Page 53 of Highway To Destiny

Connor laughed. “Spencer was so concerned about how things would go for Evan, but apparently, Evan’s family took Spence under their wing like he was part of their clan. He said he spent more time with them than his own family all summer.”

“And did Evan finally come out?” I asked casually.

I could sense Connor’s giddiness when he spoke. “A week before Spence was due back here, Evan decided it was time to come clean with his family. With Spencer by his side, he told them everything about his life and ended his speech, taking Spencer’s hand in his.”

“And the family’s reaction?” I waited, not necessarily fearful, since Connor was upbeat talking about it.

“Evan’s mom simply said, ‘Finally,’ which kind of took the wind out of his sails. His sisters were happy for him. The sticky part was his dad. The family is Mormon, and that kind of news can be tough to accept. It’ll take some time for them to adjust, but Spencer told me Evan was overjoyed at not being disowned.”

“I’m happy it worked out for him and Spencer,” I responded. “Since Spencer is back at school, he must miss not having Evan around.” Once I’d said that, I realized it wasn’t much different from what Connor and I were experiencing in our relationship.

“He’s just staying busy with his studies and tutoring. I am too, actually. We’ve been swimming almost every morning, which I missed over the summer,” he said. I felt a twinge of guilt knowing he couldn’t swim around our schedules, and finding available pools was a challenge.

“Are you doing alright with money?” I asked, not wanting to pry.

“Oh yeah, I’m good. With what I made working for you this summer and my tutoring, I should be good for a while.” Connor made it seem like nothing, but I knew what it was like when I was in college. I needed a part-time job to supplement the life insurance payout I received when my parents were killed. I still had to scrape by to make ends meet back then.

Before we ended the call, Connor wanted to know where I was headed next. We weren’t sure how long it would be before we could see each other again, and it was now the end of September. I told him I’d be heading down south into Arizona, Nevada, and eventually California, but I’d make sure to keep him updated.

We told each other we’d send photos from our phones—where I was, what he was doing—kind of like social media. The thing was, Connor would send me pics of the cafeteria meals he’d eaten and shots of a lecture class he attended, but what I appreciated most were the occasional shots of him in his Speedo that Spencer had taken—those I saved.

As fall approached, I became more aware of the upcoming weather conditions. I hardly had any issues in the southwest states, but once I hit Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, the roads would become more treacherous, and so would other drivers.

I had a feeling it was going to be a long fall and winter. It was too soon to make plans for the holidays, but I told Connor I’d work something out with Jim regarding my freight deliveries.

Little did I know the winter would be the one to change my life.

34

CONNOR

Between classes, composing my thesis, and tutoring duties, I didn’t have much time for socializing. Spencer was in the same boat, and we didn’t get out much besides swimming every morning. We’d made a pact at the beginning of the term that would be a necessity to keep our sanity. I was the early riser, so I’d be his alarm clock. I’d walk down the hall and let myself in his room to get his ass out of bed. I was thankful he didn’t dawdle, and we’d easily get to the pool or fitness center to begin our day.

We were fortunate that we received similar dorm room assignments, not across from each other this year, but on the same floor, a few doors down from each other. It was nice that it worked out, and I knew Spencer was happy not to have too much change to deal with.

It was a rainy Sunday, and we decided it would be our day off from workouts and the pool. Once I got up, washed and dressed, I walked down the hall to see if Spencer wanted to go to breakfast. I was tired of protein bars or shakes every morning. It was mid-morning, and I figured he’d still be sleeping.

I knocked lightly before I opened the door and saw his sleeping form curled up in bed. I quietly walked over, evaluated his position, and then catapulted myself on top of him. I’d never done that, but I was in a childish mood for some reason. He yelped in surprise and flailed under my weight and the confines of his bedding.

“What the fuck?” he barked as I looked down at him. He did his best to get free, but the covers kept him pinned down.

I pushed myself off, not wanting to smother the man. “Good morning, sunshine! Wakey, wakey,” I cheerfully replied. He had a mark across his cheek from the edge of a sheet, and his hair stuck up from the hair product he’d probably used the day before. He squinted, tried to focus, then threw his pillow in my direction. I caught it and hugged it against my chest as I laughed.

“You’re an ass!” he barked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I just smiled at him.

We acted like twelve-year-olds sometimes. “I know you are, but what am I?” It came from my mouth before I realized how stupid it sounded.

“Ugh…Why are you bothering me? We’re not swimming this morning,” he huffed.

“Well, I wanted to spend time with my best friend. We haven’t been out in a long time, and I thought we could walk to the diner for breakfast. Spend some time catching up.”

He lost all his frustration with me, sitting up in bed and glancing at his phone to see what time it was. He flopped back down, rubbed his hands over his face, and stared at the ceiling.

I frowned, still hugging the pillow. “You okay?”

He took a deep breath and looked in my direction. “Yeah, I had a long chat with Evan last night. I really miss him, Connor.”

I sensed his yearning, and I knew exactly how he felt. We were away from the men we’d gotten extremely close to. Who we’d fallen for, and it hurt.

---