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welcome to ’

A Sunny Tomorrow

’!

this is my 21st story. i wrote this because i wanted to write something sort of sweet but has a bit of drama in it.

i hope you’ll enjoy this story.

bye!

Graham Birch

The chores had been done, the dog had been fed, and the mail collected. All that needed to be done was pick up groceries at the local market and deliver a package to the local post office.

Off I went in my old, rusted green truck. It created a rattling noise but was still in fit condition. It didn’t need to be replaced. Sometimes, it’s fine to leave things as they are.

At the market, I collected what I needed to stock up for the week. And when I went to check out my items, the kind owners were quick to make small talk with me.

“Good day, Graham.” The old woman at the counter said. Her glasses just barely hung off the bridge of her nose. White frizzy hair was tied into a ponytail and her red and white apron covered her long pink dress.

“Is that all?” She asked. I reached the candy shelves and grabbed a packet of watermelon-flavored gum.

“That should be it.” I spoke.

While she scanned the items and I bagged them, her husband came by and leaned against a nearby register.

“Did you hear, Graham?” He asked.

I looked up from my action. “It’s a small town. I’m sure I’ve heard everything.” I replied.

“A friend of mine who is close to a realtor told me that the house across the street from yours just got sold.” The old man said.

“Really?” His wife asked.

“Yes. Apparently, whoever wanted it needed it in a rush. And it’s apparently some city boy from Los Angeles.” He explained.

I scoured my nose, and so did the old woman. People in this town are not too fond of city folks. They rarely come by. And when they do, they have a sense of entitlement. Always wanting the best hotel rooms, discount prices, and threatening to post our local business and slander us.

“You excited for your new neighbor?” She asked.

The last of my items had been scanned. “I guess. I still miss Ms. Alder.”

“How is she, by the way. Ever since her daughter moved her to a hospital room, the rest of us have been worried about her sake.” She spoke.

“She’s been well.” I replied. “I should get back before Juniper escapes again.” I said as I packed the last of my items.

“Oh, Graham! My cousin’s daughter is still looking for a man! If you ever-”

“No thank you.” I shouted. “But I appreciated the offer, Mr. and Mrs. Poplar. Goodbye!”

That wasn’t the first time someone offered to set me up on a date with someone they know. While I can’t say I’m not looking for a partner, it just isn’t in the cards for me.

I stopped by the post office where I had a package sent out for my sister. I also sent her text, letting her know that it was on its way. I had spent much time out and quickly needed to return home.

As I drove down the street, which was just fields of crops, I saw in the distance a large moving truck. This must be my neighbor Mr. Poplar told me about. I slowed down my car and parked it in my driveway.

While putting my groceries inside, I kept seeing men entering and leaving the house while carrying boxes or furniture. They must have taken hours. By the time the truck left, I was already done making dinner and was preparing to go to sleep.

But before I went to bed, I looked out the window that faced the house on the other side of the street. A single light was on. From my time in that house before, I knew the window to be part of the largest bedroom.

Whoever was in there was going to stay up.

“Come, Juniper!” I spoke. My dog, a golden retriever with soft yellow fur, came and slept in his bed right next to me.

I looked up at the ceiling, rethinking everything I did today. I made a mental check to see if all my chores were done. Did I clean the table before coming to bed? Did I go to the store? Of course I did.

At least my sleep came by easier, knowing that tomorrow would be another day of new things.

My morning started off just like the day before, and the day before that. I woke up, spent a few minutes petting Juniper, and then took a shower. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and knew I would have to get my haircut soon.

While making coffee downstairs, I heard the front door of the other house across the street open. I found it quite hilarious that even with a new owner, the hinges of the door are still creaky.

“Go away.” I said to Juniper, feeling him looking at me. He tilted his head to the side, wagging his tail and looking at me in the eyes. I relented and fed him a bit of fruit from my bowl.

When the coffee was ready, I drank it while staring out the window. That’s when I caught my first glimpse of him.

Black hair that waved in the summer breeze. Pale skin that heavily contrasted the color of his hair. He wore a knitted sweater and shorts just above his knees, showing off his legs.

