“It’s right up here,” he said, placing his hands on top of the rocks and pushing down on them to heave himself up like he was climbing out of a pool. He swung his right foot up, almost kicking me in the face.

  I leaned back, keeping my eyes on his legs just in case, when he landed on the rock with his feet at an angle. His butt was right in front of me, and in the position we were in, I couldn’t help but notice his bulge. It was just for a split second. I hadn’t even meant to look. I just did—and lost my grip on the boulder and my footing because of it. Luckily, I caught myself right away.

  Kneeling on the plateau, Sebastian spun around, his hands reaching for me. “Everything okay?”

  “It’s just… my headache’s still throbbing a little,” I fibbed. “It’ll be fine in a minute.”

  He held his hand out, and after a moment of hesitation, I took it. I braced my foot against the boulder on the right and pushed myself up as he pulled. As soon as my knees made it onto the plateau, though, I lost my balance. I tumbled forward, trying to angle myself to the left, so I wouldn’t bury Sebastian under me. The hard ground caught my fall. My hands scraped across the stone. Only my legs ended up on his. The shock made us both freeze.

  Sebastian’s hands went straight to my shoulders, holding me in place. “Careful. Not that you roll off the cliff.”

  “That would be hard to explain, right?”

  He glanced at our tangled legs, then back at me with a grin. “I swear, I didn’t bring you up here to kill you.”

  I pulled my feet off him and scooted a few inches away, careful to keep a safe distance from the cliff. “Admit it, you want your room back.”

  “I’d throw myself off the cliff before that would happen.”

  “No. Don’t do that. Who am I supposed to talk to for the rest of the evening, then? I won’t survive any more conversations about potato salad.”

  Sebastian chuckled. He crawled over to another boulder on the left that fenced off the plateau and leaned against the stone. I shifted over to the space next to him, making myself comfortable, and took in the view of the valley before us. The setting sun bathed the treetops and buildings of Seastone in bright red, while painting the mountains on the opposite side of town a striking orange against the blue sky. Three eagles cried overhead, riding the wind and disappearing into the forest as quickly as they had appeared. I leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the Draper residence, but trees and rock formations completely blocked it from view. Only the sound of a cow mooing made it all the way up here.

  “Wow, it’s deadly but beautiful,” I said. “How did you find this place?”

  “I’ve lived here for nineteen years. That’s more than enough time to get to know every nook and cranny.” He angled his left foot and rested his arm on his knee. “It was also my favorite spot when I wanted to be alone.”

  “Understandable.” It was close by, fairly easy to reach if you were nimble, and the view was nothing short of stunning. “I only knew about the other overlook everyone calls the make-out spot.” I pointed to the small brown patch between the trees on the opposite side of the valley. It sat right between the only local grocery store on the right and the closed hotel on the left. From this perspective, you’d think they were only a few feet apart, but I knew from experience that walking back and forth between them took forever.

  “Everyone knows the make-out spot.” He leaned his head against the stone and smirked at me. “Who’d you bring?”

  “Oh, I didn’t bring anyone. Nothing like that.” I waved it off. “It’s a long story.”

  “One for when we’re drunk?”

  “Well, no. This one’s not a secret, although it is a bit crazy.”

  “I like crazy.”

  “Yeah, but, like… crazy-crazy.”

  “You don’t have to sell me on it. Go on!”

  He tapped his left hand against my thigh. It lingered for only a second before he withdrew it, but I could still feel his touch after it was gone.

  “Don’t complain that I didn’t warn you.” I adjusted my seat and stared at the spot on my leg where his hand had been a second earlier. “I was part of an elaborate prank for two friends. They’re both horror-movie freaks, and, long story short, I played a serial killer chasing them through the woods.

  “No way.”

  “I wore a fake mask and everything. You wouldn’t have known it was me underneath. Wait.” I fumbled my phone out of my pocket and pulled up a photo. I was in a bathroom, wearing a theater mask of an old, wrinkled man with long white hair and a black bomber jacket. “It took us weeks to prepare everything.”

