Max
Seth is beaming, happiness flowing from him.
"You're really happy, what happened?" I ask.
"Hold on," he says.
He slips back inside his room. I hear him whispering to someone but I can't make out thew words they're saying. Stars, I hope his suppressing his feelings with sex. But he seemed so happy so I don't know. He comes back out.
"Come in," he says.
"Seth, what's going on?" I ask.
"You'll understand in a minute," he says.
I follow him into his room. Caleb's standing in the middle of the room.
"Caleb?"
"Hi Max."
I hurry to hug him.
"I can't believe you're back," I say.
Then I take in the rumpled sheets, and their messy hair. My jaw drops.
"Again guys? Seriously?" I ask.
"It's different this time," Caleb says.
"How?" I shout.
Caleb hesitates.
"I swear if you hurt him again, I'll make you regret it. Darius and I had to pick the pieces. If you leave again-"
"I'm not-"
"Did you think about what it will do to him when you leave again?"
"Max I-"
"You shouldn't have done this!" I shout.
"I told you it's different! I love him!" Caleb shouts back.
"What?"
"I love him Max. I know I hurt him. I know I left him. But I didn't have a choice. Everything fell apart so fast and my mom and I had to get away. I missed him every damn day. I came back to make things right, to be with him. I didn't know how bad he's be without me. And I'm sorry."
Seth wraps his arms around him.
"What about when you leave again?" I ask.
"I'm not leaving him again, ever," Caleb says.
"What? I thought you would have to go back," Seth says.
"I believe we could have done long distance but we don't have to. I'm back for good," Caleb says.
"But what about your dad? If he hurts you again," Seth says.
They seem to have a lot to talk about so I leave them to it.
Darius: meet me at the hollow
Max: okay
I enter the hollow.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Caleb's dad was arrested," Darius says.
"What?" I ask.
"He found Caleb and his mom. He tried to kill Caleb's mom. The FIB arrested him a week ago," he says.
"Shit, where they hurt?" I ask.
"No. They fought back. Caleb can come back now," he says.
"He's already back," I say.
"What?" he asks.
"He's with Seth. He came back for Seth," I say.
