Fall Apart (26 page)

“Go ahead, love,” Alarik said, waving toward the pictures. “Look at the album first, if you like.”

Mandy opened the book and the collective gasp was incredibly flattering. The shots were presented along the timeline of the wedding day, beginning with the wedding brunch and ending with the ceremony. Not a single shot was posed, and Alarik was proud of that. It looked as though the pair were in their own world. The silhouette of Mandy that he’d taken at the brunch actually made Luke turn around in his chair and shake his hand.

“Unbelievable, dude,” he said. “Really. Better than the stuff the wedding photographer took.” Mandy agreed with a nod, her eyes never leaving the book.

Alarik smiled modestly, thrilled they liked the work he’d done. “The ones in the box are duplicates in different sizes, but you can let me know if there’s a particular size you need and I’ll take care of it. Check out the framed ones.” He pointed at the two heavy frames. “The one on the left first, Luke.”

Luke lifted the picture carefully and turned it over. “Ohhhhh, man!”

Franco, Todd, Damon and Luke all leaned in closer to see the picture of the four of them talking. They were each laughing—Todd next to Damon, leaning on his shoulder, and Luke across from Franco, who was saying something they all apparently found amusing.

Luke didn’t waste time with a handshake; he stood and pulled Alarik into a quick hug. “That shit got me
this close
to crying. Thank you.” He nudged the other guys after he released Alarik. “Look at us! We’re hot!”

Molly was beside Damon and her eyes were actually misty. “The pictures are all so beautiful! You did such a wonderful job.” Leo, at her side, was nodding his agreement.

“Thank you, Mrs. Wright.”

“Molly, please…” she said absently, looking at the picture of the boys together.

Damon wrapped an arm around him and kissed his temple. “That’s really great, Alarik. Wow.”

Alarik gave him a squeeze back. “I have another three for you, Todd and Franco.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, sir. In the backseat.”

Todd and Franco slapped him on the back in appreciation and Mandy moved to grab the second frame, which was quite large.

He’d had the picture professionally matted so that a small plaque beneath the picture, engraved with the words
The Fox Hunt
, could be added. The shot he’d chosen was one with Damon, Todd, and Luke neck and neck, racing across the lawn and nearly lapping the women of the bridal party. The color was desaturated, almost sepia toned, but the effect of the picture was funnier and more lovely than he’d thought it would be.

It was one of those good memories in solid form…

Luke pointed at Damon, “See, Todd, he won!”

Todd shook his head vehemently. “I disagree completely.”

Franco edged forward and leaned over Luke’s shoulder. “Where am I?”

Sandra reached an arm through a gap amongst the onlookers and pointed to where he was, bringing up the rear of the pack. “What’d I say about cigarettes! Although—you’ve got a cute ass, baby.”

Jess had been silent most of the time, holding onto Davey’s hand as she looked over the pictures. When their eyes met, she smiled at Alarik. The poor girl, she was miserable with her romantic life just now and forced to look at a happy couple’s wedding photographs. He smiled back at her and she looked away.

The newlyweds were the first to go that night, followed soon after by Franco and Sandra. Davey was carted home for his bath, promising that he would teach Alarik some dance moves soon. Todd, Damon, and Alarik were the last to leave and it felt like a true victory when Molly gave him and Todd the same gentle push off of her front steps, saying, “See you boys again soon. Watch the roads in this rain!”

Todd smiled at the two of them and shook their hands. “You were a hit, Mr. Bond. It looks like you’re a part of the family.”

Alarik bowed. “I aim to please.”

“I know,” Todd laughed. “Damon told me.”

“Don’t be a dick,” Damon grumbled.

Todd lifted his hands in surrender. “Is it still just you and me on the climb tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yeah, Alarik has to head back to L.A. around ten and Luke told me he’s gotta go into work to catch up on some things, so, he can’t come.”

“Alright, cool. I’ll be at your place around eleven, then.” He took a few steps toward his car before turning around to wave again. “Seat belts and condoms, gentlemen. Safety first, Alarik.”

“Oh, piss off!”

