The next day was spent packing and booking flights to Nashville. They found a 4 am flight from Seattle non-stop but it also meant that Jason and Conner would have to travel at night. It was a 36 hour trip to get there and they had said another tearful goodbye the moment the sun set. Reece had barely had a single moment with his secret lover in the last 24 hours and he felt miserable about it. With the boys off Jamie and Reece sat down for some home cooked casserole and The Greatest Show Man. In 2 days they'd have to deal with a lot of painful emotions. Right now Jacob was with THAT aunt. Jamie and Jason didn't want Jake with her alone any longer than he had to be. He was a 17 year old boy who was not going to be living with the wife of a child molester if Jamie had anything to with it. At 24 he was legally an adult and able to apply for guardianship.

The house was lights out at 9pm. They had an early start in the morning.

That night, curled up beside Jamie he dreamed of Apollo. He dreamed of being in chains. He dreamed of screaming and fighting and fear. The alarm was a rescue toll. Reece gasped awake and listened to Jamie groan as he killed the alarm. He let Jamie sleep in for a bit, making them both some coffee. By 3 am they were in a taxi on their way to the airport. They just about made the check in. Once settled into their seats, both boys caught up on their sleep.

By 8 am they reached Nashville. It was at the gate that a blonde blue eyed, baby faced boy came running up to wrap his arms around Jamie's chest sobbing into his chest. Jamie's eyes looked on Reece, brows furrowed. Reece instantly stepped closer and wrapped his arms around both his best friend and Jacob. They stayed like that until there were no passengers on the plane anymore. Finally Jacob's sobbing stopped and he pulled from them, red faced. He'd always had fair skin.

"Miriam brought me. She's waiting outside." Jacob finally choked out. Jamie's face twisted in tears and Reece could see he was on the verge of tears once again. Reece reached into his hair and massaged the back of his head.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I'm here. Let's go be brave." Jamie wrapped his arm around Jacob's shoulder and Reece took his backpack off him, heading toward the exit. The moment they reached the car, Jamie's face hardened. His greeting was cold toward his aunt. Jacob took shotgun and in the long ride home Jamie's hand never left Reece's.

Jamie and Reece decided to stay together in Jamie's room and that evening they took the spare care to visit the Turner farm. Reece's Grandparents embraced him the moment they saw him and invited the boys in for Dinner. Dinner was not what they had come for. The boys excused themselves and grabbed a couple of horses heading into the woods with flashlights. It took them less than twenty minutes to find the little shed they had built together in their youth. The tethered the horses and made sure there was a water bucket available for each mare then they began to search.

"Here!" Reece called and began to dig in the grass and pulled out a tin box. The boys exchanged a smile then headed into the house to flop on their sleeping bags. The lock box was opened with a key in the chest from the shed corner. Inside were a few joints, a lot of dried cannabis and rolling paper and a lighter. Reece picked one out and lit it then held it out to Jamie.

"Can't believe this place is still standing. " Reece said as he blew out the smoke. Jamie looked round and nodded slowly.

"Yeah. We did good." Jamie smiled back at Reece and in the soft light from a portable lantern, right here in a run down old shed, with the high from a shared joint, old feelings returned with a painful punch. It was Reece who realized that Jamie was gay. They were each other's first kiss. Reece had always wanted Jamie. Those feelings were not returned and yet.... Jason knew him better than his best friend. Guilt felt suffocating.

"Jamie, I need to tell you something." Reece finally said.

Jamie lay himself on his sleeping bag puffing at the joint before holding it back to Reece. "Yeah?"

Reece took a deep breath. "I ... I'm a..." Suddenly 'Sweet Home Alabama' broke the piece and Jamie sat up pulling out his phone from his back pocket.

"Oh Hold on. It's Jason..." Jamie answered the phone and Reece lay himself down to then turned his back on Jamie. He closed his eyes. Maybe it was too much. Maybe it was too soon after the bad news. When Jamie finally finished the conversation he shifted closer to Reece and checked on him. Reece pretended to be asleep.

"Goodnight." Jamie whispered and pressed a kiss to his cheek then killed the light and settled down. Reece's eyes snapped open and stared into the darkness. Soon.... He'd tell Jamie. Soon.