HOME.

11.

Ceres Beau.

"We are home." Gavin announced and indeed we were home, my house precisely but for some reason it felt good that he called it that, I didn't want to dwell on what his ex wife had told me about his feelings for me, I knew at some point it needed to be addressed but for tonight, I couldn't, it was already weighing on me and I couldn't talk to him about it, Gavin was my rock, my complete everything, I told him everything but this one thing about him that I had come to know, I couldn't and honestly it was because I was terrified of what would happen if we laid our cards on the table.

Would we be okay, would he be there for me as always, would there be awkward energy between us, after we've confronted each other about it would we make out like we're about to die or would we be broken, and selfishly, —would I be left without the one man in my life who made me want to work harder to improve myself, all these thoughts were ringing and churning in my mind, I wanted to know a lot, wanted to know so much from him but at the same time, experts told us that asking a man about his feelings was sort of like suicide, —it was a golden rule that sucked but it was true, coming onto a man that strongly tended to have bad consequences but it left you going haywire, wanting answers to questions you could and would have never thought about, was I truly ready to just ignore things and put them on the back burner.

Was I okay with just letting tonight and everything that happened in the day be forgotten as if it never happened, would I be sane if I did that, so clearly I was having a mental breakdown because I knew Gavin, the man I had as a best friend since middle school, highschool and varsity until now, whom I knew, —well I question it now, was straight, had feelings for me, it was all a jumbled up mess of questions in my head and as I processed I felt the weight of it all on me mentally and psychacall, which was truly a sign, this bull needed to be tackled on another day, when my mind wasn't going on one eighty and my gay mind wasn't rethinking all the times I had seen Gavin naked.

"You know God can read your thoughts right, I can't." He finally stated, and thank God for that because I'm sure he needs a cold shower. "I'm sorry, I'm just going through a process." I admitted and he chuckled getting out of the car, walked to my side and opened the door. "I know you are but I need you to be okay, whatever happened, whatever she told you, we can talk about it later, —right now I just need you to be okay." He responded and that was all the conformation I needed, he knew,  that I knew.

So I nodded as he caressed my cheek and tucked my curls back a little. "Give me a smile, you know I can't go a day without one from you." He teased making me giggle because of how he wiggled his eyebrows. "There we go, now come on, I told Harry and Klein to order pizza, knowing those two plus Lola." He exclaimed and I was slightly horrified, so we quickly grabbed our stuff well Gavin grabbed our stuff whilst I just took my phone and ran into the house, safe to say there was no disaster. "Hey munchkin." Hugh greeted me and my jaw dropped, he was wearing an apron from the rack, my kids were all helping him whilst wearing their own aprons.

"Hugh, you're here, how—?" I was still in shock. "Like a normal person would be here, hey Gavin!" He replied as my children finally noticed me. "Dad!" They screamed running toward me. "You're back, look we've been helping uncle Hugh cook!" Lola all but screamed as she launched herself into Gavin's arms whilst the boys almost tackled me to the ground. "Okay I see!" I replied my mood instantly being lifted even more, Gavin had done a great job making me feel great my kids they raised the level to awesome. "I missed you boys." I stated hugging them and placing kisses in their hair.

"Hey baby girl, how was daycare?" I asked Lola after I was released from the hug by the boys. "It was great, come uncle Gavin, we cook!" She replied dragging her favourite person in the world to the kitchen. I was so glad to have Hugh home with the kids, I worried a lot about leaving them alone without someone to watch them but Klein had to learn to be more responsible of himself and his sister, so a night or two during the week my father or Gavin even my sitter weren't there to watch them but I always had watchful eyes out side the house, and since the neighborhood was in a gated community, it wasn't easy to get through security which made it all the more easier.

"Dad come cook." Lola called out as I tossed my phone away and grabbed an apron. "What are we making chef Lamont-Striker?" I teased Hugh who hugged me the moment I stood next to him. "God I missed you." He confessed making me chuckle. "I missed you too." I responded after we separated. "We are making several dishes in honor of someone's birthday that's coming up soon, no way Klein, I didn't forget." He announced as my son literally danced in joy, somehow all the worries I had were instantly gone, I would deal with it all at some point yes but seeing my family happy it made my heart feel warm and full, more so having yet another one of the best men in my life here with me, it made me truly grateful and happy.

After several food fights, flour bombs and dance battles, the boys were setting up the table, Gavin was upstairs changing Lola, I was with Hugh catching up. "You never visit me you know that." I accused and he narrowed his eyes on me. "I always visit, I see the kids, you are never here ever since the idiot left, mister businessman, congratulations on your award by the way, Tyrell told me and I couldn't be more proud, and since I nolonger have the company branch expansions to worry about, I'm going to visit more often." He stated and I couldn't help squeal whilst jumping up and down like a crazed teen.

"Calm down will you, what's up with tall, dark, handsome and I must say attractively built up there, I didn't know you had gotten this close, or your daughter literally cannot be ten feet away from him if he's in room, she wouldn't stop raving about him and Harry literally could not stop talking about you and grinning." He asserted wanting to know more and I knew them, I had found the right person to spill all my dirty secrets to, if there was one person in my life well one of the few who could take a secret to the grave, it was Hugh, the man would help you bury a body and never ever mention it.

"Its a lot to unpack though, we might need the whole night." I told him with a chuckle and he smirked. "Then its a good thing I'm here for however long I want, this house is brilliant by the way, I love the space." He mentioned and I all but squealed again, I couldn't help it. "Dad your phone's ringing!" Klein called out and I frowned wondering who it could be, Maya had her own signature ringtone, so I knew it wasn't her, my family like Hugh barely called they just showed up. It was an unknown number yet I had a faint sense of knowing who it was, the number was familiar.

"Hello." I answered. "Ceres, is that you, it's so good to hear your voice dear." It was unmistakable, that was Drake's mother, I wondered what she could've possibly wanted. "Mrs —Will." I slowly replied as suddenly Gavin was there smiling with my daughter in his arms. "Daddy!" She called out latching onto me, it happened so fast as I went to grab her, Gavin took my phone and put it to his ear. "Ceres doesn't talk to roaches, please leave him and our family alone, thank you and goodnight." He asserted with a certain dominant vibe I normally didn't get from him as he cut the call and smiled toward me. "Hmmm, that was smooth and hot." Hugh whispered in my ear. "Hugh!" I protested as he laughed turning to the other side of the kitchen.

"I'm hungry love, feed us." Gavin exclaimed with a slight pout as if he hadn't just cut off a call from my ex mother in law. "Fine, I'll feed you." I accepted as everything just went back to normal though my phone had been confiscated, I knew I wasn't getting it back anytime soon, and surprisingly, that didn't bother me at all. "You and I need to have a long chat." Hugh mumbled as we sat the table. "I know." I replied with an inclination to how much I really needed to have that talk, though I was more happy about him just being there.

something about
HOME.

Don't be surprised that Hugh showed up in this book, I've already made it clear that this book is part of the series just not directly and anyway my dude deserved it.

As for Gavin and Ceres, gimmie thoughts, no predictions please we still have a lot to unpack before we reach the end.

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