For a moment, I was captivated by him. Something about the way he looked just entranced me. I didn’t want to look away. But I had to when I noticed that he was walking towards my front door.

“Crap!” I muttered as I crouched down so he wouldn’t see me from the kitchen window. He knocked on my front door, causing Juniper to start lightly barking.

“Hello?” I heard my new neighbor say. “Hello? I need help.” He dragged his words. He definitely had a city-boy accent.

Juniper had stopped barking. He approached me in the kitchen and began to bite on my flannel and tried to drag me to the front door.

“Juniper! Stop it!” I whispered to him. But the stubborn dog didn’t listen. So, with a deep breath, I stood up and went to the front door.

Through the foggy glass, I could see his silhouette. He knocked again and called for anyone inside. I made sure to put my leg in front of Juniper, so he doesn’t run out and jump on the new neighbor.

‘Here goes.’ I muttered to myself. I opened the door right as he was going to knock.

“Oh, someone does live here.” He spoke. He took a moment to trace his eyes up my body. I easily saw a blush coming on his face.

“Can I help you?” I asked, bringing my voice deeper than normal.

He took a bit of time to compose himself. “Right,” He shook his head. “Uh, listen. I don’t mean to be a bother. But- Wait. I should introduce myself first before asking for a favor.”

“Alright.” I replied. I leaned against the door frame and crossed my arms over my chest.

“My name is Spencer Cypress. I just moved across the street from you. And from what I can see, we’re the only neighbors here.” He spoke. He held out his hand, expecting a handshake.

I shook his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Spencer. Name’s Graham Birch.” I replied. My dog barked from behind the door. “That’s Juniper.” I replied.

“Oh, nice. I’ve always wanted a dog but- never mind.” Spencer said. He looked around, inspecting the wooden door and… he’s looking at my body.

“You said you needed a favor?” I asked. Spencer stopped looking around and looked back at me. I noticed he was shorter than me. He practically has to raise his neck to look at me.

“Yes, I do. I hope this isn’t going to be a bother. But since I just moved here, I don’t have any food. I also don’t have a car. Could you please take me somewhere?” He asked.

I looked at him while raising an eyebrow.

“Look, Spencer. I wish I could. But I have a few things to do right now. And if I don’t get a head start, things could be delayed.” I explained. That wasn’t a total lie. I have a few workers that can do the work for me. But I just wanted to see what city boy would come up with to convince me otherwise.

Spencer huffed. “I’ll pay you!” He spoke. There it is. A true city-boy response.

“Fine.” I relented. “Let me get my things and then we can head out.”

“Thank you! You’re a lifesaver.” Spencer said.

“Wait here.” I told him. Before I closed the door, I peeked out a bit. “I’d recommend you lose the sweater. Unless you want to pass out from the heat.” I told him.

“Huh? I’m fine. Gotta look good for first impressions.”

“Alright.” I replied, deciding that one warning was enough. He went on his phone and began typing something.

I texted a worker to do my morning chores, put Juniper’s collar on, and grabbed my wallet. Outside, Spencer was leaning against my mailbox while quickly texting on his phone. He had a worried expression and didn’t see me walking out.

“Spencer?” I asked. He looked up and put his phone in his pocket. “You okay?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just… texting something.” He stuttered. He looked to my side and saw Juniper. “Is the dog coming with us?”

“Yes. Will that be a problem?” I asked while raising an eyebrow.

“Not at all.” He said. Juniper walked to Spencer and began to rub his leg. Spencer chuckled and bent down to pet him.

“Let’s head out.” I said, walking to my truck. I got in and Juniper was between us.

“Thanks, once again. I’ll try to get a car as soon as I can.” He said. I could see through the corner of my eye he was scanning me up and down.

“Don’t mention it. We’re neighbors now. If you need a ride, a cup of sugar, or a t-shirt, just walk the few paces across the street.” I told him.

Juniper stood on Spencer’s thighs and stuck his head out the window. Spencer said adorning words to him and patted his fur.

