Free November Rain by Daisy Harris

way Joe had been with his ex.
    â€œCan’t do what?” Joe laughed, but it was nervous.
    â€œI can’t share.” Elias didn’t know if that was the right way to express it, but he figured Joe got the message clearly. “I like you. But that’s not something I could do.”
    Joe nodded, his eyes calculating. “Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
    Elias couldn’t tell if Joe was angry, but if there was more Joe wanted to say, he didn’t have the opportunity. Some men Joe knew came down the hallway, waving.
    â€œSteve, Chris, this is Elias.”
    Elias wasn’t sure what message these men would get. That Elias was Joe’s lover? Boyfriend? Simply a warm and willing body? The last option was too painful to consider.
    He shook the men’s hands. Without having to think about it, Elias firmed his grip so Joe’s friends knew he was strong enough to defend what was his.
    Joe tried to keep up with Steve and Chris’s conversation, though all his attention was on Elias. Guys didn’t ask to be monogamous after a single hook-up, did they? At least not the guys Joe knew.
    Steve and Chris quieted on the elevator. As soon as the doors opened, Chris spotted some other friends, and Steve followed him through to the reception area.
    â€œSo. You’re serious?” Joe took Elias’s hand and tugged him to a stop.
    â€œOf course I’m serious.” Elias’s gaze was perfectly steady.
    Joe respected Elias for standing his ground. Even if Joe were able-bodied, he’d still be willing to give Elias his full attention for a while.
    â€œHey. Come over here.” He tugged Elias closer.
    â€œWhy?” Elias’s gaze was teasing.
    â€œYou know why.” Joe pressed a kiss to Elias’s cheek. “You’re pretty cool, you know that?” Maybe that was an admission it was too early to make, but Joe didn’t mind saying it. Elias might have been naïve, but he wasn’t a doormat. Joe had known enough guys in their early twenties to tell the difference.
    In Joe’s ear, Elias whispered, “You’re cool too.” The sound of it was husky and hot.
    In the background, a quiet orchestral number pumped from a sound system.
    â€œShould we go inside?” Elias tipped his head in the direction all the other men were walking.
    â€œYeah.” Joe looked around the room. Most of the guys at the wedding were coupled up, and Joe was glad he’d brought a guest. More than that, he was glad he’d brought Elias.
    â€œLet’s go inside, honey.” He tugged at Elias’s hand then grabbed the handholds of his crutches to stride as best he could.

Chapter Nine
    The officiant leading the wedding was female, and she read passages that brought tears to Elias’s eyes. Guests stood to share poems or songs. Through it all, Joe held Elias’s hand, his thumb stroking over Elias’s knuckles.
    The ceremony ended with the grooms kissing—in front of everyone, even their parents. Elias kept looking back and forth to the families, checking for some sign of outrage or disgust. All he saw were happy faces.
    Music played, and the grooms walked hand in hand down the aisle. Joe leaned in to Elias’s ear. “Let’s go. I’m fucking starving.” The roughness in Joe’s voice said that he’d been more affected by the ceremony than he tried to appear.
    Elias smiled. “Sure.” He stepped into the aisle ahead of Joe, appreciating how the wedding attendants hung back to allow Joe room to maneuver on his crutches.
    In the reception area, vases overflowed with lilies, and the pedestals were wrapped in green and white ribbon. Walls in tones of emerald and moss blended beautifully against the gray sky outside.
    Joe went to the washroom, leaving Elias alone to marvel at the view. Waiters so handsome they must have been handpicked carried trays of champagne, and from every corner came the sound of