Fucking Eric. How did he find me here? “Eric.” His cousin might be the closest thing he had to a sibling, but that didn’t mean he liked the homophobic asshole.
“I’m surprised you aren’t still asleep, Mr. Night-Owl.”
Jacob punched the call button again before looking at his watch as he tried to tune the man out. His focus was on Alex. He hoped he’d done the right thing by giving him space, time to think.
He’s had ten years. Maybe he doesn’t want me. Maybe he doesn’t need me. Maybe he doesn’t love me.
“Did I see Alex and Alyssa with you at the club last night? It’s been ages since I’ve seen her. I bet she’s still fine as ever. I didn’t know you kept in touch with them?”
“Well, now you do.”
Eric’s smarmy chuckle sent a shiver of repulsion down Alex’s spine. “I seem to remember she had a crush on you back in the day. Did you tell her you bat for the other team?”
The elevator finally opened. “Didn’t have to, she’s known since high school.” He stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the lobby. Knowing it would irk his cousin, Jacob added, “She actually wanted me to reconnect with Alex.”
“Now, why would you go and do that? He wasn’t interested in you ten years ago. After you left he hooked up with the easiest lay in Boulder City.”
The red-hot serrated knife twisted deeper into Jacob’s heart. Still he tried to put on a brave face as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. “Shut up, Eric. I don’t want to hear any of your bullshit right now.”
“Oh, did I hit a nerve? He’s not gay, dude.”
Jacob stepped toward the door heading to the parking lot, “Arrogant prick always up in my business. Maybe you’re suppressing your own inner homo.” Turning his back on Eric, Jacob walked out the automated doors into a wave of oppressive heat and headed for his rental.
“Damn, even the fucking car is hot. I hate this place.” Jacob got in and sat with the door and windows open until the air conditioning kicked in. He pulled his phone from his pocket and thumbed through the screens only to fumble it as it rang.
Without looking he answered, “Hello?”
“Hey, bro. Wanted to welcome you to the family in the light of day. Make sure you didn’t change your mind.”
Alyssa’s jovial voice was almost too much to take. “It’s not my mind you should be concerned with.”
“What?”
“You should talk to Alex.”
“He’s not with you?”
Hot air filled his lungs. “He’s still sleeping.”
“Believe me. I’ll be talking to the idiot. He’s screwing up the best thing in his life. AGAIN!” He smiled. At least Alyssa was on his side. “Little fucker. You better believe I’m going to give him a piece of my mind. What does he think he’s doing? He already suffered when you left years ago, does he really want to go through that again?”
“Lys, don’t push too hard. He doesn’t remember anything.”
“Shit, was he that drunk? He really doesn’t remember? Maybe he’s faking it, using it as an excuse to back out…”
Jacob cut her off. “You didn’t see him when we woke up. He isn’t faking, he doesn’t remember anything about yesterday.” Cool air danced across his face so Jacob pulled the door shut and rolled up the windows.
“Are you in the car? Where are you going? You aren’t giving up on him are you?” Her voice was frantic and pleading.
Sigh. “No, Lys, I’m not giving up on him. I’m giving him time to think. Nothing more.”
“Alex can be hardheaded, and stubborn. He loves you, Jacob. Don’t give up on him!”
“Do you listen when people talk?” He needed to escape. Her. Eric. Alex. Everyone. He pressed his heart, willing away the phantom pain. The pain he created himself when he walked out of the room. Catch me this time, Alex.
“I have to go now. No talking while driving. Later.” Without waiting for her reply Jacob ended the call, tossing the phone into the passenger seat. Damn busy body sister. Why can’t she mind her own business?
3
Alex
Alex heard the door shut behind Jacob but couldn’t move. Paralyzed. I’m paralyzed and now I’ll never have him or anyone else because I can’t move or think or speak or anything.
