Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
In silence, he stared at me for several long seconds, maybe minutes, perhaps hours. It felt like days.
“How did you know?”
How did I answer that? Our dialog took on a calculating edge. Did I pretend not to understand? I didn’t think so. I sensed truth and honesty from him, also vulnerability. “I didn’t know, know.I guess I still don’t know. In my life back home, I’m out, but not here. No one here knows I’m gay.”
He ducked his head, chin to chest, as his strong arms came up and crossed, mimicking my stance. I sensed something akin to hurt radiating from him in waves. Whatever it was, I didn’t like it.
“Have I caused you pain?”
“Maybe.” He kicked at a rock until he bent and picked it up. The stone sifted through his fingers in a practiced move. “It’s why I quit football. Nobody knows. I’ve hidden from everyone, but I felt like you knew.” Beau’s uncertain stare pinned me in place, waiting for a response.
“I only knew we got along really well, and I’m attracted to you. I sensed it when I first saw you at the party. Even before then, when you were on your bike and crossed in front of me. I felt like the universe was talking to me. That’s why I came back.”
“Nobody can know. I haven’t told anyone,” he said again, as serious as the day was long.
I nodded my commitment to keeping the secret. The anxiety and worry that I was in this alone fell away. Not quite relieved but we had crossed the line-in-the-sand moment. This could have gone wrong in so many different ways. I shook out my arms from the tension formed in my shoulders.
A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. He hadn’t said he was into me too, but at least I wasn’t into a straight guy. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“And the other part?” I hedged, needing to know if we had any sort of chance.
“Yeah. I do too.” He nodded and looked away. My heart sang even if I did recognize the shame in Beau’s expression. Both the intense attraction and his disgrace were new to me. I had no idea what happened next but that was okay. We’d work it out together.
“You sure get quiet,” I said and stepped closer, wishing I could reach out and touch him.
“It’s weird sayin’ it out loud. The world didn’t swallow me whole. I figured it would,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep. I ended up callin’ my buddy, Scott, ’cause I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about you.”
I stepped closer again. Beau held his ground.
“I couldn’t stay away. I think I was in my room for about three minutes before I left and came back. I tried to climb out my window like you do. In my head, it was a grand romantic gesture, but I’m staying on the seventh floor, and luckily, the window doesn’t open.”
Beau grinned a giant smile. “Crawlin’ out the window isn’t for everyone.”
“You’re athletic. I watched you run along the roof and know exactly where to jump down. When you go home, will you go through the door or back up through the window?”
“I’ll climb back in,” he said, and I stepped forward again. “I’ve been in sports for as long as I can remember. I used to rock climb for a club. Ilike the adrenaline of extreme heights.”
“Hmm.” I liked Beau a whole lot.
Beau’s hands went to his hair, pushing it off his forehead. “I need a haircut. I should’ve already gotten one. I’ve been going through something the last few months. I usually keep it shorter.”
I casually crossed my arms over my chest to keep from reaching out to touch him as I tracked every one of his moves. “I like how you look.”
His gaze connected with mine. The smile was back. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered. “Perfect. Like a dream. I nicknamed you Dash for dashing…”
For as long as I remembered, people had told me I was easy on the eyes. It never mattered more than right then. I wanted Beau to believe those things about me. The warmth of his words seeped through my pores. I reached out, sweeping my fingers down his arm. The simple caress sent an excited shiver up my spine.
Nothing could make me move my hand. I traced the defined muscle in his forearm. But even more important than how it made me feel was that he stayed under my touch.
The contact meant everything to me.
“I like the idea of you calling me Dash. No one ever has.”
“So what’s next?” Beau asked.
I felt reasonably sure I shouldn’t outline our future together the way it had been running loops inside my head all evening.
“What’s that look mean?” he asked when I didn’t readily answer.
“It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later.” I stepped a half a foot forward, being closer to him, pushing my hand through his crossed arms. They broke free, giving me the opportunity to intertwine our fingers together. “Can we meet somewhere tomorrow?”