My fingers clutched around my phone, as if it were his hand. His words spoke a truth I had ignored for weeks, because acknowledging it always made my chest feel heavy.

  “It’s the same for me,” I said.

  Sebastian’s fingers slid over the guitar strings without playing anything, probably just enjoying the feeling. “I wish we could spend at least a few more days together. Just the two of us.”

  “That would be nice,” I replied.

  “You think so?”

  “Of course. But there’s not much we can do about it, is there?”

  I pulled the blanket from my bed over my shoulders because the floor suddenly felt cold. Maybe I shouldn’t sit on the carpet so much.

  His fingers plucked the D string softly. “That’s not entirely true.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He sat up and held the strings to keep them from vibrating. “I have a week off during spring break. I planned to study, but if I pull a few all-nighters, I could take the whole week off.” His eyes, which had been resting on something next to his camera until now, turned directly toward me. “What would you say if I invited you to Las Vegas? I know, flights aren’t cheap, but I could chip in for half.”

  “You…” My breath caught in my throat. “You’d already spend, what, five hundred dollars on me?”

  “Of course. You’re worth every penny.” He put his guitar down, picked up his phone, and brought it closer to his face. “Think about it. We could have some more jam sessions. We could go to a karaoke bar with Nora and Raul. Maybe we could even do some of the things we used to do, you know, in that bed behind you.” He smiled hopefully. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

  “Sebastian, I…” I stuttered, staring into the camera and chewing my lip as I tried to think of how to respond.

  Before I found any words, though, his smile faded, and he waved a hand. “I’m sorry. Ignore me. I said that on a whim. It’s okay if⁠—”

  “No, that’s not it. I would love to spend time with you in person again,” I said, so he wouldn’t get the wrong idea. Of course, I’d love to see him again. Our calls had become special. He was the person I thought about when I woke up and when I went to bed. “Honestly, I’m just surprised.”

  “Me too. I had that idea a second ago.” His lips pulled in as he slowly inhaled, then he shook his head. “Who am I kidding? I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of days.” He blushed. “I know it’s all complicated, especially since you live with my parents and we can’t just tell them. But doing all of this online… I feel like we’re missing out big time.”

  My breaths were heavy, not only because his invitation had come out of the blue, but also because I understood where he was coming from. So far, this had been nothing but a sweet fantasy, an escape from reality, but it was clear that we were both invested in this connection. Maybe, if we had a little more time together to figure things out, this could actually go somewhere.

  “There is a problem with your proposal,” I said. “I can’t leave Seastone during spring break. Your parents booked a vacation, so I have to stay and take care of the house and the animals. Otherwise, I’d book a flight right now.”

  “My parents are gone?” Sebastian asked, narrowing his eyes. “I mean, I could, in theory, also come to Seastone. Nora would probably give me an earful because she’s dying to meet you, but she’ll get over it.”

  “Wouldn’t it look bad, or at least raise some questions, if you came here while your parents are gone?”

  “Not if they don’t know.”

  His words demanded a few seconds of silence.

  “I don’t know,” I finally said. “I’d love to see you, but… I don’t know.” It was stupid to think I was betraying Laura and Dany, because, ultimately, it wasn’t any of their concern what went on between Seb and me. Still… “Your parents took me in when I had no one on my side. I understand why you don’t want them to know, but—” The rest of the sentence got caught in the back of my throat. My fingers barely held onto my phone.

  “How about I do tell them? Not about us, but that I’d like to come to Seastone, to have a quiet place to study?” His brows knitted together so tightly they almost touched. “Would that be an option?”

  “So, a half-truth?”

  “As much truth as I can give them for now.” He blinked rapidly. “I could even come a night early and spend some time with them. They’d be happy, and a day later, we would be too.”

  “Aren’t you afraid they’ll cancel their trip if you ask?”

  “Not at all.” Sebastian chuckled. “I know my dad. He probably booked something nonrefundable to save a few bucks.” He looked directly into the camera. “So what do you say?”

  “Man, you sure do want to see me, huh?”

  “Looks like it.”

  “I can’t deny that the prospect of jamming with you again sounds nice. And touching you, holding you, spending time with you.” My fingers trembled. “If you really want to come, I’d love to spend spring break with you.”

  “For real?” Sebastian beamed so hard his teeth could have taken a second job as light bulbs. “Because if you’re serious, I’ll call Mom first thing in the morning.”

  “I am serious.”

  “Fuck yeah! And don’t worry, I’ll phrase it exactly like I told you. I’m coming to study. It’s not even a lie since I’ll likely have to crack open my books at some point.”

  We grinned at each other like the two stupid guys we were.

  Our call ended pretty quickly after that because it was already after midnight, but we texted until my eyes were too heavy to stay open any longer.

  The next day, Laura approached me after breakfast and told me about Sebastian’s plans.

  “Since this is your home, too,” she said, clinging to her coffee mug, “I wanted to ask if that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” I replied, trying hard not to show that this wasn’t the first time I heard about this.

  Her eyes settled on me, almost like she expected a different response.

  ”It’s a big house. There’s enough space for both of us,” I babbled on. “And we got along quite well during the reunion. It’ll be fine, I think.”