He sat there. Numb. Unfocused. A statue. Nothing registered until Alyssa’s shrill ringtone pulled him from his stupor. The sound was distant, but it made no difference, he couldn’t move to answer it even if he wanted to. Silence followed the brief interruption. Jacob’s face filled the void Alex stared into, the closely shorn beard begging to be caressed. Alex reached for the phantom image that disappeared as Alyssa’s ringtone filled the silence once more.
He looked down at the pillow still covering his lap and knew the spell he’d been in was shattered. The annoying ring was still distant, so he shoved the pillow aside, stood up and looked around the room once more for his wayward clothes. Nothing. He headed for the bathroom and the sound increased. From the doorway he could see the neat pile of clothes sitting on the vanity. He grabbed his pants and pulled the phone out just as the ringing stopped. He set it next to the clothes before reaching for his drawers. He’d barely stepped into them before the phone rang again.
With a quick yank he pulled them up, grabbed the phone and connected the call. “Alyssa, what the hell is so important that you can’t let a man dress in peace?”
“You, dear brother, are an idiot.” Alex could practically see the sarcasm dripping off the words. “How? Why did you let him leave?”
He’s gone? No, he wouldn’t leave me again. Not like this. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you dare play dumb with me. You know it never works.” Alex switched the phone to speaker, so he could dress as she ranted. “You may be older by a few minutes, but you are most definitely not smarter.” He tuned her out as earlier events came into focus. His embrace was always welcoming, comforting. He accepted my hesitation, even gave me some time to think. Again. I knew our connection was real before, seems it still is. I need to trust my own feelings. “Jacob is the best thing that’s ever happened to you and I refuse to sit by and watch you let him walk out the door.”
“No. You do not get a say in my love life or lack thereof.” With a deep breath, he let go of his frustration before he continued. “I don’t know what will happen with Jacob. I don’t even know how Jacob happened. Back off.” A lightbulb went off for him, “I bet you’re the reason I ended up in this situation to begin with.”
“Whatever. You have always loved Jacob. You were just too chicken-shit to admit it.”
“I was not!” Maybe I was, but I’ll never admit it to you.
“And when he left for college you didn’t even try to keep in touch. You just let him disappear from your life like he was a passing stranger.”
Alex swallowed his rising anger, “You know nothing of what I went through when he left.” My heart broke when he left. Hell, it hadn’t felt whole until I saw him across the bar last night. Damn he looked good in that skin tight shirt and those ass hugging jeans. The memory slammed into him and his head spun with the realization.
“I know you had some fucked up idea about keeping Grandpa happy. I know you threw yourself at Joanna Bishop in order to do just that. You dove headfirst into a relationship that kept you in your straight guy cocoon while your heart was bleeding for your true love who was only twenty miles away.”
“Alyssa, I am not getting into this with you.” He shoved his hand in his pocket to discover the key to his room. “I’m hanging up now.”
“Don’t you…” Alex ended the call and turned the phone off before she could call back. He shoved it in his pocket, grabbed his socks and shoes from the floor and headed back to the sitting area. Does he really love me? He left me without a backward glance. If he loved me, how could he do that? Don’t know why Alyssa is so pissed at me, I would never have left Jacob. As the door closed behind him, a stabbing pain tore through h
is heart. Oh my God! That’s exactly what I did when I let that old man and his bigoted ideas get in my head. Why has it taken me ten years to realize Jacob left for us.
He faced the door as he pulled the keycard from his pocket and swiped the key. No green light. With his head hung low, he headed for the elevator and then made his way to the front desk. “Can I help you sir?”
“Yes please. I checked in yesterday,” he showed her his room key, “but I partied a little too hard last night and don’t remember my room number. Could you look it up please?”
“Of course, I’ll need some ID please.”
Alex pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed over his driver’s license.
“You are in room twenty-one sixty-two, Mr. White.” She handed him back his license and a key holder with the room number written on it. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No thanks.” He tucked his wallet into his back pocket before leaving the reception area. The elevator was easy enough to spot. Maybe I can erase all the stupid shit I’ve done with a shower.