The shower cut off and Damon scooted up in the bed so his back was to the headboard. His room looked and felt different than before because Alarik had been in it. They’d made love again, slow and easy, and this time, Alarik took control. Damon never thought he’d be so okay with that. Everywhere that he’d been touched, every kiss and move that Alarik made, spoke of his experience, which was good and bad at the same time. It made Damon wonder just
how much
experience was behind that touch. Were there a lot of guys…? A lot of models? Eww. How many?

What does it matter, he immediately answered himself; he’s with you now and nobody else. You trust him!

Alarik appeared in the doorway, a towel around his waist, finger combing his hair back from his face. When he saw Damon waiting for him, he came around the bed and dropped a kiss on his lips.

“I have something for you; give me a moment.”

Damon watched as he left and listened to him rustling through his bag in the living room. A minute later, he was back with his hands hiding something behind his back. “I have two surprises, actually.”

Damon rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Lay ‘em on me.”

“Number one.” He held out a picture frame, face down. “I have a copy on my desk—in L.A.
and
New York.”

Flipping over the picture, Damon hoped to God it wasn’t one of him rolling around on Alarik’s bed. As soon as he saw the photo, he laughed in relief. It was their self-portrait taken after the climb on their second date. It was better than he remembered it from the few seconds he’d seen the shot on the camera’s miniature screen.

“I love it,” he said. “We look nice together.”

“We do,” Alarik smiled down at him. “Which is a nice bonus because we’re a couple.”

It was the first time that either of them had used a word like “couple.” It sounded wonderful out in the air!

Damon had a boyfriend—thank God—and their relationship was young, but so far, it was really good. “I’m putting it on my bedside table,” he answered, leaning over so he could set it in the perfect spot. “There.”

They grinned at each other and Alarik held out a second frame. “Number two.” As Damon grabbed for it, Alarik pulled it back out of his reach. “Ah, ah. Before you take this, let it be known that I never back out on a deal. That’s the only reason you’re getting this.”

Damon lunged forward, wrapping an arm around Alarik’s waist and kissing him. He knew which picture this was going to be and while Alarik was chuckling against his mouth, he was prying the frame loose from his fingers. When he looked at the photograph, he cackled in victory.

It was black and white—
yes!
—and Alarik was leaning against his crappy rental car. Damon had snapped the picture right as the other man was protesting. It reminded him of an expression James Dean might make, minus the cigarette and leather jacket.

Looking up at Alarik’s curious expression, he tapped the frame against his hand. “I’m just going to carry this around with me everywhere I go. I’ll tuck it under my arm like this.” He clamped the picture under his arm and mimed like he was walking around.
“Have you met my boyfriend? Here’s his picture!”

Alarik groaned and flopped onto his back on the bed, his towel coming loose, and Damon had a whole new idea of teasing come to mind. He pressed his naked body against Alarik’s and let the picture fall to the mattress. They held each other for a long time, enjoying the sensations of ease and freedom.

“I think…” Damon began, then paused wondering how to proceed.

“Spit it out, darling.”

He sighed. “I think this is the happiest I’ve ever been.” The words sounded natural and honest to his ears.

Alarik tilted his head so he could get a better look into Damon’s eyes and lifted his mouth for a soft kiss. “And I think I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time, Damon. I’m so glad I went to that wedding.”

Damon left soft kisses from Alarik’s ear lobe to his cheek, and back down to his mouth. “I’m falling in love with you, Alarik,” he breathed.

“Then hurry and catch up,” Alarik answered, his voice velvety warm, “because I’ve already fallen.”

Damon sighed and let his mouth drop to Alarik’s. They held each other tightly, their lips soft and smooth on one another’s. It was a kiss of confession and it changed Damon.

***

When Todd walked into the house, Damon was thinking of his goodbye with Alarik. They’d made love before breakfast and then ate their pancakes in bed. They didn’t slide from beneath the sheets until Alarik absolutely had to be on the road. Damon had watched him dress and asked, “No shower this morning?”

Alarik gave a firm shake of his head. “I want to smell you on my skin.” Beside the car before he drove away, he touched Damon’s lip with his thumb. “Mr. Wright, your job until I return is to miss me. Will it suit?”

