It was earlier than I liked, so I drove to a Dunkin Donuts and ordered a coffee, and then on impulse, I grabbed a bunch of donuts and a second cup of coffee. Today was game day. I knew everyone at home (well, the guys) would be gearing up for some fun, and I was anxious to get home and join them. Hopefully, T would come over so we could all go to the field together—you know, as a united front.
Up until this point, the guys that attacked Trent thought he was keeping their identities to himself. Today, they were going to learn otherwise. They would know he told, and they would also know this little charity game wasn’t only benefiting the organization the frat voted on, but also our need to exact some physical pain.
I didn’t drive home, though. Not right away. Instead, I pointed the Fastback in the opposite direction and drove to a place I’d only been once before. The private airport looked the same as the last time I was here, with the large fence all around and the top-notch security on the gate.
Since I didn’t know the code and I didn’t see a buzzer, I pulled up close to the entrance and laid on the horn.
It was so loud it annoyed even me.
As I held my palm over the noisemaker, I consoled myself with some coffee.
A minute later, there was some movement across the way, and I eased off the horn to flicker my headlights.
A second later, the gate opened, and I nosed the Mustang through and sped over to the hangar where Arrow lived.
The wide door on the front was still closed, but there was a small man-sized door on the side, and he was standing in it, watching me. All he was wearing was a pair of loose sweats, his chest bare. He was definitely tall and lanky, but maybe not quite as skinny as I originally thought. He did have some definition to his chest and arms, but his abs were flat.
Arrow also had quite a few tattoos; almost his entire left shoulder was covered in them, and he had some on his chest as well. I wasn’t about to stare long enough to know what kind of designs they were. He might think I was checking him out.
I carried over the extra coffee I’d gotten and held it out between us.
He glanced at it, then at me before taking it.
“You drink coffee?” I asked.
“Doesn’t everybody?”
I wondered what his conversation with Lorhaven was like after our talk in the garage at home. I wondered if Lorhaven told him about T and me. I wondered what Arrow thought about us. I wondered if he was embarrassed because he had a crush on me.
Oddly, I wasn’t embarrassed by it. It was kind of flattering, I guess. Mostly, it kind of endeared the kid to me. (Yes, I know I’m supposed to think of him as a man, but it’s hard, okay? He’s kind of like the baby brother I never had.)
I felt this odd sort of kinship with him even though we were nothing alike. Well, at least I’d thought that before.
Now?
Now I was starting to think maybe he and I had more in common than either of us realized.
“Thanks,” Arrow said, gesturing to the Styrofoam cup, and took a sip. Then he gestured with his head to the door, and I followed him inside.
It smelled like oil and car parts. You know, that sort of metal tinge to the air.
“What are you doing here?” Arrow asked, blunt, as I glanced around, looking into the back of the hangar toward the bed he slept in. Clearly, I’d gotten him up. The sheets were still tangled and there was an indent in the pillow.
“Going to a football game this morning. Thought you might wanna come.”
“Why?” His eyes were suspicious.
I had a feeling Arrow was suspicious of people a lot, and it was because he’d been conditioned that way. I remembered Lorhaven saying something to the tune of Arrow always wanting to see the best in people, and I wondered how he balanced that with the wariness.
I shrugged. “Might be fun.”
“Trent gonna be there?” he asked.
I nodded. “My whole family will be there. You’ll like them.”
“I don’t think so,” he said.
I lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t strike me as the type to judge people before you meet them.”
“I meant I don’t think they’ll like me.”
I lowered my coffee away from my face. “They like me. They like Trent. They’re totally cool with our relationship.”
“So you are in a relationship with him.”
I nodded. “Your brother told you, didn’t he?”
“I thought he was making it up. Trying to keep me away from you.”
I laughed. “He would do something like that.”
Arrow grinned.
“Your brother is a lot of things, but I don’t think he would intentionally hurt you. He wants you to be happy.”
“I know.” He looked away, giving all his attention to the cup.
“My father kicked me out, too,” I said softly.
His head snapped up.
“That’s why you live here, right? You told your father you’re gay, and he kicked you out.”
“He hates me now.”
My stomach clenched. I knew exactly how that felt. I knew exactly what it was like to be suddenly unloved by people who said—no, who were supposed to—they always would.
It sucked real bad. But something whispered in my ear that as rough as I had it, Arrow had it ten times worse.
I at least had a family who loved me, a whole house full of people who cared. And I had Trent. With him, I would never, ever have to feel alone.
Who did Arrow have besides Lorhaven?