Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) (18 page)

“Gesundheit,” Kelly replied. His eyes were half-lidded, just as they always were when feeling amorous.

“That’s where we had our first kiss.”

“Is it?” Kelly said, feigning confusion. “I must have forgotten.”

“Don’t play coy.” William took his hand, leading him forward. “You’re just an old romantic. Admit it.”

“You have no idea.”

They strolled along the bridge, pausing to glance at the skyline, or watch a pair of ducks swim down the river. Then they reached the right spot. William would never forget it. A kiss had happened there, the first in a very long line. He pulled Kelly close, wanting to add another to his collection.

“Not so fast,” Kelly said, dodging. “First you have to answer a trivia question.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup. How long have we been together now?”

William did some mental arithmetic. “Six months?”

“To the day,” Kelly said.

“Wait, I thought it was early November. We played pool together. Remember?”

Kelly rolled his eyes. “We weren’t together then. I wasn’t even sure it was a date.”

“It was to me,” William said.

Kelly shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t date someone without their knowledge. I didn’t know you liked me until we were standing right here. So it’s six months ago today.”

“Six and a half?” William bartered.

Kelly sighed. “It’ll be a miracle if we make it to seven. Now be quiet and let me work my magic.”

He opened his backpack again, which he must have reloaded on the sly. Either that or he was a magician, because like a rabbit from a hat, he pulled out a small bottle of champagne. It matched one they had shared on a previous special occasion.

“Now you’re going to tell me we weren’t official until New Year’s Eve,” William joked.

“Don’t start,” Kelly said. “Tonight is about celebrating our entire relationship. All the highlights that have made it special so far. Can you guess what we’ll be reenacting later on?”

“You have a collapsible tent in that backpack?” William asked with a grin, thinking of the camping trip they had taken with the gay youth group. Not a perfect night, but it sure had ended well!

“Exactly. And no, I don’t, but this time I remembered to bring glasses.” Kelly produced two that were disposable.

“I can’t believe your mom buys you this stuff,” William said, taking the bottle and peeling the foil from the cork.

“Begging was involved.” Kelly set down his backpack and held the glasses at the ready. “My parents don’t mind me drinking, as long as I only do so at home and I don’t leave after I’ve started. It’s only on special occasions really. If I asked them to buy me a six-pack every week, there’s no way they would.”

“Might be worth a shot anyway,” William joked. When the cork popped, they watched it soar into the air before it plopped into the river below. “I wonder where it’ll end up?”

“Probably in our drinking water. Speaking of which, I’m parched.”

“Coming right up.” William carefully poured golden liquid into the plastic flutes, alternating between them until both were full. Then he set the bottle on the ground so he could take one of the drinks.

Kelly raised his glass, eyes shining. “May six months turn into six years, and six years into six decades. You’ve made me incredibly happy, and I can’t wait until—”

“Gentlemen? I’m going to need to see some ID.”

William’s stomach sank as he turned to face a police officer. He could feel his entire future changing in that instant: Being charged with possession, a criminal record that prevented him from joining the Coast Guard, and a job as a public pool lifeguard because he didn’t have other plans. They hadn’t actually taken a sip yet, so if they were polite, and the officer was understanding, maybe the whole ordeal could all be avoided. William set down his glass and grabbed his wallet.

“Now!” the officer barked.

He was addressing Kelly, who hadn’t budged. “We didn’t actually drink any.”

William felt like groaning. He recognized that tone of voice! He handed his driver’s license to the officer, hoping to distract him.

The officer accepted it, attention still on Kelly. “I’m still going to need to see identification.”

Kelly huffed, then set his glass on the ground and complied.

The police officer took his time examining their IDs. “Neither of you are old enough to drink.”

“Busted,” Kelly said. “So it’s a good thing we didn’t drink.”

The officer’s brow became more creased. “You’re also not old enough to possess alcohol, especially an open container.”

“My parents bought it for me,” Kelly said. “That makes it legal. Texas law.”

Now the officer glared. “The law says a parent can buy their child a drink so long as it’s consumed in their presence.
That’s
the law.” The officer grabbed the radio on his shoulder and said a few codes. William had tried memorizing them all a few years back. He was pretty sure the officer intended to take them back to the car and run a background check. “I’ll need you both to come with me.”

Kelly made a sound of frustration, his voice rising. “We didn’t drink anything!”