  She studied me for another second, then nodded. “Great, I’ll tell him it’s okay, then.”

  I rushed up to my room, my heart racing, and texted Sebastian immediately. Three minutes later, he called me.

  “Hey,” I said, pressing the phone close to my ear. “We’re really doing this, huh?”

  For a few seconds, I only heard breathing, until he finally spoke. “I’m already counting the days.”

  Spring break was my favorite holiday when I was young. It was the one week of the year when I got to spend most of my time alone at home. There was no distracting noise, just my favorite records and the piano.

  Once I started college to get a sound design degree, the week lost its specialness. Not only did I have to study, but my stepdad had already moved in with us, and since he worked remotely and had brought two dogs, there was always something going on.

  It only became the cozy, silent treat again when I moved in with the Drapers. Laura was a teacher in Ashbourne, so she got the week off, and Dany, being his own boss, could do whatever he wanted anyway. They always used the time to travel, leaving the house entirely in my care. I spent them completely alone, still doing my regular chores, but mostly making music at full blast because the opportunity was rare.

  This spring, though, I was looking forward to it more than I ever had before.

  The days until I’d see Sebastian again flew by, and before I knew it, the Friday of his arrival had already come. I wasn’t sure if he did it on purpose, but his plane arrived at an impossible time shortly after lunch. Both Dany and Laura were still at work, so I was the only one available to pick him up.

  As I drove to the municipal airport near Ashbourne, the sun shone brightly. The roads were surprisingly busy that day, and when I arrived after a stressful thirty minutes, I was glad I had come early. It took me almost twenty-five minutes just to get into the parking lot and find a space. By the time I turned off the car, I already had a message from Seb on my phone.

  We’ve landed, but I’m sitting in the last row.

  The skull emoji that followed made me giggle. His message had arrived only a minute before I parked, which gave me a chance to make it to the gate on time. It was probably silly, but I was at the point where waiting even a minute longer felt like it would kill me.

  I’ll pick you up inside!

  I made my way through the parking lot, picking up the pace with each step.

  The closer I got to the entrance, the noisier everything became. A plane took off right behind the building, and the sound made me clench my teeth. The large hall filled with hundreds of people didn’t help, either. Every small sound—from luggage rolling across the tiles to screaming children and footsteps echoing through the hall like gunshots—poured over me all at once. I put in my headphones and turned on a playlist I had made for especially overwhelming places, filled with heavy metal—nothing I regularly listened to, but perfect for this occasion.

  I strolled past the stores and the lines of people waiting at the airline counters, all to the sound of a man screaming something in Swedish. After a full song, I arrived at the gate that had “Arrival—DO NOT ENTER—ALARM WILL SOUND” written in big letters above it.

  A black, hip-high wall blocked off the area, as if the sign above the gate weren’t enough. I walked all the way down to where I had the best view of the door, rested my arms on the balustrade, and waited. Just as I pulled out my phone to check for updates, someone slapped the back of my shoulder, startling the hell out of me.

  Reflexively, I yanked my arms up and spun around, only to find my friend Jack standing right behind me. Sporting the yellow jacket anyone from Seastone would recognize, he beamed like a puppy. He was the town’s handyman—or, as the little logo on his jacket announced, the Home Services Expert—doing all kinds of odd jobs, from cleaning to grocery shopping, for anyone who needed a hand. Jack and I had been friends ever since we met during that Halloween prank for our mutual friends Nicholas and Jason, and he was one of the gay guys I regularly hung out with on the weekends.

  “Alex!” Jack yelled, loud enough for me to hear him over the Swedish metal.

  “Hey,” I said, reluctantly removing my headphones and allowing the airport noise to take over again.

  “I’ve been yelling your name for at least a minute!” He spread his arms and wrapped me in a friendly hug like he always did when we met. “What are you doing here?”

  “I, uh—” I stuttered, suddenly afraid I had been caught doing something illegal, even though Sebastian’s arrival wasn’t even a secret. “I’m picking up Dany’s and Laura’s son.”

  “Aren’t they leaving for their vacation tomorrow?” Jack’s ears perked up as he made a face. “How mean of him to come while they’re gone.”

  “No, it’s not like that. He’s…” I couldn’t tell Jack the whole truth. He was fairly close to Dany since they sometimes worked together. As much as I loved Jack as a friend, I wasn’t sure he was good at keeping secrets. “He’s here to study for his exams in peace.”

  “Ah! Okay,” Jack nodded exuberantly.

  “How about you?” I asked.

  “Oh, I’m picking up a guy for Jason and Nicholas, who’s helping them with… something at the hotel? They didn’t tell me much. I mostly just know his name’s Remy or Rami… I’m not really sure. Let me check again.”

  He fumbled his phone out of his pocket and searched through messages, his eyebrows clenched together.

  “Shit! Where is it?” He tapped his screen frantically, growing more impatient by the second. “Oh, man. I should at least know his name! How embarrassing is that?” His feet shuffled restlessly in place. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

  He brought his phone to his ear, probably calling either Jason or Nicholas to ask for the name, and rushed toward the exit, either to get better reception or to escape the noise.

