Chapter 107 - Most Fun He Ever Had

As it turned out, it wasn't just Riley who met his cousin's boyfriend that day.

"Was I not invited to a party in my own apartment?" was the first thing the guy Evan immediately recognized as Sam - Riley's boyfriend from the fridge - said as he unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside, for the first thing he saw was Riley, Evan and his friends on the living room floor.

Riley stood up first and instantly made a beeline for him, excited by his presence. "Would you be mad if I said yes?" he asked with a smile. Sam rolled his eyes and planted a kiss on Riley's lips as soon as he was close enough.

He had his arm around Riley's waist and Evan smiled at the sight of them, knowing that his cousin was happy with his mate despite the bigotry of their family.

Speaking of family, Evan had no doubt that Sam knew what their family was like. It made Evan all the more nervous about getting to meet him. Riley was relieved to see him again, but Evan wouldn't be surprised if his mate saw it differently. After all, he'd become a part of his life at the same moment Riley's family had pulled away from him, and Evan was part of that family.

"I want you to meet someone," Riley said with a smile as he pulled away from his boyfriend and turned to Evan, his eyes beckoning him closer.

He stood up slowly, a nervous smile playing on his lips, and walked over. "Hi." He didn't know what to do with his hands and before he could wave awkwardly, he put them in his pockets.

Riley's boyfriend frowned at first, his eyes jumping from Evan to Riley before going somewhere over Evan's shoulder for a second and he realised that his eyes were probably resting on the photo on the fridge.

Before he could react properly, however, Riley interrupted. "This is my cousin, Evan. Evan, this is my boyfriend Sam. My mate."

Sam's eyes darted to the people on the living room floor in surprise. He probably must have thought they were werewolves too, since Riley used the word so casually. Thus, his surprise quickly passed, and his gaze shifted back to Evan.

"Evan?" He nodded at the sound of his name. "The Evan? Damn, you're so grown up. I always pictured you as a little kid."

Riley laughed at his boyfriend's words. "Tell me about it. I still can't get used to it."

"I'm 17," Evan elaborated.

"Good. I'm not good with kids," Sam declared, and this time it was Evan who laughed at his words as if he hadn't expected them. "Me neither," he assured him immediately afterwards.

"I've been told I'm a bad influence. On more than one occasion," Sam went on, glancing for a moment at Riley, who frowned and shook his head as if he didn't want him to pursue the subject.

Evan wasn't sure if he'd got it right, but he decided to take a chance and say out loud what he was thinking. "If someone from our family told you that, I wouldn't take them seriously. My parents think every single one of my friends who isn't a werewolf is a bad influence. Aiden and Lola will testify to that." He nodded to his friends and Sam's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're human," it was probably meant as a question, but it came out more like a statement. It was obvious from his voice that he wasn't expecting it.

"Yep." Lola confirmed immediately with a smile. "And we're not the only ones Evan's told about werewolves, so if anyone's a bad example, it's him," Aiden added.

"Are you really Riley's cousin? Because I've never convinced him to break a rule in my life," Sam declared, and Riley playfully punched him in the chest, his expression suggesting that he was going to get even more revenge for his words later.

"We've already managed to tell Riley that Evan has broken every single rule that exists in the werewolf world, so he's obviously made up for it for him as well," Angie revealed without hesitation.

"I'm not gonna lie, I want to hear about every one of them," Sam declared with a grin, and Evan immediately grinned back. He wasn't used to that kind of support when he broke the rules, so of course Sam got brownie points from him.

"Good, because Riley seemed traumatised when he heard about it," Angie snitched again.

"That sounds like Riley," Sam said with amusement in his voice, planting a kiss on his boyfriend's cheek. Affection played in his eyes and when Riley's gaze met his, his brown eyes radiated the same warmth.

"Angie told him all the shocking things she could think of, so no one could blame him," Evan added. Riley hadn't seen Angie in years, so he wasn't used to her bluntness, and now it was even worse than when they were kids. For some reason, though, he was convinced that Sam was bound to like this trait of hers.

"So you're Angie?" Sam seemed to recognise her name and turned to the petite brunette. "I've heard a lot about you too."

His confession immediately brought a broad smile to her face.

"Only good things, I hope," she said, then added, "All I've heard so far is that you're hot, and that fits."

As much as his words had pleased her, the same effect was happening here.

"I wasn't the one who said that," Riley assured him immediately. "Lola noticed the picture on the fridge."

"I look good in the pictures on the fridge," Sam agreed matter-of-factly.

Riley rolled his eyes. "A little modesty wouldn't hurt," he advised.

"I mean, he's right, so..." Lola chimed in.

"Don't feed his ego," Riley declared, but judging by the smug grin on Sam's face, it was too late.

"You're like the exact opposite of Evan and Ryan," Aiden suddenly judged, causing Evan to look at him in surprise and ponder his words.

"And Ryan is?" Sam asked immediately.

"My boyfriend," Evan revealed automatically as he was still considering Aiden's words.

"You have a boyfriend?" Sam seemed taken aback by this sudden revelation.

