Page 2

OLLIE

THREE MONTHS LATER

“On three! One, two, three - now!” Biz shouted. With a series of grunts, the group lifted Ollie’s mattress and slowly tottered out of the van, only dropping it twice as they made their way into the house and up the flight of stairs to Ollie’s new bedroom.

“Please tell me this is the heaviest thing you own.” Tommy sprawled on the hardwood floor, already exhausted.

“I think the dresser’s the heaviest but I removed the drawers so it won’t be too bad. Come on, little brother, we’re only getting started!” Ollie handed him a bottle of water then turned and gave one to Rain, who was perched in the window seat, breathing heavily.

“Tell me why you moved here again?” Tommy sat up, twisted the cap, and guzzled down half the bottle.

“Because I wanted a change. I’ve been living in the same town all my life, seeing the same people day in and day out. I want to spread my wings.” Ollie opened his arms, flapping them, and Biz cackled.

“Well, you’re not spreading them that far. You’re only, like, an hour away.” Snatching the bottle out of Tommy’s hands, she took a long sip.

“You know I backwashed in that,” Tommy deadpanned.

“Cool.” Biz smirked at him, taking another drink. “I like it chunky.””Ew.“ Rain shook his head, his lips pinched in disgust “But really, Ollie, why here?”

Ollie didn’t want to tell them the real reasons. That he was under too much scrutiny at home. That, while he loved his family, he needed space to manage his dread and prepare for future disaster. That Liam had found a new life here and maybe he could too. That he was hoping to run into Finn again, the beautiful and caring driver who kissed him so passionately, in just the way Ollie had always wanted to be kissed.

He still couldn’t believe that he’d wandered off without getting Finn’s number or last name; he didn’t even have a picture. The Olleelicious - who took photos of everyone and everything - had forgotten to snap a single shot of the man who shook his world; it was laughable. So, he’d resorted to stalking Finn’s rideshare profile, trying to find any contact information, but Finn’s icon was a distant photo of him leaning against his car and there was nothing on the page but his ratings and reviews. Of course, Ollie had left five stars and a thinly veiled message that said “Call me” but he’d heard nothing in return.

Considering that he’d cried in the back of Finn’s SUV, told him that he was afraid of everything, kissed him, and then left, it would be surprising if Finn wanted anything to do with him. And Ollie didn’t even know why he was searching; he was still reticent to get involved with anyone, share his secrets, and let them see him naked.

But he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. First, he had to find Finn, and Ollie wasn’t too confident in his chances.

“It’s a pretty town!” he insisted, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen awake. “It’s got three coffee shops, a mall twenty minutes away, some kickass running routes, and I have friends here.” He started taking video of the room, to use as the before in his before-and-after Reel.

“You don’t have any friends here.” Biz put a hand on her hip.

“I do, Bizmark. Liam Gray lives five minutes away.”

“That’s a friend.” Tommy stood, brushing off the seat of his pants, then stopped with a frown. “Liam Gray? Isn’t that the guy whose parents died a few years ago? In a car accident?”

Ollie held back a scowl. Persistence had allowed him to reconnect with Liam, who seemed to be doing better than he had months ago, alluding through text that he’d found his dream guy and was in a great relationship, healthy and healing. He didn’t deserve to be remembered by any kind of tragedy. “Yes. He works at a catering hall. I saw him when I went to August’s wedding.”

“How is he? I remember him selling his parents’ house but then he vanished.” Biz finished the last of her stolen water.

“Good. Really good. Living with the love of his life, wants to be a lawyer. I gave him my number and we’ve been texting for a while, we’re besties now.” Ollie left out that he’d called The Pointe several times and even drove there, being extra charming to the blond manager who he’d later learned was Liam’s partner. But Ollie was within his rights; Liam’s pale and shaky countenance had taken up almost as much room in Ollie’s mind as Finn had, and when Liam finally texted, Ollie was a mix of excitement and relief. They were going to meet up for a shopping trip in a few days and Liam seemed thrilled that Ollie was - as of now - living close by.

“Can I take a pic of us? For Insta?” Ollie waved his phone and even though everyone grumbled, they were used to him and his ways so they posed for a few shots. Selecting the best one, Ollie added a filter and tagged it with #movingday #themuscle, and #bestmovingcompanyever along with the brand name of his outfit.

It was a cute photo. Ollie stood front and center, a wide pink headband keeping his blond curls up and away from his face, which had a light sheen of makeup on it. Fashion-forward in a matching pink shirt that was more like a tunic and soft gray leggings that were too nice to wear for a run but perfect for moving day, he worked his free and fabulous fit, aiming for affiliate commission.

