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RAIN

Rain blinked awake as soon as he heard Gage’s truck in the driveway. What was he doing home? It was the middle of the day, the place was empty, and Rain had been trying to nap before his shift.

Cursing, he grabbed his pepper spray and curled up in the corner of the bed, knowing that his various locks and guards would keep him safe for now, but the outside keyhole was covered in scrapes. Gage clearly wanted to get into his room, and every time they crossed paths the tension grew thicker. He needed to move out but it would be another six weeks before he could afford something that wasn’t water-stained and full of mold. He’d even been trying to find a roommate but no one at work could help and anyone he found online was either too suspicious or already taken.

Slamming the front door behind him, Gage stomped in, his footsteps shaking the floor until he came to a halt in front of Rain’s room. Silence stretched; Rain could feel Gage burning a hole through the wood with his stare and then the door rattled with a bang as if he’d punched it, sending Rain halfway up the wall he’d been leaning against. Heart hammering in his chest, Rain went into full flight mode as Gage continued down the hall, closing the bathroom door with the same amount of force.

Rain couldn’t go back to sleep after that. Grabbing his always-ready backpack, he waited for Gage to leave the bathroom. Once he did, Rain would determine an exit path.

Another bang sounded through the walls and Rain cringed, wishing that Tristan was here. Even though things had fallen to pieces, they’d been happy for a while. Tristan had somehow tamed Rain’s mother, giving her stability and loving-kindness, and she’d basked in it for years.

Now that Rain was older, he wondered if she’d ever loved Tristan or if she even had the capacity to love. Some might say she wasn’t playing with a full deck; some might say it was manipulation. To be fair, Rain wasn’t really sure himself. All he knew was that if she was around, then he needed to be on his guard because while she’d wanted a friend in her child, she didn’t act like one in return.

And she also had the worst timing because he heard the distinct sound of a car radio coming up the street. She always blasted music with the windows down, subjecting the neighborhood to her terrible choices, but at least it gave Rain a warning. Adjusting his backpack, he closed his eyes and listened, tracking her as she parked and made her way inside, falling onto the couch with an affected sigh. Gage left the bathroom and the two of them had a quick chat about why they were home in the middle of the day. Apparently, work had been boring on her end and Gage had come home to check on things, his tone telling Rain that this wasn’t a coincidence, and a chill ran up his spine as he realized that Gage had cameras too.

That made sense because Rain had spent the night with someone he’d met at Bar None and had only been home a short time before Gage had shown up. So, where was the surveillance? In his room? Dropping his pack, Rain began a full sweep. Gage hadn’t broken in but had Rain missed a camera from his initial move-in search? Slowly, he unscrewed the smoke detector and checked it again. Nothing. Maybe the cameras weren’t in here but in the hallway or outside?

Sitting hard on the bed, he wiped his hands over his face in despair. Things were getting worse. He was living with a predator who wanted a piece of him and who would know when he was home.

But Rain could either wallow or survive. Taking in several deep breaths, he steadied himself and put his ear to the door. It had gone quiet during his searching and subsequent freakout, but he could tell that Gage was in the bedroom and his mother was probably still on the couch, scrolling on her phone. Although he wanted to wait until they either left or went to sleep, he had a shift that afternoon. For a few minutes he considered trying to jump from the second-floor window but he’d probably hurt himself. His best chance was to slip out quietly while they were both distracted.

Shouldering his backpack again, he silently removed all the security measures and inched out into the hall. Sure enough, his mother was in the living room, facing away, and he managed to get to the small flight of stairs by the front door without incident. Putting his foot onto the first step, he thought he was home free until it let out a long betraying creak, and Rain cringed, bracing himself as his mother whipped her head around.

“Babeeee!” she shrieked and Rain’s heart leaped into his throat. Fuck. Fuck . Gage definitely heard that.

“Hi, Mom.” He tried to sound excited, letting her wrap him in a hug. Her saccharine love always left a bad taste in his mouth and he wanted to break away, but he was plagued by confliction. She was his mom , and while she hadn’t been the best mother out there, others were far worse. In the time before Tristan she’d been all he’d known and that had forged a bond difficult to sever; however, it was lined with cracks that widened every day.

“What’ve you been doing, Rainy?” she pouted, pulling away. Taking a hit from her strawberry-scented vape, she blew it across the room. “I haven’t seen you in foreeeveeer.”

