Page 1 of When I'm Gone

PROLOGUE

CHASE- FOUR YEARS AGO

“Goddamn it, Brady. This was a bad idea. A really fucking bad one, actually,” I hiss through my teeth. What I most certainly do not need in my life is to meet his family. I am not social. In fact, I’m almost certain the only reason Brady ever hung out with me was because he felt sorry for me when he was going to frat parties on the weekends while I was studying statistics.

But here I am, because my supposed best friend thought it would be fun. Fun, my ass. These people are strangers. All the things I’ve ever learned about Brady’s home life pre-college flashed before my eyes. Dinners every night at the table, holidays with tons of relatives, a strong patriarch of a dad, a stay-at-home mom who loved doting on her husband and kids. These people are normal.

He laughs, deep and full as he hooks his arm over my shoulder. Probably so I can’t run back to the terminal and make camp until our return flight home in five days. “Oh, sweet summer child. The best days of our lives always start with you saying that. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“Famous last words,” I mutter. Why he puts up with me, I’ll never know. As much as I complain, Brady is entirely responsible for me coming out of my shell in college. We roomed together at Ivory University by chance freshman year, and I haven’t known peace since. I have known friendship, though, and that’s a hell of a lot better.

Except for taking me to meet his parents. This is unforgivable. I don’t care how many times he bats his eyelashes at me this time. He deserves to sweat it out, maybe even beg. The reality of spending my spring break with two older versions of my loud, energetic golden retriever of a best friend gives me hives. Hell, maybe even a younger version of him. He has a little brother, after all. They’re close too, which is pretty damning evidence.

We’re almost to baggage claim, where they’re waiting on us, and it’s taking a ton of effort to not break out of Brady’s hold and hitchhike back to the PNW. The breath whooshes out of me when between one blink and the next, I find myself pinned to a wall with Brady gripping my biceps to hold me in place.

“You’re freaking out.”

It’s not a question so there’s no reason to lie. “Yeah.”

“You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure that you’d have a good time, Chase. Give me a little credit. They’re my family but you’re already a part of it too. This is just a long overdue technicality. I talk about you all the time; they already love you.”

My resolve crumbles. I can’t stay mad when he says shit like that. “I trust you,” I say instead. Sue me, I like him groveling just a bit.

“You know how much it means to me that you’re doing this, right?” I see the truth in his dark eyes; this is everything for him. Family is a pillar to who Brady is as a person, but tohim, family is the three people I’m about to meet and any stray he sees that needs a place to belong. Me included.

“I know, Bray. I’m good. Let’s go, they’re waiting on us.”

He pats my cheek affectionately before releasing me. So damn tactile. “It’ll be okay, Ace. I promise.”

With that motivational parting phrase, we’re off again. I gulp when I see an older couple at our carousel, our suitcases already standing beside them. Guess that’s a mystery for another day because Brady takes off at a run when he catches sight of them. He’s got at least a foot on his mother, but when her arms wrap around him, he melts into it. I stand back to give them their privacy but even from this distance I can hear her fretting over him already. The smile tugging at the corners of my mouth can’t be helped. Brady doesn’t resemble her much when it comes to physical features but that hug she’s giving him is one I’m well acquainted with.

Brady finally lets go of his mom and his dad claps him on the back hard enough for it to echo. The first chance he gets, he’s whipping around looking for me. He beckons me over animatedly so off I go. Right into the wolves’ den as they say.

Brady’s mom is petite with warm eyes framed by red glasses and bright blonde hair. “You must be Chase!” she exclaims. “We’re so glad to finally meet you!”

That tone is all Brady too, warm and familiar even to someone she’s never met before. “Mrs. Callaghan. Thank you for having me,” I choke out as she attempts to squeeze the life out of me.

“None of that,” she chastises. “I’m Tiffany and this is my husband Mark.” Tiffany, apparently, gestures to Brady about twenty years in the future. Tall, broad, same chestnut hair just aged with some grays around his temple.

“Nice to meet you both.”

Brady’s dad nods, but Tiffany links her arm with minelike we’re the oldest of friends. “Come on. I can’t wait to get you both home so I can have all three of my boys together.”

I smile, hoping it comes across genuine and not as awkward as I feel. In my defense, it took me weeks to get used to Brady. Even if they’re the greatest people on the face of the earth, I’ll still need time to adjust. She links her other arm with Brady, who shoots me a sympathetic look over the top of her head and drags us along with her, leaving Mark to get our bags. She doesn’t let go until she absolutely has to when we get to a sparkling white SUV in short term parking. Brady helps his dad load the suitcases in the trunk and we pile in the backseat. After we get buckled in and pull out into the damn near blindingly bright Florida day, Brady reaches a hand over and squeezes my knee encouragingly, not even missing a beat as he catches up with his parents in the front seat about what all has been going on in the small town outside of Tampa that he’s from. They keep up enough chatter on their own so I try to focus on the landscape and take a breather.

I came out to Brady before I ever met him. As soon as the room assignments were posted, I emailed him to say I was gay and asked if it would be a problem. I wanted to tell him so that we could switch rooms if necessary and avoid any issues before they could arise. He emailed me back almost immediately with his cell phone number with a one line response that extinguished any doubt I had about the new person that would be coming into my life.

No problems :) I can be your designated wingman.

I’d laughed at the time, given it was unfathomable for me to consider a world where a random dude in Florida gave a damn about me getting laid. Our texts over the summer, however obvious it should have been, did not clue me into how seriously Brady was going to take his new role in my life. He shut down even mildly homophobic language nomatter who was saying it, he could talk me up to a guy like he was getting paid for it, and constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone without going too far.

Our friends back at I.U. are convinced that Brady is going to have some random bi-awakening and we’ll get together. Don’t get me wrong, I think I’d be less shocked than Brady if he did suddenly start hooking up guys, but my feelings for him are purely platonic. I have a family back in Chicago—a mom, dad, two brothers and a sister, to be exact, but Brady chose to be in my life and stay there. It isn’t something I take for granted or am willing to waste on what I’m sure would be the most awkward sexual experience of my life.

“Did Easton find out I was coming home?” Brady asks, catching my attention. He wants to surprise his brother but being evasive and keeping the secret isn’t in his nature. I’m just impressed he hasn’t called the kid and told him already.

His mom answers. “No. We’ve kept it under wraps just like you wanted, honey. He’s going to be so happy to see you.”

His dad made an unimpressed sound under his breath from the driver’s seat that I hope is ill-timed road rage, but raised my hackles a bit regardless. Brady didn’t seem to notice, but he is basically a bundle of energy at this point, anyway. He looks about two clicks away from hanging his head out the window. We must be getting close to his house.

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