Biz leaned against his left side, arms crossed, every bit the cool older sister she’d always been. She’d embraced a goth aesthetic as a teenager and had declared that it wasn’t a phase, it was a way of life. At the moment, her hair was split blue and black with a high line of bangs but that could change at the drop of a hat. Her eyebrows were shaved and drawn in harshly, her eyes drowning in eyeliner that had tails sharp enough to cut a man, and she had too many piercings to count. A full tattoo sleeve adorned her left arm but instead of the expected bats and skeletons, the design was all anime characters, for she had loved Japanese cartoons for years and participated in online fandoms that were in a completely different internet realm than Ollie’s makeup accounts.

Tommy stood on Ollie’s right, giving the peace sign and making what he called the demon face which was him sneering and sticking out his tongue. He was taller and stockier than Ollie, with the same blond curls, but he had soft brown eyes and fuller features. While Ollie had their mother’s delicate bone structure, Tommy took after their father, with a wider nose and chin, his cheekbones less noticeable.

Rounding out the group was Rain - Tommy’s best friend. Lithe and androgynous, Rain was model-level stunning, with intense gray eyes and long dark hair that surrounded his face in soft waves. Like Ollie, Rain had always been gay and never hid it. Unlike Ollie, Rain leveraged his looks to hit on anyone and anything that moved, and it worked for him. Ollie envied his confidence.

“Shouldn’t we be unloading the van instead of, I don’t know, lying around and taking pictures?” Biz checked Ollie’s phone, nodded with approval at the screen, and then headed for the door.

“I guess so.” Ollie smiled. “But it’s important to document things!”

“Yeah, yeah.” She waved him off, going back to the van, Tommy and Rain on her heels.

They made more trips up and down, moving the furniture first and taking a break when there were only boxes left. Sitting on the tailgate of the rental van, the four of them hydrated with more water as Ollie silently calculated the calories he was burning, checking his fitness watch even though he knew the number was inaccurate.

“Who’s that?” Rain jutted his chin at the porch, where a tall broad-shouldered man snapped photos with a decked-out camera. The lens alone looked like it cost as much as three pairs of Jimmy Choos.

“The landlord, Mason. It’s his place, he inherited it from his grandmother.” Ollie nodded at the white four-bedroom Georgian-style home, which had two floors, a basement, and a full attic. Several dormer windows protruded from the roof, a stained-glass fanlight hung above the door, and an open porch stood proudly across the front, where Mason was skulking.

“Is he creepy?” Biz squinted at him

“Is he taking pictures of us?” Tommy squinted along with her.

“Is he gay?” Rain twirled a lock of hair around his index finger. “Not that it matters.”

“No, he’s not creepy. He’s just insular. And he’s a professional photographer so,” Ollie gestured in Mason’s direction. “That’s what he does.”

“You should get him to take Instagram pics of you,” Tommy mused, rubbing his chin.

“I think he’d rather die.” Ollie giggled, imagining the face Mason would make at that request. “He does nature stuff, artsy stuff, and candids. Some of it’s on the walls downstairs. He was having a tough time finding a tenant because part of the deal is - one - leave him alone and - two - be okay with randomly having your picture taken.”

“Then you’re perfect for him, you social media whore.” Biz elbowed Ollie in the side.

“Hey, I resemble that remark!” Ollie kept giggling as she put her hands over her ears.

“No, no, no, that’s what Dad says! You sound like him!”

“You still didn’t answer my question.” Rain pouted, crossing his arms and tossing his nose up in mock anger.

“I don’t think he’s gay.” Ollie sobered, studying his new landlord, who ignored everyone, pointing his lens at the sky. “But he doesn’t really like people so you should probably leave him alone.”

“A challenge then.” Rain cracked his knuckles.

“Let Ollie live here in peace?” Tommy sighed. “Use Grindr.”

“I got banned. Twice. Too much nudity.” Rain let out a dramatic sigh.

“Anyway…” Biz stood, ever the mom. “If we don’t get these boxes upstairs soon, then we’ll be doing this in the dark and I want to finish up and have some pizza.”

“Pizza!” Tommy and Rain punched the air like eight-year-old twins as Ollie tried to smile. When one hired family and friends to help with a move, it was customary to provide pizza, water, and other refreshments as payment for their service and Ollie was not about to shun that tradition. But he was trying to figure out the best way not to consume any of that pizza without attracting attention. Going up and down stairs all day was a significant workout and he didn’t want to waste that by eating a greasy helping of cheese on bread.

