Every sound inside the shop pounded at Kentucky’s brain. His head throbbed. The pain had nothing on the one happening inside his chest. The Mustang in bay four had already taken him forty-five minutes longer than he anticipated. If he could focus, he’d have its owner on their way. Instead of seeing the inconveniently placed spark plugs he should be focusing on, Rory filled Kentucky’s head. He’d left his phone at Kentucky’s house in his rush to leave Saturday night. Kentucky wondered if he’d made it home okay. It had taken every ounce of his self-control not to drive over and check. He could return Rory’s phone as an excuse, but then again, he couldn’t. His sanity couldn’t take it. The runner-up for testing his willpower was searching Rory’s name. Kentucky had fought with himself all of Sunday. Several times, he’d typed Rory’s name into his search engine, needing to know how bad it was. Each and every time, he’d deleted his search before hitting enter. It was bad enough knowing the truth without seeing it.

“Do you want to come to dinner tonight? Bring Rory.”

Kentucky kept his gaze locked on his hands at his dad’s question. Not only did he need to get this car finished, he didn’t want his dad to see his reaction. “I don’t think so. Rory and I are on a break, I think.”

Brad moved closer and lowered his voice for them alone. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kentucky shook his head. “Not really. I’m still working things out in my head, and I don’t want to say anything you might hold against him later. For all I know, I’ll get over this.”

“Is this about the porn thing?”

Kentucky’s mouth fell open. His gaze snapped to his dad’s face. “You know about that?”

His dad shrugged. “Your mom recognized him right away.”

That was more info than Kentucky had ever wanted to know. “Great. Even my mom has seen him in action.”

Brad snorted. “I never took you for a prude.”

The accusation stung. “I’m not. This isn’t about that. What if you found out Mom fucked other people behind your back for money?”

“How much money we talking?”

He was serious. Kentucky was blown away. “I can’t believe you’re serious right now. Are you telling me it wouldn’t bother you?”

Brad shrugged again. “I don’t know. It’s never happened, but if we were in a horrible position and Lexi might starve, I wouldn’t hate her for doing what she needed to keep us afloat. You don’t know what led to those decisions.” His dad looked one hundred percent positive he was in the right. Kentucky couldn’t stop hanging on every word. “You heard what Rory said at Lexi’s party. He doesn’t have a family. Only a group of friends who are like family. Not everyone is given the opportunities you were.” Brad leaned his hip against the car and held Kentucky’s stare. “If you don’t think you can live with his choices, that’s fine. You shouldn’t have to if that’s not what you want, but don’t judge him for things you don’t understand. It’s been nice to see you happy. You haven’t been in a long time. Even when you laughed, there was a sadness to it. Hell, I thought when you got picked up by New York, you’d be over the moon, but no.” His dad shook his head. “You were still missing something. Since you met Rory, that’s changed. Now, even when you’re upset, it hasn’t taken the light from your eyes. Don’t walk away from that without some deep soul searching. You won’t find someone like Rory around every corner, and we like seeing you smile.” Brad slapped Kentucky’s shoulder and moved away. “Plus, Rory offered to keep Lexi for us this weekend so we can hit the beach. Don’t fuck that up for us.”

“Betrayed by my own parents,” Kentucky muttered.

Brad didn’t look the least bit ashamed. “Don’t introduce us to someone nice if you don’t want us to like him.” He nodded toward the car. “Once you finish that up, why don’t you head out. Take some time to figure out your life.”

Kentucky nodded and forced himself to focus. He needed to get out of there and get to where he’d be free to think. Once he figured out his feelings, he’d be better either way. The uncertainty of the situation was killing him. It wasn’t just the porn thing. That was bad, but there was something else eating at him that he couldn’t nail down. He wanted to scream. The frustration and unhappiness; they were choking him.

He finally got the car back together and to its owner. With a nod in his dad’s direction to let him know he was out, Kentucky headed for his truck. Once inside, he didn’t feel better. Kentucky didn’t bother listening to music on the way home. His head was too full. Over and over, he sifted through every word and conversation. A few things kept rising to the surface. Rory hadn’t lied. He might not have told him the exact projects he worked on, but Kentucky hadn’t asked. One hundred percent, Rory should’ve told him anyhow, but Kentucky hadn’t asked. That bothered him more than it should. It was like, since meeting Rory, Kentucky had soaked up the man’s attention. Rory’s complete focus on him was so addictive that Kentucky hadn’t realized he’d sat back and let it happen. What kind of shitty, selfish boyfriend didn’t ask any questions? Kentucky didn’t think he’d even once asked Rory how his day had been. Hundreds of incidents came to mind when he should’ve peppered Rory with questions. Instead, he’d sat back and soaked up all the constant ego stroking. He’d never thought of himself as a bad person. When he looked back on his time with Rory, he wondered why Rory wanted him at all.

