Page 1 of The Way Home
Riley
Ten Years Ago
Giant trees lined the road that passed through the small town. Of course, there were trees everywhere—nothing like it was back home in Southern California, where we had hills of brown, dried grass and more houses and traffic than there should be. The trees were pretty, don't get me wrong, but they were a little suffocating, looming over everything and blocking out the sun. Even if it felt open and bright here, it still wasn't home.
I understoodwhywe moved, but that didn't make being across the country any easier, especially moving in the middle ofhigh school. Now here I was, thousands of miles away from my friends, living in a hotel with my mom, and absolutely no ocean in sight. I hung my head against the car window, my glasses smooshed against my face.
My mom reached across the car and patted my shoulder. “It's going to get easier, Ri.”
My only reply was a heavy sigh.
A break in the trees appeared, showing the kind of sign with changeable letters, which read, “Youth Lock-In Party.”
I turned to face my mom, who slowed down to turn into the lot. “I really don't want to go to some pathetic church thing.”
“I know, sweetie, but I think it will be a good opportunity to meet kids your age. You're going to be starting your junior year in the fall. Don't you want to know a few people before school starts?”
“Notchurchpeople,” I grumbled.
“Riley.” My mom gave me that tone, the one that didn't require yelling but got my attention all the same. “I looked it up. It's an affirming church. I wouldn't take you somewhere that would be unsafe for you.”
I came out to my mom at thirteen, and she'd been nothing but supportive. Not that I'd dated anyone. I had worked my way through crushes on my friends but had never acted on them. I suspected my chances in a small town like this would make it even harder, especially as a nerdy gay guy. At least I knew I didn't have to worry about bringing a boy home—if I could find one.
“Yeah, I know.”
She parked and turned to face me. The makeup she wore covered the dark circles around her eyes, but I knew they were there. They had been ever-present since she left my dad, and she'd had to figure out what to do. Living in California wasn't feasible as a single mom.
When she spoke again, it was in a softer tone that cut right through me. “I need this to work, Riley. I know it's been hard, but I don't know what else to do or where to go. I want you to be happy, too, though. Can you please justtry? For me?”
My mom had always been pretty good at keeping her composure, so in the rare moments she let it slip, it killed me. I hated to hear her voice tremble and see the worry in her face. “Yeah, Mom, I'll try.”
“Thank you, Ri.” She squeezed my hand and put the mask back into place, forcing a smile. “You never know. There might be some cute boys here.”
Doubtful. I snorted. “Yeah, sure.”
“Have fun. I'll be back to pick you up after the lock-in ends.”
I stepped out of the car and took a deep breath as I stared up at the small steepled building. A lock-in. I was going to be trapped inside until one in the morning. This was going to be the longest night.
Forcing myself to walk in the front door, I was greeted by overly-friendly staff and directed to the youth room, where the door was decorated with red, white, and blue balloons.How shitty was this going to be?If they made us do an egg toss or limbo, I think I might puke.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a space full of couches and bean bags with several TVs and game stations set up. Some kids were already there, busy talking or playing. If nothing else, maybe I could find a game I liked to pass the time. The reassuring thought disappeared when everyone noticed me, and the activity around the room came to a halt. In a small town like this, there probably weren't a lot of new faces.Lucky me.
I gave an awkward wave, already hating the attention from a room full of strangers. By some sort of miracle, I was saved by a boy shouting for me.
He sat on a couch, leaning over the back, waving at me. “Hey, over here. I saved you a seat.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. The other kids returned to what they were doing as I made my way over to the couch to meet my knight in shining armor. I didn't know who he was, but I could kiss him for taking the pressure off.
When I came around and took the seat next to him, I got a better look at the guy, and swallowed hard. He was… gorgeous. His skin was a rich, golden hue, and he had dark brown hair cut in a purposefully shaggy style that looked hot as hell. He watched me with interest through chestnut eyes as if he was assessing me in the same way I was him.
“Hey, I'm Jeremy.”
When I stared a little too long at the hand he held out, his mouth curved into a sexy smirk. I shook my head, trying to clear it, and respond like an actual human. “Hey, I'm Riley, uh, Riley Carter.”
I finally took his hand, and…was that a spark? Did those actually happen? My skin tingled from his touch before I let go and wiped my hand on my jeans. “Uh, thanks for…that.”
“Sure, no big deal. Besides, maybe I just wanted to claim you for myself before anyone else could.” He gave me a wink and nudged my shoulder with his as if we were old buds. My heart pounded in my chest.
