked uncomfortable.

"Daddy!" Kylen's thought spiral was thrown off course when Flora appeared, throwing herself at Kylen's legs. He managed not to trip as he reached down and scooped her into his arms. "There's a fire!" She twisted and reached for Dallas, who immediately took her and perched her on his hip. "Did you see the fire?"

"I can see the fire," Dallas said with a nod. "Did you help make it?"

Flora shook her head. "It's too hot. I don't like it."

"Probably safe," Dallas said with a grin, looking over at Kylen. "Remember our fire safety?"

"Don't touch it," she parroted. "Fire isn't a toy. I can…it…um."

"Don't worry, sweetpea, you remembered the important part," Dallas told her. "Fire isn't a toy, and we don't touch it."

"Okay. Put me down."

Dallas laughed as he bent over and Flora slid out of his grasp, taking off toward her grandparents. Kylen could tell they were all still watching.

"Thank God I don't have a thing for voyeurism," Dallas murmured.

Kylen choked. "Holy shit."

With a grin, Dallas took his hand again and yanked him close so he could wrap an arm around his waist. "Relax. You wanted to be seen, remember? You wanted them to see this. See us. See me completely obsessed with you." Dallas spoke low and against his ear.

Kylen shivered. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." And that was the truth. But he was starting to regret it now. The tiny bit of fear left that wondered if this was all for show was blazing hotter than the flaming coals getting ready to cook their dinner. He didn't want this for pretend.

He wanted this for now. And for as long as they both lived.