Damon rested one arm on the opened car door and the other on the roof of the Audi, blocking his boyfriend in. “What’s your job while you’re gone?”

“Loving you, of course,” he said matter-of-factly. “I think I’ll be very good at it.”

Damon melted a little bit when he thought of it, and whatever expression he was sporting must’ve shown that because Todd gagged when he was only two steps into the room.

“You look like a calf with moon eyes.”

Damon shook himself and glared. “Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m being honest.” He slouched down on the couch and fixed his buddy with a stare. “He’s good for you, Day. I like seeing you like this.”

“I like seeing me like this, too.”

“Can we go do man stuff now?”

Damon laughed and stood up, stepping over Todd’s legs on his way to his gear stacked by the door. “Let’s go—we should time this climb and see how fast we can do it.”

Todd was right behind him and he grabbed a couple bags to carry to the truck. “It’s not a tough one—I’m betting forty-five minutes.”

“Thirty-five.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Damon drove and most of the trip was made in comfortable silence. They’d free-climbed together a lot and were very in tune with how the other moved and thought. It was too bad that Luke couldn’t come. Damon missed him, but he supposed this kind of change between them was only natural. They would always be friends.

About an hour and a half after they left the house, they parked in a small lot advertising a scenic overlook, and made the short hike to the base of the rock wall they planned to climb. Changing shoes and putting on helmets, they created their plan. Two other climbers were ahead of them, but they would be finished about halfway into Damon and Todd’s trip up the rock face.

“They’re kicking down rocks here and there, so watch that,” Todd mumbled, squinting at the other climbers.

Damon nodded and adjusted his harness and chalk bag.

“Hey,” Todd swatted him on the arm.

“What?”

“I asked Simone out.”

Damon’s mouth popped open for a second before he gave a crack of laughter. “You asked her out? Did she say yes?”

Todd was smiling that true smile that Damon had only seen a handful of times since Ella came and went. “Yeah. She actually said yes—said she’d been waiting for me to ask her for months.”

“I can’t believe it—that’s really great, man!”

“I was thinking about what we talked about, you know?” Todd answered, focusing on his harness as he spoke. “I’m getting older. I don’t want to be a miserable asshole the rest of my life, letting a girl from college shit all over my future. And, Simone…she’s good.”

Damon squeezed both arms around his friend’s body, locking Todd’s arms to his sides and lifting him a few inches off the ground. This news wasn’t just good; it was huge. He dropped Todd back on his feet.

“Where are you taking her? When?”

Todd was hesitant with his answer, but Damon could tell he was also proud of himself. “Out to dinner on Friday, I guess.”

“Awesome, Toddy. No kidding. I hope it works out.”

There was a buzz of positive energy between them as they started the climb, taking cues from each other as they moved further up the rock face. The day was as cloudy as the one before, but the chalk helped their grip on the moist rock. Todd set the pace and Damon thought they could actually meet the thirty-five minute goal.

He was making an easy hand transition about twenty feet from the base of the cliff when Todd yelled down to him from ten feet higher up. “You’ll need more chalk up here. Watch for some of this loose rock!”

“Got it!”

“Hey, maybe Lorenzo’s!”

“What?” Damon called up in confusion.

“Maybe Lorenzo’s! For the date with Simone—”

Todd’s grip with his left hand slipped and his hands and feet scrambled for a new hold in the rock. Damon’s heart rocketed into his throat as he let out a shout of warning. The muscles in Todd’s right arm were so taut that even several feet below, Damon could see the veins running over the muscle.

“Reach!” he shouted. “Use your legs to push up!”

Todd tried to adjust his position, but the slip was so sudden that his entire body had shifted away from the good hand and footholds.

“
Shit!”
Todd gasped. “I can’t get my foot any higher.”

He tried to adjust his feet to push up as Damon had coached him, his right hand still lodged in a tiny crack in the rock, but his leverage was fucked—that left handhold he’d lost had been critical. He kept trying to lift his left foot to a higher foothold, but couldn’t reach it.

“I’m coming!” Damon hollered, trying to speed up, concentrate on his route, and keep an eye on his friend.

Todd, normally very cool-headed on a climb, was breathing too fast and Damon didn’t like the sound.