The hot water sluiced over his body, easing some of the tension from his shoulders but failed to remove the memory of waking up in Jacob’s arms. “God, it felt so right. Why did I push him away?” Alex grabbed the soap and a washcloth, lathered up and began a vigorous scrubbing of his skin. By the time he stepped out of the shower twenty minutes later he looked like he had a mild sunburn, his skin was such a deep pink from the abuse.
Once dressed, Alex had serious cabin fever. I need people, commotion. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and keycard and with an unknown destination headed out of the room and onto The Strip.
4
Jacob
Jacob sat on the rock overlooking Lake Mead and tried to take in the beauty around him. The only thing to register was the vastness of the space surrounding him and how small he truly was in the grand scheme of things. Isolated in the expanse of the Nevada desert, his heart ached. He pulled his phone from his pocket and fired off a text to Alex.
I don’t know what you’re doing. I’m at Lake Mead in the middle of nowhere, and I needed you to know I’m thinking about you. I miss not having you within arms-reach. This is me being honest with you as I should have been so long ago.
He re-read the words, his finger hovered over the small screen for what seemed like ages before he tapped the send button. Jacob looked around the scenic vista finally seeing the beauty that surrounded him. A few minutes longer looking at the vibrant blue water against the rocks on either side and he stood. He brushed his hands over his ass giving it a quick dusting as he left behind the desert sand before making his way back down the little used trail toward the car he’d left in one of the many small parking lots along the roadside.
Carefully picking his way down the path, Jacob lost his footing on a bit of loose gravel. Arms flailing he attempted to stay erect as his feet slipped down the almost imperceptible slope. His body jolted to a stop as his lead foot slammed into a large rock. Jacob leaned forward, hands resting on the hot stone. He needed a minute to regain his composure. The sudden sting on his ankle pulled his attention away from his aching legs and he spied the telltale rattle slip deeper beneath the rock.
Looking at the stinging spot on his ankle the two puncture marks were very clear. “Shit. This is the last thing I need.” Jacob stepped away from the rock and the snake beneath it and almost collapsed from the pain. The rock he leaned on was large enough so sat down with his feet up off the ground.
Jacob reached for his phone. He punched in 911 and waited a few seconds before the call was answered.
“9-1-1 what’s your emergency?”
“I am out on the trails around Lake Mead, alone, and I’ve just been bitten by a rattlesnake, and I think I may have broken my leg.” He measured his breathing, kept each breath slow and deep to regulate his heart beat.
“I have a crew en route. Do you know where you are? A landmark or mile marker, something to make it easier for them to find you.”
“I’m off one sixty seven down Government Wash Road. Parked at the car park and walked up the trail heading east into Upper Government Wash where the new growth is.”
“Yes, sir. The crew knows where you are. They should be there in a few minutes. Please stay on the line with me until they reach you. You said you’re alone?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I need you to remove your shoe and sock so your foot can swell without any hindrance. Are there any sticks or something near you can splint your leg with?”
“No.”
“Okay. Try to keep your leg as still as possible until help arrives. Can you tell me your name?”
“Jacob.”
“So Jacob, what brings you to the Vegas area?”
“I live here. Just playing tourist for a few days.” God these paramedics need to hurry up.
“That’s always fun. Tell me, it’s been a few minutes since you called, how does the injury look?”
Jacob didn’t want to look at his leg, he could barely feel it. When he glanced down his shin was already a deep purple and he couldn’t see the bite mark unless he moved. “It’s swelling, and I can’t feel my leg from the knee down.”
The moment of silence sent a shot of panic through Jacob. “Okay, I’ve let the paramedics know the situation. The reaction is normal.”
Jacob let out a stress filled sigh, as she continued talking until Jacob couldn’t stand to listen any longer. He swiped the screen, put the call on speaker and pulled up his texts.