Rain refrained from wrinkling his nose. “Oh, um, work and I’ve been hanging out with Tommy. I made some new friends too.” He tried not to glance down the hall, inching toward the exit. “And I have to start my shift soon so-”

The bedroom door banged open and Gage strode in, stopping between Rain and the exit, and Rain’s system flooded with adrenaline. Slipping a hand into his pocket, he grasped his pepper spray, hoping that he wouldn’t have to use it indoors.

“New rules!” Gage declared, puffing his chest like a walking red flag. “No more locks in my house.”

“What?” slipped out before Rain could stop himself. He’d been wrong. Things weren’t getting worse; they’d passed worse a while ago and were careening toward downright horrible.

“Are you deaf?” Gage took a few steps closer and Rain shuffled back toward the hallway, his grip on the canister tightening. “I said I’m tired of your fucking door being locked. This is my house and you will not keep me out.” His eyes gleamed during the last few words and Rain wanted to be sick.

“I can’t have any privacy?” he pushed, hoping against hope that his mother would say something.

“Be glad I’m letting you keep the door.” Gage crossed his arms, staring Rain down.

“Mom?” He gave it one last try. Why did he always ask? She rarely helped him; why would she start now?

“Hmmm?” Eyes on her phone, she took another drag from her vape, the fake fruit smell only adding to Rain’s nausea.

“Help me here?” He looked at Gage and then at her, feeling trapped and scared, even with the pepper spray in his hand.

“With what? Listen, Rain, Gage is right, it’s his place. Don’t make him mad, he’s stressed from work.” Her attention went right back to social media.

Rain wanted to smack the phone away and shake her, but Gage held his hand out, palm up.

“Key. Now ,” he barked with anger and enjoyment. If he thought that this would give him access to Rain, then he had another thing coming.

Scowling, Rain took the key for The Pointe’s staff bathroom off his ring. It looked similar enough to the real one and he knew that Gage would probably freak out and break down the door anyway, but that didn’t matter. Everything he truly needed was in his backpack. Thankfully, it didn’t look too full because he didn’t want to be questioned or searched. He just wanted to leave.

“Okay. Here.” He dropped it in Gage’s hand, trying not to recoil away in disgust. Between the smug expression and the clear lust in Gage’s eyes, Rain was pretty sure he wouldn’t have an appetite for the rest of the day. “I have to go to work.”

“Be my guest,” Gage gestured toward the front door but Rain sneered, shuffling to the side and walking past his mother instead, leaving through the back. Bursting into a sprint the second he stepped outside, he was halfway down the street before the door closed behind him.

My last day in Shenandoah National Park. Miss you. Hope you’re doing okay, kid.

Rain sighed at a picture of rolling purple and blue mountains as far as the eye could see. He wasn’t okay, not at all. After running almost a mile from Gage’s house, he’d taken a sharp left into a park and walked along their nature trail. Another mile in, he’d found a wooden bench that overlooked a small marsh. Surprisingly, no one passed for a while, and Rain had been able to compose himself, comb through his hair, and stare at Tristan’s text, contemplating his next steps.

Growing up, it had taken a long time for his mother’s toxicity to sink in. The feeling of walking on eggshells, her erratic behavior, and the way she treated him had all seemed normal because there had been a lack of competent adults to compare her to. But as he grew so did his worldview, and his opinion of her had slowly declined.

And then Tristan had come along. To be honest, he’d probably saved Rain from a lot more trauma, so he didn’t need to know that his ex was still a terrible human being and that Rain was suffering as predicted, unable to come up with the capital or the balls to free himself.

But he had no choice now. He couldn’t go back to Gage’s except to quickly grab a few things which meant he needed somewhere to crash. Even with his appetites, one-night stands were not sustainable; he couldn’t bounce from place to place. He’d have to ask around during his shift again, see if anyone needed a roommate or had anything cheap to rent.

Standing, he braided his hair back effortlessly, hands moving of their own will as his mind whirred. If worse came to worse maybe he could stay with Emma or Angelo, but he didn’t want anyone to know his shitty life story. He had enough work drama without it surrounding him day and night.

Quickly changing into his tux uniform, he walked back out to the road and headed to work, reaching for a solution, any solution, when it hit him like a sledgehammer.

The storage room at The Pointe.

Quickening his steps, Rain reached the wedding hall in minutes, going in through the side of the building and managing not to bump into anyone he knew until he reached the door to his potential new place.

