A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House)

by Reese, Jaime

  Julian gave him one of his six-foot-under glares. "You got a problem with that?"

  Cole raised his hands in surrender. "Nah, man. But you gotta admit. It's weird as shit that you didn't actually give it a real name."

  "That is a name," Julian snarled.

  "Uh, yeah. If you say so," Cole said.

  Matt wistfully spoke as he grazed his fingers over each of the names carved into the edges. "There were so many people who played a part in this house, whether they knew it or not. Both in the original idea that inspired this house, and in every detail since. It began as a tribute to a friend of mine, but it developed into so much more. Coming up with a name that would represent them all and what they meant to the both of us was impossible."

  "Oh," Cole said, shuffling his feet. "Sorry."

  Cam neared the sign to get a better view. He could read a few names, all hand-carved and slightly burnt in the recessed carvings. Liam, Eleanor, Marie, even Sam's name was etched into the wood.

  Matt turned in Julian's arms and muttered a barely audible "I love you" to which Julian immediately whispered a response in his ear.

  Cameron closed his eyes. It felt voyeuristic to be in the same room at that moment to witness so much tangible affection. He'd never openly admit it, but he was both jealous for not having someone who openly cared that much for him, and angry that his circumstances would probably never allow it.

  "Open the other one," Sam encouraged.

  Matt separated from the embrace with a shimmer in his eyes and a huge grin on his face. He reached for the next box.

  "Um, maybe you should wait to open that one," Julian said in an odd tone.

  Sam laughed. "Now you have to open it here and now."

  Matt immediately ripped open the box as Sam and Julian snapped quick comebacks at each other.

  Matt held a picture frame in his hands encasing a cut out newspaper clipping. Even though it had been flattened in the frame, it was obvious the ad had been folded at one time. The top of the frame had a decorated heading that read 'Boner looking for a handyman.'

  Cole snorted a laugh. "What the hell is that?"

  Julian tried to hide his smile.

  Sam looked over to the picture frame. "Is that the ad we ran?"

  Matt nodded and casually sniffled then looked over to Julian. He placed a hand on his waist in a poor attempt to seem hostile as a wicked grin spread across his face. "That's Doner, D-O-N-E-R."

  Julian burst into laughter.

  "But that says Boner?" Cole said, confused.

  "Long story, Cole. But I think someone's going to get one hell of a beating tonight about it," Sam teased.

  Cole looked over to Matt and Julian then back to Sam. "I know I'm not the brightest bulb in the shop, but I, uh, kinda think that was the plan."

  "Happy birthday, Matt," Cam said before removing himself from the conversation and racing upstairs.

  He closed the door then reached for the cell phone on the nightstand. He pulled the folded paper from his pocket and spread his hands over it gently to smooth it out.

  Hunter.

  He took a few breaths and debated whether he should call now or wait. Cam didn't want to call and interrupt him at work and he wasn't sure what exactly to say. He figured he'd try sending the phone number via a text message. He touched a few menus but couldn't figure out how to send the message. Fricken technology changes. He grumbled then dialed the number scribbled on the paper before he could change his mind.

  After two rings, voice mail answered the call. Cameron sighed when the sound of Hunter's voice echoed through the line. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the dip in his voice as he asked the listener to leave a message.

  The beep of the recording jolted him back to the moment. "Um, hey, it's me. Cam. Shit I didn't write my number down but I guess you can get it from that caller ID thing you have or something. I guess I'll talk to you later. Bye." He pressed the button to end the call. Cam closed his eyes and sighed. He hoped he didn't come across like the fool he thought he sounded like in that message.

  A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

  "Cam?"

  "Hey, Sam," he said as he opened the door.

  "How are you doing?" he asked, entering the room. "Adjusting well? Matt says you're working at a nearby diner."

  "Yeah, I'm settling in okay, I think." He shrugged.

  Sam looked at him, assessing in his usual I-know-more-than-you're-telling-me sorta way. "So I heard you got pissed off yesterday. Want to tell me what that was about?"