Alex,
I’ve been bitten by a rattlesnake and I think I broke my leg. I should be okay the paramedics will be here soon. I don’t know where they’ll take me but as soon as I do, I’ll let you know.
* * *
Jacob heard the sirens not too far from his location. He hit send as he responded to the operator, “They’re here now.” His head spun as he sat up straighter.
“They’re with you now, treating the bite?”
“Not quite, but I hear the siren.” He tried to keep calm even as everything began spinning and his breathing began to get shallow.
“Can you tell what direction the sound is coming from?”
Jacob listened, trying to ignore the bounce back of the siren, ignore his head and lack of oxygen and focusing on the initial whoop. “It’s off to my left,” he panted attempting to get more air in his lungs, “maybe a hundred yards or so.”
“That’s good, Jacob. Try to breath slower, you sound like you’re starting to hyperventilate.” There was a moment of silence. “Okay, they think they are on the right trail. Listen for them to call you.”
No sooner had the dispatcher finished her sentence than Jacob heard his name being called. “I’m here!” He tried to keep still as he yelled for their attention. As the crunching of gravel beneath booted feet registered, two uniformed personnel rounded the corner. His body went limp as he passed out, his phone falling to the desert floor.
5
Alex
He almost laughed at himself as he pulled the vibrating phone from his pocket. Jacob’s image filled the screen notifying him of a text and Alex’s heart skipped a beat. Alex remembered taking the picture the night before, right after Jacob programmed his information into his phone.
Two texts? How’d I miss the first one Jacob sent? As he read the words, hearing Jacob’s declaration of love. The second text caused his heart to stop. “No.”
Alex stood so fast his chair tipped, crashing to the pavement. Not caring he was now the center of attention, he hit the call button. Straight to voicemail. “This is not happening to me. Not now.” His world began to spin as he heard the blood pumping through his veins. He saw his teenaged self in his bed with a cast from his shoulder to his wrist, and the memory of Jacob next to his bed daily. I’m here for you Alex. “I have to find him.” Alex headed for the nearest casino as he called Alyssa.
“Hi, you’ve reached my voicemail. You’d be better off sending a text as I almost never liste
n to these things.”
“Damnit Aly, the one time I need you and you’ve turned your goddamn phone off. Shit.”
As he speed walked he scrolled through all of his contacts hoping for some sort of inspiration but not a single name crossing his screen would be able to help. Blinded with worry, Alex slammed into someone knocking them both to the ground.
“Shit. I’m sorry, are you okay?” Alex regained his feet, hand extended to assist the man from the ground. “Eric! What are you doing here?”
“Alex! It’s been ages. Jacob mentioned he’d seen Alyssa. Have you seen him?”
“I…” Alex held up the cellphone in his hand. “He texted. I didn’t hear it. He…he’s hurt. His leg might be broken and he’s been bitten by a snake and his phone goes straight to voicemail.”
“Where?” Eric barked.
“I…I don’t know.” His chest constricted. Breathing proved difficult. “He said the paramedics might not be able to find him because he’s in the middle of nowhere. I can’t lose him now. I just can’t.”
“Fucking flamer.”
The words were almost inaudible. Did he just say that? I must have misheard him.
“You need to breathe.” Eric took him by the elbow and started them both toward the main doors of the casino. “Jacob won’t let a tumble with nature keep him down. He’s made of some pretty strong stuff.”
Once inside he guided Alex to a bench in a corner pulling him down as he sat, pulling out his own phone. “We’ll start with hospitals. Maybe they’ll have a record of him.”
“They won’t. It’s only been a few minutes since I got his text and the paramedics hadn’t found him yet.”
“You need to calm down so we can find Jacob.”
Alex glared at him as he took a deep breath, held it for a moment before slowly releasing it.
“That’s better. Now, what do you mean the paramedics hadn’t found him? Where is he?”
Married. Wait! What? Page 49