Fabian preened a bit, then said, “Well then, Ryan Price, let me tell you what I thought of you.”
“Oh, that’s all ri—”
“Do you remember when we first met? You had just arrived at our house, and Mom called me into the living room so she could introduce me to the latest hockey player who would be invading my life.”
“I remember you didn’t shake my hand.”
“My nails were wet.”
Ryan lit up. “Was that the reason?”
Fabian shrugged. “Yes. I mean, I can’t promise I would have been friendlier even if that hadn’t been the case, but I honestlywasconcerned about my nails.”
Ryan laughed. “I thought you hated me.”
“I did. I mean, I didn’t know you, but I assumed you’d be an asshole. The other ones were. And you were so tall and my parents were gazing at you like you were a god. Like you were the son they’d always wanted.”
Ryan’s heart clenched. “No, they—”
“It’s fine. They hardly made a secret of it. So I was prepared to hate you, but then you spoke and your voice was so soft. And you had that adorable shy smile. Yes, that one.”
Ryan flushed, but he couldn’t help but smile more. “I’d never seen anyone who looked like you before.”
“Lebanese?” Fabian teased.
“No.I mean all sophisticated and glamorous.”
Fabian barked out a laugh. “Glamorous?Oh my god, you really were sheltered.”
“You just...looked like someone from Panic! At The Disco or something.”
Ryan was worried Fabian was going to fall off his stool. “Stop! Holy fuck,” he gasped. “I was a fucking band nerd who was wearing cheap nail polish.”
“You had nice hair.”
“Well,” Fabian said when he’d stopped laughing, “youlooked like Archie Andrews. But you didn’t look at me with disgust, and I couldn’t help but find that...intriguing.”
“I think the last thing I felt when I looked at you was disgust.”
“It’s a shame you never told me.”
Ryan took both of their plates to the sink. “I was still figuring myself out.”
“So you’d never kissed anyone before?”
“A girl. Back in Ross Harbour. We were at a party and it seemed like something I should do. I was the star hockey player, so I got a lot of attention from girls back then.”
“Were there boys you would have rather been kissing?”
“Not really. Not until—” Ryan stopped himself. Even after everything they’d admitted, this seemed like too much.
Fabian came to stand beside him at the sink. He rested a hand on Ryan’s arm. “Not until what?”
Ryan bit his lip, then said, “Not until you.”
When Fabian didn’t reply, Ryan chanced looking down at him. He was shocked to see tears in Fabian’s eyes.
“Oh god. Are you okay?”
