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  “It’s your birthday, you don’t have to— Oh, damn.” Maddox cut off his sentence just as I unzipped his pants, pulled them down, and closed my mouth around his entire dick.

  I sucked him down, held his hips still, and drank the taste of him. I breathed in through my nose, making a memory of his scent. I missed having him close. Being able to do this whenever the mood struck. We’d been spoiled over the summer, seeing each other every day.

  He moaned and rocked. His cock going even deeper into my mouth, if that was even possible. I set to work. Bobbing my head, licking and sucking. I grabbed his balls with my hand, rolling them in my palm.

  “Oh, good God, Seth. Almost. Almost there. Been way too fucking long.”

  I doubled my efforts. Taking him as deep as I could, then swallowing. Pre-cum tingled on my taste buds and I knew it wouldn’t be much longer.

  Maddox rocked and jerked. Cum shot down my throat, and I drank it all. Some overflowed in my mouth and dribbled down my chin. The stream was never ending, and I loved every minute of it. I knew Maddox was mine.

  His fingers laced into my hair, and I let go of his prick with a pop. I wiped my chin and met his eyes. We both laughed.

  “I might have to make the drive more often if this is the reception I get.”

  “I’ll expect the same when I come home in November.”

  He nodded. “You’ll get that and more. C’mon.” He reached out a hand and pulled me up. “Let’s see what you’ve got to eat around here.”

  I patted my stomach. “Eat whatever you like. I’m kind of full.” I laughed again, as if my joke was hilarious.

  Once we were in the kitchen, I tossed Maddox the paper towels, so he could clean himself up, and set out to find him some food. He would need all his strength later. I was sure of it.

  Chapter Seven

  November

  Thanksgiving had always been a big holiday at my house. We were a small family. Usually it was just me, Mom and Dad, and maybe Mom’s brother and his family. Of course, the past few years Maddox had come along as well.

  Maddox’s family did their Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday because his family was so large. He had like twenty cousins or some astronomical number like that. We’d been able to make the drive to Kentucky to see them the past two years as well.

  I arrived in Milton late Wednesday night, close to midnight. I would have been earlier, but when I mentioned to Nicole that I was driving home for the long weekend to see my boyfriend, Rob the dickhead must’ve overheard because he suddenly had a few extra things that I had to get done by the end of the day. I didn’t want to think that he was a homophobic jackass, but unfortunately it had crossed my mind a few times.

  I didn’t leave the office until six thirty.

  Damn Rob anyway. I wasn’t going to let him ruin my weekend.

  I used my key to get in Maddox’s apartment, tossed my bag down by the couch and headed to the bedroom. Once I’d brushed my teeth and stripped down to my boxers, I crawled into bed with Maddox. He never even stirred. I couldn’t blame him. Each night on skype he looked more and more ragged and our conversations had become shorter and shorter.

  Thank goodness, he kept his door locked and that this was a low crime town. In his current state, Maddox would sleep through a burglary.

  I wrapped my arm around his waist and spooned against him. He signed in his sleep. A more contented sound I had never heard. Home. I’d made it.

  * * * *

  Thanksgiving was always hectic. The store was closed, but being that it was a small town, many people would call my dad for some sort of last minute thing. Over the years, we’d heard it all. Need fresh paint because we scorched the ceiling of the kitchen trying to make dinner, need extra fire extinguishers in case the turkey fryer catches fire. All sorts of things.

  This year seemed like it may be one of those years. Before Maddox and I even left his apartment, he got a phone call from Joe Durant, the town treasurer. He needed as much wasp spray as he could get his hands on because they had an infestation in the back yard and he had the family coming over in an hour.

  Maddox hung up the phone and shrugged. I smiled. There he stood in his black skinny jeans, studded belt and skin-tight t-shirt. His maroon hair parted to the slide, straightened, sexy as hell, ready to head to the hardware store.

