Christian (The Beck Brothers Series) (22 page)

Over the next four months,
Shea and Christian worked with Quinn, Margot, and the construction company that
Shea worked for, Platt and Sons, to rebuild their house. They built basically
the same size house, just with a different, more open floor plan. They also
made the master bedroom a bit bigger and added a full bathroom to it. They
continued to stay with Quinn and Margot until it was finished. Shea actually
liked being able to see Margot every day and watch as her pregnant belly grew.
By the time the house was ready, Margot was getting very large and very cranky,
so it was good that they were moving out when they were. Quinn was becoming
afraid for their lives as it was, so staying for another month and a half was
not a good idea.

Once the house was completely
finished, painted and everything, Shea and Christian went out and bought all
new furniture. As soon as the essentials were delivered, like the couches, bed
and kitchen table, they moved in. It wasn’t like there was a lot to move in
either since they didn’t have much. They chose to wait to buy a lot of stuff
until the house was ready. Shea knew that Christian planned to finally
replenish his wardrobe with some of the money from Henry, he hated not having
all of his stylish clothes; Shea could tell from the huffing and puffing he did
every time he got dressed.

Shea was in love with their
new house, and a lot of it had to do with the fact that he helped design and
build it. Quinn and Margot did a fabulous job making it practical and
functional yet updated and modern. It was also completely child proofed since
Skylar was now eight months and starting to crawl.

The garage had been damaged
by the fire, but not destroyed. Most of Christian’s paintings were able to be
recovered in perfect condition, along with his guitar. They ended up tearing
down the garage anyway and building Christian a studio where he could paint and
play his guitar in comfort. No more musty smell from the dust and age of the
garage.

Everything was coming
together for Shea and Christian. Shea couldn’t be happier - he had the man he
loved and a daughter that he absolutely adored. Growing up, Shea never pictured
that this was how his life was going to be. He never in a million years thought
that he would be in love with his best friend, who is another guy. He never thought
that he would be raising a child with another man instead of a woman. He would
not change a thing, though. He loved his family, and that was all that
mattered.

Christian read the text he just received from Quinn. They
were here. Christian fought back the bile that rose in his throat.
Jesus.
He’s never been so nervous in his
life. Christian spent about a month planning this and there was no way in hell
he was going to back out. He signed up for an open mic night and got his
brothers to invite Shea. Christian was supposed to be working one of his art
shows tonight and Shea would never turn down an invite from his brothers, so he
knew that was the best way to get Shea here. He was going to propose to Shea
tonight. They couldn’t legally get married in Pennsylvania, but they could
always go to New York, Delaware, or Maryland, not that it would be recognized
in Pennsylvania, yet, but at least they would know that they were married. And
maybe one day, there will be equality.

The manager of the lounge gave Christian a pat on the back.
“You’re up, buddy.”

Christian swallowed hard and nodded. He gathered all of the courage
that he could muster up and walked out onto the stage with his guitar. The
crowd clapped and cheered. Christian spotted his brothers and Shea at a table
in the middle of the room, close to the stage. There were maybe forty to fifty
people in the room all together.

Shea was sitting with Sebastian on one side of him and Quinn
on the other, and Henry sat on the other side of Sebastian. Christian took a
seat on the stool that was set up behind the microphone. He glanced at the
faces of his brothers to see that they were looking at him with pride,
acceptance, and love. Then Christian’s eyes met Shea’s surprised ones. He
grinned and shook his head in awe, not seeming to believe that Christian was up
on stage in front of him. Good, Christian had wanted that reaction.

“What are you doing?” Shea mouthed to him.

Christian just smiled slightly and adjusted his guitar and
mic. “Hi...my name is Christian Beck...I...uh...I’m going to be playing
Lucky
by Jason Mraz
. This is for my boyfriend, Shea.”

Christian blew out the breath he was holding. He could do
this. He had to do this. For Shea. For himself. He needed Shea to know that he
would do anything for him and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with
him. Christian started strumming his guitar, playing the opening chords for the
song. Then he leaned forward and started singing into the mic, his eyes locked
on Shea’s.

Do you hear me? I’m talking to you across
the water across the deep blue ocean, under the open sky, oh my, baby I’m
trying. Boy I hear you in my dreams, I feel your whisper across the sea, I keep
you with me in my heart, you make it easier when life gets hard...