  “That’s you?” Sebastian wrapped his hands around mine, bringing the phone closer to his face without taking it from me. Leaning forward, he brought our heads within a few inches of each other as we both stared at the image. “This is crazy.”

  “I tried to warn you! I had lived here for less than six months when they asked for my help. But the whole experience is also part of why I started liking Seastone. There’s a video of everything on MyTube.”

  “Oh my God, show me!” He pulled both his legs up, tucking them close to his chest.

  I searched for the video online and was lucky to have a strong enough signal to load it. I held the phone between us so we could watch it together as he scooted closer to me. His thighs brushed against mine, offering some warmth against the cold stone.

  The video showed me pretending to threaten my friends with a knife, all filmed by hidden cameras in the trees. Nicholas, the guy we’d done all this for, narrated the video. A brief interview scene was followed by a supercut of me chasing him and his husband, Jason, through the woods. An upbeat techno track played in the background—one I had composed for the video and later turned into a full song.

  “I can’t believe something like this happened in boring old Seastone!” Sebastian’s eyes were fixed on the screen, eager not to miss a second. The longer we watched, the more his head bobbed to the beat. “Not to change the subject, but you have to send me the video. I need to look up that song.”

  “Oh, uh…” I blushed. “You won’t find it online.”

  “You’d be surprised. I’m a pro at finding tracks.”

  “Well, definitely not this one.”

  He looked up, his brows curling. “Why not?”

  “Because… I kind of wrote it? And since it’s still missing some vocals, I haven’t uploaded it anywhere yet.”

  He leaned back, his eyes widening. The video played for a few more seconds, but as he wasn’t watching anymore, I paused it.

  “You wrote it?” His head flopped back against the rock as he closed his eyes and shook his head. A chuckle bubbled up from his chest. “Does Mila know that?”

  “Everyone knows.”

  “Damn,” he said, smiling at me. There was a tiredness to it, almost as if he had been proven wrong. “Okay, we have to talk about that once we’ve finished the video.” He nodded toward my phone and leaned forward again.

  I restarted the clip, feeling his eyes on my face before they drifted back to the screen.

  The scene where Dany played a police officer came up, sending chills down my spine. I had completely forgotten about that part.

  “Is that my dad?” Sebastian asked, leaning closer to the screen.

  “Yeah, and I might, uh, pretend to kill him in a few seconds.”

  “You’re shitting me.” His face shot up, only an inch away from bumping against my forehead, but the screams from the video forced him to watch as I fake-stabbed Dany. Sebastian’s mouth fell open. I wouldn’t have believed it either if I were him. “My Dad?”

  The video played on, showing the two guys we did all this for kissing and falling into each other’s arms at the end.

  “For two gay guys? Wait. I know the one with the eye patch. He’s…” He snapped his fingers as he racked his brain for an answer. “Yes, right. He’s the gas station dude, isn’t he?”

  “That’s Jason, yes. But he and Nicholas run it together now.”

  His mouth still hung open as the video ended. “I still can’t believe Dad agreed to be part of something like this. And that you got to kill him!”

  “Pretend-kill him. Very important distinction.”

  Sebastian’s bright laugh echoed through the mountain until he bit his lower lip to rein himself in. “You were right. This was crazy. Especially considering my dad…” He shook his head as if the revelation had unsettled something inside him. “Was that really him?”

  A flock of birds rose from the trees in the valley, their wings beating loud enough to draw our eyes. They circled above town, weaving around each other in a mesmerizing pattern. We both watched, letting the moment settle.

  “Can I ask you, why you and your dad…?” I trailed off.

  “…why we don’t get along?”

  “Yeah. But we’re not drunk. So technically I can’t ask that.”

