While celebrating the Supreme Court same-sex ruling, Josh hides his deep aversion to marriage. He lets his lover Adam believe they’ll eventually marry. But when his wedding-planner mother pushes him too hard to take that step, Josh declares in anger he won’t ever marry Adam.<br><br>Adam overhears and flees. Crushed at having been led on, he takes refuge at his old hangout. There he runs into his ex-boyfriend, who tries to take advantage of Adam’s vulnerability. Things go from bad to miserable, leaving Adam struggling to get through the worst night of his life.<br><br>Frantically searching for Adam, Josh is forced to accept he could lose him forever -- a prospect he just can’t face. Can he overcome his fears and propose marriage to save their love? That might work, but only if he can somehow convince Adam to trust him again.

I Do, I Don't

Without giving Josh a chance to say anything more, Adam opened the door and gingerly climbed out. He made it as far as the bedroom before Josh caught up.


“No. What I have to do is take a shower. And some Ibuprofen. Then another couple hours of sleep. Then I have an appointment at eleven. That’s all I can handle right now. I just have to keep moving, or I’ll fall apart.”


“Damn it, Adam. What you heard yesterday—I didn’t mean it that way. I was just trying to get my mother to back off.” Josh started pacing across the tiny bedroom. “Look, I surrender. We’ll just do it. It won’t be that bad.”


Adam’s brain was not up to decoding the conversation. “What won’t be that bad?”


Josh stopped and looked up, surprised. “Getting married.”


Adam stared in shock. Was the man crazy?


Josh straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath, and announced, “I’ve decided we should get married.” It came out in one big, slurred gush of words. “There, I said it.”


Chapter 16