"Apparently the more homophobic parents there are in our family, the more queer children are born to them," Evan assessed.

"Oh my God." Sam was more than amused by his explanation.

"No offence, but I'd really pay to see their reaction when they find out," he then declared, adding, "I suppose they don't know about it, do they?"

"Of course not," Evan confirmed right away. "I've decided that if they find out, they'll find out, but I'm not going to tell them."

"Honestly, none of us understand that they haven't found out yet," Angie added. "Evan's room smells like sex all the time, not to mention his clothes."

Evan's cheeks took on a darker shade, but he shrugged anyway and admitted, "True." He hadn't thought that Sam's smile could be any wider, but apparently it was.

"Oh my God," he replied with a laugh. "You and I are going to get along just fine, Evan."

"I take it back," Aiden interjected. "They're just like Ryan and Evan, but not in the way you'd think at first."

"What's your boyfriend like?" Sam asked with interest.

"He's very nice, polite, always thinks of other people first," Evan explained briefly. "Also, he's my mate and not just a boyfriend."

"Damn, you found him fast," he reacted, then frowned. "That means you don't have a full bond yet, right?"

"We could have," Evan explained. "Age doesn't matter since we've already found each other. We're just missing the final step."

"The biting thing?" Sam's words sounded something between a statement and a question, but Evan nodded in clarification anyway.

"What's the biting thing?" Lola asked and Aiden looked confused as well. Evan and Angie had told them a lot about werewolves, but left out the sexual details. At least most of them.

"Marking," Angie called it correctly. "Basically, werewolves bite their mate's neck during sex to seal their bond."

"Sounds painful," Aiden judged.

"Not really," Sam immediately assured him. "It's pretty hot."

"Can we please not talk about sex with teenagers?" Riley interjected, not looking too comfortable with the subject. When Evan got a better look at him, he noticed that his cheeks had changed colour, probably at Sam's words, and he quickly hid an amused smile.

"Should we pretend we're not having sex?" Lola asked him a question of her own.

"They're not that young," Sam protested, looking at his boyfriend. Riley sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I can't believe I finally met my cousin after all these years and the first thing we talk about is sex."

"Is this a subject you would bring up in front of your family?" Sam asked.

"No."

"There you go." Sam planted a quick kiss on Riley's cheek. "That's why it's so cool."

"I guess you're right." Riley's attitude changed quickly. A small smile played on his lips and when Sam nudged him gently, he smiled even wider and rolled his eyes at him.

"I'm always right," Sam corrected him. "But if you want, I'll change the subject." Then he turned to Evan and his friends. "What have you seen in New York so far, and how much time do we have to show you all the cool places?"

And just like that, a school trip turned into a trip around New York with Riley and Sam.

Just as Sam promised, they showed them the coolest places in the city. Evan found out that Sam works as a waiter in a famous restaurant where celebrities go, and Sam managed to assure him that it was the worst job ever. Apparently the most famous people were also the most arrogant, and Sam hated his job. But he was good at it, and it paid well, so he was grateful.

Later, Riley took him aside and explained that Sam's job paid for most of his education. Although Riley also worked part-time, he couldn't earn enough to go to school on his own. Sam was determined to make his dream come true, so he found this job and was determined to keep it.

Evan was upset when he heard this. Not because of Riley and certainly not because of Sam. It pissed him off that Riley could have finished school a long time ago and Sam could have had a job he liked, if only their family had not been bigoted.

It was so unfair, but Riley assured him that he was used to it and didn't mind. He loved his life, and he loved it even more now that he had his favourite cousin back in it.

Evan couldn't stop smiling when Riley said it.

"So... what do you think of Sam?" Riley asked him in the evening after they'd spent the whole day together and Sam had to go to work. It was just the two of them left and they were sitting on Riley's bed.

"Honestly? If I had the chance to meet him when I was 13, I would have thought he was the coolest person in the world," he replied honestly. "I still think that."

"Hey!" Riley objected immediately. "I thought I was the coolest person you knew."

Evan laughed. "You're my favourite person in the world," he assured him. "But Sam's a little bit cooler." He demonstrated a little with his fingers.

Riley swung at him playfully. "I'm glad you like him," he admitted. "When I first met him, I wondered how I could introduce you without it becoming a problem, and in the end I didn't get the chance. You and him getting to know each other was always on the list, it just had to wait."

"It was worth the wait," Evan assured him. At the same time, he was glad that Riley was able to get to know Ryan, even if it was only over the phone for now. After today, however, he had no doubt that he would have the opportunity to meet him in person one day. He was sure that Ryan would love a day like the one they had had today.

"You know..." Evan turned to him with a soft smile that reflected all his feelings. "This is the most fun I've ever had."

"I'm glad," Riley replied with the same intimate smile, his eyes betraying his emotional response to his words. "I'm sure Sam will take it as a challenge, though. Be prepared to have more fun the next time you visit."

"I'll take your word for it," Evan assured him with a chuckle. "We still have tomorrow, though." Just one more day and then they had to say goodbye again. This time, however, they had a way of contacting each other and a promise to stay in touch.