Chapter 23

“I feel—well, I feel like I’m on top of the world. You know? Last year, I was sitting in a bus with a few hundred dollars in my pocket, and now, here I am, being offered the job of my dreams.” Billy paused and added, “And then there’s you. My Boyfriend.”

How could he ask Billy to come with him now? He couldn’t be selfish, like his father. Couldn’t sway Billy his way. He had that power, he knew it. But using it would have been cruel. “Oh yeah? What about your boyfriend?” he asked in a soft voice.

“You know.” Billy laughed a little.

Xavier couldn’t smile. He stared at the kitchen linoleum floor and ordered himself to do the right thing. The noble and selfless thing.

“What’s wrong, Xavier?”