  “Cute,” Sebastian said with a quiet chuckle. “I don’t mind telling you here. I just didn’t want to get into it with so many people around.” He stared at the valley. “We had a big fight about my life choices three years ago. I took a break from college to pursue a career as a singer, as you might have guessed, thanks to Mila’s comments. I had a record deal and everything. Thought it was going somewhere…” He shrugged. “It didn’t. I was bummed, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. So I came back here until I could go back to college and finish my degree. You know, to move on. But Dad… he made it clear he’d never thought it would work out. He said I’d wasted my time and should’ve known better. Every conversation with him felt like he was looking for proof that I’d embarrassed myself. And him.” He exhaled sharply. “That’s when I saw red. I already felt like a failure. I didn’t need him rubbing it in.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It is what it is.” Sebastian waved it off. “I’d always kind of sensed I was a disappointment to him because I never saw myself growing old here in Seastone or taking over his company. That’s also why I never told them I was gay. He always wanted a perfect family. In his mind, that meant a wife and grandkids. So, yeah…” He glanced at my phone. “It’s kind of a surprise that he agreed to do something like this.”

  “I know it’s no consolation, but he knows I’m gay and has never had a problem with it. Same goes for Nicholas and Jason, obviously.”

  Sebastian wrapped his arms around his bent legs and rocked back and forth, shaking his head ever so slightly.

  “Maybe. But you guys aren’t his son.”

  “That’s… true.”

  We sat in silence for a minute. The last sunbeam grazing the valley disappeared behind the horizon.

  “Do you think my dad’s a good guy?” Sebastian asked. “Like, honestly?”

  “Well, he gave me a roof over my head when I needed one. I’m closer to Laura than I am to him, mostly because it feels right for him and me to keep things professional. From what I’ve seen, though, he always tries to help everyone do their best. But I get that family is complicated. I’m not speaking to mine either, so…”

  “You don’t?”

  “Yeah, but we don’t have to get into that now.”

  “No, you listened to my shit, I can listen to yours.”

  “There’s really not much to tell.”

  A wave of heat welled up in my chest. No one here knew about my past—not Laura, not Dany, and not my friends—and for good reasons. What would they think of me if they ever found out? To the people of Seastone, I was just a guy who needed a job. Laura once asked me, before my first Christmas here, why I didn’t want to go “home,” but I told her that Seastone is my home now, and we left it at that.

  I side-eyed Sebastian. He moved his head in sync with mine and caught me looking right away. He breathed slowly and brought his ears closer, offering to listen.

  “If I tell you, you can’t mention this to anyone. Your parents don’t know, and I don’t want them to pity me or anything.”

  Our eyes met. His brows drew together, then he nodded. “Unlike Mila, I can keep a secret. Promise.”

  I dropped my gaze to the ground, silently debating whether it was stupid to even talk about it. He’d be gone after tonight. Even if telling him didn’t change the way he looked at me, it wouldn’t mean anything.

  After a minute, he shifted closer, his palm brushing lightly against my back. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything⁠—”

  “My stepdad found out I was gay,” I blurted out. “He threw me out of the house and made my mom stop paying my tuition. I tried to reconnect with her a few times, but I don’t even know if she still has the same number. Whenever I text or try to call her, she doesn’t answer. That’s it. That’s the whole story.”

  I’d spoken so fast that my lungs burned when I finally inhaled. Now, it was out there. I couldn’t take it back if I wanted to. My back buckled as I stared at the ground.

  “I try not to let it get to me,” I went on. “There are so many people here who like me for my music and everything—people I would’ve never met if that hadn’t happened. So that’s a silver lining, right?” I turned to him and let out a small laugh, like it was funny.

  Sebastian pressed his lips together. “I’m so sorry,” he said quietly.

  His brows knitted together, but then he seemed to actively force them apart again. He made a few faces, as if he was trying to find the right one, before he shook his head and looked straight at me.

  “Sorry. I want to say something that doesn’t sound like pity, but that’s harder than it should be. It must’ve taken a lot to tell me that. So, thank you.”