“So, Spencer. Why is a young city boy like you moving to the middle of nowhere? What’s your story?” I asked.

I saw his face drop for a bit. “Hmm? Well, what is a handsome man like yourself living by yourself in the middle of nowhere? What is your story?” he asked, turning the question to me.

“You think I’m handsome?” I asked. His face turned red.

“Answer my question.” He said. I retorted, insisting that I asked him first. We went back and forth.

“How about we both keep our stories to ourselves. And if we ever decide to tell in the future and become closer, then we can tell our stories.” I said.

Spencer looked like he wanted to say something. But instead, he nodded. I saw him look out the window with Juniper. Meanwhile, I looked ahead at the road as I drove us to the marketplace.

2

Spencer Cypress

My goals for coming to Apple Valley are simple: Lay low and work with my lawyer until everything gets sorted out. For now, I cannot return to LA. Luckily, I have enough savings to buy a house available on the market at a discounted price.

And, to add on top, a hunk lives across the street. While I really shouldn’t flirt with him because A: He most definitely is straight, and B: It isn’t wise with what is going on.

Still, a part of me, like many other gay men, have hopes that an attractive man will notice them and look at them in a romantical way. And while Graham seems to be a nice man, I will still keep my reservations on him.

“City boy, you listening?” Graham said. I stopped looking out the window and turned to him.

“Huh?” I asked. His dog, Juniper, kept his paws in place on my thigh and stuck his head out the window.

Graham chuckled. His light brown hair blew in the breeze like leaves of a tree. His bright blue eyes kept their gaze forward.

“I said you don’t have to pay me for taking you shopping.” He said.

“No. I want to thank you for everything you’ve done. We’ve barely just met, and I’ve already asked for a favor.” I replied.

He kept driving with one hand on the steering wheel. “Look, city boy. Here, people do nice things because it’s the neighborly thing to do. Yeah, we just met. But that doesn’t mean my kindness is only for those I know.” He told me.

I glanced down at my lap. If only people would take his word and follow them.

“Alright then, Graham. But still, I want to make it up to you.”

“I’ll come up with something in the future.” He said, his lips forming into a smile.

The drive took a few more minutes. The entire town was somewhat spread out. Houses and fields were everywhere you looked. But after a while, a small town was in the distance. The town was mostly small buildings, the tallest being only three floors tall. The sidewalks were mostly empty.

But the sidewalks had few people walking about carrying trolleys or wheelbarrows of different produce.

Graham parked in the parking lot. Ahead of us was an alley that was covered atop by a large tarp. The streets were lined with booths, each selling different produce.

“Come on, city boy. We’ve got shopping to do.” Graham said. He hopped out of the car and called Juniper to exit with him.

I also got out. I began to sweat from the heat. Graham did tell me to take off my sweater, but I still believe I need to look good.

“So, do we get a cart or?” I asked. Graham walked over to me. He was tall. That was probably the first thing I noticed about him. His shirt fit him tightly. Over his shirt was a red flannel, which made me cringe.

“Cart?” He asked.

“Never mind.” I replied.

Graham had Juniper on a leash. We both walked towards the farmer’s market.

“Morning, Graham!” Someone yelled.

“You too, Mr. Willow!” Graham replied. I noticed I was getting a few stares from people. And their whispering grew louder.

Are you okay?“ Graham asked me.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” I replied. “Loud noises just bother me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “But you’re a city boy. You grew up hearing loud noises.”

“I know.” I replied. I stopped when I saw a booth selling grapes. “That’s why I always wore headphones. But I seemed to have forgotten them.”

Graham didn’t say anything. I looked at them and put them in bags. I was surprised by how cheap the fruit was. Back in LA, all the food I got would’ve begun to reach double digits.

“Uh, question.” I said.

“Go ahead.” Graham replied. He turned to me with a huge smile.

I looked away while feeling my face heat up. I’m sure it was from the heat. Sunscreen would’ve also been nice to bring.

“Uh, where can I find almond milk?” I asked.

