#Rev (GearShark #2)

by Cambria Hebert

  There was no garage attached to the house. Instead, the cars were parked on a paved driveway that ran alongside the house instead of in front of it. There were two cars there, and my stomach twisted a little. Both his parents were here. Waiting.

  I knew they had questions.

  Drew literally called them up a few days ago and told them he was coming to visit. He didn’t offer much by way of explanation. While I knew they were excited to see him, parents wouldn’t be parents if they didn’t know when something was up.

  I had a very strong suspicion this was the reason he suddenly hated looking at his phone. He didn’t want to have to try and explain via text or voicemail why he was coming. He just wanted to ignore his mother’s questions.

  I didn’t say shit about it. When he powered down his phone and shoved it inside his duffle before we went through security at the airport, I pretended not to notice. He didn’t need me harping on him. He didn’t need me to tell him he was wrong or, hell, tell him he was right.

  Who was I to say?

  Drew got to deal with this the way he knew how. He got to feel whatever he wanted.

  There was no right and wrong for this. Even if there was, I wouldn’t know what it was. I was here to back him up. I was here to validate him and remind him it was okay.

  And if need be, I’d be here to protect him.

  “Park over there,” he said, the sound of his voice almost startling against the silence. He gestured to a giant shed that could have possibly been considered a barn. It was shaped like one, with the traditional barn doors on the front. I imagined it was where they kept their lawn equipment and anything else a property this size needed. Basically, it was a detached garage.

  I pulled in close to the building, driving right up onto the grass. I felt like maybe parking on the side where the car was out of sight from the house might give Drew a little bit of relief, make him feel they weren’t standing inside, staring out from the windows, watching and trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

  I shut off the engine but left the keys in the ignition. Once I adjusted the baseball hat on my head (I knew it didn’t really shield my healing bruises, but it was an effort), I rested my head against the seat and stared out the windshield.

  His hand reached for mine. He didn’t move or look at me, but he sought me out. I opened my fingers and turned my palm up. Drew’s hand slid home, entwining with mine.

  “We used to play football in the field over there,” he said quietly, pointing through the windshield. “And that hill, just beyond over there”—he pointed again— “is where I used to race my modified Big Wheel down the slope.”

  My heart squeezed. I could almost envision a small version of the guy holding my hand running through the grass with sunlight glinting off the blond in his hair. How carefree he must have been, how innocent.

  I wanted to tell him we could just forget this. My fingers actually trembled with desire to turn over the ignition and put the car in reverse and leave this place.

  But there was no going back.

  There was no never mind or cancel button on the way we felt. Drew and I made a choice.

  We chose to accept the decision our hearts made for us.

  So even though I felt like running, even though my heart splintered when he reached for my hand for comfort, we were doing this. Once this was done, we would do it again with my family and then the entire world.

  “I don’t want to disappoint them.” His quiet voice filled the car.

  “I know.”

  His eyes turned to me for the first time in what felt like hours. The blue was sort of icy, like maybe inside he was feeling cold.

  No, not cold. Numb.

  “I don’t want to disappoint you either.”

  I made a choked sound and forced my body around to face him. My knee lifted, bending between us and falling over the cup holders in the center to make more room for my new position.

  I cupped his jaw with one hand. “You will never disappoint me.”

  “What if I do?” he whispered.

  “I’ll love you anyway.”

  He smiled. I rubbed my thumb along his jaw, lightly scratching over his stubble.

  “I didn’t tell them I was bringing you,” he admitted, a grimace pulling at his features.

  I drew back and pulled the keys from the ignition. “I know.” If he had, he would’ve had to explain why I’d be with him, and that was something he avoided until the very last possible second.

  With a deep breath, Drew got out of the boring sedan we rented and reached into the back for his duffle. I did the same. Before we even hit the porch, the polished-wood door swung open, and a woman stepped out.

  Drew’s mother was of average height, not tall and not short. Her hair was a medium shade of brown that she wore in a shoulder-length style. Today she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Over the shirt was some sort of flowy-looking sweater with draping arms in a gray-and-pink flower pattern.

  She wasn’t wearing shoes, but slippers that looked kind of like loafers, but they were pink and had fur poking out from the inside.

  Her eyes were blue like Drew’s and Ivy’s. Her smile was quick, and when she noticed her son wasn’t alone, it didn’t dull. I thought that was a good sign.

  “Andrew!” she exclaimed happily and held out her arms.

  “Mom.” Drew grinned and jogged up the stairs to wrap her in a hug. He was a whole head taller than her.

  When he pulled back, she turned to me. “Trent, it’s great to see you again. I didn’t realize you were coming.”

  “Mrs. Forrester,” I said and quickly gave her a hug. “Hope you don’t mind me crashing your visit.”

  “Not at all!” she said. “And you know better than to call me Mrs. Forrester. Call me Adrienne.”

  “Is Dad home?” Drew asked, fidgeting a little.

  “Of course. He’s inside. We’ve both been waiting for you to get here. I wish you would’ve let us pick you up from the airport.”

  “Ivy sends her love,” he said as we headed for the door, choosing not to acknowledge the fact he’d been ignoring his texts and avoiding a car ride with his parents.