Christian sang his heart out. He poured everything he felt
into the song. As the moments ticked by, Christian’s nervousness and
apprehension faded. The only person in the room was Shea, who sat there smiling,
eyes brimming with tears. Christian smiled while singing, he couldn’t help it,
he was so happy.

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best
friend, lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again.
I’m lucky we’re in love in every way, lucky to have stayed where we have
stayed, lucky to be coming home someday...

Christian
finished the song and the last of the notes on the guitar.

The room erupted. Christian was stunned to find the whole
room standing, cheering, and clapping. Sebastian gave the guy in front of him a
playful nudge and shouted, “That’s my brother!”

Henry, Quinn, and Shea were also standing and clapping with
bright smiles on their faces. Shea put his fingers in his mouth and whistled
loudly.
 

Christian smiled, stood, and lifted a hand in thanks. He set
his guitar down, leaning it against the stool. A huge weight lifted off his
shoulders and he felt like he could breathe again. He never imagined he would
ever get up on a stage and sing. But he wanted his proposal to be special and
something that Shea would never expect but always remember.

“There is one more thing that I want to say,” Christian said
into the mic. The room quieted down to listen to whatever Christian had to say.
“Shea, you know I love you, and I would do anything for you. I want to be with
you for the rest of my life, so I need to know...Will you marry me?” he asked,
staring at the man who held his heart and soul.

The crowd erupted again and started chanting “Say Yes!”
 
Quinn and Sebastian started shoving Shea
toward the stage. Shea got the hint, made his way through the crowd, and hopped
up on stage. He grabbed the mic stand and tilted it toward his mouth so that he
could talk into it. “Consider this my answer,” he said.

Shea then grabbed Christian’s face and kissed him hard. The
crowd went wild. Christian wrapped his arms around Shea’s waist and yanked his
body against his own. Shea pulled back from the kiss and pressed his forehead
against Christian’s, a giant grin on his face.

“I can’t believe you did this,” Shea whispered.

“Neither can I.” Christian chuckled.

Shea laughed, kissing him again. “You were incredible,
baby.”

“Thank you, don’t ever expect it to happen again.” Christian
snickered.

Shea smiled against his lips. “Once in a lifetime, I
understand.”

“That’s right.”

The manager then walked on stage, smiling, and clapping. He
went to the mic. “Give it up for Christian and his fiancé, Shea!”

The crowd continued to give them a standing ‘O’ as they
walked off stage. Christian had his guitar in one hand and held Shea’s hand
with the other. They made their way through the crowd to where Christian’s
brothers were waiting. They got pats on the back and high fives as they went.
As soon as they made it to Henry, Sebastian, and Quinn, the three of them
wrapped them both up in a group hug.

“You know what time it is?” Sebastian said, a mischievous
smirk on his face.

Christian grinned and shook his head.
Oh no.
“Really? In the middle of the lounge?”

“You know it!” Sebastian exclaimed.

The crowd then got a show when the group of them started
jumping around in a circle together like a bunch of idiots. Henry, Sebastian,
and Quinn sang, “Christian’s getting married…” over and over as they went.
Christian laughed the whole time, his brothers were crazy. When they finally
broke apart, they made their way out of the lounge.

“Let’s go celebrate!” Sebastian said excitedly.

“Let me put my guitar in my car,” Christian said.

They all waited while Christian put his guitar in the trunk
of his car, which was parked only a block away, before they all started down
the sidewalk toward Philly’s famous South Street, since they were in walking
distance. They decided to go to Paddy Whack’s Irish Pub. The five of them found
a table and Henry bought the first round. They were about six rounds in when
Sebastian leaned over the table toward Christian and said.

“Chris, I have a confession to make.”

Christian smiled. “Okay,” he replied.

“Remember at the kids’ birthday party when I said that Rae
stuck her finger up my ass?” Sebastian said, his mouth twitching.

Christian gave him a bored look. “Yeah,” he said dryly.

“I lied, she never did that. I was just trying to see how
you would react.” Sebastian grimaced.

“You’re such a dick.” Shea chuckled before swigging his
beer.

Christian shook his head. “That was one of the worst panic
attacks I’ve ever had.”

“I’m sorry. I feel really bad about it.” Sebastian winced.

“No you don’t.” Christian snorted.

“Alright fine, I don’t. You’re face was fucking priceless.”
Sebastian laughed.

They all laughed.

“So who is the woman in the relationship?” Henry asked as he
leaned back in his chair with a shit-eatin’ grin on his face.

“Christian, for sure.” Shea laughed.

Henry, Sebastian, and Quinn started cracking up.