I heard the lady behind a nearby booth chuckling loudly.

“Almond milk?” Graham asked, his face intrigued. “So are there almond cows?”

I huffed. “I’m sure you know exactly what almond milk is. You’re a Californian farmer. Isn’t that your main export?” I asked.

Graham calmed down his laughter. “I’m just messing with you city boy. But no, we do not have almond milk.” He replied.

“Fuck.” I muttered. Curse my body who can’t digest lactose properly. “Forget it, then. I’ll just forget milk.” I said.

I kept walking along with Graham followed close by. It seemed everyone in this town was close as they all greeted one another like old friends. Meanwhile, I was the subject of stares and whispers. Even in a small town they follow me.

Graham wasn’t a stranger to these people. I saw the admiration in their eyes for him like he was some pride and joy. Or maybe I was just seeing all the women flirt with him.

“Hold my bag, please?” I asked him. He agreed and took my bags of groceries.

“Anything else, your highness?” He asked me.

“Yes, you.” I said without thinking.

“What?” He asked. He genuinely looked like he didn’t hear me. Luckily the clanging of noises around us muffled my words.

“Nothing.” I told him. He didn’t ask again and dropped it. But I’ll have to be careful about being blunt around him.

Shopping was done and it was now time for us to return home. Graham loaded up all the groceries in the trunk. By the time I got inside the car, I was sweating through my clothes.

“I told you not to wear that sweater.” Graham said. “Mrs. Aspen thought you were going to pass out at any moment.”

I was too busy to think about what he said. I had to remove my sweater right then and there.

“I can’t do this.” I muttered.

“Let me turn on the air.” Graham said. The air wasn’t much, but it did calm me down a bit. By the time he had started driving, the wind from the open cooled my skin. Leaning back in my seat, with Juniper on top of me, I began to relax.

Today was already a hectic day. I am still getting used to moving in so quickly and seeing the town for the first time.

It was a long day. And that might’ve been the reason I ended up going to sleep inside Graham’s car. The ride was smooth, jostling me to sleep.

I was awoken by Graham shaking me awake and Juniper licking my face.

“Get off of him, Juniper.” Graham said. I opened my eyes and saw them both looking at me. They both tilted their heads.

Was I looking at Juniper in human form?

“Are we home?” I asked, sitting up.

“Yeah. Let’s get these things inside before they become bad in the heat.” Graham said. I nodded and got out of the car. We were parked on my driveway.

Graham brought the groceries to my front door. I helped him, of course. But I mainly sat aside and allowed him to do it because I found it quite attractive.

“Open the door. I’ll bring these inside.” Graham said.

“No!” I yelled loudly. He stopped and stepped back at my sudden burst. “I mean, I’ll bring them in. It’s messy inside and I don’t want you to see all of that.” I told him.

This time, he looked like he wanted to ask more.

“Are you sure?” He asked for reassurance.

“Mhm. I’m sure. You can go and do your chores. I’ll finish up here.” I quickly said to him.

“Then I’ll be leaving now city boy.” He said. He climbed down the stairs and got in his truck. Juniper ran across the street and to the front door of the house across the street.

I watched as Graham pulled out of my driveway and parked his truck into his. He got out. I watched from across the street as he walked up to his door and entered it. He peeked his head out and waved at me with a charming smile on his face.

“If you need anything, just ask, city boy!” He yelled.

“You got it, farmer man!” I replied.

He began to close the door.

“Wait!” I shouted.

“What?” he said, once again peeking out.

“Uh, thank you for today! I’ll find a way to pay you back one day!”

He gave me a thumbs up before closing the door. I stood there smiling to myself like an idiot.

‘That’s what got you here in the first place! Flirting with a straight guy!’ I told myself. I listened to my words and quickly brought all my items into my house.

While organizing my food, my phone kept ringing. I checked and saw it was them once again. Instead, I ignored them and called someone else.

“Hello?” He asked.

“Hey, any progress?” I asked.

There was rustling on the other side. “Not yet. Have you found what I needed?”