  “You ever think that you’d end up running a hardware store? I mean, of all the things you thought you might do with your life, did that ever occur to you?”

  He laughed. “Nope. Can’t say that it did. Although, I really never spent a lot of time thinking about what I would do with my life.”

  I followed him to his car and waited in it while he got what Joe needed. We dropped off every can of wasp and insect killer the store had, and from the car I could see Joe thanking Maddox, telling him that he’d ‘saved the day.’ It warmed my heart and made me so happy that I almost wanted to cry. It was great to see Maddox belonging somewhere.

  “Mrs. Durant is going to bring over some dessert later. Just for us.” Maddox said as he climbed back into the car.

  “Sweet.”

  “Yeah, I’m not about to turn away free food. Even if we are going to be eating a ton this weekend.”

  “We could totally cheat and take that as our dish to pass at your family’s dinner.”

  Maddox shot me an incredulous look. “Yeah, right. My mom expects that salad thing you made last year. Which reminds me, we’ll have to pick up the ingredients for it tomorrow at the store.”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”

  * * * *

  I was excited to visit Maddox’s parents. It was a long drive, but we could handle it taking turns. Usually the store opened early on Black Friday, but this year Maddox decided to close so he could be with his family. Last year we’d been able to make it, but we’d arrived quite late.

  I loved visiting with his mother. She and I got along quite well.

  “Do you think she’ll make that pasta salad she had last year at Christmas?” I asked.

  Maddox rolled his eyes. “Of course. She knows how much you love it.”

  We were quiet a little while longer. The miles on the highway flying by. The leaves were pretty this time of year. I held Maddox’s hand. He drove, and I watched the scenery pass. It was nice.

  “I did notice that my dad seemed to be a little thinner than usual.”

  Maddox raised his brow, but said nothing.

  I continued, “Has he been losing weight?”

  Maddox shrugged. “Something is off about him. I wish you would talk to him,” he said as he shot me a stern glance. Worry laced his voice.

  Silence again. We were only a few miles away from his parent’s house, and I didn’t want to start a big discussion. I worried about my dad, but I wasn’t sure what I could do. The last few miles passed by quickly and the next thing I knew Maddox pulled into his parent’s drive.

  They lived in a small ranch style home on the outskirts of a little town in Kentucky. The neighborhood was quiet, all except for Maddox’s house where kids and adults ran around the lawn playing cornhole and ladder ball.

  It was always jarring to me to see how big of a family that Maddox had. Even though he was an only child, his parents both had seven siblings each.

  Maddox’s mom approached the car as soon as we pulled to a stop. Tears sparkled in her eyes as she gave Maddox and me a big hug, one arm around each of us. She was a small woman and she wore a blue dress. She wasn’t at all the type of mom I expected Maddox to have.

  His dad on the other hand, was exactly like I expected. Maddox’s father was a tall man, lanky but not clumsy. He had more tattoos than I could count and always wore his biker gear. Leather pants, leather boots and leather vest. He wore his hair long, tied back in a ponytail. As soon as he saw us Garrett, Maddox’s dad, walked over and gave us a hug as well. He gave me a resounding clap on the back on my back that I was sure had left a hand print.

  “Glad you boys could finally make it!” Garrett said.


  “Come on inside, I’ve got some snacks. I know you must be hungry.” Betty, Maddox’s mom pulled my arm, and I immediately followed her. I tossed a look over my shoulder hoping that Maddox would follow and not leave me alone with all of his family right away. I loved them, but I’d only been here a couple of times, and I was still nervous.

  Maddox just smiled and waved me off while he followed his dad into the garage. Garrett’s motorcycle sat dead center and many of Maddox’s uncles stood around admiring it.

  Inside the house, Betty asked me about my job, about my parents, about anything and everything really. She and I never had any issues keeping the conversation going.

  “Maddox said there seems to be something going on with your dad.” Betty looked at me, eyebrows raised.