He hadn’t been in there since the okay threesome. It turned out that Bryce and Caden had made a half-decent team and Rain had even managed to come a few times, but the ambiance had been off in the middle. He couldn’t put a finger on why but the storage room had felt haunted, as if ghostly eyes had been watching them.

Well, if someone had been there, then they’d certainly gotten a show.

Opening the door, he took a few steps toward the back but stopped as Dylan poked his head in.

“You need something, man?” The chillest dude around, Dylan kept things running at The Pointe by pitching in wherever help was needed, and he never failed to keep the vibes up.

Rain gave him the standard fist bump greeting. “Naw, just seeing how far it goes.”

“Bro, you could get lost back there.” He waved his hand in front of his nose. “I needed to air it out a few weeks ago because someone boinked on the couch but like, all that’s back there is kitchen equipment and the old Christmas tree and some boxes.”

Rain raised his eyebrows, feeling called out. “Aw, I was hoping to find a treasure chest or a cute fireman.”

Dylan chuckled and gave him another fist bump. “For real.” Jolting, he placed a finger on his headset’s earpiece, listening, and then shook his head. “The bride is here and Marci is feelin’ strong today. I swear, her aura is ten times bigger now that she’s planning her wedding.”

“I hope we all survive,” Rain stated solemnly as Dylan jolted again, this time listening more intently and flipping on his microphone.

“Sure thing!” Turning it off, he gave Rain one final fist bump. “Gotta skedaddle, duty calls!”

“Bye.” Waiting until Dylan was well out of sight, Rain closed the door and headed to the back. When he finally got to the infamous couch he stared in hopeful excitement, a smile growing on his face.

This could actually work.

He’d been at The Pointe for over two months and with all the extra shifts he’d come to know the place pretty well. Since food deliveries arrived in the early mornings and event cleanup ran past midnight, the security system was on for only four hours in the middle of the night. However, it didn’t extend into the storage room, so as long as Rain stayed put and didn’t stray out into the hallway, he’d be fine.

His only problem was the weekends. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, The Pointe’s alarms would be set for longer than Rain could hide, even with a bottle to pee in.

Sighing, Rain cracked his neck; he’d figure it out. This was still better than the street and much better than Gage’s place. He just needed to buy a drape for the couch and fresh bedding that he’d put in one of the boxes when he wasn’t around. That way, if anyone did wander back, then they wouldn’t realize that he was sleeping there, but that probably wouldn’t happen. Considering that everything in regular rotation was at the front, no one ventured in very far, and he felt safe enough to set up camp.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he sat on the arm of the couch. He’d rarely felt safe with his mother in his life, so he’d settled on safe enough, and it had been a while since he’d even felt like that. His shoulders drooped, exhaustion taking over. He hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in a long time. Sure, he’d have to be vigilant for a bit but if things stayed quiet, then he’d be able to enjoy this temporary Pointe Hideaway.

Glad that he had shown up early, he began to move things around despite his fatigue, and by the time he had to start upstairs he’d cleared a little space for himself. He left the couch where it was, facing away, so he’d be shielded from anyone who might walk in, and he’d pushed two crates in front of it, forming a makeshift table. He’d even found some old curtains and laid them on the floor, giving him more cushioning from the concrete. Tomorrow morning he’d slip out and do some shopping, but first he had to get through another wedding.

On his way up the grand staircase, he passed Finn. According to Kate, he’d been visiting Ollie in treatment every day and while Rain couldn’t imagine being that obsessed with someone, he had to admit that Ollie had gotten lucky. Finn was a whole snack and Rain would love a taste, but he knew when to keep his mouth to himself.

He held up a hand in greeting.

“Hey, Finn. How’s Ollinator doing?” Since he and Ollie were mainly texting buddies and the clinic encouraged healing offline, they only spoke when Rain visited.

“Hi, Rain,” he smiled, his deep brown eyes crinkling at the edges. “He’s improved even more.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Rain returned the smile as Finn nodded enthusiastically.

“Trust me, no one is happier about that than me. I’ll tell him you asked about him.”

“Thanks. I’ll visit with Tommy again soon.” And eyeball more hot doctors, maybe they could help him take his temperature.

Giving Rain a quick clap on the back, Finn continued downstairs and Rain meandered into the kitchen, noticing the new sous chef.

“What happened to Doug?”

“Evergreen made him an offer,” Kate piped up from her side of the kitchen. “Snatched him out from under us.”

