Page 94 of Something Like Winter

“No. Not Krista. I stopped seeing her shortly after we beat the crap out of Bryce.” That broke the ice. They both smiled at the memory, the space between them feeling a little warmer. “That was another reason to switch schools. I’m sure Bryce was aching for a rematch. They give you any more trouble?”

“Not really.”

Well done, Stacy Shelly.

A small park at the end of the block became their destination, a view of the river past some overgrown brush. Ben sat on a flat rock, its edges buried in the dirt. Tim joined him. Their legs brushed against each other, Ben shifting uncomfortably and pulling his legs up close. Not a good sign. This wasn’t going well. Maybe Ben had someone.

“So what about you? Drag any lucky guys to the prom?”

The question was ignored. “So straight from high school to Austin?”

“Yeah, pretty much. My dad graduated from here and insisted I do the same. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I agreed. It’s worked out pretty well so far.” Time to pull the ace from his sleeve. “People are so liberal in Austin that it’s easy to be gay here.”

Ben’s reaction was priceless. Flabbergasted was probably the right word. Best of all, Ben was so surprised, he let down his guard completely. “You came out?”

“Yeah. Got kicked out of a fraternity because of it too.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. It was stupid, since I’d slept with half of them before coming out. Well, nothalf,but you know.” Great. Now he was making himself sound like a slut. Tim rewound the conversation to coming out. “A lot of the frat boys were the same way I used to be. Some just liked to mess around, which was all right, but other guys were so closeted they couldn’t even admit it to themselves. I got a good taste of what I put you through.”

Ben lapsed into thought. Everything had changed. Surely he could see that now; would realize the implications. They could be together. Nothing was in their way anymore.

When Ben remained silent, Tim bumped shoulders with him gently. “So tell me about your life. Was Chicago just a lie to keep me away from you?”

“No. I was there for almost two years.”

“Did you like it?”

Ben’s face lit up “I loved it. Everything but the weather. The museums were amazing, the shopping—just the city itself. There was always something going on. Culture thrives there. It didn’t feel like a dead city, like Houston.”

“Austin must seem boring in comparison.”

Ben shrugged. “Not really. It’s taken me a little while, but it’s starting to feel like home.”

“You know,” Tim leaned toward him, “they say home is where the heart is.”

“They also say you can never go home again,”

“Touché!” Tim did his best not to frown. He needed to know. “So what about guys? I guess you’ve probably dated a lot?”

Ben seemed to hesitate before he leaned away to get at his back pocket. He pulled out a photo, handing it to Tim. “His name is Jace. We’ve been together for over two years. Someday he’s going to take me to Paris.”

Tim took the photo reluctantly, not wanting to see. There was Ben, wearing a grin free of inhibition, his face pressed against that of another guy with killer cheekbones and a cool expression. To Tim he almost looked smug, as if he knew Tim would see this moment captured in time and realize how damn happy he could have been. That should be him there, pressing his cheek to Ben’s and stretching out his arm to snap the photo.

“I guess I deserve this.” Tim’s throat burned with the effort of holding back tears.

Ben stared, as if seeing something he never expected. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, like it used to be. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Tim pulled himself together. “I missed my chance, right? A guy like you doesn’t stay single.”

“You either.”

Tim shook his head. “Nope. Not since you.”

“But you said— The frat boys?”

“That was just sex. All the guys I’ve been with were nothing more than a one-night stand or fuck buddies. None of them meant anything.” Not even Travis. Next to Ben, he had been nothing. Only Eric mattered, but who knew if he even counted. Since him, Tim hadn’t connected emotionally with anyone else.