Covet Thy Neighbor

situation. With your neighbor.”
    “Oh, yeah?”
    He nodded. “And I can understand where you’re coming from, being hesitant about this guy. I was there, man. I saw what you went through. But . . .” He tapped a pen on the clipboard. “The bullshit our families put us through, especially yours, is a big part of why I didn’t accept I was gay myself until fairly recently. And if I had let what happened to both of us keep controlling me, I would have missed out on Jason. Plain and simple.”
    I gingerly rubbed the back of my neck. “Except this isn’t a matter of accepting my sexuality or something like that. I feel like . . . I don’t know, like I’ve suddenly got a crush on the football player who beat me up in school.”
    “Seth, if anything, you’ve got a crush on someone who happens to play for the same team as that asshole. Hell, someone who just happens to play the same sport. Doesn’t mean he had any part of hurting you, he’s just playing football with the guy.”
    I chewed my lip. “What would you do, then? If Jason were part of the same church our families are part of?”
    “Darren isn’t part of that church,” he said. “And obviously he’s gay too, so I don’t imagine he’s going to shun you for it. Quite the opposite, from the sound of it.”
    I didn’t say anything.
    “He could be worth it,” Michael said after a moment.
    “He could be. Or this could blow up in my face. Badly.”
    “Maybe. Things could have blown up between me and Jason. He was my patient and my roommate, for crying out loud, so believe me, I get it.” He cocked his head, arching an eyebrow like he always did when he saw right through me. “I think you’re worried because you’re afraid you might get attached to him.”
    I swallowed.
    He went on. “I think you’re less worried about having a casual fling with your hot minister neighbor than you are about getting attached to your hot minister neighbor.”
    “When did you become an expert on this shit?”
    That fucking eyebrow again. “Since I’ve been watching your dumb ass trying to rationalize your way out of putting yourself in a position to fall in love with someone?”
    “What?” I laughed. “What the hell are—”
    He shot me a look that cut me off. “Seth. For crying out loud.”
    “ What? Who said anything about falling for the guy?”
    Michael sighed heavily. “For as much as you try to be a badass tough guy, everyone and their mother knows you’re the sappiest romantic on the planet.”
    I sat straighter. “I beg your pardon?”
    “It’s true,” he said with a half-shrug. “And especially when it comes to this guy.”
    “Michael, I’ve known him for like two days. What the hell?”
    “Mm-hmm.”
    I held his gaze, trying to read his expression. “What?”
    “Seth.” Michael sighed. “I’m not saying you two are destined to fall in love or something, but I think you’re jumping the gun by closing yourself off to the possibility. And with this guy in particular, I’m thinking that knee-jerk reaction might be a mistake.”
    I shifted uncomfortably. “How do you figure?”
    “At the beginning of your appointment, I asked you what he was like.”
    “And?”
    “And there were two ways you could have answered that. One was the way you do when you’re lusting after someone and couldn’t care less if anything goes beyond that. You would have been describing his ass and his shoulders, and saying he had a mouth that was made for something you would describe in some poetically obscene way.” Michael’s eyebrow quirked. “When I asked you about this guy? You said he was funny and easy to talk to.”
    My heart dropped. I hadn’t even noticed that myself, but of course this motherfucker knew me way too well.
    Michael laughed softly. “And don’t even try to argue with me. I can tell at a hundred paces when you even think you might fall for someone.” He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned a little closer. “The weird thing is seeing you fight it this hard.”
    I lowered my gaze. “I’ve only known him for a few days.”
    “Never stopped you before.”
    I didn’t respond.
    Michael sighed. “I know the fact that he’s a minister makes you nervous. And you know I understand why. But if there’s something about this guy that’s making you sit up and take notice, and you have to fight this hard to convince yourself not to see where things go with him, then maybe he’s worth the risk.” Before I could answer,