“Think about it. I promise never to hurt anyone you love. This does not mean I approve of two men, but I realize now you’ll shut me out if I order you to do certain things you’re against.”
“How can I trust you?”
“My father, your grandfather, had the same conversation with me.”
“And what did you say?”
Just like that, his father changed the subject when he didn’t want to answer a question. “I want to meet your boyfriend.”
Those words snapped Adrik back into reality. “Not now. Maybe one day.”
His father nodded, then stood up and hugged him. “I love you, Adrik.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hans
Warnemünde, Germany
Hans spent the wholeday with his phone glued to his hand, calling Adrik over and over, each attempt ending in the same dead silence—no ring, no voicemail, nothing. It made his stomach twist. He didn’t even know who he could call to check on him. The tutor? His mother? No, he didn’t have their numbers, and he also didn’t have Adrik’s real surname. That would be crossing a line Adrik hadn’t given him permission to cross, anyway.
So, Hans wandered the campus instead, drifting between buildings with no real destination, his steps uneven, like his body couldn’t decide where to take him. The cold air stung his cheeks, but it didn’t clear his head the way he hoped. His chest felt too tight, breath catching every few minutes as if his lungs were forgetting how to work. He kept rubbing his palms against his jeans, trying to get rid of the restless tremor in his fingers.
Every time he checked his phone—every two minutes, maybe less—his stomach lurched.Why isn’t he answering? What if something happened? What if his father—no, don’t go there, don’t think that.The thoughts kept looping anyway, sharp and intrusive, refusing to be reasoned with.
He cut across the quad, then doubled back without realizing it, passing the same bench twice. At one point he stopped near the fountain, pretending to admire the water even though he wasn’t seeing any of it. He just needed to stand still before his knees gave out. His mind kept replaying Adrik’s voice from the night before, the softness in it, the way he’d saidI love youlike it was the easiest truth in the world. And now—silence.
Hans pressed a hand to his sternum, trying to steady the thudding there. He wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all himself. He wasn’t out here for fresh air. He was out here because sitting still felt impossible, because if he stayed in his office he’d start imagining worst-case scenarios in high definition.
He walked again, faster this time, almost pacing the length of the campus paths. Anything to keep from thinking. Anything to keep from feeling like he was losing Adrik.
The motorcycle was supposed to be delivered later, and he needed to be home for that, but the thought barely registered.What good was a motorcycle if Adrik weren’t safe?
Two hours passed before he finally trudged back to his office. Amelia had finished all the folders and left them neatly stacked—thank God for her—but he barely had time to appreciate it before his phone rang. His heart jumped so hard it hurt. He didn’t even look at the screen. He just answered.
“Hans,” Adrik whispered.
Hans nearly sagged into his chair. “What happened? You okay?”
“Not really. My father is here.”
Hans’ pulse spiked. “Get out of there! I’ll get on the next flight. Come home.”
“He won’t hurt me. He came for my mother. He wants to take us back to New York.”
Hans pressed a hand to his forehead, dizzy with the urge to physically pull Adrik through the phone and lock him somewhere safe. “No, Adrik. Don’t go back. I need you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Hans. I’m booking a flight tomorrow night. But it will take me over a day.”
“Send me your flight plans.”
“As soon as I make them, but I need to make sure I’m cleared to leave tomorrow night.”
Hans frowned. “What do you mean cleared? You need your father’s approval to return to Germany?”
“Family dynamics suck. I’m coming home as soon as I can.”
“Okay.”
