“It’s him.”
Hayden slid closer with his chair. The pizza carton lay closed, with some slices still inside. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I took my chair back to give him room, then stood to stretch my legs while Hayden clicked through more screens.
“It’s like you said—he got out on parole after three years for good behavior. There’s usually more information about the parole process and the committee’s ruling, but I don't see any of that on his file. It’s as though someone just decided to set him free.” Almost apologetically, he added, “It was easier doing things off the record back then. I don’t think they could pull it off today.’
I was positive they still could.
“I’ll try to find his address tomorrow.” He shut down the computer and stood to face me.
“Don’t go looking for him on your own.”
“I won’t do anything without you knowing. Thank you for going through this. Can I touch you now?”
I nodded, expecting him to kiss me, but he pulled me into a hug. “I’m proud of you, Joe. Ready to go home?”
I’d never been more ready to return to my mountain. “Yes.”
“Tomyhome.”
“I won’t be good company tonight.”
“I'll take the risk.”
Too tired to argue, I agreed.
*
We parked our cars in front of Hayden’s three-story building. It was a small, quiet neighborhood, so finding a good parking space wasn't as rare as winning the lottery.
“You have a new couch,” I said once we stepped inside.
“I do. You hated the old one.”
“It was lumpy.”
“Well, there you go.”
The living room was on the smaller side but arranged to feel homey. Hayden's acoustic guitar had an honorary place next to the television. His bookcase carried four books and around two hundred DVDs, mostly of cop flicks. When we started dating, I’d been upfront with him about my short run at acting, leaving out what had caused me to stop and simply stating that it hadn’t worked out.
“I’m going for a quick shower. Join me?”
I wished to stay alone for a bit, to try to stop Bo’s face from floating in my mind. “I’ll go in after you.”
Looking slightly disappointed, he nodded and walked to the bathroom.
I slumped onto the couch, tired and low-spirited. I could still vividly recall opening my eyes for the first time in that cell, seeing Bo as I lay naked and dazed. I demanded to know where I was, and he responded with his fists. For six months, he’d been my personal demon, using my body and toying with my mind while exploiting my every weakness.
And now I was searching for him.
I pinched my arm to put out the growing fire. It dawned on me that the perfect distraction was close by, taking a shower. I had been so focused on my own shit that I hadn’t thought of how this must be affecting Hayden, who also had his life turned upside down.
I can be his distraction, too.
I took off my clothes and walked to the bathroom. Opening the door, I was caught in a thick cloud of steam. Hayden still liked to shower in lava. I barely managed to see his silhouette through the glass door. I left the bathroom door open to let some of the steam out, then walked closer to the cubicle and slid open the door. “Can I still join?”
He wiped water from his face, his naked body a glorious sight. “Depends. Can I soap you everywhere?”
