Page 40 of When Ben Loved Jace

“Let’s get him inside,” I suggest.

Jace nods, his eyes welling up with tears. “You did it,” he says. “You found him. Thank you, Ben.”

My heart swells with affection. I’m so grateful to have them both in my life. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

“Anything for the boys I love!”

Chapter Nine

“How did we ever live without this stuff?” Allison asks, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug that she carefully sips from, as if it contains liquid gold. Considering how much this particular café charges, that isn’t far from the truth.

“I don’t know,” I reply, gulping down the rest of my own, “but I’m never going back. At least, not until we graduate."

The past few months have been stressful, thanks to my academic journey. I’ve been working on my thesis, which focuses on the history of LGBT literature. Books have always been a refuge for me. I’ve often looked to them for guidance, but when I was growing up, there was a dearth of novels that explored the gay experience. Those that I’ve managed to find and read for this project don’t instill much hope. In some cases, a dire ending was the only way a publisher would agree to print a certain book, but I believe the way queer people perceived themselves back then was also a factor. When faced with so much hatred, it must have been hard to imagine a happy life for their characters.

I feel so fortunate in that regard. Jace and I celebrated our four-month anniversary recently. I met him at the airport that day when he flew into town. Seeing a handsome flight attendant walking toward me with a bouquet of flowers just about brought me to my knees. And technically, it did, but only once we were alone. The crazy thing is, I didn’t need to remind him of how long we’d been together. I wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it until we reached half a year. Not many people celebrate the four-month mark, but being with him feels so good that maybe we should make it a weekly thing. Or even daily!

Perhaps we would if we saw each other that often. That’s the only downside. Jace remains a rare treat. I’m seriously tempted to take a job with the same airline, so we can continue our relationship in the skies.

“Earth to Ben!” Allison says, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

“Huh?”

“You didn’t hear anything I just said, did you?”

“Umm…” I nudge my subconscious, hoping for a hint, but itshrugs helplessly. All I can remember hearing is the sound of grinding coffee beans and the squelching of an espresso machine.

She sighs. “I was talking about what we’re going to doafterwe graduate. Although in your case it’s obvious. When’s the wedding?”

I titter before withering under her glare. “Sorry. Give me a quick recap.”

“We need a plan!” Allison says. “Like where we’re going to put down roots, because I can’t live without my best friend. It’s hard enough that you’re barely ever home these days. What if we end up in different cities?” She shakes her head, the issue already decided. “Huh-uh. I’m not going to let that happen. So is this home now?”

I’m not sure, so I buy time with a question of my own. “Your dad wants to know too, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah. The house is on the market. We could move back there—be closer to both our families. Greg also lives in the area, so Jace might prefer it that way. You should talk to him.”

“I guess that would make the most sense but…” I hesitate, struggling to put the feeling into words. “I never really fit in there. The culture here is a better match for me. Sometimes I even forget that I’m gay. If that makes sense.”

Allison nods. “For me, it’s like being in a small town, where I stand out more because of the color of my skin. In a city, there are plenty of black people around. Way too many for racist fuckwads to constantly lose their shit over. They’d get exhausted real quick, so most sane people simply get on with their lives, no matter what they think. It isn’t the same thing as being accepted, but itisa form of tolerance.”

“Exactly! I know that there’s a much larger city close to our home town, but it’s not as liberal.” I glance out the window thoughtfully. “I also like having my independence. I love my parents and want to be close enough to visit them or get there quickly in an emergency, but I also feel more grownup when they aren’t around. You know?"

Allison smiles. “I do, even though I don’t share your inclination. I cannotwaitto have my daddy live closer to me. I won’t worry as much.”

“I’m sure he won’t either,” I say with a chuckle.

“So it’s decided? We’re staying here?”

I take a deep breath. Then I nod. “Yeah.”

“Awesome!” Allison sets her empty mug on the table with a thunk. “Let’s celebrate with another round.”

She starts to stand before her eyes bug out. Then she quickly plops down again. “Or maybe we’ve had enough.”

“Are you all right?” I ask in concern.

Allison’s attention darts away from me and back again before she nods rapidly. “Mm-hm!”