Another issue that wouldn’t stop eating at his mind was along the same lines. As his dad had pointed out, Kentucky didn’t know what led Rory to those decisions. Not really. Rory had made it sound as if it was just a way to pay to stay in California. But Kentucky remembered Rory’s face the day he’d said he’d been raised in a group home. Now Kentucky had a million questions he should’ve asked already. What happened when he turned eighteen? Did he get turned out with nothing? Kentucky’s chest ached. If so, how did he eat? Where did he sleep? Kentucky couldn’t imagine being a kid and having no one. No money. No place to go. His dad was right. In the same position, a person would do what they had to do to survive. Maybe Kentucky would’ve known all those things sooner if he’d asked.

By the time Kentucky made it home and took a long shower, he still hadn’t gotten any closer to knowing what to do. He scrolled through his phone, looking through all their texts. Every crazy picture Rory had sent him had him pausing to stare. A smile pulled at his lips at the image of Rory with dog ears from one of those online filters. He missed Rory. It had only been two days since he’d last seen him, and the separation was killing Kentucky.

He needed to focus on something else for a while. Clear his head. He needed to feel the ice beneath his skates. Once the thought hit, Kentucky didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his stuff and headed for the local rink. It wasn’t until he was on the ice that he realized he hadn’t come for the ice at all. This was their first date. Under this roof, he’d experienced his first spark of interest in anything or anyone in years. Everything had been muted before that night. Kentucky had been focused on his career and the loss of it for so long, he didn’t care about anything else. Then, he’d stopped to zip Lexi’s jacket and Rory had skated in, stealing him away from the darkness he’d lived in for too long. That was another thing his dad had been right about. Kentucky hadn’t been happy. When he’d been picked up by New York, he should’ve been elated. In fact, he’d gone through the motions of elation because it seemed he should, but no. He hadn’t been happy back then. There’d always been something missing.

He skated to the short wall separating the ice from the game room. As Kentucky stayed out of the way of other skaters, he lost himself in the discovery. After Rory skated into his life, Kentucky had taken him home. Rory had fallen asleep in his arms. Kentucky had stared down at him, and Rory’s question about what Kentucky wanted with his future had eaten away at him. He’d been so goddamn happy in that moment, he’d thought he’d figured things out. Kentucky had felt then the way he should’ve felt getting picked up by New York. But it hadn’t been hockey that gave him that feeling of complete elation. It was having Rory in his arms. It was being asked what he wanted to do with his life by someone who genuinely cared what he wanted. Most of all, it was having Rory look at him with complete faith and solidarity in whatever decision he made—like he’d still be there no matter what Kentucky chose. That was what had filled him to completion.

Kentucky dug out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he needed. His call was answered on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Kieran. It’s Kentucky.”

“I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” Kieran’s cool tone didn’t give away his thoughts on the matter. His tone was always cool. “Have you already come to a decision?”

Kentucky gave a short nod, even though Kieran couldn’t see him. “Tell Mississippi I’m not interested.”

When Kieran spoke, Kentucky could hear the smile in his voice. “Good. I’ll keep hunting for a team with better terms.”

“Thank you, but I’m not interested in that either. I’ve got something better going on here.”

Kieran chuckled. “I hope by that you mean Rory. It’s not my business, but you won’t find someone who looks at you the way he does every day. It’s obvious he thinks God broke the mold when he made you.”

Kentucky couldn’t stop the smile that stretched his lips. “Yeah, I mean Rory. For the first time, I don’t want to chase after some unattainable dream. I feel like I already have it here.”

“That’s good,” Kieran said, sounding like he meant it. “You’re a very lucky man. After seeing the way he watches you, I honestly believe he’ll never stop trying to make you feel like you’re the only man on the planet for him. That’s a good place to be. I found that in Henley and can truthfully say it’s made for an amazing life. It doesn’t matter what your career is as long as you’re together at the end of the day.”

