Page 26

When the light finally turned green, I hung a left onto Cedar Street and began the climb. Up into the hills of North Mission City that would lead me away from town and to the sanctuary of the camp.

You need to remember to breathe.

No one actually said that Foster was a pup and that Arnav and Demetrius were…

I struggled for the right word.

Probably because I’d never had…one of my own. I didn’t likeMaster, but would’ve accepted it. If I’d met the right person. I preferred Daddy. Which had all kinds of baggage attached to it. But I saw Daddies as benevolent and kind. Nurturers.

The opposite of my parents.

I’d met generous Daddies. Playful Daddies. Warm and loving Daddies.

As I continued the drive into the night, I blinked back tears.Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

That nice Daddy told you not to call yourself stupid.

A memory long-suppressed.

All my time from the What’sUp Pup group had been shoved down. Put into a place in my mind—and my heart—where I never went. I refused to remember those idyllic nights when I went to Pup Night at the club and just enjoyed myself. When I could be free of all the stressors in my life.

High-powered job.

Demanding parents.

Cruel boyfriend.

Okay…to be fair. Gary hadn’t been cruel during the relationship. Only when he’d discovered my secret—and told the entire world, including my parents—had his true colors shown.

I’d never cheated on him. Never looked at another man.

Had I fantasized about a relationship with a Daddy rather than a coworker who preferred we refer to each other as roommates?

Yep.

If I could’ve found a full-time Daddy, I probably would’ve left Gary.

Which didn’t say much for our relationship. Which he’d absolutely torched when he shared my secret with everyone.

Thank God I’d gone in costume every night. Apparently WhatsUp Pup had closed and Pup Night had been folded into Club Kink. And guess who owned Kink? The benevolent benefactors of Pride Camp. Smith and Alessandra shared that news with me, just in case it became an issue with any of the parents.

To me, there was logic. LGBTQ folks came from far and wide—and flocked to Kink as their safe space.

The couple had seen that. Spotted the wounded souls who, had they received affirmation early on, might not have faced such trauma.

So Pride Camp was their attempt to provide a safe space for teenagers to figure out how they were going to face the world as a queer person.

If only…

Alas, regrets wouldn’t get me far.

I pulled into the lot at Pride Camp and sild into my allotted spot.

Lights from both the great hall and several dorm rooms were visible in the moonlit night.

Should I go over to say hello? No, I don’t want to intrude. I’d checked my phone repeatedly, but nothing from Grey, Makenna, or Cody.

Naturally, that prompted me to check again.