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subject away from the tale of his suit. He knew Skye understood how
ugly that day had been. He d asked only to give Water the opportunity
to talk about it, but he really didn t want to.  Your eyes are so
beautiful. You re the first person I ve ever known with violet eyes.
 I used to hate them.
 What? Why? Water was honestly stunned.
 Because they made me stand out. You know how it is when
you re a teenager. You just want to blend in with everyone else.
Water knew exactly what that was like.  Being different is
difficult, but I was always straight with my family.
 You weren t gay around them?
 No. Water laughed gently.  I mean, I was clear with them about
my orientation.
Running Back 75
 Oh. Skye laughed, too.
 After high school, I was honest, but during high school, I fronted.
I saw what happened to the other kids who were out, and I simply
couldn t handle that. Cowardly, I know, but 
 Not cowardly. Just because they were out doesn t mean you had
to join them.
 I guess I always felt like I betrayed those kids.
Skye hugged him a little tighter.  You didn t owe them anything.
But he owed it to himself to be honest. Still, there wasn t anything
to be done about it now.
 And how like you to want to save the world.
 Well, maybe not the whole world, but certainly my little corner
of it.
 Does your family talk to you? Skye asked.
 Not anymore. Before my sister s wedding I wasn t exactly
adamant about my orientation, but after the whole nasty scene with
my mother and my sister, where I came out in no uncertain terms, the
money cut off, and that suit became a symbol of my family s
rejection.
 I m sorry I asked you to wear it for me.
 I m not. Water kissed Skye s neck tenderly.  You transformed
something ugly into something magical. And, as crazy as this sounds,
the fact that you in turn made it disappear through our connection
when we shifted makes it all the more magical.
 Honestly?
 Honestly. I loved and hated that suit. It represented my family,
myself, their feelings toward me, my feelings toward myself what a
mess it all was, all bundled up into one garment that I kept because I
simply didn t have the guts to throw it away. And now, I have to
confess, I think, in the end, by your hand, that suit was nothing short
of enchanted.
 How so?
 It showed me the truth of my family, of myself, and it brought us
76 Anitra Lynn McLeod
together.
 You believe in fairy tales, don t you?
 I do now. Because of you. Water kissed Skye s shoulder.  And
to end my tale, after my evil family pulled my funds for my horrible
well, in their minds, horrible orientation, I got a scholarship here to
Twin Pines College. I ve been happy ever since.
 Then why did you call me? Skye s voice was so tiny as to be
almost like a dust mote floating in the moonlight.
 That night, I don t know what happened, really. There were lots
of guys on campus that I knew I could have, but none of them
interested me. Scrolling through that webpage was more of a lark than
anything else. I figured what were the odds of an exotic dancer
working in the Twin Pines area? It s not like this is a huge
metropolis.
 That it is not.
 And then I saw your face. Recalling that moment sent a shiver
down Water s body.  I can t describe the feeling that reached in,
grabbed my heart and soul, and squeezed. I had to see you in person,
just to see if that feeling was real, if it would be repeated.
 And was it?
 It was even deeper. Water hugged Skye hard.  When I close my
eyes and think, I can see you that first night, how scared you were,
how shy and sweet and oh, God, Skye. I wanted you so desperately.
But I knew you d bolt if I broke your rules.
 No touching, no questions, and money up front.
 Why the money thing? There were times when you took next to
nothing.
 I only took what I needed to get a separate cell phone that was
just for your calls.
Deeply touched, Water pulled Skye just a bit tighter.  I loved how
you always answered.
  Hey? 
 Yeah. Something about the way you said that one word told me
Running Back 77
you were glad to hear from me and couldn t wait to be with me.
 All that from one simple word?
 Yep. Water sighed.
 I have a confession.
 Yeah?
 The way you said  hey back always said the same to me. That
you were glad I d answered, and you couldn t wait to be with me. And
oh, my, God the way you would say  come.  Skye shivered in his
embrace.  I swear there were times I practically did right in my pants
from just you saying that one word.
 Ah, how you stroke my ego! Water exclaimed.  There s so
much we have to talk about and do, but for tonight, I want you to
sleep.
 And you ll stay here with me? Skye s arm tightened on Water s.
 I m not going anywhere.
78 Anitra Lynn McLeod
Chapter 10
 But I don t want my own place. I want to live with you. Skye
had thought that was a given, that he and Water would live together
once everything was resolved.
 Your therapist thinks it s important for you to know that you can
live alone.
Skye wanted to argue, but so far, everything his therapist had
asked him to do had helped him gain self-confidence and self-
sufficiency. Gone were the days of relying on Kellen for everything,
and Skye couldn t turn right around and start relying on Water for
everything. Doing so would do both of them a grave disservice.
At first, it had been terrifying to have everything fall on his
shoulders, but the more he took on, the more secure Skye felt. When
Kellen had been captured and held without bail in Denver, Skye
stopped jumping at every shadow. But the thought of not crawling
into bed each night with Water was too much.
Leaning near so that their foreheads touched, Water whispered,
 That s not to say that we can t spend occasional nights together.
 But I want you every night.
 You re not making this easy. Water groaned.  It won t be this
way forever, just for a year. I think that s a good time period, don t
you? Water kissed him slowly then leaned back.  In a year I ll have
graduated. I ll be working full time with Phillip on the graduate
programs. I ll be more stable and more able to help you and myself.
I m not just doing this for you but for us.
Skye understood that he d gone from his father to Kellen, and if
he went directly into Water s home, he would never know that he
Running Back 79
could survive on his own. But just because he got the reason he didn t
have to like it. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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