I glanced at my living room, seeing the entire table covered in papers. Some of the papers crumbled, others were marked with highlighters. My laptop was open on a desk nearby next to a printer.

“No, not yet. But soon. I promise.” I replied.

He sighed. “Do it before it’s too late.”

I hung up the phone and threw it on the couch. I grabbed an apple and sat down while looking at the blank wall. When I looked at my sweater that I had taken off, I saw it was covered in Juniper’s fur.

3

Graham Birch

The new neighbor had now been living across from me for a week. I didn’t really see Spencer ever leave his house. On occasion, he would come out to throw out his trash or maybe go for a short walk.

I’m guessing some of my coworkers have also noticed this. And word spread quickly about the city boy that didn’t come out of his house. It’s strange. And since I’m the closest one to him, of course people ask me about what I see myself.

But I always respond the same: I don’t know anything about Spencer.

I began to grow worried because of how rarely he came out. Juniper also must have sensed something was going on because he would always run to the other house’s porch and stand there, waiting at the door.

While putting everything in a basket, Juniper was looking up at me.

“Wanna go with me?” I asked him. Juniper wagged his tail and began running around while sticking out his tongue.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” I said.

Juniper and I made our way across the street and towards Spencer’s house. I knew he hadn’t been out much based on the dust on the porch. It’s common for everyone to sweep their floors of dirt. And yet, his was caked in dust.

I knocked on the door three times. “Spencer! Are you in there? I wanted to check up on you.” I announced.

Juniper sat directly in front of the door and looked up, waiting for someone to open.

When nothing had happened, I knocked again. “Spencer! City boy! You alright in there?” I said. But there was no answer.

I set the basket down on the floor and reached for the doorknob. The knob was unlocked, which isn’t unusual in this town. Crime is low enough that people often go out while leaving their doors unlocked.

“Wait here, Juniper.” I said. “Spencer! I’m coming in. I hope that’s…” When I stepped in, I was met with a mess in the living room. Papers were scattered all over the floor. A printer was making a strange noise. I was sure it was jammed but no one had fixed it.

And yet, no sign of Spencer.

“Spencer!” I yelled. Knowing this house from being here before, I quickly ran to the master bedroom. The bed was a mess. Bottles of alcohol were scattered all over the floor and the smell was putrid.

Then there was a sound. Coming from the bathroom was the sounds of someone vomiting. As I peered inside, I saw Spencer leaning into the toilet.

“Spencer?” I called.

I saw him jump then slowly turn around. His eyes were red and teary. And his black hair was messy and all over the place.

“Graham. Uh,” His face turned red and he faced away from me. “I’m sorry. Let me get fixed.”

Instead of leaving him, I kneeled next to him near the toilet and pushed his hair up.

“Let me help you get cleaned.” I said to him. He was a bit confused, probably still drunk. But then nodded shamelessly.

Spencer allowed himself to be cleaned. I wiped away his face and also turned on the shower for him.

“You’re pretty good at this.” He said.

“Ms. Alder, the woman who used to live here, would sometimes need help with basic things and I was the closest one to her.” I replied. I grabbed the towel and began to dry his hair. “You’ll feel better after a nice lunch.”

While I was drying his hair, Spencer’s face became red. I found it quite adorable.

“I can handle the rest.” He said. I let go of the towel.

“Very well. I’ll head downstairs. Do you mind if I use your kitchen?” I asked. His eyes immediately bulged.

“No!” He shouted. He stepped back and looked down. “Uh, I know you saw the mess. And I don’t want you to have to see all that after helping me.”

I chuckled. “Nonsense. I’ve seen worse.”

As I went to turn around, I felt him grab my wrist. He looked quite desperate. I think he also realized what he had done as he let me go.

“You must really not want me to go down there.” I said.

“Please? I’ll get changed quickly and clean down there. Then you can do what you need to do.” Spencer said. He looked desperate. I did barge into his home and walked around like I owned it. I’ll follow his rules.

So I waited around while Spencer cleaned himself up and got dressed. I had forgotten Juniper and whistled for him. He joined us in Spencer’s room.

