Chapter 74

“And I told you before,” Kyle added, “you could always move in with me. No strings attached. You’d have your own bedroom. I have plenty of space. I’d take care of the bills for a while and—”

“Kyle, stop.” They’d had this conversation before, a hundred times or more. Kyle was such a fantastic man and Billy loved him dearly, but he wouldn’t be Kyle’s kept man. “You know I can’t do that. To you, or to myself.”

“I know, Billy, I know.” Kyle picked up his glass and smiled, but his face was tense.

Then Billy noticed that Kyle had lost a little weight. Not much, but enough to give him concern. “So, uh, what did your doctor have to say this week?”

“Nothing new.”

“And your T-cell count—”

“Everything is under control.” Kyle took another sip of wine. “And frankly, I wish you wouldn’t ask me about it. I’ll tell you when I wanna discuss my health. Okay? I only disclosed my H.I.V. status to you because I need one damn relationship in my life where I’m not hiding something, you know?”