Page 3 of Escape into the Night

Caleb sifted his fingertips through Elias’ salt and pepper hair, exactly how he always did when his partner needed soothing. “I'm not going to twist your arm, and you know I'll support you in whatever you decide, but I think—correct me if I'm wrong—you want this more than you are willing to admit and your concerns are about all the logistics and not the actual decision.”

“It's a lot. We saw it first hand. I'm worried about what it'll do to our family, Cay. You honestly have to have similar concerns.” Elias’ shoulders sagged as his beleaguered sigh warmed Caleb’s chest through the t-shirt.

“I'm really not. You aren't like her. You would never let anything destroy your family. That's why I am not even a little bit worried about that. We're rock solid and we always will be. Look at me, Baby Doll.” Caleb eased back and gently turned Elias’ face upward by the chin. Once he made eye contact, Caleb continued. “You're the best father, best husband, best weird uncle-brother-father figure, and you'll be the best president this country could ever hope for. Let’s give them hell, but after I have my wicked way with you. Priorities, remember?”

“Christ, I love you.” Elias shifted with Caleb’s movements, easing backward to flop on the mattress with a breathy laugh as Caleb finagled his way onto the bed to straddle his husband’s lap. The atmosphere shifted and became electric as he leaned forward to pin Elias’ hands over his head.

“And I love you, future Mr. President. Now, hold on tight. I've got a list of dirty things to do to your body and time’s ticking. Parker’ll be home by eight in the morning and I need to optimize every second we have in order to accomplish what I need to do.”

“You really think you're going to need eight hours? Should I have put more Gatorade in the fridge?” Elias bucked his hips as a playful smile teased the corner of his mouth.

“Alas. You’ll have to deal with room temp electrolytes.” Caleb nipped at the line of Elias' jaw before nuzzling his goatee. “You knew my devious plans. It's your own fault.”

“What am I going to do with you?” Elias melted more and more with each ministration until he was writhing and pliant beneath Caleb's body.

“Love me forever.”

“Done. Easy.”

And with that, it was Caleb’s turn to melt into a sappy puddle. He had no worries at all. Regardless of what their future held, he had absolutely zero concerns when it came to their relationship. The Devil himself couldn't tear them apart. That, Caleb was sure of.

Chapter Two

Elias

Elias’skinbuzzedwitha mixture of excitement and apprehension as they got closer to Matthew Dresdon’s home. He had a strong feeling he knew exactly what Matt wanted to discuss, but even his certainty couldn't quell the nervous energy that filled him. Everyone seemed so sure. Everyone except for Elias himself. His mind boggled over how unfazed Caleb and Matt were about things. The whole concept had him stressed to the point of perpetual heartburn.

The housekeeper buzzed them through the imposing front gate of the Dresdon property with a cheerful welcome. Parker all but bounced in the backseat as the now familiar property slowly passed by them, eager to eat up all of Cynthia’s undivided attention. It was the silver lining he needed to put a smile on his face—Matt and Cynthia were the surrogate grandparents Parker had always needed and never had.

Matthew and Cynthia’s home was a second sanctuary for them all. Over the years, these friends had become family and the familiar domicile held the same comfort any family home would. From discussing political strategy to heartfelt confessions aboutpersonal matters, Matt and Elias had forged a bond not all that different from that of a father and son. He trusted Matt implicitly for that reason, even as he knew they were planning to ambush him at some point over the course of the evening. Part of him wondered if maybe he was walking into the trap willingly because deep down, he knew it was the push he needed to make a difficult decision. Such was the way with family—hard truths spoken from a place of love went down a lot easier when everyone involved spoke from a place of genuine compassion. He was his own worst enemy. He was also blessed with undying support and sincere love. In fact, he had those in spades.

Some of Elias’ apprehension melted away over dinner. He knew it was a trap, but he eagerly fell into it as they shared light-hearted conversation over delicious food. Willful ignorance was a double-edged sword. The eye of the storm was a great place to take a few deep breaths and brace himself for the inevitable typhoon. When his husband put his mind to something, there was no way to break his focus. It was one of the many things Elias loved about Caleb—that tenacity and fighter’s spirit often left him breathless with awe.

