He closed his eyes to listen more closely.
Chapter Two
Ben knew he was in trouble the moment Alexei closed his eyes.
He had watched Alexei retreat further and further into himself as the meal wound down, as Ryan’s story got more and more ridiculous. Had seen him look away into the distance a moment ago, furrow his brow in concentration. But when he tilted his head and closed his eyes—
He was listening to something, Ben thought. The bird, most likely, that was trilling in a tree next to the patio.
All the other fools at this table were laughing about being fools, and this guy—this gorgeous, kind of awkward guy who had saved Ben’s life—was listening, hardcore, to a bird.
Ben had lifted his fork to finally make work of his salad, but he paused now, glancing around to see if anyone else was noticing the supremely hot guy who appeared to be meditating at the end of their table. Alas. Only him.
So Ben ate his salad. Stared at Alexei. Watched the sun dance across his eyelids, throw highlights in his very blond hair, along the honey-gold scruff that graced his chin.
He was distracted from the sight only when his phone buzzed on the table.
Julie:YAY BEN YOU’RE STILL ALIVE YAY
Julie:London says hi!
Julie:London is also currently being a giant stress monster and a pain in my fricking behind so I understand if you don’t want to say hi back! I wouldn’t!!
Smiling, Ben dropped his fork and picked up his phone.
Ben:hi London! *waves* Why are they being a stress monster?
Julie:they’re trying to hire a director for the nonprofit. it’s a whole thing
Julie:WOW okay they are not a fan of being called a stress monster
Julie:anyway, show me your grossest blister
Ben was actually doing decently in the blister arena these days. He had bit it a while back, though, near Warner Springs, where he’d first run into this group of guys. He’d landed awkwardly on his side on top of a log. He found the picture he’d taken of the bruise that had bloomed on his stomach and sent it to Julie. He had documented it for this exact purpose: impressing his best friend.
Julie:SAUCY, CARAVALHO
Julie:also—GNARLY. WELL DONE.
Ben glanced up from his phone just in time to see Alexei’s eyelids finally blink open.
His phone buzzed again in his hand. But Ben couldn’t look away, no matter how his brain yelled at him to do just that. When Alexei fully returned to the world of the living, turning his head toward the table again, Ben waited until he caught his eye. Smiled at him.
Alexei’s face flushed, pink creeping around the edges of his sunburn, like he’d been caught doing something naughty.
His eyes were so blue. Like the sky above the Cumberland River on a sunny summer day.
Ben used every ounce of restraint he possessed to keep himself from plopping his chin on his palm and fluttering his eyelashes at him.
Another buzz from his phone, and Ben finally looked down. The newest text was from his mother, in response to a photo he’d sent of the sunset last night over the Coachella Valley: cacti and Joshua trees surrounded by peachy-golden light.
Ma:Oh, Bento. It’s gorgeous.
Those shimmery still-typing dots appeared. And disappeared. Another dot party. And gone.
Ben frowned.
Finally—
