Chapter 11 The Song of Distance #2
“I don’t know,” I finally said. “I’d love to see you, but…
I don’t know.” It was stupid to think I was betraying Laura and Dany, because, ultimately, it wasn’t any of their concern what went on between Seb and me.
Still… “Your parents took me in when I had no one on my side. I understand why you don’t want them to know, but—” The rest of the sentence got caught in the back of my throat. My fingers barely held onto my phone.
“How about I do tell them? Not about us, but that I’d like to come to Seastone, to have a quiet place to study?” His brows knitted together so tightly they almost touched. “Would that be an option?”
“So, a half-truth?”
“As much truth as I can give them for now.” He blinked rapidly. “I could even come a night early and spend some time with them. They’d be happy, and a day later, we would be too.”
“Aren’t you afraid they’ll cancel their trip if you ask?”
“Not at all.” Sebastian chuckled. “I know my dad. He probably booked something nonrefundable to save a few bucks.” He looked directly into the camera. “So what do you say?”
“Man, you sure do want to see me, huh?”
“Looks like it.”
“I can’t deny that the prospect of jamming with you again sounds nice. And touching you, holding you, spending time with you.” My fingers trembled. “If you really want to come, I’d love to spend spring break with you.”
“For real?” Sebastian beamed so hard his teeth could have taken a second job as light bulbs. “Because if you’re serious, I’ll call Mom first thing in the morning.”
“I am serious.”
“Fuck yeah! And don’t worry, I’ll phrase it exactly like I told you. I’m coming to study. It’s not even a lie since I’ll likely have to crack open my books at some point.”
We grinned at each other like the two stupid guys we were.
Our call ended pretty quickly after that because it was already after midnight, but we texted until my eyes were too heavy to stay open any longer.
The next day, Laura approached me after breakfast and told me about Sebastian’s plans.
“Since this is your home, too,” she said, clinging to her coffee mug, “I wanted to ask if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” I replied, trying hard not to show that this wasn’t the first time I heard about this.
Her eyes settled on me, almost like she expected a different response.
”It’s a big house. There’s enough space for both of us,” I babbled on. “And we got along quite well during the reunion. It’ll be fine, I think.”
She studied me for another second, then nodded. “Great, I’ll tell him it’s okay, then.”
I rushed up to my room, my heart racing, and texted Sebastian immediately. Three minutes later, he called me.
“Hey,” I said, pressing the phone close to my ear. “We’re really doing this, huh?”
For a few seconds, I only heard breathing, until he finally spoke. “I’m already counting the days.”
Spring break was my favorite holiday when I was young. It was the one week of the year when I got to spend most of my time alone at home. There was no distracting noise, just my favorite records and the piano.
Once I started college to get a sound design degree, the week lost its specialness. Not only did I have to study, but my stepdad had already moved in with us, and since he worked remotely and had brought two dogs, there was always something going on.
It only became the cozy, silent treat again when I moved in with the Drapers.
Laura was a teacher in Ashbourne, so she got the week off, and Dany, being his own boss, could do whatever he wanted anyway.
They always used the time to travel, leaving the house entirely in my care.
I spent them completely alone, still doing my regular chores, but mostly making music at full blast because the opportunity was rare.
This spring, though, I was looking forward to it more than I ever had before.
The days until I’d see Sebastian again flew by, and before I knew it, the Friday of his arrival had already come.
I wasn’t sure if he did it on purpose, but his plane arrived at an impossible time shortly after lunch.
Both Dany and Laura were still at work, so I was the only one available to pick him up.
As I drove to the municipal airport near Ashbourne, the sun shone brightly.
The roads were surprisingly busy that day, and when I arrived after a stressful thirty minutes, I was glad I had come early.
It took me almost twenty-five minutes just to get into the parking lot and find a space.
By the time I turned off the car, I already had a message from Seb on my phone.
We’ve landed, but I’m sitting in the last row.
The skull emoji that followed made me giggle. His message had arrived only a minute before I parked, which gave me a chance to make it to the gate on time. It was probably silly, but I was at the point where waiting even a minute longer felt like it would kill me.
I’ll pick you up inside!
