Page 49 of The Way Home

“Yep,” Caleb said proudly. “We are gay.”

Brody’s head started to bob as he bounced. “Cool.” He turned to Caleb. “Did you see the new season of One Piece?”

Caleb dropped to one knee and said, “Heck yeah, I did. Are you kidding? I thought it was sick.”

And then the conversation turned to whatever show they all apparently watched. Brody continued to jog in place as he went into detail about every single character, who apparently ate fruit to get powers or something, and the crazy monsters they fought.

The bouncing was really starting to make Jamie want to crawl out of his skin.

Are you two, like, gay?

The question flooded him with dread and guilt and shame, and thenthatfilled him with even more guilt. Because Jamie knew that there was nothing wrong with it, and there was nothing to be ashamed of, but he wasn’t used to people knowing. Or talking about it. Or admitting it tohimself.He felt like he’d just come out of the closet to Ellie, like, two seconds ago. And now he had a domestic partner and a fiancé. Were they still engaged if he didn’t remember? Oh God, they needed to talk aboutthat.

It was getting harder and harder to pull air into his lungs, so he closed his eyes and squeezed his hands into fists…

“Hey guys, you know what?” Caleb’s voice filtered through the storm of anxiety. “I have a surprise for you in my bag. Side pocket. Why don’t you run over and see, okay?”

Jamie jolted when a hand landed softly on his shoulder. When he cracked open his eyes, Caleb was staring down at him with concerned eyes.

“Jamie, sweetheart,” Caleb said softly. “I need you to breathe, okay? I think you might be panicking.”

Jamie shook his head and tried to sayno, I don’t think so, but no words came out. They were lodged in his throat, but he couldn’t swallow them down, either. His head was a tornado of alarm bells, a flurry of white snow and blood rushing to his ears. He tried to speak, but the alarm bells kept getting louder and louder, and Jamie just wanted them tostop.

“J, breathe,” Ellie said. “In and out. It’s fine. You’re totally fine. Everything is okay.”

No, it’s not.

“We are right here, alright?” Caleb’s smooth voice was a bit closer now. “Me and Ellie are right here for you. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

Caleb’s strong hand slid to Jamie’s lower back and rubbed slow, soothing circles. After a few breaths, the tornado in Jamie’s head settled, and he stared down at his hands. He suddenly felt really tired. And cold.

“I think it’s time to go home,” Ellie said. Jamie felt Caleb’s strong hands pull him up to stand and heard the shuffle of Ellie packing up their foldable chairs.

“I’m okay,” Jamie squeaked. “We don’t have to go.”

“It’s okay, I’m done here anyway,” Caleb said, pulling Jamie securely into his side. He liked being tucked into Caleb’s warm body like this.

Jamie’s forehead scrunched up as they led him toward the stadium exit. “Wait, what happened to Brody and his brother?”

“I had them run over to my bag.”

“Oh. Did you really have something for them? Or did you make that up?”

“I get them trading cards. I brought a few for them to open.”

Jamie’s brain still felt fuzzy and, for whatever reason, this information bamboozled him. “You do?”

Caleb chuckled. “Yeah. They love it.”

“Reed!” A voice yelled from across the field, and Caleb tensed beside Jamie. The coach was staring at them from across the field, his son standing beside him. Brody and Steven were showing Nate their cards.

“El, get Jamie to the car? I’ll be there in a few.”

“On it.” Ellie linked arms with Jamie and tugged him, rather forcefully, back to the car. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he felt eyes on him, and the skin there heated with embarrassment.

Maybe it was Ellie’s nurse training, but she was the best tohave around in a crisis. She was just so… calm. And capable. A stronghold in Jamie’s life since he was a kid.

“Thanks, El,” he said sadly. “Sorry we had to leave.”