Kentucky knew Kieran meant his career, but Kentucky heard it like he meant Rory’s. He found himself nodding along. Rory came home to him. More than once, he’d shunned the world to be alone with Kentucky. He couldn’t lose that. Just as his dad and Kieran had pointed out, Kentucky wouldn’t find someone else who treated him the way Rory did. Kentucky didn’t deserve him.

“Thank you, Kieran. For everything, seriously. I know if you don’t find me a team, you don’t make any money on me. I feel like I’ve wasted your time.”

“You probably won’t believe this, but I’m a sucker for love.” Kieran sounded serious. Kentucky believed. “More than once, I’ve gone for a lower commission to keep a player with their other half. Rory loves you. I’d feel guilty forever if I helped take you away. Go have a good life, but don’t lose my number. Next time you call to meet, you can bring Rory to dinner with us or something. Mia would love to see him, I’m sure.”

“You have a deal.”

Kentucky’s smile didn’t abate until he slipped his phone back in his pocket. A horrible thought sneaked in. He wasn’t the only one who’d had time to think. Maybe Rory wouldn’t want him back after the way he’d reacted. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if Rory had flipped out after learning he’d played hockey, treating him like he’d probably fucked a million fans while on the road. Damn. He might’ve already ruined things. At the realization, Kentucky was out of his skates and in his truck in record time. He probably needed a plan, but he didn’t have one. Still, as he pulled into Rory’s driveway, calm settled over him. The peace he’d been searching out for the past two days was right here. Even though Kentucky wasn’t sure of his welcome, he didn’t hesitate to ring the doorbell. He held his breath and waited.

Jay answered, looking less than thrilled to see him. “Kentucky.”

The way the man said his name didn’t give Kentucky the warm and fuzzies. “Is Rory home?”

For a solid minute, Jay eyed him. He looked ready to slam the door in Kentucky’s face. Instead, he sighed. “Come in.” He walked away, leaving the door standing open.

Kentucky slipped inside. The house was quiet. Just as he’d been the first time he been there, Kentucky was blown away by the opulence of the place. Everything was marble and light. Open and bright. The place looked like royalty lived there. It didn’t appear anyone else was home. Kentucky followed Jay to the main room.

Jay spoke over his shoulder as he headed for the off-white and plush couch. “When we lived in L.A., I met a guy like you,” Jay said, sounding sad. “He wasn’t in the industry, but I fell for him so hard. I was scared as hell to tell him how I make my living.” Jay sat and met Kentucky’s stare. His eyes were a sweet brown. He looked innocent and younger than his thirty years. “One day when I came home, he was sitting on my bed and watching one of my movies.” The life left Jay’s eyes as he spoke. “A chill raced up my spine. I’d never been scared of him before that moment. But there was something in his eyes.” Jay shook his head as if shaking off the memory. His flawless features turned cold. “After he beat me and raped me, he spit on me and called me a whore. He said there wasn’t a court that would convict him because no one cared about sluts. He was right. I spent two weeks in the hospital and another month in bed. He got three months’ probation. We had to move here just so I could feel a little safe again.” Jay’s voice turned hard, but it was nothing compared to his eyes. Kentucky felt sick. Jay didn’t stop. “Don’t take it personally, but fuck your feelings. Rory had every right to fear your reaction. If you’re here to hurt him, you won’t leave here. I won’t make the same mistake twice, thinking the courts will handle it.”

That was fair enough. Jay had a right to his rage. “I would never hurt Rory.” Kentucky shrugged and shook his head. “I love him. It was a blow to find out from someone else, but it doesn’t change the way I feel. Is he here?”

Jay nodded toward Rory’s closed bedroom door. “He’s in there, working.”

Kentucky hesitated at the claim.

Jay rolled his eyes. “On his graphic design stuff, idiot.”