I made my way through the parking lot, picking up the pace with each step.
The closer I got to the entrance, the noisier everything became.
A plane took off right behind the building, and the sound made me clench my teeth.
The large hall filled with hundreds of people didn’t help, either.
Every small sound—from luggage rolling across the tiles to screaming children and footsteps echoing through the hall like gunshots—poured over me all at once.
I put in my headphones and turned on a playlist I had made for especially overwhelming places, filled with heavy metal—nothing I regularly listened to, but perfect for this occasion.
I strolled past the stores and the lines of people waiting at the airline counters, all to the sound of a man screaming something in Swedish. After a full song, I arrived at the gate that had “Arrival—DO NOT ENTER—ALARM WILL SOUND” written in big letters above it.
A black, hip-high wall blocked off the area, as if the sign above the gate weren’t enough.
I walked all the way down to where I had the best view of the door, rested my arms on the balustrade, and waited.
Just as I pulled out my phone to check for updates, someone slapped the back of my shoulder, startling the hell out of me.
Reflexively, I yanked my arms up and spun around, only to find my friend Jack standing right behind me.
Sporting the yellow jacket anyone from Seastone would recognize, he beamed like a puppy.
He was the town’s handyman—or, as the little logo on his jacket announced, the Home Services Expert—doing all kinds of odd jobs, from cleaning to grocery shopping, for anyone who needed a hand.
Jack and I had been friends ever since we met during that Halloween prank for our mutual friends Nicholas and Jason, and he was one of the gay guys I regularly hung out with on the weekends.
“Alex!” Jack yelled, loud enough for me to hear him over the Swedish metal.
“Hey,” I said, reluctantly removing my headphones and allowing the airport noise to take over again.
“I’ve been yelling your name for at least a minute!” He spread his arms and wrapped me in a friendly hug like he always did when we met. “What are you doing here?”
“I, uh—” I stuttered, suddenly afraid I had been caught doing something illegal, even though Sebastian’s arrival wasn’t even a secret. “I’m picking up Dany’s and Laura’s son.”
“Aren’t they leaving for their vacation tomorrow?” Jack’s ears perked up as he made a face. “How mean of him to come while they’re gone.”
“No, it’s not like that. He’s…” I couldn’t tell Jack the whole truth. He was fairly close to Dany since they sometimes worked together. As much as I loved Jack as a friend, I wasn’t sure he was good at keeping secrets. “He’s here to study for his exams in peace.”
“Ah! Okay,” Jack nodded exuberantly.
“How about you?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m picking up a guy for Jason and Nicholas, who’s helping them with… something at the hotel? They didn’t tell me much. I mostly just know his name’s Remy or Rami… I’m not really sure. Let me check again.”
He fumbled his phone out of his pocket and searched through messages, his eyebrows clenched together.
“Shit! Where is it?” He tapped his screen frantically, growing more impatient by the second. “Oh, man. I should at least know his name! How embarrassing is that?” His feet shuffled restlessly in place. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
He brought his phone to his ear, probably calling either Jason or Nicholas to ask for the name, and rushed toward the exit, either to get better reception or to escape the noise.
For a moment, I stood there alone, my phone still in my hand, unsure what to make of that conversation, when a distant tune pulled me out of my thoughts—a faint hum I could recognize from a mile away.
My head snapped toward the double doors that slid open whenever a passenger from an arriving plane stepped through.
There he was, his left hand hooked behind the strap of his backpack, and his right hand rolling a small suitcase beside him. As soon as his eyes found mine, the biggest smile spread across his face.
I raised my hand, waving at him, still frozen in place.
How was I supposed to behave now? I had prepared for almost everything: some sketches we could work on together if he was up for it, recipes we could whip up easily, a bed for him if he didn’t want to sleep in mine, and even a pack of condoms, just in case.
The only thing I hadn’t thought about even once was the exact moment we’d see each other again.
He picked up the pace as he walked around the hip-high wall separating us. I followed his lead and walked in the same direction until we stopped in front of each other, both smiling, only a foot of space between us.
“Hey,” he said, not moving.
“How was your flight?” I replied, not moving either.