“Alex.” Gage sighed. “I know I’m being annoying and that you don’t like to talk about your feelings, but you’ve got a gift that very few other people have. What are your colors telling you about how youfeel?”
“Yellow.” Alex scrubbed at his face. He didn’t want to admit that he was seeing fucking yellow, of all colors. He wasn’t supposed to be sad about losing Laurence. He wasn’t supposed to have any attachment to a canvas. One and done. Sometimes, rarely, two and through. Tonight had been Laurence’s two, but Alex didn’t feel through with himyet.
“Anythingelse?”
“Green, of course, especially when I think about his son walking in on us. I mean, I know that I wasn’t innocent at sixteen by any stretch of the word, and that because of the counter, he probably didn’t see his dad’s dick or that I was wearing lace, but he did see his dad pinning me to the countertop, fucking my brains out from behind. If I walked into the kitchen and I saw S-Mom doing that to C-Mom? I’d probably be scarred forlife.”
“And?”
“I don’t think there’s anything else of significance. There are a lot of other colors that pop up from time to time. Magenta, because I’m frustrated at myself for feeling this way. Another shade of yellow, because I don’t think I’m ever going to see him again now that this hashappened.”
“You wanted to see himagain?”
Alex had spoken without thinking, but now that he’d said the words, he couldn’t take them back. “I guess… Ido.”
“Oh, Alex. I’msorry.”
“You shouldn’t be, because I shouldn’t feel that way.” Alex kept his gaze trained on the emptiness of the night sky. He knew there were stars out there, somewhere, but their brilliance was lost, drowned out by the vibrancy of the hundreds of thousands of stories taking place in Aurora tonight. “I just… until I shake this, I don’t want to be alone. Do you mind if I comeover?”
“No, you’re fine. I actually just finished work for tonight, so it’s good timing.” Gage yawned. “But I will warn you, I’m probably going to pass out pretty hard not too long after you get here. Bo had me up really early thismorning.”
“That’s okay. Did you manage to get the ketchup stain out of my pajamas, or did you end up throwing themout?”
“I got it out!” Gage laughed. “Oh my god, I felt like some kind of domestic wizard when the stain washed out. To be fair, one of my online buddies helped me. His daughter is a super messy eater, so he’s got about every kind of stain removal techniquemastered.”
“So the pajamas are good togo?”
“Yup. I’ll even put them in the bathroom foryou.”
“Uh, did I happen to leave any underwear at your place, ever?” Alex wrinkled his nose. His cum-soaked panties with the ass torn out weren’t going to see him through untiltomorrow.
Gage sighed. “One time you came over drunk after a hookup and you one-clicked two five-packs… one for me, and one foryou.”
“Oh.” Alex grinned. “Okay, well, good job, drunk me. How were they? I assume you’ve been usingyours?”
“They’re good. They’re… underwear. They’re comfortable, if that’s what you’re looking for. And they aren’t dirty, which is probably more in line with why you’reasking.”
“Bingo.” Alex left the tree and wandered down the path, cutting through the park. “Is Bo stillawake?”
“He sure is. He’s glommed to my leg right now, trying to pretend like bedtime hasn’t already passed.” In the background, Alex heard Bo cackle. “Bo, wanna say hello to UncleAlex?”
For a moment, there was only rushing wind and shuffled noises, like the phone had been dropped into the middle of a pile of blankets and Gage was struggling to find it again. A moment later, the sound cleared up, and Bo spoke. “… Hi.” He cracked upgiggling.
Alex found himself on the verge of giggling, too. There was no laugh in the world as infectious as Bo’s manicgiggle.
“I hear from your dad that you’re up past your bedtime,” Alexsaid.
“Noooo!”
“Mmhm. You little con artist, you. What are you going to do when you’re tired in themorning?”
Bo paused thoughtfully. Then, completely seriously, he replied, “Sweep.”
“You’re going to go back to sleep?” Alex had to hold back on a laugh. “But what about all the fun stuff you have going on in themorning?”
“Wha?”
“Yeah. It’s going to be a great day tomorrow. You knowwhy?”
