Jace stirred, smacking his dry mouth. Samson meowed in protest, insisting that Jace stop moving.
“Good morning,” Ben said, not wanting his boyfriend to fall back to sleep. He needed to tell him now, while he was feeling determined. He slid out of bed and climbed down the ladder to fetch a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator. Jace accepted it gratefully when he returned, sitting up and sipping it.
“Do you ever fly to Austin?” Ben asked out of the blue.
“Austin?” Jace shook his head. “No. Why?”
“I’m thinking about changing schools. Well, not thinking, really. I am.”
Ben explained everything to him while searching Jace’s impassive face for reaction.
“It would be strange,” Jace said when Ben had finished. “Arranging my schedule to overnight in Chicago makes sense, but getting a hotel an hour away from my apartment?”
“It’s further than that,” Ben corrected.
“Not by plane it isn’t.”
“So you don’t want to?” Ben asked, trying not to sound as defensive as he was beginning to feel.
“It’s not that,” Jace said, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “I just think the airline will find the hotel expense superfluous.”
“You won’t need a hotel,” he pointed out.
“Look,” Jace said, reaching out to take Ben’s hand, “no matter what, I’ll find a way to see you. I can fly for free and Austin is only an hour away. You go wherever you feel like you need to be. We’ll work something out.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Jace laughed. “Now, is it going to be breakfast or are you getting in the shower with me.”
Ben chose the shower.
__________
Chapter 19
“Our duplex, is a very, very, very fine duplex. With a hmmm-hmm-hmm yard. And a hmm-hmm-hmm-hmmm-hm.”
Allison glowered at Ben over her bowl of cereal. He grinned cheerfully back, forcing her to move the jumbo box of cereal until it blocked him from view. Ben didn’t let this bother him. She was probably still hung over from another night out with Kenneth. Her boyfriend was drop-dead gorgeous but he drank like a fish.
Ben considered singing another line, but decided he better not risk it, especially since he didn’t know the lyrics. Regardless, it really was a very, very, very fine duplex. Living here with Allison was a dream. He originally feared that being together so often would strain their friendship, but instead it had been strengthened. They were even closer now than they had been in high school.
Ben considered making an omelet before opting for much less complicated instant oatmeal. He would probably be eating proper food for dinner when Jace got into town tonight anyway. There was a new Indian restaurant down on Sixth Street that Ben was eager to try.
Living in Austin had been an easy adjustment. The city had its own skyline, waterfront, and culture centers, so it was in effect a smaller, warmer version of Chicago. Well, not exactly, but Ben found it much more vibrant than Houston had ever been. He had also settled nicely into the university. Allison had been there to guide him around all of the usual newbie hiccups, and after eight weeks Ben hardly ever got lost around campus anymore.
The phone rang, making Allison wince and Ben jump to his feet. He knew it would be Jace calling with his flight times. He waited until he was out of the kitchen before allowing himself to shout with excitement.
“Hello?” Ben gasped once he had finally found the phone.
“Hey, bucko,” Jace said in forced jovial tones that Ben had already learned to interpret.
“You aren’t coming.”
Jace sighed heavily into the receiver. “I wanted to call you yesterday but it was the night from hell. I didn’t get in until 3 a.m.”
Ben frowned and plopped down onto the sofa. “So do you have to work this weekend?”
“No,” Jace answered cautiously, “but my sister is out of town and someone has to take care of Samson.”
“Oh, come on! This is the third time you’ve canceled! I haven’t seen you once this month.”
“The other two times were because of work,” Jace replied calmly. “This is the first time because of Samson.”
“He’s a cat! Load up his food bowl and he’ll be fine overnight.”
“I haven’t been home for over a week,” Jace countered. “He needs to see me sometime. Anyway, I can get you on an afternoon flight and we can--”
“Forget it.”
“What?” Jace asked, sounding startled.
“Forget it,” Ben repeated. “You have fun with your cat. I’m going to do my own thing.”
“Ben, I’m not trying to--”
“I just need my space,” Ben interrupted. “I’ll see you next weekend.”
Ben hung up the phone, feeling instantly ashamed. He wasn’t being fair to Jace, he knew that. Part of him also knew that he could get away with acting like this. As difficult as Ben could be, he never managed to ruffle Jace’s feathers. Ben supposed this skill came from dealing with annoying passengers every day.
The phone rang again. Ben wanted to pick it up and be civil, but he also didn’t want to appear insane by letting his mood shift too suddenly. He should probably pretend to really be angry, at least for a little while. He picked up the phone.
“Just let me--”
“I’ll call you later,” Ben said before hanging up again.
All right. So maybe he was being psychotic.
He didn’t really mind that Jace was so crazy about Samson. That proved that he was capable of long-term love and dedication. Sure, he was a little possessive with his cat, but then, Samson was overprotective of Jace. They were cute together, and Ben had just passed up the chance to be curled up in bed with both of them. And for what? Because the plan had changed? Jace had managed to visit Austin five times in two months. Just because schedules were tight in the last three weeks was no reason to punish Jace. Ben was being childish.
Time to admit he was being an idiot. He didn’t know why love made him act so irrational, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t alone in his emotionally induced insanity. Every time he saw Jace the feelings intensified. They got along so well and their relationship had been so harmonious that it was hard not to selfishly want as much as he could get. Instead, his behavior had cheated him out of more of that time. Ben reached for the phone so he could call and apologize. It rang before he could pick it up.
“Hello?” he said tentatively.
“Italy,” Jace said as quickly as possible.
Ben furrowed his brow in confusion. “What?”
“I’m taking you to Italy, you spoiled shit!”
“You are?” Ben asked, feeling like a tool, but a very happy one.
“Yes. I wanted to tell you in person, but--”
“I was being a dick, I know,” Ben said apologetically. “Are you serious?”
“Spring break,” Jace confirmed, sounding friendlier. “You up for it?”
“If you still want me,” Ben chuckled nervously.
“God knows why, but I do.” Jace’s voice took on a seductive tone. “Now get your ass to the airport and come apologize to me properly.”
* * * * *
The world is a very big place. That was obvious enough, but Ben had never known exactly how large until now. Hour after hour passed, and even flying over it at five hundred miles per hour, the ocean below refused to give way to land. The sun set unnaturally soon eight hours into the flight, obscuring with its departure any sign of progress or time. Ben tossed and turned in his tiny seat, immensely uncomfortable but unable to do anything about it.