Page 169 of Silent Damage

"Well..." Felix says. "We have a business proposition for you."

"Oh yeah?" I ask.

Felix leans against the wood paneling. "I'm using the money my folks left me to buy a couple of buildings in the Patch. Too many people are being evicted, and I want to create affordable housing. Would you and Gabe manage our first building?" Felix asks.

“Really?” I ask.

Felix and Torren nod, and I look at Gabe and see not the slightest bit of surprise on his face. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

Gabe shrugs. "They might have mentioned it when they visited you in the hospital.”

"You were asleep at the time," Felix says. "We thought it would be better to ask when you were in better condition."

My eyes pan across the room, looking at all of the people in this trailer who are here to make sure I’m okay...

"I don't know what to say."

"Say yes," Felix says, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

I shrug, then rub the back of my neck. "I don't really know how to fix things."

"I'll help," Doug says with zero hesitation. "I can teach you."

"Yeah?"

He nods.

We share another look.

My body might be in pain, but I don't think I've ever felt better in my life. "Okay," I whisper.

"Yay," Felix cheers. "Then it's settled. You'll move in when we do some renovating, and the building will be both yours to manage."

Move in.

Our own. Gabe and I will have our own place.

A home.

Something that’s just ours.

Kind of like a grown-up version of the fort.

Epilogue

Jason (Six Months Later)

Ipump some lube onto my cock and slick it up while watching Gabe get into position on the sling in our bedroom.

I installed it in our apartment overnight—it’s part one of the “Gabe’s turning twenty-one” birthday extravaganza.

Part two will happen tonight.

“Ready, birthday boy?” I sing out.

“Always.”

I saunter over, feeling like an absolute stud, and drop to my knees. “This is the real birthday cake,” I say just before I eat his ass.