Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“You going to get weird on me in the morning?” Dylan opened one eye, staring Apollo down with accusation that he totally deserved. He had been running hot and cold on Dylan for weeks now.
“No.” Apollo’s laugh was a bit shaky. “Or at least I hope not. We’ve only got so much time left. No point in wasting it.”
“Agreed.” Dylan sighed, and Apollo tried not to hear the sadness in his voice. Fuck. He wished so many things. He wished he were different and could give Dylan what he needed, what he deserved. Wished the summer could stretch on endlessly. Wished they could simply stay in bed, no pesky real world intruding. But Apollo knew well and good that wishes were nothing more than dust held together with hope, impossible to hold and foolish to dwell on. Life was full of bittersweet truth, not wishes, and he needed to remember that even as he pulled Dylan closer.
Chapter Eighteen
“My cape came loose!” Maya, one of the twins’ day camp friends, pulled on Dylan’s arm.
“All right, sweetie. I’ll fix it.” Dylan offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile. All the kids were going nuts waiting for the performance to start. The classroom was full of kids in capes, whirling in circles, climbing on desks, pretend fighting, and singing the song from the group number. Getting them all into their costumes and lined up was taking about twice as long as the actual play would take. The play was a short little one-act production that he and Allie had penned about how all kids could be superheroes, hence all the capes and costumes.
“Now, you guys need to wait with Miss Allie while I go out and sign in your parents, okay?”
“Is Baba coming?” Chloe cut right in front of him.
“He’s going to try. But your grandmas are coming and that should be fun!” Dylan tried to soften the blow of Apollo’s possible no-show. When they’d talked last night, Apollo was still waiting to hear whether he could get time off approved for the afternoon. “Now let me go work the front desk, okay?”
“Okay.” She danced away with Maya, whose cape was askew again.
Leaving the kids with two other staffers, Dylan strode down the hallway that led to the front desk area where he had Allie waiting to check in the parents who were coming to watch the show. The process of checking IDs and signing people in and out could get tedious, but Dylan was all for safety measures for his campers.
Too bad you don’t have safety measures for your heart. Alone like this for the first time in hours, his brain sped back to thoughts of Apollo. Last night’s conversation about today had come very late and very naked—a not infrequent occurrence over the past two weeks. Apollo had been pulling a lot of late hours on some training project that was so highly classified all Dylan got were some vague grunts about its purpose. But in addition to being more tired, Apollo had also been a lot more attentive—hanging out with Dylan while he worked on stuff for the play, eating the food Dylan saved for him and talking while they cut out decorations or pressed seams.
And talking inevitably led to touching and making out and straight up to Dylan’s bed, but it was the talking that was most dangerous. Talking made him think that maybe this was real, maybe they could have a future together, because he’d never met anyone he enjoyed hanging out with more than Apollo. It didn’t matter whether they watched TV or laminated superhero masks—everything was more interesting with Apollo around. And he could feel himself relaxing in a way he didn’t with other friends. Something about Apollo’s solidity, all his rules and systems and routines, grounded Dylan, made it easier for him to do his thing, knowing he had that to return to.
But not for much longer. Apollo’s mother would be back end of next week, with Dustin due to return any day now too. July had sped by, and now he could hear the drumbeat of September drowning out what was left of August. They hadn’t talked about it, but Dylan knew that everything they’d built these past weeks was about to change.
“Hey!” Allie looked up from the desk as he approached. She finished signing in Maya’s parents and directing them to the gymnasium for the show, then turned to him. “Did you hear back from the interview?”
Dylan made a noncommittal sound as he looked at the log book—no Apollo or Marilyn and Pat yet. No offense to his friend, but he really didn’t want to talk about the job. He still hadn’t told Apollo about applying for it and that needed to happen—tonight. Tonight when the house was quiet and Apollo was relaxed, he’d bring it up. Gently. And maybe it wouldn’t be such a big deal. Heck, as long as he was thinking positively, maybe Apollo would welcome the news. And then tomorrow morning, the task having gone much better than all his fears, he’d call Allie for a rehash.