KnotMyProblem: Does that make you happy?
It didn’t. All it managed to do was make Aaron more aware of the mistakes he’d made.
KnotMyProblem: So no, I don’t know where he is. But you know what? If you want help, I can see what I can do. Have you checked with his babysitter?
ProtoSynthesis: I have
KnotMyProblem: What about Gwynn’s fiance, Alex? They’re best friends, aren’t they?
ProtoSynthesis: He’s not there, either.
KnotMyProblem: I don’t think TD would have sprung for a hotel… he’s been poor for too long to think he can afford one. So where else would he go? To his parents? Any other friends? He only ever mentioned Alex to us. He’s kept his circle small because of Bo.
ProtoSynthesis: That’s the conclusion I’ve drawn, too, but I don’t know where to go from there. He has Bo with him, so he wouldn’t have gone to see his family.
KnotMyProblem: I guess the only thing you can do at this point is head home. If he’s not reaching out to anyone, then he doesn’t want to be found. Give him some time to calm down. He’ll come back to you eventually. No matter how much of a shithead you were to him, his heart is too big to keep you out of it for long. Did you get him a new phone plan, btw? Can you call him if he’s out?
ProtoSynthesis: We were going to get him a plan this week. He tried to call me from an app, but unless he has WiFi, he can’t use it while he’s out. Will you get in touch if he contacts you? I want to make sure he’s okay.
KnotMyProblem: Contrary to popular belief, TD is actually a full-fledged adult capable of doing things like surviving on his own. If he gets in touch I’ll let you know, but you don’t have to worry. TD makes dumb choices, and sometimes he’s a little scatterbrained and naive, but he’s going to be fine. He can take care of himself.
KnotMyProblem: And just so we’re clear, even though I know he can take care of himself, I still don’t trust you. If I find out that you’ve been abusing him, I’m going to fly my ass to Aurora and take care of you myself.
Threat issued, the conversation would only devolve from there. Aaron knew better than to pursue it any further.
ProtoSynthesis: That’s fair. It won’t happen, but I appreciate the concern you have for Gage. Thank you for your help tonight.
KnotMyProblem: I’m only helping you because I care about TD. That’s it. I don’t wish anyone ill, but I kind of hope you’re abducted by mole men or shot off into space on some scientific mission.
ProtoSynthesis: Charming. I’m going to go figure out what to do from here. Goodnight.
Aaron exited the messaging app reddit’s mobile site had loaded on his phone, then turned the keys in the ignition and readied himself for another late-night drive. He’d walked away from the conversation no surer about Gage’s whereabouts than he’d been before, but what he’d learned from it was almost as valuable—Gage hadn’t cheated on him. Gage had always been true. He’d done what he needed to do for Bo while still keeping his promise to Aaron, and Aaron had abandoned him for it. It was Aaron’s mistake to fix, and waiting around for Gage to come back so he could fix it wasn’t good enough.
No matter how long it took, Aaron would find him.
He reversed down the driveway, pulled out onto the street, and started his search.
26
Gage
In the early hours of the morning, Gage flipped his blinkers on and turned off the quiet country road onto a familiar gravel driveway. Bo, who’d been asleep in his car seat, stirred. Thecrackle-snapof his lungs grew louder and changed pace, audible over the murmur of the radio and the crunch of the gravel beneath the tires. Gage checked the rearview mirror to find Bo had lifted his head. The change in velocity and the new noises had to have woken him.
“Hey, baby boy,” Gage said. “We’re almost there. It’s okay if you wanna go back to sleep.”
“Where?” Bo asked. His voice was small and tired.
“We’re going back to a place I lived when I was your age.” Gage followed the driveway across the property, his headlights the only terrestrial creation standing in opposition to the night. Overhead, the stars lit the sky, but the moon was gone. It didn’t matter. If he’d needed to, Gage could have taken the driveway without any light at all. He’d been born and raised here, and even though he’d moved out to live on his own, his body still remembered every dip and bump along the way. “We’re going to meet your grandparents.”
Bo sighed. It was a withering, defeated sound that would have made Gage laugh if it hadn’t rattled in Bo’s chest like it did.
“It’s going to be okay,” Gage promised. “It’s late at night. One of your grandpas is going to be at work, and the other is probably going to be asleep. We’ll get to the house, crawl into my old bed, and worry about saying hello to everyone tomorrow morning.”
Bo made another, somewhat resigned sound, then protested no more. He pushed his head back against his car seat, his gaze focused on the darkened scenery outside the window.
The car rocked as it passed over a bump. Gage counted down the seconds, starting from ten, and by the time he hit one, the driveway curved, and his childhood home appeared on the horizon. In the distance, off to the right, was the old barn he’d sneaked Aaron into their first summer together when the house was too busy to offer them any privacy. A lump rose in his throat, just as it had every time he’d come home since having Bo. He missed his fathers and his older brother, but he’d been strong, just like he’d been asked.
Now he had to be strong in a different way.
