Zay looked up from his laptop as Seth came through the door. "You look beat."

"There was a huge accident on the expressway. They had to call in two tow companies to handle it, we were one of them. I'm exhausted and all I want is a shower."

"I'll heat something up for you to eat while you're in the shower," Zay told him as he set his laptop aside and rose from the couch.

"I appreciate it but I'm good, I ate with a couple of the other drivers when we were done with that mess."

Zay sank back onto the couch. "All right, go take your shower I have news for you when you're done."

Seth arched a brow. "I can forgo the shower for now. What's the surprise?"

"Nope, go shower. I'm not telling you until you're settled for the night."

"I might be able to convince you to change your mind," Seth replied suggestively.

"No, not falling for it, go shower. Now!" Zay pointed toward the bathroom.

"You are no fun," Seth replied with a pout as he headed for the bathroom. "I'm going but I'm lobbying a protest about it."

"Go!" he told him with a chuckle.

With a last laugh, Seth stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. He reappeared forty minutes later, dressed in sweats and no shirt, his hair was still damp and a smile on his face.

"Okay, I'm clean and relaxed, what's the surprise?" he asked as he took a seat beside Zay on the couch.

Zay set his laptop on the coffee table. "I found a job."

"A job? I didn't even know you were looking for one."

"I've been thinking about it for a while. I thought I'd work with you but after that repo the other night I realized it's not for me. I reached out to Alyssa's mother—"

Seth jumped up off the couch, a scowl etching his features. "Why in the hell would you reach out to her of all people? You couldn't find a job elsewhere? The fuck, Zay?"

"Sit down and listen."

Seth remained standing, his fists clenched at his sides staring down at Zay.

He knew this wasn't going to be easy to explain to Seth. Alyssa seemed to have abandoned him, so Seth couldn't understand why he'd go to her mother for help with a job. "If you would let me explain you'd understand. Please sit down." He patted the couch.

"Fine, but I am not happy about this," he grumbled as he sat down. "Alyssa isn't exactly supportive of our relationship."

"I know. Seth, I want to do something to help people. The tow company isn't the place for me."

"Yes, we agreed on that already, but you don't need a job, Zay, I make plenty to cover our bills."

"You do, but I don't want to be a kept woman," he told Seth with a chuckle.

Seth wrapped an arm over his shoulders and pulled him close. "I like keeping you."

"Not funny. Look, I need to do something that helps others and maybe helps me too. Alyssa's mother is a social worker for child services."

"Yeah, I know she helped handle my emancipation case."

Zay nodded. "So, I spoke with her and she talked to her boss and they're bringing me in to help with teens in the LGBT+ community. I'll be a sort of counselor. Not licensed, of course, but I have experience with struggling to come to terms with who I am. With a family who can't accept it. I'm in a unique position to be able to talk to these kids and help them. I spent too long denying who I am, being unhappy about it, and worrying about my parents and how they would react. I don't want anyone else to wait as long as I did to be happy. I need to do this, Seth."

He sighed and pressed a kiss to Zay's temple. "I understand. I still don't like the fact you asked Alyssa's mother for help, but I get it."

"Thank you for understanding."

"You're welcome." He leaned in close and bounced his eyebrows. "Want to seduce me into forgetting all about it."

Zay rolled his eyes. "Seriously?"

"Oh, yes I'm very serious."

"We've already had this discussion, several times if I'm not mistaken," Zay pointed out. "And I do remember on several occasions while snuggled together in bed you commenting on my exceptional abilities with my tongue." He arched a brow.

"All right, so I'll give you that one, but I still want more than an occasional blow job. I want to be with you, really be with you."

"And you will, but I'm not ready yet. You have to give me time. Time to become comfortable with this newer version of me." He reached over and shut his laptop. "If you're tired, we can go to bed. I plan on sleeping naked," he told Seth before he rose and left the room.

Seth watched him go. "Might be getting in a little too deep," he muttered as he jumped up and followed Zayden to the bedroom.

***

Alyssa's scowl was dark and angry. "You did what?"

Her mother sighed. "I helped Zayden get a job at my office."

"Why?" she snapped.

"Would you rather have him go work with Seth at his uncle's tow yard?" she asked with an arched brow. "You want him to obtain some separation from Seth, this is the perfect opportunity."

Alyssa's anger deflated. "I didn't think of that. It's a good idea. Sorry," she ended quietly.

Her mother laughed. "I might be old, but I do know what I'm doing. Let's go before the boys eat everything." She reached for the back door.

"You did tell them not to touch anything until we finished talking."

Her mother snorted. "They are male, do you believe they'll listen?" She led Alyssa into the kitchen. "Fintan Roman, put that back!" she snapped at Alyssa's father.

He dropped the spoonful of mashed potatoes onto the plate, snatched it up, and fled the kitchen.

"Men, I swear they get older but they never grow up. Help me take all of this into the dining room, will you?" her mother asked. "We might as well join them."

As they exited the kitchen they found Josh and West already seated at the table with full plates in front of them. "Not you too?" Alyssa asked as she and her mother set out the bowls and platters of food.

"We were hungry," Josh answered with a pout.

"You couldn't wait another five minutes until we were done talking?" she asked, hands perched on her hips as she stared them down.

"No, we were going to die of starvation," West told her, his look completely serious.

"Idiots," she grumbled as she took her seat at the table. She caught her mother's nod out of the corner of her eye and grinned. This was nice, all of them here together for dinner, all that was missing was Zayden. He should be here with them. Stealing a plate of food from the kitchen with Josh and West, laughing at their outrage over the theft, and simply having fun together. Her mother's idea to have Zay work at the social services office could be a good one. It would give Zay time away from Seth. Maybe he'd begin to see Seth in a different light. Anything was possible but she wasn't going to pin all her hopes on it.