As much as Kentucky wanted to take umbrage over the insult, it already looked like it would be a while before he got back in Jay’s good graces. He gave Jay a nod of thanks and headed for Rory’s room. Kentucky quietly opened Rory’s door. If Rory was busy, he didn’t want to disturb him. Instead, he spotted Rory on the bed. His hands were cupped beneath his face. He slept peacefully, looking almost like a small child curled up in a ball. His laptop was open on the bed. With a sigh, Kentucky closed the door behind him. It was dangerous to leave a laptop like that. Kentucky picked it up to move it before it overheated and caught the bed on fire. The screen woke, showing him a half-finished image of a Pegasus. It was gorgeous work. With a smile, he set the laptop on the nearby desk and moved back to the bed. For a moment, he watched Rory sleep. Damn, the man always hit him in the chest with his beauty. He couldn’t wake him. It didn’t feel right. Instead, he circled the bed and climbed in behind him. When he scooted in as close as possible, Rory cuddled against him in his sleep. The backs of Kentucky’s eyes burned as their bodies molded. He couldn’t imagine living without this. They still needed to talk, but Kentucky didn’t want to lose this man who’d stolen him. When it came down to a choice between what he could live with and what he couldn’t live without, the decision was easy. Rory had ruined him for anyone else.

A solid weight across his waist had Rory pinned to the bed. He slowly rolled. The vision of Kentucky sleeping beside him had Rory’s throat swelling. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight. As much as Rory wanted to wake him and find out why he’d come, Rory couldn’t stop staring. He wondered how long Kentucky had been there. Rory had no clue of the time. Since leaving Kentucky’s house that final time, he hadn’t slept at all until he’d fallen over in exhaustion while working. One hour or twelve could’ve passed since then. Rory had cried so much in the past couple of days, he wasn’t even a hundred percent sure what day it was. All he knew was he was dehydrated but hadn’t cared enough about himself to get anything to drink. It seemed nothing mattered without Kentucky.

“Do you hate me?” Kentucky asked the question without ever opening his eyes.

The burning was back behind Rory’s eyes, but there wasn’t enough moisture left in his body to cry. “No. I hate me.” Even to his ears, Rory sounded hoarse.

Kentucky’s gorgeous blue eyes opened. “Are you sick?”

Rory didn’t respond. Hell would freeze before he admitted to crying himself hoarse. In a way, he was sick. Sick at heart. Sick of life.

“Have you checked to see if you have a fever?”

Rory still couldn’t find his voice to answer.

Kentucky didn’t give up. “When was the last time you had anything to eat or drink?”

“When I cooked for you Saturday night.”

The way Kentucky’s eyebrows rose made Rory wonder again what day it was. “Don’t move.” Kentucky rolled from the bed and disappeared. Since Rory was too exhausted to move, Kentucky’s order wasn’t hard to follow. He wanted to be happy Kentucky was there, but he might only have shown to let Rory know they were over for good. That was the most likely scenario. In truth, Rory would’ve preferred Kentucky do it over the phone, but he’d left his phone at Kentucky’s house in his rush to get away. He’d also left behind a bag of clothes and all his toiletries. The only thing he still had in his bathroom was his toothbrush, because he already had one of those at Kentucky’s house, and a tube of toothpaste, because he always used Kentucky’s. Rory imagined he probably stank. Not that he cared. Losing everything didn’t hurt any less when he was clean.

Kentucky reappeared with a bottle of water in hand. “Come on,” he said, urging Rory to sit up. “Let’s get this water in you.”

Rory reluctantly accepted. His arms felt weak as he lifted the bottle to his lips. Maybe he was getting sick. Kentucky wouldn’t let him stop until the bottle was empty. He felt a little better. Mostly, he couldn’t stop staring at Kentucky. He was gorgeous. This might be the last time Rory got to sit and look at him.

His stomach rolled. The room spun. Nope. No. He didn’t feel better. Without warning, Rory leaned over the edge of the bed and puked out the water. Part of him was thankful that was all he had in his stomach. That is, until the dry heaves hit.

“Damn, you’re burning up,” Kentucky said while rubbing his back.

Rory tried to catch his breath. “Well, this is humiliating.” Rory buried his head beneath his pillow and prayed for death. Now that he’d experienced the first symptoms, the misery of truly being sick slammed into him.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve been there. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

Kentucky’s cool touch disappeared. He thought he might’ve dozed again because Kentucky was right back like he’d never left. He tugged on Rory, forcing him to sit up.

“You can go back to sleep in a minute. First, we need to do some things. Take these pills and sip the water this time. Hopefully, you can keep them down.”

Everything had a dark hue—like he’d pass out at any moment. Rory still did as told. His stomach didn’t heave this time, but the water felt terrible sitting on his gut.

“Lucas will help you strip him and I’ll run him a cool bath,” Jay said to Kentucky, sounding like he came from a distance.

“All my stuff is at Kentucky’s.” Even to Rory’s ears, he sounded weak.