  “She called this morning.” Adrienne went on, heading inside. “Nova’s getting so big. I was just telling your father we needed to plan another trip out there to see her.”

  “I’m sure she’d like that.”

  The inside of the house basically looked like it could be in a magazine. It was contemporary but comfortable, with a touch of country. The room we walked into was one huge great room. The floors were hardwood with various scrapes and dings that gave them character. The walls were painted a light but warm shade of tan, and there was a giant stone fireplace on the far wall that stretched all the way to the ceiling.

  Wooden beams crossed the ceiling and were stained the same color as the floor. Area rugs in muted tones and patterns defined different areas of the room and provided a guide for where to look.

  A huge leather sectional sat near the fireplace, above which hung a huge flat-screen TV. There were candles everywhere, most of them lit, and the entire room smelled of melted vanilla and sugar.

  Artfully arranged on one wall near the front door was a huge collage of family photos. In the center were black letters that spelled out the word family. My eyes went instantly to all the images of Drew at various stages of his life, and a knot formed in my throat.

  The kitchen was open to the great room as well, separated by a huge granite island with high-backed stools lining the front. The cabinets beneath the counter were painted a rustic red, adding a pop of color in the otherwise fairly neutral space. Behind the island, the rest of the cabinets were made of distressed wood in a creamy finish. The hardware on them wasn’t black, but more of a bronze brown. The appliances were all stainless, and the stovetop was sunk right into the countertop, making it look like it had been there all along.

  “Burke! Drew’s here!” Adrienne called toward a hallway t
hat led out of the great room and then went ahead toward the kitchen.

  “Office is that way,” Drew explained as we passed. “Dad’s probably working.”

  “Can I make you boys a sandwich?” his mom offered.

  “No, thank you,” I said, and Drew shook his head.

  I wanted to reach out and stroke my hand down his back and remind him to breathe. I’d caught myself twice already reaching out to touch him before remembering I couldn’t.

  Drew’s father appeared out of the hallway and stepped into the kitchen. “Son!” he said, rubbing his hands together like Drew was a delicious meal. “Good to see you!”

  “Hey, Dad,” Drew said and stepped forward for a quick hug.

  Drew’s father held out his hand to me, and we shook. “Trent.”

  “Sir,” I said. Even though I’d met these people before, I couldn’t help but feel awkward, like this was a movie and I was in high school picking up this guy’s daughter for her very first date.

  But this wasn’t high school. This wasn’t my first date… and Drew wasn’t a girl.

  “Wasn’t it nice of Trent to come along with Drew so he wouldn’t be alone to travel?” his mother said.

  That’s when I really knew this wasn’t going to go well. I liked Drew’s parents, but, man, they were old school and lived in their own little world. I was also beginning to see how Drew was so good at ignoring things (like his phone, like the way we felt for each other for so long), because I was beginning to think his mother was the same way.

  Honestly, there was nothing wrong with that. I respected it. I lived in my own little world, too, I supposed. Everyone did.

  I just wished the worlds we occupied weren’t so incredibly different.

  Burke crossed the kitchen toward a large coffeepot taking up a spot on the counter. The red light on top was lit and dark liquid filled up the pot about halfway.

  “Coffee anyone?” his mom asked us.

  We both shook out heads.

  “Well, don’t keep us in suspense anymore, son. Give us the good news!” his father said, turning from the pot with a mug in his hand.

  “Good news?” Drew asked.

  “You must have some. After all, you did come all the way home for an awfully short visit.” His mother agreed.

  “I did come because I wanted to talk to you about something.” Drew hedged.

  “Let’s go sit down,” his mother directed and headed toward the sofa.

  I sat on the end near the armrest and propped my elbow on the cushion. I was surprised when Drew sat right beside me. He didn’t touch me or even glance my way, but I knew.

  I knew he needed my closeness, because in his position, I would need the same. Again, I fought the urge to touch him but consoled myself with the knowledge he knew I was here.

  Drew’s parents sat nearby, on the other side, so we were almost facing each other.

  Burke took a drink of his coffee, then set the cup on a polished wooden table in front of the couch. “How’s the job going?” he asked.

  “It’s, ah, fine,” Drew replied.

  His father heard the hesitation in his voice and nodded like he understood. “You’re too qualified for that place. You need more of a challenge. I called Simon, my contact at the large software company that rivals the one I work for, and they’re going to be hiring this spring, soon. I put in a word. Just send over your resumè—”

  “Dad.” Drew cut him off. “I live in Maryland now.”

  “Of course.” He nodded. “There are plenty of great software jobs there. That’s probably why you’re here. Who hired you?”

  Drew took a deep breath, and I reined in my patience. “I’m driving now, for the new racing division.”

  “That’s not a full-time job,” his father argued.

  “Actually, it is. I’ve just come from a meeting with Ron Gamble. He owns the new division I’m racing for. He’s going to pay me to drive full time. I’m going to be training and touring to different races. I’ve also got some endorsement deals coming in. It’s lucrative, pays well.”

  “Computers pay well,” Burke rebuffed.

  “You know my passion is cars, Dad.”

