And if that’s true, will I ever find a man who will love me regardless?
Julian
6
I HOLD MY PHONEto my ear as Susie talks loudly.
“You’rewhere?”
“Oregon, in a small port town,” I reply, watching the waves below crash into the jagged rocks.
“Jeez,” she breathes. “That’s a far cry from California. How are you holding up? What are you guys doing?”
When we left home, I didn’t bother telling my friends why. All I said was that our circumstances had changed, and I’d contact them when I could.
And that contact happened this morning, when I texted the small group chat we all share, saying that I had settled in fine.
“We’re staying at this modern-day castle, helping some rich family with day-to-day tasks.” My voice doesn’t show any particular emotion: not annoyance or interest.
“Shit, a castle? Good for you, Jules. How’s your dad?”
“He’s good. I don’t see him often, though. He works with the head of the household, so he’s always busy.”
“Can we come out there? Landon and I could catch a flight,” Susie offers, her tone hopeful.
“Maybe,” I answer noncommittally. “Enough about me, though. How’s Cali? How’s Lan?”
Landon has been my best friend since elementary school. We haven’t talked since I left, and even before then, things were kind of tense. We slept together off and on, and it definitely made for some awkward tension.
It didn’t ruin our relationship, though. We’re still best friends, even if it’s hard to see his face and not imagine how he looks when he’s coming on my dick.
“He’s good! He quit his job at Burger King once you left, but now he’s working for his dad or something,” Susie fills me in.
“Good for him,” I say. “And you? Are you still showing up for your classes?”
Susie goes to the community college in our hometown, studying some kind of science degree. I used to help her a lot when it came to math, and those frequent hang-out sessions led my father to believe she was in love with me.
Susie is, in fact, very lesbian.
“You know it, baby,” she responds cheerfully. “I was serious, though, about coming to see you. Is there a hotel in that small port?”
“Let me get back to you on that,” I joke.
“Are you telling me you’ve yet to explore the town?!”
“I’ve been working!”
Susie snorts, and I can see her eyes rolling in my mind. “You’re ridiculous. Get out there, dude. Get laid!”
My mind flashes to Atlas on his knees in that chapel, his big blue eyes crowded with tears as he peered up at me.
Oh, Susie, you have no idea how badly I want that.
Maybe she’s on to something. Maybe this attraction I have to my boss’s son will fade if I go into town and fuck a local.
“You’re right,” I finally respond. “Maybe I will tomorrow. We don’t typically work on weekends.”
“So what have you been doing every weekend since you got there, what, a month ago?”