Boasting a majestic fountain and a full-glass ceremony room, The Evergreen Club competed with The Pointe for both customers and staff, and somehow Kate had spies over there. In fact, there was a pastry chef network running through the local wedding halls that could put the CIA to shame, which was another reason why Rain didn’t want to share his problems.

“Too bad, I kind of liked him.” They’d gotten handsy in the kitchen more than a few times and Rain had been hoping to score.

“Of course you did. His palm was glued to your ass.” Emma strolled in, taking her usual spot in front of that day’s wedding cake, looking it over with a nod. Stepping back, she raked her gaze across Rain, who stifled a yawn. “No sleep?”

“Yeah, uh, rough night.” Honestly, he didn’t want to think about it. Even though nothing had happened, he still felt violated.

Hand on her hips, she frowned and then shooed him to a stool in the corner. A minute later, Angelo put a plate in his hand.

“Eat up, kid,” he said with a wink and it made Rain tear up. These coworkers - no - these friends treated him better than his own mother did.

“Thanks, Angelo.” Looking down, he blinked a few times, and a plate of sea bass came into focus. His stomach growled, letting him know that he hadn’t eaten since last night, and he immediately inhaled half the food. Tucked in the corner, he watched everyone hurrying around in a chaotic dance, the swinging doors giving him glimpses of the hall, and at one point the bustle of staff and servers parted and Rain almost dropped his fork.

Mason stood by the stairs, attaching a lens to his camera, and despite the fatigue Rain felt a little burst of excitement. Why was he so happy to see his photographer again?

Wait. His photographer? Rain shook his head. He needed to pull back, and what better time than now because he was far too tired to flirt tonight. He just wanted to crawl up on the couch and sleep for fifteen hours.

True to his word, he didn’t approach Mason throughout the event, using whatever energy he had left to be a competent server; however, he stole far too many glances, once again knowing when the camera was pointed his way not by sight but by a tightening in his chest and his pants. At one point, they passed each other in the foyer, and when their eyes locked Rain could see the heat in that sea-glass gaze, making him want to linger.

Eventually, Kate called him away to help with the bananas Foster flambé, and suddenly he was in charge of wheeling the decorative table out onto a cleared dance floor and turning on the hot plate in its center. After that, he became Kate’s safety monitor as she added rum to sugared bananas in a large skillet, creating flames of impressive height as the wedding guests cheered.

By the time he helped serve it and finished with his tables, the party was over and he absently watched the DJ pack up. Mason had left without saying a single word to him all night and even though Rain had sort of wanted that, he still felt stupidly disappointed.

The two brides and their immediate family were still talking by the dais, and Marci hugged both of them before sidling up to Rain. “I have no idea why Mason lurked in the foyer for so long. He finally went home.”

Rain smiled, trying not to think that Mason had hung around to see him and failing miserably. “Did the couple like him?”

“I guess. You know how he is. But they’ll like their pictures. That’s why I hired him for my wedding.”

“I heard.” Through Kate, of course. “How did you get him to say yes?”

Marci grinned, somehow being sweet and menacing at the same time.

“I didn’t give him a choice.” She looked Rain up and down. “And I think he likes you.”

Rain couldn’t restrain himself. “What makes you say that?”

“Weeellll,” she singsonged, hands behind her back. “You give him a new expression. Mason usually seems bored or annoyed, and that’s why he doesn’t get hired as much as he should, but when he stares at you and takes a picture - which is creepy by the way but I’m sure you’re perfectly aware of it - he looks interested.”

“Interested?” Rain didn’t know if that was good or bad and as the exhaustion overwhelmed him, he became too tired to care.

“Yeah, and I’ve never seen interest on his face before.” She raised her eyebrow at him. “You need to get some sleep.”

“I do,” he nodded, knowing that tonight, despite the circumstances, he’d finally be able to rest.

The Pointe Hideaway had far too easily become Rain’s home. Sometimes he crashed with men he picked up at Bar None or a new staff member, but most of his nights were spent in the storage room. He’d purchased comfortable bedding along with a camping light, plenty of snacks, and a cheap gym membership so he could shower, and at first he thought he’d be roughing it, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Compared to the anxiety and paranoia he’d felt at Gage’s, staying in that musty back room was a dream.

After every shift he’d linger during cleanup and wait until the downstairs hallway emptied so he could sneak to his safety net, curl up on the couch, and either sleep or scroll on his phone. Sometimes he’d look at the landscapes and views Tristan sent, but he often found himself on Mason’s website, studying his photos.

