Page 21 of Finally

Leaving her to her nap, I ran up the steps and to my room and quickly swapped out my jeans and t-shirt for a pair of black basketball shorts and a gray tank top. When I’d first arrived, Topher had informed me that he had a little workout room in his basement that I was welcome to use anytime.

My first time down there, I’d nearly laughed out loud. His “little workout room” turned out to be a top-of-the-line home gym that included every piece of exercise equipment imaginable. He had even outfitted the room with surround-sound speakers and a fully stocked juice bar.

I couldn’t imagine the amount of money he’d poured into that gym, but I knew it hadn’t been wasted because, from the looks of his body, Topher clearly used the room often, and I had too in the weeks since I’d moved in. I loved going down there and taking out all of my frustrations on the equipment and that was exactly what I needed right then.

It had been three weeks since our visit to New River and things had grown increasingly more tumultuous. The same group that had picketed Topher’s event in New River continued to show up at each of his public appearances, holding signs containing homophobic rhetoric and shouting hateful slurs. They’d also decided to camp outside his campaign headquarters, continuing to be a blight on society and a pain in our asses.

It hadn’t taken much to convince Topher that he needed to hire a group of off-duty police officers to stand outside the building and provide protection for his staff. Their relief was apparent, but real smiles could be found when members of the LGBTQ community showed up in spectacular numbers to show their support. It was as if new life had been breathed into the staff and they threw themselves back into their work with renewed vigor.

Added to my concerns over Topher’s safety were the phone calls that had been made to the campaign headquarters. The callers used a voice changer during each call as they spewed a list of threats against Topher if he didn’t drop out of the election. Micah had run a trace on the calls, but unsurprisingly, they’d proven untraceable, probably some type of burner phone. Topher put on a brave face, but I could see the toll all of it was beginning to take on him.

With the increased threats, I was sticking even closer to his side, not wanting to leave anything to chance. Of course, that meant I could no longer avoid him as much as I’d hoped after we left New River. That trip had wreaked havoc on both my head and my heart because the more time I spent with him, the more I craved and that was just a bad idea all around. I knew I couldn’t go down that road again, and yet, I found myself getting drawn in every time he smiled at me with those perfect lips or looked at me through those beautiful blue-green eyes.

My phone beeped, startling me. I opened the text message to a picture of Nolan blowing me a kiss as he held a cup of coffee up next to his face. I typed out a quick reply. Glad I could make you happy. His response was immediate. You’re my new favorite. Shaking my head with a grin, I shoved my phone in my pocket,turned the radio on to a rock and roll station, and began warming my muscles on the treadmill. Maybe working my ass off would help.

An hour later, I let the weight bar drop back onto its stand with a loud clank and exhaled an annoyed breath. My body thrummed with pleasure from the physical endurance I’d put it through, but my mind had refused to shut down. No matter what I did, my thoughts always seemed to circle back around to Topher.

“Yes, that’s right. Just be sure to add in the part about Queen Elizabeth I on the essay question and you’ll ace this exam tomorrow,” Topher exclaimed. He was practically beaming at me and my cheeks flushed with heat.

“Well, if I do, I have you to thank for it,” I insisted.

“That’s not true. You’re a really smart guy; you just couldn’t concentrate at home.” He reached over and squeezed my hand that was resting on the table. “Now, how about we get something to eat. Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” I admitted.

Topher smiled then walked over to the fridge and opened the door. I worked quickly to clean up the kitchen table where we’d been working, stacking our books and shoving mine in my backpack. I couldn’t believe that in just a few short days, we’d be graduating. And I had no doubts, after all the effort Topher and I had put into my studies, that I would be graduating with the rest of my class.

It was a bittersweet time for sure. Part of me was excited to be putting high school and my parents behind me for good. Graduation would mean a fresh start and a new life for me. I’d finalized everything with my recruiter, and the day after graduation, I’d be leaving for boot camp. But while I still wanted that for myself, I also regretted not getting to spend the summer with Topher before he headed off to college. Just the thought of not seeing him every day left an aching hole inside my chest.

“Greg?”

“I’m sorry, what?” I looked up from the table and saw that he’d shut the refrigerator door and was watching me.

“Where did you go? You looked like you were a million miles away,” he said, a gentle smile lifting his lips at the corners.

Close enough. “I was just thinking about after graduation. I have to leave the next day for boot camp.”

“Oh,” he said quietly. His chin lowered and he stared down at his shoes.

There were so many things I wanted to say to him then. Like how important he was to me and how he made me happier than I’d ever thought I could possibly be. I wanted to tell him how no one else had ever made me feel as special as he did and how much I appreciated that and that I’d never, ever forget it. That I’d never, ever forget him because he was the most important thing in my life, and I loved him.

But it was impossible to say any of that because a golf ball-sized…something had lodged itself in my throat until I felt sure I’d choke from it. So instead, I said, “I’ll miss you.”

His mouth twisted as he looked back up and I could see his eyes swimming with unshed tears that matched my own. Nothing could’ve stopped me from going to him then and I crossed the kitchen in three strides, reaching for him. My hands looked large next to his delicate face and I cupped his cheeks with my palms. I heard his soft gasp as we stared into each other’s eyes and then I leaned in and brushed my lips over his—tentative at first in case he didn’t want this.

The sound of his needy moan emboldened me, and I used the tip of my tongue to trace the seam of his lips. His hands found my waist and he pulled me in closer as he opened to me and our tongues danced and swirled, learning the gentle feel and delicious taste of each other. My feelings for him were overwhelming and I thought for sure that I’d be happy if I could spend the rest of my life just kissing this one boy.

The sound of a throat clearing had us each springing backward. Looking over, I saw a man and a woman standing there, each wearing somewhat shocked expressions. “Mom, Dad! I uh…I wasn’t expecting you to be home so early,” Topher exclaimed.

I felt my face burning with embarrassment as my eyes darted to Topher and back to his parents. “I um…I was just getting ready to leave,” I said, hurrying across the room to get my bag.

“You don’t have to rush off,” Topher said, following quickly behind.

I looked over his shoulder at his parents who were staring at me as if they weren’t sure what to make of the scene they’d walked in on. “No, that’s okay. I have to get home anyway,” I insisted. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Before he could say another word, I ran out the door and down the steps, not stopping until I was a block from his house; then I leaned over and put my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. When I stood back up, I realized I was smiling because as awkward as that was, meeting his parents like that for the first time, nothing could erase the memory of my first kiss with Topher Brooks.

I clicked the radio off and stomped up the steps all the way to the second floor, peeling my sweat soaked shirt over my head as I went. Exercise, which was my favorite form of escape, had done nothing to stop the memories from coming, leaving me moody, tired and sweaty. I needed a shower and to fall into bed. With any luck, Topher had decided to go to bed early and I could trick my mind into thinking he wasn’t there so I could finally get a decent night’s sleep. Of course, luck was not on my side because the moment my feet hit the top step, he came walking out of his bedroom.

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