by Quinn Ward
“I guess you’re right,” he conceded, resting his head against mine.
“I know I am.”
Epilogue
Trevor
We’d officially made it through our first year of college. I was so damn proud of Gabe; he’d talked to his adviser when we got home from the big coming out weekend, dropped the class that made him miserable and was much happier for it. He’d spent his free time playing softball and helping the LGBTQ Alliance plan their kick-off activities for the next semester. In a lot of ways, he was a brand new man. Still the same guy I fell in love with, but a new and improved version.
Today, we were taking yet another step into the world of full-fledged adulthood. Jayden had offered us the empty room in his apartment for the summer. It was generous but also mutually beneficial because it meant his boyfriend, Levi, wouldn’t be a slave to the coffee shop that was his life. The decision to stay in Wilmington rather than head home hadn’t been well-received. Okay, so three-quarters of the parents were happy for us, proud of the young men we’d become, but my mom was still maintaining her icy silence when it came to Gabe and me as a couple.
We’d invited the parents down to see our new place, but so far, only Gabe’s parents had committed to making the trip. Dad wanted to visit, but he’d warned me that he’d come down on his own, when Mom wouldn’t feel pressured to join him. I worried about her because the way she’d been acting wasn’t normal; she’d been upset in the past, but never to this extent. She didn’t hold grudges, she held the people in her life close. Or she had until I’d shattered the dreams she’d had for her only child.
“Hey, you okay?” I leaned into Gabe’s embrace, realizing then that I’d been blankly staring at the stack of totes against the wall. Gabe kissed the side of my neck as his hand skimmed my bare chest. “Not having any second thoughts about staying down here this summer?”
It was still eerie how well Gabe could read my thoughts. He brushed it off as a benefit of having grown up together, but I believed it had more to do with the strength of our relationship. And we were stronger than ever, in part due to actually working on our relationship rather than taking one another for granted.
“No, it’s going to be a great summer,” I assured him. And it would be. We had a queen-size bed, we’d be living blocks from the beach, and we wouldn’t have to sneak around to keep the peace. Navigating my life as an out gay man in love wasn’t always easy, but I understood now why Gabe had been so miserable hiding for me. I couldn’t do that to him—to us—ever again.
“Then why do you look upset? Talk to me, babe.” Gabe led me over to our chair and pulled me onto his lap. We looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care. I felt content in his arms.
“I hate that Mom’s still making this all about her,” I admitted.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” He reached up and ran his fingers through my messy curls. They drove me nuts, but every time Gabe told me how sexy he found the more unkempt look that’d been inspired by a lack of time to get a haircut, I held off on running to the barber. “At least she’s not giving you the silent treatment. She’ll come around.”
“I know you mean well, but I think it’s time to admit she might not. She might never accept the two of us for who we are.” I slumped back against my boyfriend’s chest and stared at the far wall. “The other parents all got over their hang-ups quickly. Hell, even Gran said she wasn’t surprised when she caught us kissing in her spare room. So why can’t Mom get over it?”
“I don’t know, babe.” He kissed the side of my head and pushed me out of his lap. “Right now, we need to get our shit loaded and check out. My dad texted that he and Mom are waiting downstairs with the truck. We can talk more about this later tonight.”
“No need. I can’t keep letting her issues bring me down.”
The next thirty minutes were a whirlwind of activity. Seth and his friend—just a friend—Jesse, Jayden, and Gabe’s parents helped us clear out our room. We offered to stay and help Seth when his parents showed up to help him move, but he insisted we get settled into our new place.
He’d come out of his shell this semester, but today, he was closed up tight. His arms hung limp at his sides and he couldn’t make eye contact when Gabe talked to him, making Seth promise to call if he needed anything over the summer. With a final round of hugs and a confirmation from Gwen that their entire family was there if Seth’s family got to be too much, we said goodbye.
Gabe was quiet all the way across town, twisting the steering wheel in his grip, gritting his teeth. For as much as Seth annoyed him at the start of the school year, the two of them had grown close. Now, it was my turn to reassure him. “He’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right. I hate the way he looks every time he comes back from seeing them. They’re toxic, but he keeps going back for more. I don’t see how he can let them tear him apart like they do.”
“Because they’re still his family,” I explained. Gabe wasn’t imagining the way Seth’s personality dimmed with every visit to his family. No matter how shitty my mom’s behavior might be, I considered it a blessing that she chose silence over belittling insults.
“I know, I just… I wish there was something we could do for him. A way to make him see what they’re doing.”
I was about to reassure Gabe that his friend would eventually break free from the death grip of his family, but I was stunned stupid by the sight waiting at the curb in front of our new home. “Holy shit, she came.”
Gabe glanced my way and smiled. “Yeah, she called me last night and asked for the address. I told you she’d wake up when she was ready.”
“You knew? And you didn’t tell me?” I smacked his arm, pissed that he hadn’t said anything. He knew how hard it’d been knowing she refused to see our first place.
Before Gabe even had the Jeep parked along the curb behind my mom’s sedan, I was out of the vehicle, hugging Mom so tightly I lifted her off the ground. “It’s so good to see you! Thank you.”
“I’m so sorry, honey,” she apologized. “I’ve been selfish and unfair to you. I promise, I’m going to work on overcoming my issues, because you and Gabe don’t deserve the way I’ve acted towards you.”
I wanted to tell her it didn’t matter, that she was forgiven, but a petty sliver of my brain kept the words from forming. I was still angry with her, disappointed by how easily she’d shut me out. It’d take time to trust she wouldn’t freeze me out again. But voicing those opinions would undo the progress we’d made with today’s appearance. “It means a lot to hear you say that.”
Dad appeared from inside the house, making me wonder if everyone in my life knew about this surprise. He hugged me, thumping me on the back. “Proud of you, son. We both are.”
“Thanks.” I was having a hard time reining in my emotions. Today, life was damn near perfect. I had the man I loved, both of my parents, my bonus parents, and Jayden, who’d become a good friend to both of us over the spring.
I reached out to stop Gabe as he passed me with an armload of clothes. With everyone watching, I draped my arms over his shoulders and kissed the hell out of him.
“What was that for?” he asked when I broke the kiss, his lips swollen and glistening. “Don’t get me wrong, it was hot, but not really the best idea to get me hard when our moms are right over there.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing the clothes will cover that particular problem.” I laughed, the sound carefree in a way it hadn’t been in a long time. “Just wanted to tell you I love you. There’s no one else I’d rather go through life with.”
“Right back at ya. Of all the cribs you could’ve landed in, I’m glad you wound up in mine,” he teased. With a wink, he disappeared into the house, leaving me on the front lawn, smiling like an idiot. Life was damn good, indeed.
Curious about Seth and his crush? Sign up for Quinn’s newsletter to find out when it’s ready!
Did you like the glimpse of Bird Island Inn? You can read Br
ook and Dane’s story in Love, Me.
Looking for something a little steamier? Check out Exploration, the first of a group of interconnected series set in the fictional town of Annandale.
How do you move on after losing the person who was your whole world? What Comes After is a heart-warming tale of learning to love again.
What was supposed to be one hot encounter with a stranger turns into something more when Dom and Tony show up at the same wedding. Secrets are at risk of coming out and insecurities resurface in Dance With Destiny.
A Note From Quinn
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