“Kelly,” William said warningly.

“What?” Kelly demanded, gesturing grandly. “My parents bought this for us.” He turned to address the officer. “I’m supposed to drink it in their custody? Fine! I’ll go home and do so. Or take it away from us, and I’ll drink with my parents some other time. But we didn’t do anything wrong, so there’s no fucking way I’m going anywhere with you!”

The officer looked him over, clearly assessing whether or not Kelly posed a threat, when all he wanted to do was put them in the car while he made sure they hadn’t been in trouble before.

William pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re only making it worse.”

Kelly turned to face him, his expression pure disbelief, like William had betrayed him.

“I don’t want to handcuff you,” the officer said, “but I think it’s for the best. Turn around.”

“You’re kidding me,” Kelly said.

“Turn around!” the officer growled, stance becoming more aggressive.

William turned to face the river, arms behind his back, one wrist resting against the other. He felt relieved when out of the corner of his eye he saw Kelly do the same.

“It’ll be okay,” William said, trying to keep his boyfriend calm. “They’ll call our parents, and it’ll all get sorted out. Like you said, we didn’t drink anything.” Then louder, he added, “Can you give us breathalyzer tests, please? We want it on record that we haven’t consumed any alcohol.”

“I’ll be glad to,” the officer replied. “Thank you for cooperating.”

Kelly was handcuffed first. No surprise there. Then William felt cold metal close around his wrists. The officer started talking into his radio again. Kelly turned around without permission, and when he wasn’t reprimanded, William did the same.

The response came in that they had no prior convictions or outstanding warrants. The police officer took a photo of the champagne bottle. Then he picked it up and poured it into the river.

“Isn’t that littering?” Kelly snapped.

“That’s enough out of you,” the officer grumbled.

“I know my rights,” Kelly said, still pushing his luck. “I have freedom of speech.”

The officer shook drops of spilled champagne from his hand. “I know your rights too. In fact, let me read them to you.”

William groaned inwardly. They were being arrested.

Chapter Eight

As much as it irked Kelly, something about authority—be it military or law enforcement—fascinated William. The training process, the logistics of coordinating so many individuals, and especially the vehicles and gear, all captured his imagination. Squad cars, boats, bulletproof jackets, life vests—he couldn’t get enough, probably because of the cool technological innovations. Then there was the thrill. Most people worked in an office, or stood behind a counter, but others fought crime and saved lives. Pretty badass! As they were taken to the police station, William focused on those aspects, even having a lively conversation with the officer during the drive. He had held his tongue since arriving though, sensing that he was only making Kelly angrier. Not that his silence seemed to help. Kelly paced the small concrete room they were placed in, repeatedly expressing his indignation. After some coaxing, William got him to sit down at the table.

“So what do you think will happen?” Kelly asked, sounding more concerned than angry at this point. “What’s our punishment going to be?”

William cocked his head and considered the possibilities. “If we’re lucky, they’ll let our parents decide. We’re too young to go to jail, and juvenile hall seems a little extreme.”

“So we’re grounded.”

William sighed. “I know I will be.” He thought back to the first time Errol had been caught smoking pot. Their mother had yelled, argued, and dished out every possible punishment until the day Errol moved out of the house. Now his brother had adult status, making her more tolerant, but William still had another year or two before he’d have such freedom. Kelly’s parents seemed more liberal, since they had bought him the alcohol in the first place. “You said your mom will be understanding.”

Kelly shook his head. “Wishful thinking. You have to admit it’s pretty silly. It’s like being caught raising a hammer in front of a jewelry store window. Why didn’t the cop wait for something to actually happen?”

William smiled. “I definitely would have let us drink first. Hell, if I was an officer and saw two hot guys getting tipsy and romantic, I’d take a few steps back and enjoy the show.”

Kelly chuckled, his shoulders relaxing. “Then again, it probably would have been worse if he’d let us.”

“Probably.”

Kelly considered him, a hint of a smile on his lips. Then he reached across the table. Any affectionate intent halted when the door opened. The officer was back, and with him was a true authority figure: William’s mother. The door shut again, the officer leaving them alone. William was tempted to ask him to stay, just in case he needed protection.

“Tell me you have a reasonable explanation,” Kate said. “You were walking across the bridge, you found an open bottle, and you picked it up at the absolute worst moment.”