For someone who didn’t emote, Mason certainly made you feel whatever the subject was feeling, and that intrigued Rain even more. He’d never had crushes or thought about any of the men he slept with, but Mason’s piercing stare haunted his thoughts.

He still had trouble with the weekends but it was better to worry about two days rather than seven. For the first one, Tommy had driven up and they’d visited Ollie. Afterward, they’d gone back to The Clark’s house and Rain had crashed there, soaked in melancholy nostalgia.

He’d wandered during the second one, taking a bus to the mall, spending hours on the nature trail, moving from coffee shop to late-night diner to bar, looping the streets and catching naps where he could until The Pointe opened again.

But on the third, he’d stopped by his mom’s office because he’d gone too long without contact and had woken up to a text.

check in w me baby don’t make me come to your job and cause a scene

She’d acted like she either didn’t remember or care about what had happened with Gage, and he’d never been able to rock the boat, so he’d let her coo over him and order lunch on the company. That night, he’d been lucky enough to find someone at Bar None who had let him stay and by the time dawn had broken Rain had already slipped out, wandering again.

The fourth weekend had started much like the second and as Wednesday night fell he was taking his second lap through town, thinking about getting some ice cream when he stilled, his brain going into full alert.

Gage was coming up the street, deep in a phone conversation; thankfully, he hadn’t noticed Rain yet.

Heart pounding, Rain backpedaled at the speed of light, darting into an alley and hiding behind a dumpster. Seconds later Gage passed by, still talking, and Rain shook for several minutes, not standing up until he was sure that Gage was out of range.

Leaning against the dirty brick wall, he wiped a hand down his face. Looking the way he did and having his appetites meant that he’d dealt with tons of creepy, awful men, but something about Gage made Rain feel particularly slimy; he’d rather be celibate than deal with his mother’s gross boyfriend again.

A pathetic squeak pulled him from his thoughts. His eyes flicked to the dumpster. What was in there? A rat?

Another plaintive cry reached his ears, this one mournful. It sounded like it came from a mouse rather than a rat but that meant it was a very loud mouse. Stepping closer, he peered inside, stilling as golden eyes met his.

“Hi there,” he said to the fluffy kitten who stared back at him; its black fur was filthy, sticking up in places, but that only made it cuter. “Aren’t you a dirty diva?”

Why was there a kitten in the dumpster? His eyes scanned the garbage inside, making sure there weren’t any others, but it seemed like the cutie pie was all by itself. Since the dumpster stood alone with nothing next to it, there was no way the kitten could’ve climbed in. Did someone put this poor thing in there?

Ignoring the grime, Rain leaned over the thick metal edge, stretching out his hand, but he came up a few inches short. The kitten tried to paw at him but kept tripping on itself, continuously mewing, and the sad tone touched a familiar feeling inside of Rain. The kitty was scared. It only wanted to be safe and Rain could more than relate.

Holding his breath to ward off the smell, Rain climbed in and the minute his leg touched the garbage at the bottom, the kitten sank its claws into his pants, its cries getting sharper and more insistent.

“It’s okay, I got you, little mouse.” Carefully pulling the fluffball free he sloppily hauled himself out with one hand, landing hard on the pavement, and turned the kitten around, checking. The squeaks continued but she seemed happier, wriggling until Rain held her against his chest, where she calmed, sinking her claws into his shirt and holding on. “You need a home too, huh?”

Leaning back against the brick, Rain sighed. He couldn’t leave her behind, she was too tiny. In seven hours, The Pointe would reopen for early deliveries, beginning another work week, and he might be able to hide her in the storage room for a few days, get her clean, and find a family to adopt her. She deserved a good life with someone who wouldn’t bring home perverted boyfriends and who would love her the way she was meant to be loved.

Resuming his walk through town, he carried the kitten to the only open grocery store, sneaking her in and buying cat food, flea treatment, and other essentials. The clerk definitely saw her squirming in his hoodie pocket and grinned at Rain while he paid. Turning on the charm, he winked at her.

Hours later, he crept back into The Pointe, grabbing a disposable aluminum pan and filling it with warm water.

Strangely, once she’d been rescued from the dumpster, the kitten stayed reasonably quiet as if she trusted Rain, and his heart grew full as she bravely endured the flea dip and subsequent cleaning, shivering and letting out small squeaks when he dried her with The Pointe’s cloth napkins. He wished his living situation was different because he wanted to keep her.

He’d even named her Mouse.