“Hey!” Christian cried and shoved at Shea.

“I’m joking!” Shea said, still laughing.

Christian sent him a dirty look. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m curious, Chris, have you
ever
been with a woman?” Sebastian asked.

Christian nodded. “Yeah, twice when I was eighteen. I had
to, to make sure that I was, in fact, gay. I knew that I was attracted to guys
sexually but I knew that I was
supposed
to be attracted woman, so I tried, I really did, but I just couldn’t continue
to be with women. I felt like I was lying to myself.”

“So you lost your virginity to a girl then?” Henry asked.

“Yeah and then again to a guy.” Christian smirked.

“Ah! No! No talkie about ass fuckie!” Sebastian whined,
plugging his ears with his fingers before singing, “Lalalalala.”

Christian chuckled.

“And what about you Shea? What changed that made you
suddenly want to be with a guy?” Quinn asked, curiously.

Shea glanced at Christian and smiled. “I didn’t want to be
with just
any
guy, I wanted to be
with Christian. He told me he was in love with me and couldn’t bear to be just
friends with me anymore. So I suggested that we start a relationship, which in
turn made me realize that I had been attracted to Christian for a long time,
and he was the one I am supposed to be with.”

“Good god, does anyone have a spoon? I need to gag myself!”
Sebastian called around the bar, getting some weird looks from the other
patrons.

Henry slapped him upside the head. “Shut up, be nice.”

Sebastian glared at Henry before turning back to Shea. “But
don’t you miss being with women?”

“Not really. Christian and I get along great, we always have,
and there is nothing that a woman can do in bed that Christian can’t do soooo
much better.” Shea smirked, wagging his eyebrows at Sebastian.

Sebastian visibly gagged and slapped a hand over his mouth.
“Stop that! I don’t want to know anything about your sex life, dammit!”

“It’s so fun to torture you, though.” Shea laughed.

“I will seek revenge,” Sebastian warned him, pointing a
finger at him.

“Bring in on, biotch!” Shea said, holding his arms out in
challenge.

They all laughed and continued to drink, get drunk, and
laugh some more. It was the best time Christian’s had since Sebastian’s
wedding. Shea and he didn’t have to worry about Skylar tonight because his
parents were keeping her for the night.

Somehow, Shea ended up on Christian’s lap at one point. Shea
was sitting sideways, one arm wrapped around Christian’s shoulders while the
other held his beer. This was the first time that they had ever been so touchy
feely in public, and especially in front of Christian’s brothers. Christian
really loved it, though. It felt good to be able to show off his gorgeous
fiancé and let people know that Shea was his. Shea was laughing at something
Sebastian said and Christian couldn’t help but smile up at him lazily. Shea was
so handsome with his warm brown eyes and his full lips framed by a dark goatee.

Shea glanced down at him and smiled softly when he realized
that Christian had been watching him. Shea leaned down and kissed him tenderly.
Christian moaned low, damn, he loved the way Shea kissed.

“Fuck, that’s so weird. I don’t think I will ever get used
to seeing those two kiss,” Sebastian said.

Christian heard Henry and Quinn chuckle, but he didn’t
really care. All he cared about was Shea and his delicious mouth. Shea pulled
back with a smile.

“Are we really engaged?” Shea asked quietly.

“Yes.” Christian grinned.

Shea shook his head. “That’s so crazy.”

“I love you, Shea.”

“I love you, too, Chris.”

Shea stared down at the shiny gold band inlayed with
diamonds on his finger that matched Christian’s. They got married up in New
York a month prior. Of course, Christian’s whole family was present, along with
Quinn and Margot’s newest addition, a gorgeous dark haired baby girl who they
named, Evonne. Shea still couldn’t believe it was real, that he was married to
the love of his life and his best friend of twenty-five years.

Shea also changed Skylar’s and his last names to Beck. He
wanted them all to have the same last name and what better to become a Beck?
He’s been part of their family almost his whole life, so it made sense to
finally make it official. Even though Pennsylvania didn’t acknowledge their
marriage, they couldn’t stop him from changing his name.

“Dada!” a sweet little voice said, bringing him out of his
thoughts.

Shea looked down to see Skylar toddling toward him with one
hand in Christian’s. She was just starting to walk and was doing pretty well
with just holding one hand instead of two now. He couldn’t believe that she was
one already. He swore they just brought her home from the hospital yesterday.

“Hi, cutie.” Shea smiled and put his hands out for her to
grab.