As the evening wound down, he found himself in a room that held one of his most precious memories. The location was likely intentionally chosen for that reason. Matthew and Caleb were savvy, he’d give them that much credit. Having a difficult conversation in the space where Elias had impulsively proposed to Caleb as the clock ticked down to the start of a new year tipped the scales very much in their favor, but he couldn't be mad. Not even a little miffed. If anything, he was entertained, resigned, and more than a little impressed. Hot tea in a ceramic mug swirled steam into the air, capturing Elias’ attention as he patiently listened to their impassioned appeals while staring at the cup like it was an anchor point in a world that continued to spin too fast around him. He reluctantly placed it on the coffeetable and lifted his gaze to track his husband’s energetic pacing around the room.

Caleb's energy was an infectious power that had Elias shifting his weight to perch on the edge of the couch. The man’s charm was a dangerously magnetic force that still held the power to draw him in. His hands flew in rapid, patternless movements as he punctuated each word with his typical effusiveness and flair for the dramatic.

“El, you have to run. I'll die on that hill. You're the only one good enough to go toe-to-toe with this lunacy! Look at the options. We can't do another four years of Adelaide fucking Montgomery. We can't. The world won't survive it and I'll be damned if we get a Republican instead. Fuck all that. Seven ways to Sunday.”

“Babe,” Elias exhaled the word in exasperation. “This isn't just about me or Addy or any of that. I'm not negating your very valid points but think about it. Think about us. You. Me. Parker. Hell, think about Theo and Connor and all the rest. The greater good is all fine and well, but did you stop to think about the implications on our life? The media frenzy. The scrutiny. The goddamn risks involved?”

Caleb rolled his eyes so hard, Elias worried they might pop right out and take a sabbatical. “As if our lives aren't already a reality tv shit show. All of that, it's already on our doorstep. At least if you had the power to actually effect some positive change, it wouldn't feel so futile.”

Elias parted his lips to make a counterpoint, but Cay flashed a palm with a vocalized sound that brought him up short.

“And beside all that, if anyone can handle scrutiny and chaos, it's us. I mean, do you need me to remind you about the PTA bake sale? It was an absolute circus but I still left to a standing ovation. My fabulousness dazzled.”

Matt snorted out a laugh as he sank deeper into the leather armchair nestled beside the couch. “Let’s not rewrite history here, Caleb. It was cupcakes, not foreign policy.”

“Hush, old man. I'm soapboxing. Don't dull my sparkle with your lies.” Caleb’s eyes crinkled with mirth as he wagged a finger in Matt’s direction. Pivoting in place, he stepped around the coffee table and crouched low before Elias, those damn eyes cutting straight through his defenses like they always did. “Baby doll, listen to me. We’ve been through worse. We’ve been through hell and back, and I understand your worries. I absolutely do. But this? This is a battle worth fighting. For us. For the country. For the world.”

Elias’ chest caved as he exhaled a weighted breath, his hand lifting to pinch the space between his eyes. “I'm not saying it's not a worthy cause. The stakes are just impossibly high. This insanity is like cancer. The extremists are tearing democracy apart at the seams. They've already torn our family apart. My concern is that we’ll just be adding more fuel to an already raging inferno, and the target will be onourbacks, babe.”

“And what's the alternative, Elias?” Matthew shifted to rest his elbows on his knees, drawing even closer as his voice dipped low in compassionate earnestness. “Sit on the sidelines and hope it burns out on its own? That's not you. That's not how you've ever operated. You've spent your entire life fighting for the people. For what we stand for. You're really going to wave a white flag now?”

Elias pushed himself to his feet with an exasperated sound. He paced the hardwood floor like a caged animal as pressure built in his ribcage. “Because it's not just me I have to worry about. It's you, it's Caleb, it's Parker. Theo, Connor, Taz… Anna and Toby. Hell, all of them! None of them signed up for this war.”

Caleb’s hands flew heavenward with a wail. “Oy! Give me a break. They didn't enlist, but every single one of them is readyto fight tooth and nail. For Christ’s sake, you saw Park’s mock government project. He’s nine and already has better policy ideas than Congress does. And as far as I’m concerned, I'll be just dandy. I'm already drafting my tell-all memoir: The First Gentleman Chronicles. It's going to be fabulous.”

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