Zeke’s heart thudded in his chest, a bright spark of gladness that Cal was wiser than he was. Whatever happened, they would work it out.
He lifted the sheet and blanket from his body, and shivered at the cool air from the rain.
“Come on in. You don’t need to sit there all night.”
In a heartbeat, Cal was shucking his boots and blue jeans, damp button-down shirt, and had slithered into the bed, into Zeke’s arms. There he nestled, the top of his head brushing the bottom of Zeke’s jaw.
Zeke’s whole body sighed with pleasure at the rightness of this moment, except for the fact that Cal was trembling.
“You okay, Cal?” he asked, stroking Cal’s back in long, slow pets.
Cal made a sound in his throat.
“You aren’t, are you,” said Zeke. He could feel the slight movement of Cal’s head, short hair tickling his skin, the movement he couldn’t define. It might have been yes or it might have been no. Zeke needed to make sure.
“I don’t like your friend,” he said.
“I don’t like him either,” said Cal, almost whispering, clutching at Zeke’s t-shirt. Letting go, clutching again. “I came because I was shook, the way he always makes me feel shook. Ever since we got back, I wanted togoback. Back to the valley. With you.”
“I feel the same, Cal.” Zeke could not add to that, could not speak past the burst of pleased discovery at Cal’s words. He cupped the back of Cal’s neck and kissed his temple, and sighed as he kissed him again. “I’d go back in a heartbeat, if I could. Take you with me.”
He smiled as he dipped his chin. “In a heartbeat.”
Cal curled tighter in his arms. “This here, with you, is the closest I could get to that.”
“I reckon between us we’ll figure it out.”
“I reckon we will,” said Cal, and Zeke heard the smile in his voice.
Cal turned off the flashlight and, except for the rain, the night grew dark and still around them, comforting, peaceful. It felt easier now.
He and Cal could talk this through and between them, figure out how they wanted it to go. He was still unsure, but he had Cal in his arms, and that made everything better. Surely that was a good sign?
“Last year,” said Zeke, smiling as he felt Cal lift his chin to listen. “Galen asked me out. I didn’t know what to make of it. I said no and thank you, and ever since then—” He broke off and stared through the darkness of the tent, as if he could get his answers there. “Ever since then I wondered, why did he think I was gay? Am I? I don’t feel gay.”
Cal laughed, and kissed Zeke’s neck, and snuggled even closer.
“I’m no expert,” Cal said. “But there are all kinds of ways to be gay. Just like, you know, there are all kinds of ways to be straight.”
“What about Preston?” Zeke stopped. He’d not known he was going to bring up the subject of Cal’s old boyfriend, but there he had, bold, like he had a right to know. “I don’t mean to pry. You don’t have to answer that.”
“He’s kind of a jerk,” said Cal.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t realize that at first. I broke it off a few times, but it never stuck. Finally, when I got arrested, I thought that was it, you know? Only it wasn’t.”
“Is he going to keep coming around?” A part of Zeke secretly hoped that he would, so Zeke could teach him a lesson, which wasn’t like him atall.
“I hope not,” said Cal. He ducked his head and kissed Zeke’s neck, and beneath that kiss, Zeke’s skin shivered and twitched with pleasure. “But I don’t know how to stop him. He’s pretty set on me going back home with him.”
“Restraining order,” said Zeke.
“Tissue paper to him,” said Cal.
Zeke sighed and wrapped his arms more firmly around Cal’s middle. Here was the cuddle he needed, and hopefully Cal didn’t mind. Zeke didn’t think he did.
He fell asleep with the soft feel of Cal’s hair on his neck, beneath his jaw. And when he woke up, Cal was still in his arms.