  Cameron inhaled as panic started to set in. Shit, if Matt filed a report about him losing his temper—

  "Hey, don't freak out, Matt's fine. He just wanted to make sure you were okay and he didn't want to push you. He mentioned it today when I came over for the transfer is all."

  Cam exhaled with relief. "I fucked up. I got pissed off when Matt started asking questions and I sorta…yeah…took it out on that." He gestured to the bathroom doorframe which had a few new dents along the edge.

  "You all right?" Sam asked with concern, reaching for Cam's bruised hand.

  "I'm better. I just…I don't know," he said, looking up at Sam. "I just don't want to go back there and I want to forget all of it and try to move on. It just feels like I can't sometimes." His body slumped.

  "Hey, don't start that," Sam said before throwing an arm over Cam's shoulders. "It's just going to take a while to adjust. You've got a job, soon you'll be out of here and you'll meet someone and things will start looking and feeling different with time. You'll see," he said encouragingly, patting Cam's back.

  "I met someone."

  "Yeah?" Sam asked with a smirk. "At the diner?"

  Cam nodded eagerly. "He's different."

  "How so?"

  "I feel safe when I'm with him," he said without hesitation.

  Sam smiled. "It's about time someone made you feel safe." He pulled Cam into a hug.

  No more questions, no interrogations, no reprimands or what-ifs. Sam just knew when not to push and when to listen.

  They separated when Cam's phone chirped. He looked at it and saw a notification displayed on the screen. What the hell do I do with this now?

  His face heated. "Um, I think I got a text. Can you show me how to work this…thing?" He waved the phone in his hand in frustration.

  "It's easy. You're going to be texting like a mad man soon." Sam took the phone and walked Cam through the menu options.

  Got your message :) Bad reception here. I'll call you as soon as I get to the hotel. –H

  A smile spread across Cam's face, imagining Hunter's voice.

  Sam bumped his shoulder. "I think he's got it as bad as you do."

  Cameron beamed. "Quick, show me how to reply to this thing before he realizes how crazy he is and changes his mind," he said with a laugh.

  * * * *

  Hunter drove up to the small house by the lake and parked his car off to the side. His phone chirped. He smiled when he read Cam's response.

  You better. –Cam

  He closed his eyes and held the phone to the side of his face as he imagined Cam's teasing tone and laugh. He hadn't lied to his father when he said he was happy. He was. Happier than he'd ever been and there was only one reason.

  Cam.

  He looked up when he heard a dog bark. An older version of a childhood friend exited the front door of the small house. He emerged from the car and the small woman immediately raced toward him. Hunter laughed when she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  "He told me you'd come but I didn't believe him," she whispered in his ear.

  Hunter released her. "Who told you I'd come to see you?"

  "Tio Pedro." She always called Peter—or Pedro as his Latin counterparts referred to him—her uncle, even after he no longer dated her mother.

  "When did you last talk to him?"

  She grabbed Hunter's hand and led him inside her home. "C'mon," she said.

  "Karyna, what's going on?"
>
  "I don't know, but he doesn't want anyone to know where he is. He only wanted you to know."

  "How did he know I'd come to see you?"

  She laughed. "He said you would eventually end up here or your dad would lead you here. But he also knew no one would guess to come see me when looking for him."

  "He has a point."

  "He usually does. When I didn't hear from you right away, I called your dad. I thought hearing my voice might jog his memory."

  "It did," Hunter said with a smile.

  "It's been so long…stay for dinner."

  They chatted over an early evening meal. The conversation seemed to steer in the direction of childhood memories where they recalled their summers together and Karyna's poor actress portrayal of a girl who couldn't fish.

  She sighed. "Why did you have to be gay?" She leaned her head over on the couch as they continued to chat after they ate.

  Hunter chuckled.

  "You know, you're the only boy I ever had a crush on?"

  "Um, sorry."