  That startled me. Maddox and I obviously had talked about my dad, and he seemed to be getting slimmer. But that didn’t mean anything, right? Dad was still dad.

  “He just seems to be getting up there in age, I guess. Can’t do all the things he used to do. I think that’s why Maddox has taken over more and more of the store. That and my dad really wants to retire.”

  Betty nodded.

  We both stayed quiet for a moment longer, lost in our thoughts. Betty kneaded some bread dough, and I nibbled on a cookie. Finally, she tossed the bread dough into a pan and cover it with a towel then looked at me. I returned her gaze, unsure what to expect. Her eyes held a seriousness that I wasn’t expecting.

  “Maddox misses you.”

  “I know. We try to Skype everyday…” I trailed off, that sounded lame even to my own ears. Skype could only do so much.

  Betty said, “It’s not the same. Now, I don’t mean to be a meddling mom, but I don't think Maddox has been entirely truthful with you.”

  Wait, what? What could she possibly mean? My heart thundered, unsure of what I was about to hear.

  “Oh sweetie, calm down. It’s nothing bad.” She patted my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Let me tell you something about my son. He may not have had a life plan…” she used air quotes. “But, there is one thing that he always wanted to be.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “A partner.” Betty smiled. “He always wanted a partner. Not just a boyfriend or a lover or whatever. He wanted someone he could come home to at night and share a life with.”

  I let out a long breath that I hadn’t realized that I was holding. “I want that too.”

  “I know,” she said, “I just think that Maddox thought after you finished college that you two would be living together.”

  My shoulders slumped, and I deflated a little. I nodded. “Me too. I wish I’d never taken this job.” There, I’d said it out loud. The thought had been resting in the back of my mind for two months now, but I’d never put it to words.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Seth, Maddox understands. He knows that this job is important to your career. I just wanted you to understand a little more about my son that he may not have shared yet.” She walked around the counter until she stood in front of me then she pulled me into a tight hug “I couldn’t think of anyone better for my son than you, which is why I’m trying to give you a little inside information,” she whispered in my ear.

  Tears threatened to fall, but I blinked them away.

  “Thanks. I promise to do whatever I can to make him happy.” I meant it. My career, my plan for life, had come to mean nothing to me if Maddox wasn’t around.

  * * * *

  That night the conversation I had with Betty played over in my mind. I wondered if I was being selfish. Scratch that. I knew I was being selfish, and I knew that Maddox was allowing it. I would make it up to him. I knew I would some way or another. I just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

  Then there was the issue of my parents. Something was going on, I wasn’t sure what. My perfectly laid plans for my life were going up in smoke right before my very eyes. I guess I should have expected that kind of thing after falling in love with Maddox. I didn’t regret it at all. Sometimes not having a plan drove me insane. And kept me up at night like it was right now. Which is why I lay here staring at the ceiling while Maddox snored away softly beside me.

  I needed to talk to my dad. He always knew what to do. Tomorrow would be as good a time as any, Maddox had a big event planned at the store. Small business Saturday, he called it. I planned on stopping by to help out, but I supposed I could talk with my dad first. My dad wanted to lay low this weekend and just chill at home with the family. I didn’t have to drive back to Philadelphia until Sunday evening, hell I could even stay ’til Monday morning. But that would be pushing it.

  Tomorrow I would sit and talk with my dad and have a real discussion. Find out how Maddox felt about my living in Philadelphia and find out what was up with my dad these days. Even with the decision made, it still took me another hour before I fell asleep. I didn’t wake when Maddox left, I barely remembered him kissing my forehead before he said goodbye.

  Once I got up and got dressed, I found my dad in his garage, tinkering with his tools. For a man who’d owned a hardware store his entire life, he really didn’t have that many.

  “Hey, Dad” I said.

  “Hey,” he said.

  I walked until I stood beside him and leaned my elbow against the table edge.

