Hana nodded along, interjecting occasionally until she noticed the time. “Shit. It’s almost time to meet Elena. Get dressed and grab all the boys. Jinx and Rocky should go with us too. I should get to know Jinx so I can mother him, and Rocky has never liked me, but I’m not giving up.”
Zayn kissed her cheek and moved to do as told. More than anything, though, he wanted to find Spencer and hold him. He didn’t know what Spencer had said to his mom, but he felt like he had her back. Zayn could never thank Spencer enough for that. He didn’t even know where to start.
Although Spencer hadn’t expected Zayn’s mom to come around because of anything he said, he had to admit it was amazing to see Zayn looking so happy. He also enjoyed lunch with everyone. However, Spencer’s mood started to deteriorate about hour eight. He didn’t mean to turn quiet, but everyone else was so loud. Usually, when Spencer was in a large crowd, he had music playing in his ears and could tune everyone out. That wasn’t happening today. Spencer kept fighting back panic attacks. By the time they made it home, Spencer was ready to scream. Everything felt like too much. He wasn’t used to so much busyness. Hana had agreed to play poker with Jinx and Rocky, making Spencer worry he was nowhere near the end of the tunnel.
Before he knew what happened, Spencer found himself inside a dark coat closet with Zayn holding him tightly. Quiet surrounded him. Spencer took a deep breath. Zayn didn’t make a sound, proving he understood Spencer’s inner panic. Spencer closed his eyes and held on while Zayn slowly rubbed in circles on his back. His mind calmed a hair.
“Tell me what you need from the warehouse and I’ll send someone to get it.” He pushed something on the wall inside the closet and a secret passage opened into a nearly empty room. “I’ll have them bring it here and you can be alone for a while.”
“How many hidden passages are in this house?” Spencer asked with a laugh as he stepped inside the room.
Zayn’s eyes flashed with mischief. “Several. I’ll show you someday. For now, you can have this room to work in or whatever. You need a break from me.”
As much as Spencer wanted to feel like shit, Zayn made it impossible by being so understanding. Still, he needed to clarify one thing. “I don’t need a break from you. There’s just too much noise.”
Zayn nodded. “You need to escape. Give me a list of what you need.”
Spencer typed a list of necessary items from the warehouse into Zayn’s phone. He gave Zayn the info he needed to get inside the warehouse and explained where everything could be found. Zayn nodded along. Once Zayn had all the information he required, he gave Spencer one last kiss and left him alone. Spencer eyed the lone chair and empty desk in the room. The room was pretty bare. There was nothing special about it, but it was quiet. Spencer checked out the closet and the connected bathroom. Everything looked unused. After he finished snooping, he sat and pulled out his phone. There wasn’t a ton he could accomplish with only a phone, but he had access to his music files.
Time passed. Spencer lost himself. A guy who worked nights came and went, dropping off equipment. In no time, Spencer had his laptop and DJ board. With his headphones in place, he went to work. He moved to the beat in his ears without thinking. His mind calmed. Peace settled over him. Spencer didn’t think about anything. The world around him ceased to exist. He blinked and realized Zayn was there, sitting on a couch he hadn’t noticed anyone bringing into the room. It was like that for him, though. He zoned out whenever he worked.
Zayn smiled when Spencer focused on him.
Spencer swiped his headphones back, uncovering his ears. “How long have you been sitting there?”
Zayn shrugged. “Maybe an hour. I like watching you work. Even though I couldn’t hear the music, I swear I know which songs were playing by the way you move. Very sexy.”
Spencer restarted the audio file, playing his new set from the beginning. Then he turned off his headphones and set them aside so the music filled the room. “Tell me what you think.” As Spencer made the demand, he crossed the room. He straddled Zayn’s lap so he could watch the emotions cross Zayn’s features while he listened. After three seconds passed, he decided he would rather taste Zayn’s lips. They were too tempting to resist. When Spencer claimed Zayn’s mouth, he tasted love. It was crazy that he had never been in love before Zayn, but he recognized it so easily. Spencer wanted Zayn to himself.
“Where is everyone?”
Zayn kissed Spencer’s cheek. “Rocky is working. Jinx ran to his apartment to grab some things. Then he plans to pick out his bedroom. Mom went home two hours ago.”
Spencer couldn’t stop swiping kisses every time Zayn paused. Zayn was too irresistible. “Does that mean I have you to myself?”
“It does.”
Spencer urged Zayn onto his side so they could cuddle. “Good. I vote we hide here for a while and snuggle.”
He felt Zayn smile against his throat. Zayn’s lips skimmed his neck. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
Zayn held him tighter. “For being you. You talked to my mom and you’ve been taking care of Jinx for years. No doubt Rocky has tried intimidating you, but you don’t show it. I love you. I never dreamed I could be this lucky.”
Spencer massaged Zayn’s side, dipping beneath his shirt so he could hold on to bare skin. “Don’t thank me for doing the bare minimum. You’re easy to love and I’m stubborn. I’m pretty sure I’ll find some unique ways