  "Don't be. You always told me you liked guys but I just assumed that was your way of turning me down nicely. I figured if I couldn't have you then no other girl should either so I accepted it."

  "Psycho much?"

  She launched at him and punched him in the shoulder before pulling him into a hug. "I did miss you."

  "Sorry I haven't stayed in touch."

  They separated and she looked at him with scrunched eyebrows. "Tio said you work too much."

  "He's right. But I'm trying to slow things down a bit. I'm kinda getting tired of it," he said, casually picking at a loose thread on the couch's armrest. "So you know where he is?"

  "Yes, but you're going to have to drive for a while to get there. You'll need a map and GPS."

  He wrote the coordinates she provided on a scrap of paper and the general driving directions for the route.

  "That bad?"

  "He thinks so."

  Hunter arrived at a hotel between Karyna's house and Peter's location a few hours later. He was too tired to drive the extra eight hours to get to where his family friend hid. He dropped his duffle bag on the table and put his briefcase on the chair. He grabbed his cell phone and noticed the battery was low. He dialed his father's number as he pulled the charger from the bag.

  "Hi, Son. How's it going?"

  "Good, Dad. Sorry if I woke you."

  "It's okay. You know I don't keep the same hours when I know you're away. So how did it go?"

  "I visited the first place today. It was nice, like family." Hunter's paranoia didn't allow him to casually chat about something like this over the phone. He knew his father would pick up the critical details, regardless of how obscure he was in the conversation. Too much fiction and too many real life cases left enough of an impression to ignore a little protection where family was concerned.

  "I figured it would. I've heard great things about that one."

  Hunter smiled. His father may be getting up in his years but he was still more perceptive than most.

  "Are you checking out the second place, too?"

  "Yeah, it's next on my list but I'm taking a break in between the drive."

  "Got it," his father responded. "Get your rest and make sure you keep an eye out for the ladies. I want to make sure I've got some options."

  Hunter rubbed his face. Even with an undercover conversation, his dad still managed to plant visuals or tease him to the point of discomfort. "Dad, I gotta go. My battery's dying and I want to jump in the shower before crashing."

  His father laughed, knowing he'd hit his mark. "Good night, Son. Be safe on the road."

  "Will do. And you behave yourself." He disconnected the call before his father had a chance to respond with another quick comeback.

  He plugged his phone into the charger then made his way to the shower. He undressed and stepped into the hot spray, closing his eyes as the water eased the tension from his muscles. He grabbed the soap and opted for a quick shower in hopes of calling Cam before it was too late in the evening.

  With nothing more than a towel wrapped around his waist, he reached for his phone with the charge cable still connected and dialed the number he'd been thinking about endlessly for the last few hours.

  "Hi," Cam answered on the second ring.

  "Hi," Hunter responded with a smile. He lay back in bed and rested his head on his arm. "Did I call you at a bad time or is this okay? I know it's kinda late."

  Hunter heard Cam's muffled laugh through the phone. "I was starting to think you forgot about me and wouldn't call."

  "Not possible." After a few moments of silence, Hunter asked, "How's your hand?"

  "Better. Swelling's gone down. It'll probably be fine tomorrow. So are you like on vacation or something?" Cam asked.

  "Not really. Running an errand."

  "Oh, okay."

  More silence.

  Hunter waited.

  "Um, what do you want to talk about? Is this one of those what-are-you-wearing sorta calls?" Cam asked, chuckling.

  Hunter laughed. "I'd much rather touch you than talk about it. I really don't care what we talk about. I just want to hear your voice."

  "Perv."

  Hunter snorted a laugh. "Yeah, 'cause you're a saint. Tell me something about you."

  "Uh, what do you want to know?"

  "Tell me about your day at the diner or something about you, your childhood. I don't know."

  "Oh, okay. That's easy."

  Cam spoke endlessly about his mom, their yard projects, and even mentioned the botanical contest they had entered. They placed fifth in the contest but Cam didn't care—he told the story as if they had won the grand prize and his mother was the queen of the garden.

