Mac
After spending the past few days sleeping at Gideon’s apartment, they decided the logical thing would be for Mac to move back in with him. Mac spoke to his landlord, who said that if Mac could find somebody else to move in, he would let him break his lease. The landlord wasn’t going to do any advertising. It was up to Mac.
Mac and Gideon put the word out to their friends. In the meantime, Gideon continued to cover his rent and Mac covered his, both barely, and they got to enjoy sleeping in the same bed together.
Among other things.
Mac came back to his studio apartment after class to pick up a change of clothes and start doing some cleaning, just in case he had to move out fast. Even though he’d only lived in this apartment for a few weeks, he had managed to leave his mark. Dishes overflowed in the sink, which was strange since he never cooked. TV dinners stuck out from under the trash lid. Clothes were spread out like lily pads on his floor. Dust bunnies tumbled along in the corners. Mac was tired of looking at this place and eager to be a full-time resident with Gideon.
One reason why Mac never was able to clean in the past is that whenever he started, he would fall down a rabbit hole of looking at old pictures and old papers and letting memories play in his head. He and Gideon brought back some of Aunt Rita’s photo albums and scrapbooks, more stuff he could look through. He found a framed picture of him and Aunt Rita on Christmas with their matching Santa hats. A pang of sadness hit him square in the gut. He believed she would have loved Gideon.
There was one picture he had forgotten all about. He and his parents at Disney World outside Thunder Mountain. He was six and having the time of his life. It was one of the few pieces of evidence showing his dad capable of smiling.
Mac considered calling his parents. He hated how they left things in Pittsburgh. He appreciated Gideon defending him, but he didn’t like seeing them attacked. And his mother asking him “Is that what you think?” threw him for a loop. Some dark corner of his heart refused to let him outright hate his parents, the same corner that wouldn’t let him hate Gideon. Maybe it was a survival instinct to keep certain people in our lives.
He held his phone in his hand, pressing his fingertips onto the screen but not dialing. Someone knocked at his door, rescuing him from his awkward moment.
“It’s open,” he called out.
Rafe stood in the doorway. Mac had an epic “oh shit” moment.
“We were supposed to have a date tonight.”
Mac searched his memory, then searched his phone.
“We texted when you were on the bus to Pittsburgh. I said I’d come over when you got back and bring you chicken noodle soup.” Rafe held up a container of what could only be chicken noodle soup. The secret ingredient was guilt. “I guess you forgot.”
“Why don’t you come in?” Mac cleared off space on one of the dining chairs.
“Is this a date, or is this where you break up with me?”
“Break up? We weren’t exclusive. We weren’t even dating, technically.” That didn’t matter to Rafe, he saw. Rafe was someone who went all in right away. “Please, sit down.”
Rafe came in, shut the door, and had a seat. He waited for an explanation.
“This has been a really weird time. My aunt just passed away, and things with my family are worse than ever.” Mac stopped himself. He wasn’t going to drag Aunt Rita into his mess. “Gideon and I reconnected. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I should have.” Rafe was one of the good guys. He deserved better. “I’m really sorry.”
Rafe slouched in his chair, like a kid in detention. “So Gideon’s officially gay now?”
“He is. He’s in the process of coming out.”
“And you guys are like together-together?”
“We are.”
Rafe gave an exaggerated nod, which Mac did not trust. Curiosity got the better of him.
“What?” Mac asked.
Rafe didn’t hesitate. He leaned forward and had a dark look clouding his eyes. “You’re just jumping from guy to guy. Once you broke up with Davis, you started messing around with Gideon. You and Gideon got in a fight, you started dating me. And now you’re back with Gideon. I’m guessing this apartment is the first time you’ve been on your own.”
Mac looked at him like he was crazy. The kid must’ve been heartbroken. “I’m twenty. Of course I’ve never lived on my own.”
“Not lived on your own. Been on your own. Been able to stand up for yourself. When Gideon barged in here, I was the one who got him to leave.” Rafe stood up and surveyed his surroundings. “You can’t even keep a one-room apartment clean.” He kicked a box on the floor. “You can’t even unpack and get some basic furniture. It’s like you just expect other people to do things for you and clean up your messes.”
Mac stayed frozen at the table, heat burning between his eyes. “You didn’t seem to mind any of this when we were dating.”
“I thought we weren’t dating. Maybe I dodged a bullet then.” Rafe picked up a dirty T-shirt off the floor. “You were wearing this at the Christmas party.”