  He put on a soft smile that I copied.

  “Promise me that if you ever have kids, you won’t throw them out just because they’re not who you expect them to be,” I said. “Unless you want them to end up like me.”

  Sebastian let out a quiet breath. “Still gay and single over here, so kids aren’t exactly on the horizon. But yeah. I promise.”

  We shared a laugh that eased the tension. Now that all the cards were on the table, it didn’t feel as bad as I thought it would.

  “I’m glad you found a new home in Seastone,” Sebastian said. “And I’m glad we met.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Can I hug you?”

  I chuckled because a hug felt so out of nowhere, but that didn’t stop him from wrapping his arms around me.

  His slow breaths washed over my skin. Our clothes rustled together. The embrace caught me so off guard that I didn’t manage to return it before he leaned back.

  Acting as if nothing had happened, he pulled his legs in and rested his head on his knees. “Now, let’s talk about something fun.”

  The sky grew darker by the minute. We watched in silence, letting all the things we had confessed settle.

  “So,” Sebastian eventually said. “Music, huh?”

  We both chuckled.

  “What about it?” I asked.

  “Do you still compose stuff?”

  “Do you still sing?”

  He nudged his left foot toward me and pulled it back again. “Not publicly.”

  “Just for family and friends?”

  “Hell no. I’d rather die,” he laughed.

  There went my hope of ever asking him if he’d be interested in recording some vocals for me. “That’s too bad.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Why?” His head, which had still been resting on his knees until now, lifted.

  Shit. “Uh… because…” Damn it. I’ve already blown it anyway. “Because I really like your voice.”

  “Well, let me tell you, my speaking and singing voices are not the same.”

  “They’re both beautiful.”

  “When have you heard me sing?”

  “I heard you humming to yourself. That counts, right?”

  “When did I…” He paused, thinking about it for a moment.“…when I walked up the driveway earlier! You heard that?”

  “Guilty.”

  “You must have pretty good hearing.”

  “Painfully good, yeah.”

  “So…” His pained expression shifted into a smirk. “You like my voice?”

  “If you hadn’t just said that you don’t want to sing anymore, I’d have asked you if you’d be open to recording some lyrics for me. But I’ll spare myself the rejection.”

  “Just based on some humming?”

  I couldn’t tell him in full detail what his voice actually did to me. That would only creep him out. “Call me brave. Or stupid.”

  “I’ll stick with Alex for now.” He stuck out his tongue, grinning. “Oh fuck it.” He rummaged around and pulled his phone from his pocket. “You’ll regret what you just said.”

  He tapped the screen, and two seconds later, rough guitar chords spilled from the tiny speakers. For a college rock song, the guitar was surprisingly soft. Sebastian pulled in his lips, scrunching up his whole face. Our eyes met for a split second before he squeezed them shut as if bracing for impact.

  A male voice set in that didn’t sound like him at all. It was flat, almost shy, with obvious pitch corrections layered over it. The melody, the words, the whole arrangement went in one ear and straight out the other. The song wasn’t terrible, but it was so forgettable that I zoned out until the very end.

  “I’m so sorry you had to listen to that,” Sebastian said, fumbling his phone back into his pants pocket as if he wanted to make sure I knew he wasn’t going to force me to listen to it ever again. “Still think I’m a great singer?”

  My chin dipped slightly. It wasn’t the worst song ever, but he was right—it wasn’t good either. Now, how was I supposed to tell him that without hurting his feelings?

  “You can say it.” Sebastian yanked his arm up and slammed it on my shoulder. “I can see it all over your face.”

  All I could focus on was the warmth radiating from his lingering hand. But when he pulled it back a second later and hid it in his lap, I knew I had to say something.

  “Did you write that song?” I asked.

  “Yeah. It’s shit, right?”

  “Well. I wouldn’t go that far. It’s not even about the song. What I hate about it⁠—”