“I’m sorry,” William said. “It was meant to be romantic.”

His mother sighed, standing between them and setting her purse on the table. “Romance doesn’t involve getting drunk. In public. In fact, I’d say that’s the opposite of romance.”

“We didn’t,” William said. “Did the officer tell you about the breathalyzer tests?”

“Yes, and frankly, it doesn’t make me feel much better. He stopped you before you did something very stupid.” She turned to Kelly. “How were you planning on getting home? Were you going to drink and drive?”

“No,” Kelly said. “I was only going to have a few sips, maybe a glass at most. We weren’t planning on getting wasted.”

“It’s champagne,” she countered. “The sugar makes it go straight to your head.”

“One drink is within the legal limit,” Kelly retorted.

“For an adult! You’re just a child!”

“I’m seventeen years old!” Kelly shot back.

Kate crossed her arms over her chest. “And hopefully in four more years, you’ll have smartened up quite a bit, because most cities frown on stumbling around drunk in public. And when it comes to driving, you’ll be lucky to keep your license.”

“I wasn’t planning on getting drunk,” Kelly snarled. “We were only going to have one fucking drink together and—”

“Enough!” William’s fists were clenching along with his jaw. This was all Kelly’s fault! William was willing to forgive the champagne, because it had been a sweet gesture, but his smart mouth and bad temper were equally sour, making everything worse, and the last indignation he was willing to suffer—the absolute final straw—was someone back-talking his mom. “Don’t argue with my mother! Don’t argue with anyone else tonight either or you
will
regret it. Understand me?”

Kelly looked as though he’d been slapped. He remained wide-eyed as he nodded. Then he studied the table, lips firmly sealed. Kate sat down, appearing more disappointed than anything. William felt his anger drain away. He put a hand on his mother’s shoulder, then reached across the table to take Kelly’s hand. They would get through this. Everything seemed like a hopeless mess now, but they would find their way back to happier times.

* * * * *

“Heard you got into some trouble!”

Lewis said this in high spirits, like William had gotten reprimanded for kissing a girl at school or roughhousing with another guy. Boys will be boys! Then again, it beat another lecture from his mother, who reminded him every day of how big a mistake he had made. William passed a cardboard box to his father, then reached into his trunk for another. A number of trips like this had already occurred, Lewis’s possessions leaving the house a few boxes at a time.

“So what happened?” his father pressed.

“I got caught drinking.” William cradled the box under one arm so he could shut the trunk. “With my boyfriend,” he stressed, hoping to upset his father. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe because his brothers had completely turned their backs on the man, forcing William to remain in touch and face awkward situations like this alone. It was either that or leave it up to his mom, which he didn’t want.

“Drinking, huh?” Lewis winked. “Spend any time in jail? Do you have to wear one of those ankle bracelets to track your whereabouts?”

This wasn’t the reaction William had hoped to provoke, so he gave a less dramatic report of events. And the ramifications. “Just community service since we didn’t actually drink anything. My court date was last week. I thought you’d be there.”

Lewis led the way toward the apartment complex. “I didn’t think your mother would be happy to see me.”

“I guess not.”

“So a slap on the wrist and a little community service? That’s not so bad.”

“No,” William said. “Yesterday was my first day volunteering. I liked it. Mom probably knew I would, which is why I’m also grounded for a month. She’s not exactly happy with me right now.”

“I bet.”

They walked up the usual stairwell, but his father turned left instead of right.

“Where are you going?”

“We moved out of Gina’s apartment,” Lewis said, “got a bigger place. Just two bedrooms, but there’s more space now and—”

William dropped the box he was carrying. It hit the concrete walkway with a thud.

“What’s wrong?” his father asked, turning around.

“You guys got a place together?”

“Well, yeah. We’ve been living together for months now. Why are you so surprised?”

“Because this makes it permanent!” William said, emotion rising. “I thought you would… Never mind.”

“You thought I would come to my senses.” His father set down the box in front of a door. His new home. “I love your mother—”

“No you don’t!”

“Yes I do!” Lewis took a step closer and put a hand on William’s shoulder. “And I love you. But you have to understand that your mother and I weren’t getting along. I don’t just mean we had a couple of bad days. This had been going on for a long time. Neither one of us was happy.”

“And then you met Gina.”