Jay snorted. “Think about where you live, queen. We’ve got you covered.”

Lucas and Kentucky flanked him on either side, tugging at his clothes. He was helpless to do anything other than watch.

“I hope you’re okay with this,” Lucas said quietly to Kentucky as if Rory wasn’t the one losing his clothes.

“It’s fine.” Kentucky’s voice sounded tight.

Lucas didn’t let up. “Rory and I grew up in the same group home together. I was already there when he showed up when he was eight. We’ve taken care of each other like this during illnesses dozens of times. There was no one else.”

Kentucky paused in stripping Rory to meet Lucas’ gaze. “I’m not worried over you helping me. My only concern is his health. He’s dehydrated.”

“Y’all are so sweet.” Rory’s voice slurred. He couldn’t control it.

“We’ll make him better,” Lucas said, ignoring Rory’s fevered talk. From that point, everything turned into a blur. Then, there was nothing.

Kentucky was beyond impressed with Rory’s friends. Even once Rory passed out, they still managed to get him bathed. They patted Rory awake several times during the process, forcing water into him. No aspect of his care was missed. They even ensured Rory had on deodorant before dressing him again. Kentucky didn’t think he had a single friend like them. If he got sick, he’d have to just lie in it until he could clean himself. As that thought passed through his mind, he remembered the way Rory had cared for him after tryouts. Maybe he had one person like them. Even though they didn’t have to, each of Rory’s friends asked his permission before doing anything to Rory’s person. He thought they had more rights than he did, but he still appreciated their show of respect to their relationship.

After they had Rory back in bed and Shawn mopped up the mess, Lucas and Kentucky were left alone with Rory. Lucas occupied the chair at the desk, while Kentucky sat on the bed, stroking Rory’s hair. They sat in silence for several minutes before Lucas made a move as if to leave. Kentucky stopped him.

“So you two were in the same group home. How old were you when Rory arrived?”

Lucas sat back down. “I was nine.”

“Did you live there your whole life?” Kentucky knew he was being nosy, but he should’ve been asking more questions before now.

Lucas nodded. “Pretty much. I was six when I got there and stayed until I turned eighteen.”

“I thought they didn’t put kids under twelve in group homes.” Kentucky heard the horror in his voice, but he couldn’t stop.

“They didn’t pass that law until it was too late to help us. Not that it matters. You’re no more prepared for that life at twelve than six.” He nodded toward Rory. “But we had each other.”

Kentucky wanted to know everything. Since Rory wasn’t awake to answer, he went for the next best person. “What happened when you left?”

Lucas seemed more than willing to answer any questions Kentucky had. “I went to work on an oil rig for six months, making a fuck-ton of money killing myself, while Rory applied for emancipation. As soon as Rory was free and finished school, because I wouldn’t let him leave town before then, we took the money I’d saved and split. We made friends and crashed with whoever would let us stay. When we met Jay, everything changed. We went from never having anything to this,” he said, motioning to their surroundings. “More than that, he ensured we didn’t have to depend on the charity of others. He not only shared what he had but made sure we had it for ourselves. I know you’re upset with Rory, but sometimes people can’t afford to care what others think. We weren’t given the luxury of pride.”

“I’m not upset,” Kentucky said, correcting Lucas’ assumption. “Obviously, I was at first. I needed time to think.”

Lucas eyed him, expressionless. “And now?”

Kentucky made a helpless gesture. “It seems being with him is more important to me than anything else.”

“That’s good to know,” Lucas said, coming to his feet. “Rory is very tender-hearted. He gets lonely easily. He’s the kind of person who needs hugs and feels the loss if he doesn’t have them. It doesn’t take much to crush him. He needs someone strong but loving. From the beginning, I’ve thought you fit the bill. I hope you prove me right.” He headed for the door. “If you need me, just yell. I’ll come back later and check on you.”

Kentucky nodded. “Thank you.” Once Lucas left him alone with Rory, Kentucky snaked his hand beneath the blankets and felt of Rory’s skin. It was still hot but not on fire like it had been. Kentucky sent a quick text to his dad, letting him know Rory was sick and he wouldn’t be in to work for a couple of days. With that out of the way, he settled down beside Rory. “I won’t let you be lonely.” He stared at the way Rory’s eyelashes fanned across his flushed cheeks until sleep pulled him under. Kentucky would keep the promise Rory didn’t know he’d made.