Page 1 of Where the River Meets the Skye

CHAPTER 1

Skye

Skyelar Mckenzie walked in the front door of his condo and set his messenger bag on the chair next to him. His keys went in the small square basket on the table next to the door, before he kicked his shoes off, and ran his fingers through his blond waves. His feet were aching from standing all day in those stupid dress shoes, and his low back was complaining, too. At twenty eight he was still fairly young, but some days he felt closer to forty.

Stretching his back, he heard it pop, then rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He’d gotten home a little later than usual today. The teachers meeting (that should have been an email) had taken much longer than necessary, he’d gotten a flat tire on the way home, and he was most definitely not looking forward to the stack of papers he still had to grade. When he glanced at the clock on the wall it read half past six, but his body told him that it was so much later.

God, he was getting old. He could remember ten years ago, staying up until two in the morning and still making it to his ten am classes, partying night after night. How the hell had he been able to do that? Now he was ready for bed by ten most nights. Midnight if he was being really wild.

His roommate wasn’t home yet. His keys weren’t in the basket next to Skye’s, nor were his shoes by the door. His car wasn’t in the driveway either, which was odd because River was always home by six thirty. Skye decided he would give it a few more minutes and then text his friend.

River was pretty much Skye’s polar opposite, but despite their vast differences, they’d been best friends and roommates since their freshman year of college.

River considered exercising a hobby and loved to go running, biking, and rock climbing. He enjoyed eating vegetables, which Skye still couldn’t understand. He could spend hours outside, relaxing, reading, or scrolling through his phone, soaking up the sun, whereas Skye had discovered his allergy to bugs and dirt a long time ago. It was definitely a thing. He was positive.

River also enjoyed decorating, so Skye had let him take over in that department when they’d moved in together five years ago. He hadn’t a clue about such things. If left up to him, the walls of their condo would still be barren. But River had made it a home, with the art on the walls, throw pillows, blankets, and little knick-knacks on the side tables and shelves, along with photos of the two of them and their families scattered about.

Skye smiled as he walked into his bedroom and slipped off his tie. He stripped off his dress clothes and changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt as his mind wandered back to that first meeting with River all those years ago.

TEN YEARS AGO

Skye was expecting the tall, dark-haired guy, whom he was assuming was his roommate, to introduce himself when he entered the dorm room and started making noise as he unpacked. But the young man just kept pulling things out of his suitcase and setting them aside on his bed, or carrying them to the closet. It took Skye a second to realize that he had earbuds in and probably couldn’t hear him, so he made his way over to where his roommate was setting some folded clothes in the dresser it looked like they would be sharing, and tapped his shoulder.

The young man practically jumped out of his skin, his clothes falling to the floor, eyes wide with alarm. And if Skye wasn’t mistaken, he actually looked a bit panicked.

“Woah, hey,” Skye said, when the other boy reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, pressing what Skye assumed was the pause button on whatever he was listening to. He pulled the earbuds out of his ears. “I just wanted to introduce myself.” Skye held his hand out for the boy to shake, but the boy just blinked and stared, his face having gone slightly pale. He didn’t take Skye’s hand, just knelt down to pick his clothes up off the floor. Since Skye was the one who made him drop them, and because he wasn’t an asshole, he crouched down to help.

The young man took the T-shirts and jeans Skye handed him, and Skye saw the blush that crept up his roommate’s face as he set a couple of pairs of underwear in his arms as well. His eyes met Skye’s behind black framed glasses, and they were such a vibrant shade of blue that Skye couldn’t help but get lost in them for a moment. This boy was gorgeous. Thick hair that was so dark it was almost black, a slender but toned frame, with the perfect amount of bicep peaking out under the sleeve of his black, form fitting T-shirt, thick full lips and high cheekbones. And God, if those glasses didn’t just add to his sex appeal. Once they stood, Skye noticed that his roommate was maybe an inch or two shorter than his own six feet.

“Sorry I scared you,” Skye said, as the young man pushed his glasses up on his nose with one finger and then continued laying his clothes in the dresser drawer. “I’m Skye.”

The boy glanced at him. “River.” The word was so quiet, Skye almost missed it. River seemed more tense and on edge than anyone Skye had ever met. He smiled at the other boy, trying to help him relax, but when he moved closer to clap River on the shoulder, River flinched, and Skye lowered his hand.

“You all right?” The poor guy seemed terrified. But if there was one thing Skye was good at, it was relating to people and getting them to come out of their shells, and he was determined to do it with River, too.

“Need some help unpacking?” he asked. “Maybe if we both work on it, it will go faster. I can help with your things and then you can help me get the rest of my shit out of my car. Is this everything of yours?”

River nodded, looking a little flustered but still not speaking. “You okay with me touching your stuff?” The boy hesitated, but then nodded again.

“What do you say you take the first three dresser drawers, and I’ll take the bottom three?” Another nod. Skye didn’t give a shit about what closet or bed he had, and River had already started putting his things in the closet near the window at the back of the room, so Skye would take the one at the front of the room.

Skye moved towards River’s bed to get some more of his clothes, and saw a large leather bound book with the words ‘Holy Bible’ inscribed on the front in silver letters. It looked worn and well used. He’d never been a religious person himself. Never wanted to have anything to do with it honestly, after hearing his entire life that who he was as a person was a sin, and that he was going to hell for liking men. Any kind of religion that taught you to hate people or to hide who you are, couldn’t be a good one. But when he looked over at River, the other boy didn't strike him as the kind of person who would hate anyone, or be unkind to anyone.

“You religious?” Skye asked, holding up the Bible. River nodded again. “Not gonna be a problem that I’m gay, is it?” To Skye’s surprise River actually gave a small smile, then shook his head. “Good, cause that isn’t changing no matter what this book says.”

River stepped towards him cautiously and extracted the Bible from his hands, setting it on his desk next to his laptop. Then he nodded to the suitcase filled with clothes, toiletries, more books, and other random stuff as if to tell Skye to get a move on already.

Skye smiled and handed him things, and they worked on unpacking together. Skye didn’t say anything for a while and the dark haired boy actually seemed to relax around him a little more. “You have family here?” Skye asked eventually.

River nodded.

“Where are they?” Skye looked around the small room like he might have somehow missed them.

“It’s just my aunt,” River murmured, his voice soft, but deeper than Skye had anticipated. “She’s talking something over with the registrar.”

“Hey, you do talk.” Skye grinned at him. “Not so bad, is it?” River gave a soft smile, his cheeks flushed, and Skye counted that as a win. He promised himself that he would get one of River’s genuine smiles, or even a laugh out of him before too long.

“My mom wanted to come but she had to stay home with my brother. He wasn’t feeling well. And she was super busy with work. My parents started a beer company a ways back and things get pretty crazy sometimes.” Skye didn’t know why he was telling River his life story but he’d never been comfortable in silence for too long and he thought maybe it would help his roommate loosen up a little. He seemed so tightly wound, like he was sure something was going to jump out at him any minute.

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