Page 31 of Guitars and Cages

“Well, uhh, dude, what the hell else are you gonna do with a filmmaking degree?”

He looked at me like I’d grown two heads. “Uhh, how about actually making movies, like real movies and not shit for people to masturbate to.”

“So you wanna be a director or something?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I think maybe I might want to focus on screenwriting and move into directing later. We’ll see, I’ve only been in school a year.”

“So why move here and do it? I mean, if it’s online you can do it anywhere.”

He snorted. “Maybe because you’re here, maybe because Morgan’s here—maybe because, like you, I’m fuckin’ tired of being alone. I miss family, too, Asher, even if you guys are mean as hell. I hope Morgan doesn’t flip when he sees me. I’m hoping he’ll let me work there; it would give me plenty of time to get my schoolwork done during the day. I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do if he hates me for this. Please, I know you fuckin’ hate it too, but will you come with me to tell him?”

His hands were shaking, his lips were trembling as he spoke, and he looked like he was about to cry. Least today he wasn’t wearing shit that would run all over his face if he did, but still, I didn’t wanna deal with him bawling all over me.

“He already knows.”

“What?” he squeaked, like literally, his voice went up so many octaves that I almost clamped a hand over my ears.

“Morgan knows; I told him.”

His face paled; his eyes got so wide I was afraid he was gonna pass out on me if I didn’t do something soon, so I reached over and shook him a little, got him to focus on me. “It’s okay. He kinda read me the riot act for how I was acting about it, and said he’d be very unhappy if you were made to be unhappy. So...it’s cool. He knows and he don’t care.”

Alex’s breath whooshed out of his body, and for a second I thought he was gonna pass out. He started smiling, and then the next thing I knew he was hugging me, and I wasn’t freaked out the way I’d thought I’d be when he did. I just sank into the hug and held him as tight as I could because, dammit all, it felt good to have him there.

Chapter Thirteen

Iwas still thinking about Alex as I headed up the stairs to my apartment, glad I’d gone over to that motel, glad I’d sat down and listened to him. The longer we’d talked, the less uncomfortable I’d felt, and the more I’d wanted to ask him what it was like to be free to be himself. I didn’t, though, ’cause he’d wanna talk about what I was hiding, and I didn’t want to talk with him about that. I wondered how much Gage had told him; prayed he hadn’t said anything except that I could go to hell. That stung, but I guess he had a right to still be mad after what I’d done.

I wasn’t watching where I was going, so I guess the collision was inevitable, and when it came I was glad for my fighter’s reflexes because I was able to stop my fall, and the fall of the body I’d slammed into. I looked into startled blue-green eyes, my hand digging into his T-shirt-clad shoulder as Conner regained his footing. As soon as I saw it was him I let go, took a step back, and nearly sent myself toppling down the stairs. Then he was grabbing me, pulling me back from the edge even as my hand grabbed the banister.

“Let go,” I grumbled, but it lacked any real heat.

He let go and stepped back, kind of sneering, shaking his head at me. “Watch where you’re going next time.”

I huffed. Of all the nerve. “Why don’t you try watching what the fuck you’re doing instead of lecturing me?”

“You were the one charging up the steps like a bat out of hell.”

“Whatever.” I moved to go around him, to retreat to my couch and the bottle I’d hidden on top of the cupboard. He reached out and caught my arm, his hand on my skin sending sparks up and down my spine. I so didn’t need him touching me. With a growl, I yanked my arm away.

“Is your brother okay?” he asked, and I saw concern in his eyes. What the hell did he know about my brother?

“What’s it to you?”

“Considering what I saw, I was concerned is all.”

I glared, barely containing my fury. “Well, it’s none of your goddamned business.”

He snorted and shook his head. “You remind me of my old man; he’s a bastard about the gay thing. Hell, I’d be willing to bet your old man is, too, and that the apple didn’t fall too far from the rotten tree.”

I frowned. Here was this almost-total stranger who under different circumstances I’d have loved to be friends with, and he was going off on me like he’d known me all my life. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Fuck you, you fuckin—”

“Faggot?” he added before I could finish.

“Bastard,” I hissed, because bastard truly had been what I’d intended to say.

He looked at me like he wasn’t sure what to think, and I shrugged. “Not like it’s any of your goddamned business, but my brother is fine. I just came from talking to him, so maybe the next time you hear people arguing in the hallway you’ll keep your ass in your fucking apartment unless you like looking for trouble.”

“Am I supposed to be afraid of you? Why? ’Cause you like getting in fist fights like the schoolyard bully?”