  Hunter reminisced about his mom as well and their private baking times in their small home. He laughed as he told Cam about the endless fishing trips with his father and so many of the odd events that would happen when they'd take out the boat or go on the bridge. The conversation easily transitioned into their teenage and school years. Cam excelled in the sciences while Hunter stood out in math and sports. He avoided the subject of school otherwise and segued into talking about their first kisses and how awkward they were.

  When they talked about fathers near the end of their telephone conversation, Cam's tone changed.

  "My father didn't like the idea of his son being gay." The hurt in Cam's voice was obvious.

  Hunter knew when not to push. "Any brothers or sisters?"

  Cam hesitated. "Sister. I haven't spoken to her in ten years."

  Hunter sensed this was a sensitive subject. He treaded carefully. "Your decision or hers?"

  Cameron paused. "Hers," he said quietly. "What about you, any brothers or sisters?"

  "Nope. I'm an only child. My parents' pride and joy," Hunter joked.

  "I bet."

  Hunter looked over at the clock on the nightstand. He couldn't believe he'd spent over two hours on the phone with Cam. It was so easy to just sit back and talk to him, to get to know him. He was tired but he didn't want to hang up the phone.

  "I'm glad you called."

  Cam chucked. "You called me."

  "I meant before. To give me your number."

  "Will you be back soon?"

  "I plan to. Hopefully in a couple of days." Hunter sighed.

  "Good."

  "Miss you."

  "You need to get your ass back here," Cam teased.

  "I promise."

  "You better."

  "Night, Cam."

  "Night," Cam started then hesitated. The line was silent for a few moments.

  "Cam?"

  "Um, call me tomorrow, okay?"

  "Promise."

  "Night," he said before the line disconnected.

  Hunter closed his eyes and replayed the sound of Cam's voice in his head. A smile was plastered on his face as sleep finally took over.

  Cam heard an insistent noise that interfered with the dream of Hunter pulling h
im closer into another heated kiss. He opened his eyes and realized his phone was vibrating across the nightstand. He reached for it and read the display—Hot Guy calling.

  "Hi," he answered, his voice still thick with sleep.

  "Don't tell me I called you on your day off."

  "Nah. I was still in bed."

  "I thought you started at eight."

  Cam looked over at the clock display that read seven. "I still have time. Are you on the road already?"

  "Yeah, I thought I'd get a head start and a few hours driving time in before the traffic got too bad. I wanted to call you before you got in to work just in case I couldn't get to the phone until late."

  Cam got out of bed and made his way to the closet to pick out his clothes. He continued the conversation as he started to remove his sleep pants and dress for his day.

  "What are you doing?" Hunter laughed.

  "Getting dressed for work. Why?"

  "You're huffing and puffing. It's kinda hot."

  Cam groaned. "Don't get me started unless you want me to jump the first guy I see this morning."

  "Not funny."

  "Don't tease me. You know I've already got a hard-on with your name on it so don't make this harder on me."

  "Harder?" Hunter chuckled.

  Cam groaned. "You're evil, you know that?"

  "So are we going out when I get back?"

  "I hope so." Cam paused. He needed to talk to Hunter before things moved along further. After last night's call, he undoubtedly wanted more but it wasn't fair to expect anything if he wasn't honest with Hunter about his past. "But, um, we need to talk before we do."

  "We're talking now," Hunter said in a questioning tone.

  "Yeah, but…um…not over the phone. It's too easy for me to just hang up and it's important."

  "Is this the kind of conversation where you tell me you're straight, secretly married, and have three kids?"

  "I'm gay, not married, and no kids. It's important. I'll probably chicken out midway if I tell you over the phone. So when we see each other, okay?"

  "Cam?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Are you breaking up with me?"

  Cam nervously chuckled as he heard the hesitation in Hunter's voice. "I didn't realize we were like boyfriend and um…boyfriend."