Chapter 25 #2
Beneath this red dirt brew memories of pain and abandonment.
Lines and scars across skin, not just acreage.
And I hold both truths in my hand.
The freedom.
And the chains.
◆◆◆
Turning the page again, I sketch Marco at the wheel. My precious man.
Urban haircut, designer shirt.
Framed not by skyscrapers or city lights this time, but against a backdrop of the wild rugged land he once belonged to.
This brave angel is facing every demon he once fled from.
Reclaiming his power with every road sign and town we pass.
Sam would be so proud of him.
Beth and Porter too.
I know his face by heart, I’ve memorised every inch of him.
And yet as I shade each strand of hair, every eyelash, I find myself in awe.
I hold the sketchbook on an angle so he’ll think I’m still drawing landscapes.
But I fail at stealth with every stolen glance.
“What?” he grins. “You keep looking at me. Have I got something on my face?”
“Not yet,” I flirt. “But you might later.”
“Don't make me pull over, cos I will,” he chides. “Wait. Are you drawing me?”
“Maybe.”
“Amos, stop. You know it makes me shy.”
When he calls me by my first name, I know I’m in trouble.
“It’s okay. Look, fresh page. I'll draw cows again,” I bluff, looking out toward the fields.
This time however, I sketch a scene of Marco and his long-lost mother.
Backs turned, side by side, they walk beneath the stars.
◆◆◆
By the time we reach Charleville, the sun is taking a bow to make way for an inky sky.
“Eight hours on the road feels longer when it's mostly flat and straight,” I yawn.
He leans close.
“Would you like the good news or...?”
“Or?” I ask cautiously.
“We're barely half way,” he laughs. “Another eight hours tomorrow.”
“Oh.”
Turning onto Wills Street, we park in front of reception.
“At least the motel is modern and comfy, the food is divine, and…” he whispers as though it’s a secret, “...two blocks from here they have a thirty inch Dobsonian telescope.”
I nod with reverence as though I have any clue what that means.
But the pure delight in his eyes as he says it?
That’s all I need to know.
“I'll sort the room. You book the tickets?” I smile.
And soon I return with a key in my hand.
Grabbing both suitcases from the back of the truck, I haul them inside.
The cottage is super cute, even though we’re both too tall for the bed.
Marco climbs on top of me, heated lips tracking a path across my chest.
“Thank you for today,” he says. “For getting me this far.”
“Bub, you were strong enough to get yourself this far. I’m just doing what boyfriends...”
My thought goes unfinished.
Three guesses why.
Between sheet romps and a quick bite to eat, there are only a few minutes to spare.
“They named the street Milky Way,” he laughs, as we run toward the entrance of the planetarium.
“Take a left through that door,” gestures the attendant. “We'll be starting shortly.”
◆◆◆
Feet dangling over the edge of the bed, we lay in each other's arms.
Melting into the mattress, Marco's heart is so full of joy.
As he gushes about asteroids, the one thing I hear above everything else is:
I’m happy.
I’m happy.
I’m happy.
I saw the way he came to life every time he looked through that telescope.
I’m looking at him now the same way we marvelled at the universe.
“Tell me more about those nebulus… nebuli…”
“Nebulae,” Marco whispers.
Nebulae.
The word has never sounded hotter.
This dopamine bubble is the perfect buffer before he knocks on that door in Jundah.
So even though most of what he’s saying goes way over my head, I awkwardly repeat things I’ve read inside the brochure or on the walls of the observatory to keep the euphoria burning bright.
“Can’t believe we saw light that left Andromeda before humans existed. That almost makes us time travellers.”
“Right?” he grins. “That star cluster density drop off was wild. You could see the radial gradient pretty clearly. I didn’t expect that level of structure in the outskirts.”
“Neither,” I smile.
Note to self.
Google radial gradients.
“That spiral was definitely showing density wave structure. You could see the arm definition even with atmospheric blur. That’s rare for visual resolution at that aperture.”
“Yeah?”
I stroke a slow hand across his back, and through his hair.
Smart boys make my heart beat faster.
And I haven’t seen him smile this much in weeks.
Planting a kiss on his cheek, I rack my brain for something else to say.
“I didn’t know that galaxies are actually billions of suns. Makes me feel kind of small, in a good way.”
“Like fire in slow motion,” he nods. “The cosmos doing calligraphy.”
He’s meeting me half way, phrasing it in Amos language.
Calligraphy. Inky patterns in the nebula.
I never thought of it that way.
“So it’s kind of like… those dust clouds are little star factories. But we're just seeing their ghosts?”
I’m rather proud of myself for knowing... stuff.
“A lot of them are ghosts, yeah.”
Marco leans over me.
He almost seems impressed.
“Amos Vale, am I turning you into an astro nerd?”
“You might be,” I grin, tackling him under the blanket. “But I'm down for it. I love seeing you like this.”
“I’ll hush now, I promise,” he says. “I’ve been rambling on and on instead of letting you sleep.”
“Never hush,” I reply. “Especially when it comes to stars.”
◆◆◆
Ursa Major.
Pegasus.
Two thirty nine, the clock reads.
Slumber continues to evade me.
I thumb through the names on my screen as Marco sleeps beside me.
Orion. Andromeda. Cassiopeia.
“Cass-ee-oh-PEE-ah,” I whisper. “Cass-ee-oh-PAY-ah.”
