“You’ve been home for how long and I only justnowget to see you?” he teases me before we give each other a quick hug. “Bobby said you’re in town and only saw you once. Not that I—” His eyes fall on Austin, which shuts him up. I watch his mind work as he glances back and forth between us, completely caught off-guard.
I make a quick introduction. “Austin, this is Cole, the friend I told you about. And Cole, this is Austin.” After a brief pause, I add: “My boyfriend.”
Something clicks in Cole’s eyes.
I think he just congratulated himself privately for making the right interpretation.
Cole extends a hand. “Hey there, Austin. I’m TJ’s ‘hometown confidant’. Interpret that as you wish. It’s TJ’s words.” He tilts his head. “You look familiar, by the way. You from around here?”
Austin and I exchange a look before he replies, “Nah, afraid not. Dallas area, born n’mostlyraised. Met TJ just off his campus.”
“Hmm.” It’s still working over in Cole’s head. “I swear …”
I squeeze in. “Austin herereallywants to get his hands on one of these walls. Think you can hook him up, Cole? I’ve gotta make a quick trip to the boys’ room.”
Cole’s work mind snaps right back into place. “You got it! Hey, Mr. Austin, my new buddy, are you ready for your junk to get very uncomfortably acquainted with a harness?”
Austin blinks, gives that question one second’s consideration, then shrugs. “Why the hell not.”
With Austin in good hands, I head to the restrooms nearby to do my business—I’ve kinda been suffering since halfwaythrough our walk in the park, to be honest—and find my sweet relief at an exceptionally clean urinal.
The sigh I let out literally turns vocal.
The relief is short-lived. My phone buzzes when I’m washing my hands.
AJ calling.
I’m riding such a high right now, I should really just set things straight between us and let him off the hook. Acknowledge that he hurt me, but that I’m fine. Forgive him fully. Then ask him how his conquest with Paris is going. After all, you can’t expect to conquer the capital of France in half a summer.
I barely pat my hands dry on my shorts before I answer the phone. “AJ!” I greet him, overjoyed.
He shouts back: “What the heck, bro?! You andtheChase Holt are dating?!”
Chapter 20.
Austin
There’s a metaphor here about climbing too high.
Like a cat flying up the curtains.
Up to the top—Ian’s mantra.
Then you peer over your shoulder and everyone down there is an ant, and you’re like, what in the hell was I thinking?
How do I get down from here?
The only answer is to fall.
Not an ideal time to discover a fear of heights, huh?
I don’t want to look like a spooked cat up the curtain around TJ. I have to be strong. And pissing my pants at the top of this rock wall doesn’t exactly exude strength, now does it?
“I got you!” calls out Cole from below, sensing my hesitation.
And yeah, I get what TJ was saying earlier. Cole is inhumanly good-looking, noted.
But there’s so much more on my mind than just literal rock wall climbing that’s feeding my anxiety. I’m also hearing Ian in my ear. I’m seeing the notifications popping up on my phone. Like a slow-motion nightmare unfolding before my eyes, I’m seeing the texts from Drew and Irene at the label—and texts from thebothof them sure ain’t a good sign, let alone justone. I’ve been fighting back a spontaneous urge to vomit since we left that burger place with the sweet, slightly-unhinged lady, thinking about how while I’m out here in this peaceful paradise with TJ, somehow the whole world outside of Spruce is closing in on us.