  I looked at him, I mean I really looked at him. The lines along his forehead and cheeks had gotten deeper just in the past few months and his hair was now completely gray. Almost white. How had I not noticed this?

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  He startled, looked at me with surprise in his eyes. “Of course, son. Everything’s fine.”

  I almost fell for it, but I wasn’t 100% convinced.

  I changed the subject, not because I wasn’t concerned, but because I wanted to find a different approach. Dammit, I should’ve put together a plan. A bulleted list of items that needed to be covered. Conversations always went better when I came prepared with a plan.

  “So, Maddox is going to buy the store?”

  Dad set down the tool that he was cleaning. “That’s the plan. How do you feel about that?”

  “Whatever makes Maddox happy makes me happy,” I said. “How do you feel about letting it go?”

  “Your mother has been asking me to take her on a cruise for the past ten years, and I think it’s due time.”

  “Do you ever wish that I was more interested in the store?” I asked.

  Dad shrugged. “My only wish for you has always been that you are happy and healthy. I don’t care if you date boys or girls or anything else. I just want you to be happy.”

  “I am,” I said. Mostly. “Are you happy?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he replied, “I’m very happy.”

  “Then that’s all I want too.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

  We stood quiet for a while. He picked up his tools and cleaning cloth, and I stood there, deep in thought.

  “Did I make a mistake going on an internship four hours away from Maddox?”

  Dad set down his tools and looked at me again. He leaned against the table edge as well. Our stances mirroring each other. When had I gotten to be as tall as him?

  “No, I don’t think so,” he said. “You and Maddox are still young, still trying to find your way in the world. Sometimes that takes a little trial and error.”

  I snorted. “I wish there wasn’t as much error.”

  Dad grinned. “That’s the way of the world sometimes.”

  Somehow his words made me feel better. They usually did. I hugged him, wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close to me.

  “Thanks Dad. I’m glad we were able to talk.”

  He hugged me back, and we stood there for a moment.

  “Me too son, me too,” he said.

  * * * *

  Chapter Eight

  December

  December went by rather quickly even though I never had a chance to visit home. I spent the month looking for a gift for Maddo
x. I didn’t have a lot of luck. I wanted to get him something he could use but also something that came from the heart. He and I enjoyed playing chess online, and I knew he didn’t own a nice chess set. My goal was to find one that we could keep forever. One that would last and we could cherish together. I wasn’t having a lot of luck.

  I debated on getting him something practical. I found a laptop that he could use for school. It was on sale because it had been the display model, so it was even cheaper. I wished I could have gotten him a super cool laptop with all the bells and whistles, but I just couldn’t swing it.

  But then, I found it. On a whim, I went to a local flea market. After spending an hour walking around looking at random stuff that I couldn’t even make sense of, I found it. The chess set of my dreams. I knew Maddox would love it. I couldn’t wait until Christmas morning to give it to him.

  I took the week off between Christmas and New Year’s, so I could go home and spend time with my family and Maddox as well. We would spend Christmas Eve with his family then drive home Christmas morning to spend the day with mine. Then we would have the entire week together. I didn’t think we had plans for New Year’s Eve. Neither Maddox nor I was much into parties. I was excited to spend the entire week with him just lazing around the house or even spending time with him at the store. I didn’t care what we did as long as we were together. I’d grown quite tired of coming home each night to an empty apartment and eating a meal all by myself. Maddox had started staying later and later at the store each night, so we weren’t able to talk until right before I went to bed. I wasn’t much of a night owl.

  Maddox was working the day that I arrived home. I’d gotten out of work a little early that day and headed straight for home. That was how I thought of his apartment. It was home. My apartment in Philadelphia was just where I slept and kept my books. I stopped by my parent’s house to say hello, and check out the decorations they’d put up for the year. Mom was home in the kitchen baking up a storm for tomorrow’s festivities, I wasn’t sure where my dad was. The pick-up wasn’t in the driveway.