  For a moment, I stood there alone, my phone still in my hand, unsure what to make of that conversation, when a distant tune pulled me out of my thoughts—a faint hum I could recognize from a mile away. My head snapped toward the double doors that slid open whenever a passenger from an arriving plane stepped through.

  There he was, his left hand hooked behind the strap of his backpack, and his right hand rolling a small suitcase beside him. As soon as his eyes found mine, the biggest smile spread across his face.

  I raised my hand, waving at him, still frozen in place. How was I supposed to behave now? I had prepared for almost everything: some sketches we could work on together if he was up for it, recipes we could whip up easily, a bed for him if he didn’t want to sleep in mine, and even a pack of condoms, just in case. The only thing I hadn’t thought about even once was the exact moment we’d see each other again.

  He picked up the pace as he walked around the hip-high wall separating us. I followed his lead and walked in the same direction until we stopped in front of each other, both smiling, only a foot of space between us.

  “Hey,” he said, not moving.

  “How was your flight?” I replied, not moving either.

  He let go of his suitcase and backpack and pulled me into the tightest hug. Without hesitation, his lips found mine, and I let him kiss me. Warmth flooded my body, and the world went quiet. His breaths slowed everything down. His hand rushed up to cradle the back of my head like we’d been a couple for years. He held the kiss for three more seconds before burying his face in my neck. My heart skipped a beat.

  “Thank you for picking me up,” he said, his words muffled against my jacket. “I couldn’t stop thinking about wanting to kiss you for days.”

  He leaned in to press his lips against mine again, when the clearing of a throat behind us made my blood freeze.

  I was so absorbed in Sebastian that I had completely forgotten about Jack. I slowly turned my head toward the sound, and, of course, there he stood, only a couple of feet behind us. Seb followed my gaze, loosening his grip on me as my breathing quickened.

  Jack’s eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling. He lifted his right hand, showing off his phone. “His name was Rami. And I guess, you’ve already found the person you were here to pick up.” He held out his hand toward Sebastian. “Hi, I’m Jack, a friend of this one here.” He nodded at me. “And, uh, I figured I’d say hello.”

  His mouth hung open after he finished speaking. None of us moved at first, but eventually Seb reached out and shook Jack’s hand.

  “Sebastian. Nice to meet you,” he said to Jack, though his eyes glanced at me, clearly looking for an explanation.

  “We ran into each other a few minutes ago,” I said. “He’s here to pick up…?”

  “Rami.”

  “Rami, that’s right.” I nodded, as if I had any idea who that was.

  Sebastian nodded, too, and finally let go of Jack’s hand. “And who’s Rami?”

  “Someone from… work,” Jack replied, also starting to nod.

  “So, um,” I said, but froze entirely. This was bad. “What exactly did you see, Jack?”

  “Everything? Like, uh…” His index fingers swirled through the air, dancing around each other, before he brought them together with a kissing sound. “In my defense, though, it’s hard not to notice when people are smooching in a public place like this.”

  An announcement blasted through the airport about a car that had to be moved, or it would be towed in five minutes, interrupting our conversation. We all pretended to listen, as if it could have been ours, when in reality we were just grateful for a second to let the situation sink in. Jack opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then the announcement repeated, and he waited it out.

  “Am I right in thinking that nobody was supposed to see this?” Jack asked. “The way you two greeted each other?”

  I nodded, not daring to look at Seb. This situation was entirely my fault. If I had waited in the car, or at least told Seb we weren’t alone, our secret wouldn’t have gotten out already.

  “There’s no need to beat around the bush now, is there?” Sebastian said with a carefree laugh. “Would you mind keeping it to yourself for a little while? My parents don’t know. Not even that I’m gay. And we…” He motioned between himself and me. “…we didn’t even know we liked each other until recently. We’ll tell them eventually, we just need…”

  “…a little more time?” Jack finished the sentence.

  I finally looked up and found both of them with red cheeks.

  “Don’t worry, guys,” Jack said. “I know how it is. I’ve been through it all, too. I’ll keep my mouth shut. I just have to confess that Jason already knows. He was on the phone when I saw you, and he definitely heard me gasp and then might’ve asked what was going on, and I might’ve already told him… But don’t worry. He can keep a secret, too. I’ll call him right away.”

  With that, Jack turned around, brought his phone to his ear, and took a few steps away.

  Sebastian and I turned to each other.

  “Who’s Jason?” he asked. “So much has happened in the minute since I landed!”

  “One of the guys from the Halloween prank video I showed you,” I whispered, unable to look up. “I’m so sorry. When I saw you, I completely forgot that Jack had only stepped away for a minute. My brain completely short-circuited.”

  “Hey…” Sebastian took my hands. “Calm down. It’s okay. He’s your friend, and he’s gay too, right? He’ll understand.”

  “Aren’t you worried it’ll all come out?”

  “I’m way too excited to spend a week with you to worry about that right now. I promise, everything will be fine. Trust me. Besides…” He pulled me into another hug, his hands flying to the back of my head. “…there’s nothing we can change about that now anyway.”

  Something in his demeanor was almost too calm about all of this. I couldn’t make sense of it.