“Gedmorningmurrychrissmiss,” I croak as I bring the life-giving nectar to my lips. Spiced coffee smashes the pleasure center in my brain like a carnival mallet. After that, Marcos’s lips close around mine, and the only thing I can do is shut my eyes and moan happily. Beneath the smiling dachshunds on his pajamas, a stiffness rises and meets my leg. He sets his coffee on the nightstand and rolls on top of me. My neck flinches, almost stopping my breath. Even after all this time away from conversion therapy, a boy’s touch still hurts at first. Marcos says the same happens to him, but he pushes through.

“Later?” I ask into his mouth. “When we’re in the car?”

“I know the house rules,” he says, nibbling my lower lip before disengaging. “I’ll be good.” He’s gotten a lot better at kissing me in places where we might be interrupted—and I want him to keep up that growth—but I’m staying in this house under good graces and neither of us want to jeopardize that. Honestly, it’s energizing just to be near each other again. At the end of such a violent, tumultuous year, this much uncomplicated joy feels jinxy.

“How was it in the guest room?” I ask Marcos.

“So cozy,” he says, snuggling closer. I swear, if he gets gropey again, I won’t have the willpower to stop him.

“I love that you’re here. I can’t believe you’re really here…You’re sure you’re okay not being with your family for the holiday?”

Guilt smothers my heart, but not a drop of sadness appears behind his black frames. “Nope.” He smiles and pokes my chin. “I’m with you.”

Marcos’s mother and grandmother are the reason he’s still able to live at home. Our departure from Nightlight created a nightmarish public fiasco for many families, especially Marcos’s dad, the Reverend Tyson Carrillo—a local megachurch celebrity. The relationship between Marcos and his dad is as tense as ever, but now that the world is watching, Reverend Carrillo has agreed to play nice. The two Mrs. Carrillos, both fiercely protective of their young prince, successfully integrated Marcos back into his old high school so he could redo his senior year and get back on track to becoming valedictorian.