???
My mom was waiting for me when I walked through the door. “Were you at Elijah’s all night?” She had such a knowing look on her face that I almost laughed.
I huffed out a little sigh instead, and started, “Mom, there’s something I think you already know about me that I’ve never actually said out loud.”
Before I could say more, she clapped her hands together and a huge grin spread across her face. “Youaredating him. You’re dating Elijah, aren’t you?Finally!”
I couldn’t cover up the laugh this time. I went on with the statement she’d interrupted. “Mom, I’m gay.”
She rushed over and hugged me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your big announcement, I just... you’re right, it’s something we already knew, and your father and I have been waiting forthisannouncement since you two were kids. We could see as you grew it was heading in that direction, but then we thought you blew it in high school.”
I chuckled into her hair as I hugged her back. “Well, here’sthe announcement, then. Yes, we’re seeing each other. It’s a little weird and there are a lot of things happening, but yeah, we’re kind of dating. This morning seemed a little less weird and a little more normal between us.”
I was still a little surprised that it had seemed better at that particular time. As soon as he’d had to use his safe word, I thought I’d blown it yet again. My first instinct had been to make sure he was okay. My second was to kick my own ass. Elijah hadn’t felt the same, obviously.
“Look, though,” I told my mom after we separated. “There’s some shady shit going on in this town.” She nodded, everyone knew that. “He’s out there in the woods all alone, no protection of any kind besides a cat with one eye, some kitchen knives, and a can of bug spray. I’m going to stay with him out there until it’s all settled. I’ll keep Dad’s gun with me. I can’t leave him alone.”
She looked worried, because she was a mom, and she was a good one. “Mason, I don’t want you to get hurt either. Maybe he should come here, and you should both stay with us. That way there are more people and more weapons too. Plus, the neighborhood is safe, and the neighbors all watch out for each other.”
I looked at her incredulously. “Seriously, Mom? You think I want to put you and Dad at risk? That just gives me more targets to watch. I can handle myself, you know I can. I’m trained for this. I’ll do better just watching my own back and Elijah’s, and Chris is a phone call away if I need him. We’re good. I swear.”
She hugged me again. “I understand that you need to protect him. Just protect yourself too.”
“I will. I promise.”
I headed upstairs to start packing my stuff to stay at Elijah’s for a while. He wasn’t going to be out of my sight unless he was somewhere like work. I wouldn’t let anyone hurt him. I fucked up royally in Chicago, and it wasn’t going to happen again.
Chris texted me as I was packing.Hey, do you want to go out on the boat today? I’m off work and so is Derrick. We were thinkingit’d be nice to hang out again.
I glanced at the clock. Elijah was in public and surrounded by people he knew. I had plenty of time to go fishing, so I let Chris know I’d meet them at the boat ramp. I took my stuff with me so I could meet Elijah after work and follow him home.
???
We’d been out on the lake about an hour, fishing, shooting the shit about nothing important, and just hanging out like old times. If it wasn’t for the pain that still slipped in even when I was having a good time, it would have felt like I’d never left. I tried to push it away and hold onto the happiness as I headed to the cooler to get a bottle of water. They hadn’t brought any alcohol since I’d come along.
It’d been a long time since my body had seen the sunlight, and the heat was getting oppressive, so I took my shirt off as I reached the cooler. Almost as soon as I’d grabbed a water, Derrick called out, “Whoa, Mason! What the hell, man, you just got back! You’re already getting laid? I guess you always were the ladies’ man.” He laughed.
I paused with the water in my hand before slowly turning to face them. I’d felt the sting of the claw marks when Elijah had put them there, and I’d noticed again in the shower this morning, but I hadn’t really thought to look in the mirror, and had completely forgotten about them. Since my back wasn’t completely covered in tattoos, and judging by the burn of the hot water, I’d wager there were a few decent scratch marks in fairly large streaks visible on my upper back.
Chris was looking at me from his seat slightly behind Derrick’s line of vision, a little smirk planted on his face. He took a sip of his fucking apple juice, and I wanted to hit the bottom of it so it spilled all over him. Even with the smugness, though, I knew he’d never say a word if I didn’t say it.
“Who was it?” Derrick went on, scrunching up his face as he tried to figure out who from high school I could be hookingup with. “Audry? I know she got divorced. Or Mara? She’s been single a while. They were all over you.” I hadn’t told him when we went fishing together because I hadn’t been sure how he’d take it, and I’d been more focused on what he was going through. After the scene in the police station, though, and with me staying with Elijah for a while, word was going to get around town. Elijah was a hot topic of conversation at the moment, and people were going to notice how much time we were spending together. My time in the closet in Brooks Glen had come to an end.
I cleared my throat and sat back down, taking a second to check my line before I turned to Derrick. “There’s something I never told you about myself. I should have, I know, I should have a long time ago, but I was a fucking coward back in high school.”
He looked confused for a second, then glanced back at Chris who just looked at him then back to me. Derrick turned back to face me. “What are you trying to say?”
“It’s not Audry or Mara that I’m sleeping with,” I said. “It’s Elijah.”
He looked so stereotypically shocked it was almost funny. He stared at me, eyes wide and mouth dropped open. No words came at first. Obviously Derrick hadnotsuspected back then like I was certain Chris had. “Wh... you mean, you’re gay?” I just nodded. “Wow, man, I never would have guessed.” He still seemed confused but then looked thoughtful as well.
“Yeah. I tried to make sureno onewould guess back then,” I said simply.
He glanced back at Chris. “You knew about this?”
Chris shrugged. “Only recently. Because Mason was there when I went out to Elijah’s house yesterday.”
Derrick was still looking at him. “Why did you go to Elijah’s house? Everyone told me he got arrested at work.”
