Page 120 of Needed You

I take Dare’s hand, and we walk outside to the car together. The air is cold, and it bites our noses as we make our way down the driveway. When we stop at the car, Dare leans into me, and I release his hand, put my arm around his shoulders, and press a quick kiss to his temple.

“Merry Christmas, baby. Did you have a good day?” I open the passenger side door, and he gets in. “You okay?”

“It was amazing, Lev.” He gives me a weak, tired smile, and I close the door I walk around to the driver’s side. As I slide into the seat, Dare continues. “Your family is just . . . it’s unreal. You’re a lucky guy.”

I take his hand and kiss his knuckles. “I am . . . in more ways than one,” I say quietly. His beautiful smile warms me from head to toe, but I notice it doesn’t reach his eyes. “What’s happening with you right now?” I ask.

He takes a deep breath. “I need to go to the inlet, and I want you to be there this year, too.”

I’m silent for a minute, letting what he just said sink in.

“Is that okay?” he asks tentatively.

I don’t want to make him wait. “If that’s what you need to do, then that’s fine with me,” I answer quietly. “Do you—is this something you do every year, Dare?”

“I do. I have since it happened. The first year, Mom and Dad came along, but after that, it was just me. I brought Ryan once or twice, but I kind of like it this way.”

I’m quiet, doing exactly what I think Dare needs from me right now.

“I want you to be with me,” he says.

I put my hand on his thigh and squeeze reassuringly. Then I start up the car and drive. It’s only a few minutes before we pull into the inlet, and I park the car. We sit in contemplative silence for a few minutes, then Dare gets out of the car and goes over to a specific part of the wall. I wait and watch as he stands in front of it, and it looks like he’s reading something there. I know he hears my footsteps before I get to him, and when I step up behind him, I slide my arms around his waist, my broad chest pressed against his back. My chin rests on his shoulder, and I stand with him, reading the little plaque that is set in the stone wall, lining the outer edge where the ground was moved and concrete was laid.

I stay quiet with him, both of us respecting the heaviness of the moment.

“I miss him,” Dare whispers, breaking the silence after some time has passed.

I pull him tighter against me. “I know.” I give his cheek a kiss. “I do too. So much.”

Dare leans into me, and we just let the silence surround us once again.

When our noses, toes, and fingers start to get cold, he turns his head and meets my lips in a soft kiss. “Let’s go.” He gives permission for us to leave as he kisses his fingers and touches the plaque. “Love you, Nate. Merry Christmas.”

I do the same and then take Dare’s hand as we walk back to the car.

Epilogue 1

Levon

Six Months Later

“I think there is one more box in the car, and that’s it. The guys have the van and will be here soon,” I say as I put a heavy box of tools in the garage of Dare’s home. I wipe the sweat off my brow with my T-shirt and catch Dare staring at my stomach. He has his lip ring caught under his teeth, and he’s biting his bottom lip, giving me a look that drives me crazy.

God, he’s so sexy.

“Ohh, my man has tools!” he exclaims, moving the box over toward the workbench that he had built for me once his parents got all of their stuff out. “Big ones,” he wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I can’t help but laugh, pulling him into a sweaty hug and capturing his lips in a soft kiss.

I have to get used to not just calling it Dare’s home anymore. As of today, it’s officially our home. It’s not like we haven’t continued to spend nights here together when we’re not at my apartment, but I’m officially moving in as of today. After several long months of heated meetings with the Archers, private meetings with the lawyers, some begging and pleading, and a final powerhouse speech by my amazing boyfriend, Mr. and Mrs. Archer finally caved and sold the house to Dare and me in a direct sale.

Yes, Dare and me.

We are both on the deed, making us joint owners of this house—the house that holds so many old memories and only good new ones.

Mr. and Mrs. Archer agreed but not without disdain. We never really were able to figure out why they were so hesitant to sell to Dare, but I think it had something to do with them just not wanting to feel responsible for him or anything connected to him and Nate. It makes both of us a bit sad, and I have to admit, it makes me angry, but he realized that they were never going to be what he wanted and needed them to be and has left that ball in their court. My parents have accepted him with open arms, and he’s as much as a Richardson as he allows himself to be.

Since we agreed to move in together officially, we have been doing some remodeling and making the house more our own. It’s a lot of space for the two of us, but we hope to fill it with a little one or two at some point in the future, and I’m sure we’ll have plenty of stuff to make it not feel so big.

We also want to entertain a lot, and now that Lindsey is back from her European gallivant, she and Julian will be able to come over a lot more. They maintained their relationship through her trip. He even went to see her while she was there, traveling to meet her in a few different cities. She had a great time and gushed about it for about a month after she got back, but now she’s ready to settle and “find what her calling is,” as she puts it.