He hadn’t come up with an answer by the time the van was empty but once he studied the takeout menu he sagged in relief. He could get a plain salad without dressing and pretend to nibble on a slice. That should do the trick.

“How much of this house do you get to use?” Tommy popped the top on his soda. They were all spread out across Ollie’s room, waiting on the food, with Biz in Ollie’s desk chair, Tommy sitting tailor-style on the floor, and Rain in the window seat again.

“All of it but the attic, the basement, and Mason’s room. The attic has a lot of his grandmother’s stuff and the basement is his darkroom. I think. I’ve never seen it.” Ollie lounged on the bed, happy that he’d managed to find sheets, a comforter, and the most important thing - his laptop.

“That’s still a lot! Nice.” Tommy toasted Ollie with the can. “I’m happy for you, Ollie, even if Biz, Mom, and Dad aren’t.”

“Hey, don’t drag me into this!” Biz looked up from where she was scrolling on her phone. “And Mom and Dad are just concerned.”

Ollie rolled his eyes. “Because Mom wants me to stay local and go back to school or my old job.”

“Of course she does.” Biz tilted her head. “You’ve been making a lot of changes and you have to admit that your decision to quit and move here was spontaneous.”

“What is life without spontaneity?” Ollie sat up straight, nodding at Rain when he made a grunt of agreement. “See! Am I supposed to languish in the town I grew up in? Continue to get fooled by straight men until I eventually marry some guy I went to high school with, settle down, and have two-point-five dachshunds?”

“Dachshunds are cute though,” Tommy pointed out.

“You know that’s not what Mom wants. She’s worried about you.” Biz pursed her lips.

“She’s worried about me supporting myself.” Among other things, Ollie left that unspoken, cracking his neck. “Listen. I left college because the closest thing they had to a social media degree was marketing and it was boring. I have a letter of recommendation and glowing references from my last job and I don’t think I’ll have a problem finding another. Plus, I’ve got four different brands that I’m doing affiliate stuff for so I’m making cash for posting and I’m getting a lot of free things too.”

“Really?” Rain’s face was all curiosity.

“Yes!” Ollie gestured toward the pile of boxes labeled Tools of the Trade. “Mostly makeup, hair care products, and clothes. The companies want me to try their stuff out on camera and tell my large follower count that I like it.”

“But what if it sucks?” Using the tip of her toe, Biz swayed the chair back and forth.

“Then I don’t make a video. I’m not negative online. People don’t follow me for negativity. I try everything out and what works well, I promote.”

The doorbell rang and Tommy sprang into action, barreling down the stairs, his footsteps echoing throughout the house. He was back in under a minute, laden with two pizza boxes, a tinfoil-wrapped loaf of Italian bread, and a bag that contained Ollie’s salad.

Ollie handed out paper plates and napkins as everyone got comfortable on the floor, sitting in a circle.

“Please tell me you’re eating more than that rabbit food.” Biz eyed Ollie as he pulled the plastic top off his salad. He smothered a frown as he realized there were croutons on it; he’d have to pick those out. Thankfully they remembered to leave the dressing off.

“Calm yourself Mom, I’m having some pizza too,” Ollie shot back.

“Good. Because a stiff breeze could blow you away.” Biz sniffed at him and then busied herself with selecting two slices - one with extra cheese and one with pepperoni.

“That’s not an accident.” Ollie raised an eyebrow, tired of his weight being an issue. It was one of the reasons he’d taken the room. Mason was the type to stay out of Ollie’s business, and after being constantly observed by his family, Ollie craved that privacy. “I wish you and the parents would get off me. This is what I look like now and I have to be diligent to maintain it.” And lose more.

“You don’t think you’re too thin though?” Tommy asked around a mouthful of food.

“Can we maintain that it isn’t polite to comment on people’s bodies?” Ollie held in a sigh.

“Not even to tell someone they have a nice ass?” Rain wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

“That’s an exception.” Ollie nodded, selecting a slice of pizza and blotting it with his napkin before taking a bite, just to show everyone that he was fine. He wanted to simultaneously hum at the orgasmic taste and spit it out, for he hadn’t eaten something so decadent in ages. “But really, I’m smaller than I was and I think you’re all not used to it. I’m barely used to it.”

“You looked great before, just so you know,” Biz grumbled.

Hoping to change the subject, Ollie took another bite and let loose the hum he’d been holding back. “This pizza is delicious.”

The minute they left Ollie was going to work this off; even though he’d only had a little, he could already feel it pushing him down, tethering him to the ground. But soon he’d be free enough to run as much as he wanted and break that tether, become faster, as if he were air itself, slipping up and away from the dread that constantly chased him and the disaster that followed behind.