An arm curls around my waist.
Shoving the phone under my pillow, I pretend to snore.
Too late. I’ve been busted.
An unexpected kiss lands on my shoulder, a husky voice in my ear.
“Are you cheating on me with the galaxy?”
“Flirting, perhaps.”
A familiar silhouette shifts in the dark.
“I just... I know it’s something you love, so I…”
He pins my wrists against the pillow, rolling on top of me.
“I get that she’s pretty and you can’t take your eyes off her. But next time, invite me for a threesome,” he smiles. “I won't say no.”
Is my curiosity about the stars making him hard?
Knowing that someone loves him enough to learn about the things that set his soul alight?
The weight of his body presses into me, one hip grinding softly between my thighs.
Damn tease.
I love it when he does the hip thing.
Hot breath against my neck.
Hunger below the belt.
“Now say it again,” he whispers.
“Cassiopeia.”
“Mmm. And again.”
“Cassiopeia,” I repeat.
His head tilts back, hip still grinding.
“Sweet fuckable man.”
“Orion,” I recite. “Andromeda.”
“Such a good little student.”
He peels my underwear down just enough to lick the edge.
“I found Ursa Major,” he announces. “Your Big Dipper.”
Tugging my cock free, he wraps an arm across my thighs so I can’t move.
Oh, I’m in for a ride.
That always heightens the intensity.
“Such a naughty professor,” I gasp.
Marco gives me those devil eyes, then swallows me whole.
I hear a muffled gag.
My dick hits the back of his throat.
“God, yes…”
Fucking magical.
My hands grip the sheets every time that tongue gets me good.
“Mmm... ohhh..."
I moan into the pillow.
When I reach orgasm at last, we collapse into each other.
Hearts pounding feverishly, our breath slows.
My beautiful man.
I draw a winged horse on his chest with my finger.
“Think I forgot Pegasus,” I tease.
Marco shakes his head.
“Pay the penalty,” he whispers.
“Which is?”
“Saddle up, cowboy.”
◆◆◆
Navigating along Eagle Street is surreal.
Seeing places he mentioned during our lake conversation makes it sink deeper.
This is the road Marco walked along the day he ran away from home.
This is the town where he met Beth.
“There's the library,” he says. “I still have the card in my wallet.”
We turn down a side street.
“See that water tower over there? This is the park I tried to sleep in on my first night here. And this is where I got on the bus.”
He says it so casually, but there’s a tinge of melancholy in his voice.
We pull over next to a motel.
“And this is the restaurant where Beth works. Where I used to work. She doesn't know we're coming. Wanted to surprise her.”
“Does Longreach look any different from last time you were here?”
“Not really. Same cosy vibes. Maybe one or two stores with new owners.”
I hold his hand as we approach the front door.
No need to hide my affection for the man I love just because we’re in a small town.
“Oh bugger…” Marco sighs. “Closed on a Wednesday afternoon? That's not like her. Hope she's okay.”
I can hear the disappointment in his voice.
Marco yanks the phone from his pocket.
That reminds me, I’d better check my messages before we lose coverage.
I’ve got one from Mum and one from Vonnie, both asking how the trip is going.
I reply with emojis.
Heart + thumbs up for my mother.
Tent + eggplant + water droplets for Vonnie.
Marco switches his call to speakerphone.
“My favourite trouble maker,” Beth answers. “How's my boy?”
“Guess who’s passing through town to surprise you?” Marco grins. “You okay? I’m standing next to the closed sign.”
Beth’s voice crackles in and out as the signal weakens.
“Oh love,” she says. “I’m so sorry. Been in Townsville this week, but I’ll be home tomorrow arvo.”
He sounds relieved.
“All good. We'll be swinging back this way around sunset if you'd like a hug.”
“I would love a hug, precious boy. It’s been far too long. I’ll text you my new address. I’ve moved again.” Her tone shifts to one of concern. “What brings you out this way? Are you going where I think you’re going?”
He seems reluctant to say it out loud, in case it feels too real.
“I’m gonna try,” he says. “Reckon it’s about time I went to see her.”
Beth is silent for a moment.
She knows the risks.
She saw the injuries.
“I’m sure your mum would love that, sweetheart. More than you know.” She hesitates, choosing her words carefully. “Very brave of you to go back. But promise me you’ll leave as soon as trouble starts.”
Huddling closer, he slips a thumb through my belt loop.
“I won't be knocking on that door alone,” he says, as if to reassure her.
“Got that spunky man with ya?” she asks.
“I do.”
“Hey Amos!”
I lean toward the phone.
“Hi Beth.”
“Looking forward to meeting you,” she says. “Hope Marco’s been behaving.”
“Most of the time,” I tease.
Her laugh is warm and melodic.
“Alright love. Come over around six, I'll cook something nice. Birthday boy's gotta eat.”
“Your cooking isn’t the only reason we're coming to see you,” he adds playfully.
“It's half the reason, admit it,” she says knowingly. “I'll make some cookies for your drive home, too.”
His eyes glisten.
“Love you,” Marco murmurs.
And he looks me in the eye as he speaks the words, even though he’s saying it to her.
It’s the first time I’ve ever heard Marco say the L word to anybody, even via text.
It warms my heart so much.
I desperately want to hear it again.
“Love you too, kiddo,” Beth replied. “Be safe.”