“Yes, and then I met Gina. I don’t expect you to understand how that changed me inside, but I hope someday you’ll see things from my—”

“No way!” William said adamantly. “I’ll never understand, because even if you did have feelings for someone else, that doesn’t justify what you did! If you had
any
respect for Mom, you would have left her before you started cheating.”

“You’re right,” his father said, turning to the door and fishing keys from his pocket. “But things are never that simple.”

William didn’t respond. He picked up the box again and followed his father inside. He glowered at the interior, judging it harshly, when in truth it looked like most living rooms did: couch, television, coffee table, and shelves. At least Gina wasn’t there.

“Something to drink?” his father asked. “I don’t have champagne…”

“Ha ha.”

“A soda?”

“No thanks.”

Lewis sat on the couch. William remained standing. He had called a truce with his father, but he never stuck around very long.

“How’s your mother?”

“Great.” That’s all William ever said about her to him.

“And your boyfriend? Did they let you share a cell?”

William thought of Kelly, the warm rush of feelings still absent. He hadn’t felt it since that night. Something had broken inside, which made it even harder to be around his father, to be reminded of how feelings could falter and die. Not even sex seemed capable of repairing this crumbling bridge. Kelly had snuck over the other day when the house was empty. Sleeping together felt good, but afterwards they had argued about the kind of community service they would perform. Ultimately they had chosen different options. William couldn’t help but wonder if they should follow that separation to its ultimate conclusion.

“Everything okay, son?”

William tried to hide his frown, but it was too late. Everything was definitely
not
okay, but he wouldn’t let that change who he was. “I’m not going to end up like you. I’m not a quitter.”

He turned away, wishing he’d done so before seeing the hurt on his father’s face. Then he hurried to the door and left.

* * * * *

A fresh start. William promised himself he would make the effort. After storming out of his father’s apartment, he had driven around until he was scheduled to volunteer again. Once he reported for community service and was busy packing canned food into boxes, he mentally reviewed each problem he and Kelly faced, trying to find a solution for each. He was done arguing. Kelly had a hot temper, but as long as one of them remained calm, they could avoid future fights. William’s fading passion for their relationship wasn’t a big deal either. They were both grounded, forbidden to see each other outside of school. Without privacy, they couldn’t stoke the fire, but that would resolve itself once they were no longer in trouble. They were doing what they could regardless, William giving Kelly rides to school. That’s where he was now, parked down the street so Mrs. Phillips wouldn’t find out.

He spotted Kelly trotting down the sidewalk and rolling his eyes at the gray sky and drizzle. William impassively watched him approach the car, already not wanting to deal with a foul mood.

Stay positive. That was the key. When they were in motion and Kelly asked in venomous tones how volunteering at the Food Bank had gone, William made sure his response sounded upbeat. “Great! The people there are really cool. We worked our butts off, but everyone is so pumped that it’s kind of fun. My voice was hoarse at the end of the shift from talking so much. How was yours?”

“My voice?” Kelly said. “Silky smooth. I didn’t talk to anyone. I just kept thinking of you. We could have had our picnic. It would have been perfect.”

That’s what he got for volunteering to pick up highway litter. William had tried talking him out if it, but he never listened. “Kelly—”

“Of course Sunday the weather turned to piss, so it’s just as well you weren’t there. I had to wear a trash bag to stay dry.”

William looked over, offering an amused smile. “Really?”

Kelly snorted, features relaxing somewhat. “Yes. I tore a hole in one of them for my face. And two little holes for my arms.”

“I’m sorry I missed out.”

“I bet.”

What they needed, he decided, was to spend time together. Work toward a common goal. “You can still come to the Food Bank with me next weekend.”

“And you can still join me for trash duty next weekend,” Kelly huffed. “Why do I have to be the one to compromise?”

“You really want me to answer that?”

“Please do.”

“Because none of this would have happened if—” William clenched his jaw. “Never mind.”

“No, say it!”

Kelly had turned to face him in the seat, rearing for a fight.

William wouldn’t play that game. He shook his head.

Kelly didn’t relent. “You think this is all my fault? I was trying to make our anniversary special!”

“It’s not that,” William said, unable to hold his tongue. “It’s your attitude. If you had been nicer to the police officer, admitted that we were about to make a mistake, he might have let us go with just a warning.”

He kept his attention on the road, the drizzle turning to a steady downpour, but he could still see Kelly shaking his head and easily picture the narrowed eyes. “I doubt that.”