  “Ever since you were a little boy,” his mom mused.

  I kept my eyes trained on his father, measuring his reaction.

  His lips thinned. “Cars is a hobby.”

  “It doesn’t have to be,” Drew argued. “I told you when I moved up there with Ivy I was going to pursue a career in cars.”

  “But you still work in computers.”

  Drew sat back, a little stiffer. “You didn’t think I could do it.” He huffed. “You thought it was just a dream.”

  “Cars are not a career, Drew,” he replied in a no-nonsense tone. “We discussed this. This is just a phase. Your degree, your skill set at software and technology is your future.”

  “That’s not what I want.”

  I wondered if anyone else heard the hurt deep in his voice.

  “What do you mean it’s not what you want?” his dad said, incredulous. “You’ve been working toward this for half your life.”

  “No, Dad!” Drew spit out. “You have. You’ve been shoving your chosen profession down my throat since I was just a kid.”

  “Andrew,” Adrienne said, shocked.

  “Haven’t you been listening? I know you’ve heard me when I said it before. We had this conversation when I moved to Maryland. You were disappointed then, too, Dad. I can’t keep living the life you want me to live. I’ve tried…” His voice faltered, then came back. “My whole life I’ve been trying to please you and live up to everything you wanted me to be. I can’t anymore. I can’t be who you want.”

  God.

  How could they not react to the pain in his voice, the absolute anguish? How the fuck could they just sit there and stare at him?

  I couldn’t.

  It was physically impossible.

  “Forrester,” I whispered and reached out a hand. My palm slid over his thigh, a touch meant to comfort. A touch meant to let him know not only did I hear what he said, but I was listening.

  Drew made a sound, and his hand fell over mine. He grasped at my fingers like they were a lifeline, like I was the only thing keeping him grounded.

  You could have heard a pin drop.

  The silence in the room was so loud it muffled my ears. Suddenly, everything seemed to happen in slow motion, like were in a movie and someone hit the wrong button.

  Both Burke and Adrienne looked down. Their gazes zeroed in like arrows on a bull’s-eye right to where we touched. Confusion crossed their features, and it slowly gave way to horror.

  That single touch told them exactly what Drew had yet to say. It wasn’t that I was trying to hurry it along. I’d only been wanting to give the person I loved some support.

  “What the hell is this?” his father said, glancing up from our hands. His voice was dangerous and low.

  Drew let go of my hand, and I pulled mine away.

  “It’s why I came,” Drew replied. “I do have news.” He cleared his throat. “But I don’t think it’s the kind you were hoping for.”

  “Andrew,” his mother said, pressing a hand to her throat.

  “I’m in a relationship with Trent. We started out as best friends, but we’ve become more.”

  I admired the way he went right to it. He didn’t try to explain in a roundabout way. It was hard, but he did it.

  “What!” Burked exclaimed and leapt up off the couch.

  Drew nodded. “I know it’s a shock, which is why I came home. I wanted to tell you in person. We’ve been together for a few weeks now… I wanted you to hear it from me before GearShark breaks the story.”

  His mother made the sign of the cross over her chest and sighed.

  Seriously.

  His father, on the other hand, appeared murderous. He was angry, almost beyond angry, like he thought Drew was just saying this to hurt him. “You aren’t gay.”

  “No.” Drew agreed
. “I’m not. But I’m in love with Trent. He makes me happy, just like racing.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Burke erupted and stalked toward the fireplace. “Are you that angry with us for pushing you, for wanting our son to reach his full potential?”

  Ah, the guilt trip. I hadn’t seen that coming.

  “I’m not angry with you,” Drew said. “This isn’t about you.”

  “But I don’t understand,” his mother said. She at least didn’t look angry.

  “I know, Mom.” Drew rubbed a hand over his face.

  Suddenly, Burke swung around, his blazing eyes locked on me. “How dare you?”

  I pulled the hat off my head so I could meet his gaze head on.

  “How dare you try and turn our son against us?”

  Drew went rigid beside me, but I forced myself to remain calm. “I’m not turning Drew against you. Clearly, you don’t need help in that department.”

  His mother gasped, and it made me feel contrite.

  “Is this the kind of influence you’ve allowed into your life?” Burke raged at Drew, jabbing a finger toward me. “You move up to Maryland to be with your sister, and now you want to turn your back on your career, drive cars, and… and… sin with a man?”

  Aaannd here we go.

  “No one is forcing me. No one is trying to influence me, except you,” Drew replied, tired.

  “We just want the best for you,” his mother said.

  “Then let me live my life the way that makes me happy.”

  “This can’t make you happy,” she replied.

  “I forbid it!” Burke demanded.

  “I’m a grown-ass man. You can’t forbid anything,” Drew snapped.

  “Language.” His mother gasped.

  I wanted to laugh. I couldn’t, though, because this was pretty much everything we’d been afraid of. They weren’t going to accept this relationship. Drew was going to suffer for it.

  His father turned his glare back to me. I wanted to flinch because there it was. That look. The one someone gives a stranger. I was no longer the man they met several times in the past. I was the enemy. I was a bad influence, and I was trying to take their son.