Chapter 1
Love Reunion by Violet Stone
Ray wiped his damp palms on his jeans. Shit. Maybe he should have dressed up a little more. Did people really bring out their finest for a simple high school reunion?
Apparently, yes.
Fuck.
Lola tutted. “You look fine, stop fussing.”
Arguably, Lola was the only good thing to come out of high school. They remained friends to this day, and barely a day went by without a text, call, or meet up. Lola flicked her long dark hair over her shoulder, and it cascaded down in graceful waves. She always looked effortlessly beautiful.
Ray snorted. “Easy for you to say.”
Lola stopped him with a press of her hand and pulled him even further to the side of the large, hired hall. On the way over she grabbed a couple of beers from a nearby tray and handed one to him.
“So you have something to do with your hands,” she said, holding out her beer. They clinked. “Cheers.”
Ray suppressed a smile at how well Lola knew him. He cast his gaze about the room. The space was huge, open, with a large banner that read Class of 2010 Reunion. There was a DJ, an open bar, and lots and lots of people.
Lola leaned against the door. “You’re a catch. You need to have more confidence.” Her own gaze cast around the room.
Lola was popular at school, a cheerleader. Sure, Ray was into sports; he was a star basketball player, but he always kept himself to himself, while Lola liked to spread herself around, get to know a variety of different groups and people. He wished he could be more like her.
Like clockwork, the next words out of her mouth were, “Look, I’m not spending the entirety of my high school reunion with you in a corner.”
Ray sighed, swigging back another gulp of his beer. “Agreed,” he said reluctantly.
Lola’s eyebrows raised. “Hey, maybe Andrew will be here.”
Ray swallowed. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t already scanned the room for him.
Twice. Okay, so maybe five times, sue him.
The mere mention of the name from Lola transported him back to fifteen years ago, like it was yesterday.
To the locker room and being the only two people left inside.
To Andrew’s lips covering his own in a tentative kiss, before it caught fire.
It had felt as though the world had stood still.
It was his first kiss with a guy. His second came months later with Andrew at a party; it was brief, a stolen moment.
Ray had attempted to ask Andrew what was going on between them, if he wanted something more.
Hell, Ray would’ve loved to have gotten to know him, to date him, but after a few murmured responses, Andrew had acted as though they didn’t know each other at school.
Ray did the same, even though it cut him deep.
They’d remained friends on social media, and Ray had watched over the years as Andrew had come out as gay, gotten married, and since divorced.
He himself had never got close to marriage, but he’d had a few long-term relationships over the years.
“Let’s go.” Lola took him by the hand and dragged him over to a group of people.
After a few handshakes and what are you up to nows, he already felt his attention span drifting, drifting, drifting…over to him. Andrew.
Their gazes locked and held across the hall. Ray would’ve recognized him anywhere, how could he think he wouldn’t? Andrew had the same blond curls, same gray eyes, same half smile that made him weak at the knees.
Ray swallowed. All of the other voices and noises dimmed to a low hum.
Andrew inclined his head.
Ray frowned. Was he mistaken or did Andrew want him to come over and talk to him?
Well, no. They weren’t teenagers anymore. Andrew could come to him. Ray broke their gaze.
The evening brushed by him like a whisper. He needed some fresh air. He murmured as much to Lola who smiled at him but was busy flirting with a guy Ray didn’t recognize.
There was a decked area, with fairy lights hung around some seats, looking out over a small lake. This was where he headed before a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Wait,” said Andrew, his hand lightly brushing on his arm. “Want some company?”
Ray turned toward him, and it was as if no time had passed.
Andrew’s throat bobbed. A sign he was nervous.
Ray shrugged. “Sure.”
They walked out in silence, stopping to stand at the edge of the lake.
“You probably want to push me in for how I acted toward you.” Andrew chuckled lightly.
Ray’s gaze flew to him, his heart racing, but he tried to keep his face a mask of calm.
He raised a brow. “You sure think an awful lot of yourself if you think I’m still cut up about that.”
Well, he kind of was. But he wasn’t going to let Andrew know that.
Andrew studied him for a moment, considering. “Well, I think about it a lot. I think about you a lot.”
Ray’s heart raced. Before he could say anything, Andrew asked him another question.
“So, how’s life treated you?”
It was a question that had been asked of him many times that night, but Ray thought this was the first time that someone truly cared about his answer. They updated each other about their lives, and time flew by. Before Ray knew it, people were trickling out of the hall, making their way home.
“I want to see you again.” The words tumbled and fell out of Andrew’s mouth. “I wasn’t ready back then, and that’s no excuse for how I treated you in high school, but if you would be willing to give me a chance…”
Ray swallowed. Was this actually happening? He would pinch himself if that wouldn’t look completely crazy. Instead, he nodded.
“I would like that. So…a date?” Ray felt the need to clarify, given their past.
“Yes,” Andrew breathed.
Ray smiled and they exchanged numbers.
Andrew hesitated for a moment before he linked his fingers into Ray’s.
“I’ll see you soon. I’ll call you.”
All Ray could do was nod, in a daze, as he watched Andrew walk away.
A whistle brought him out of his daydreams. Lola. Their greeting.
“Where did you go?” Lola came up to him, linking her arm through his. They began their walk over to the cab they were sharing. She turned to him in the streetlamp light. “You sure look happy.”
Ray hummed and updated her on his evening.
Lola gasped, squeezing him closer. “About time!”
Ray chuckled. “I know, I’ve been waiting fifteen years for him.”