Spencer cleaned the living room in a quick manner. I couldn’t see what was on the papers. As much as it wasn’t my business, curiosity got the better of me. But the papers were all shoved into a closet before I could even get a glimpse of them.

“The place is clean.” Spencer announced.

“Great. Can I use the kitchen now?” I asked. He nodded and went to sit on the couch. Juniper comforted him while he typed away quickly on the computer.

“How are you so quick at writing on that thing?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, years of practice, I guess. And working.” He replied, not once looking up or stopping his typing.

“I can’t even type on my phone with both hands.” I said. He chuckled a bit. At least I got him to smile today.

While I cooked, I began to wonder why he had been drunk. Surely that is a sign that something is wrong. Everything about him has been strange since he arrived. His arrival was quick, he is reclusive about his home, and feels like he’s holding back on something.

“Why were you drinking so much?” I asked.

I heard him stopping his typing. “Uh, let’s just say that I… am not having the best of luck with things right now.”

I turned around and set out a styrofoam plate since he didn’t have any dining ones.

“Food is ready. Come and eat.” I said. Spencer came to the dining table.

“This looks good.” He said.

“Thanks. Now eat. You need fuel in your system.” I said.

“Will you not be eating with me?” He asked.

“I think I’ve been here long enough. I should leave with Juniper before he decides that your house is now his property.” I replied. I began to walk past the kitchen and called for Juniper to follow me.

“Wait! Eat with me. You spent all that time helping me get clean. The least I can offer is for you to eat with me.” He offered.

He did look quite adorable as he wanted me to join him to eat lunch. And I’m sure the Juniper could use something to eat. So I joined him and ate with him.

“Here, Juniper.” I said, throwing him a piece of meat which he caught in his mouth.

“How long have you had him?” Spencer asked.

“About five years. I was driving back from running an errand and found a small ball of fur walking alongside the road. When I checked, it was a puppy that looked a bit dirty. I asked around but no one knew where he came from. So I decided to keep him.” I explained as I reached my hand down to pet him.

“Has it just been you and him this entire time?” He then asked.

“We had the former neighbor, Mrs. Alder. And some of my coworkers are fond of him. It would be nice to have someone who would happily play with him.”

“Right,” Spencer said.

We finished our food afterwards. Spencer threw away the plates. I noticed his shelves were full of bottles of alcohol.

“You should try to drink something else besides this stuff.” I said.

“I miss my morning lattes.” He said. He turned around and showed a machine that I had seen but wasn’t sure what it was. “I even got an espresso maker. But since I don’t have almond milk, and normal milk is bad for me, I can’t do anything.”

“If you had almond milk, would that help?” I asked.

He nodded. “But it’s fine. I guess I can use the juicer I bought and make some orange juice in the morning.” He said. He let out a large yawn and covered his mouth.

“Are you tired?”

“A bit.”

“You should get some rest. Don’t forget to eat the leftovers for dinner. And stop drinking so much. You need to protect your body.”

“Protect it with yours.” He muttered. Spencer cleared his throat.

I collected Juniper and myself and we left Spencer’s home. When I got inside, I couldn’t help but look outside and watched his house. I spent the entirety of my free day just observing the man across the street.

“What do you think, Juniper?” I asked my dog. He cuddled against my legs at night time. “Am I going mad for paying so much attention to him?”

Juniper placed his head on my ankle. He nuzzled his head, which I took as him saying no.

As I looked over at Spencer’s place, I saw the lights of the living room on. I hope he doesn’t pull an all-nighter again. His eye bags, while attractive, are not good for him.

Did I just call his eye bags attractive?

4

Graham Birch

Spencer didn’t get better after that day. He still stayed inside his house. I did see Spencer occasionally walk out onto his porch and stay out for a few minutes before returning inside.

And of course, that spread around town. Word grew wider of the city boy that stayed inside his house. And the rumor mill has been quick with some saying that Spencer might be starting a cult.

On a random Monday, I saw from my bedroom window a sleek black car pull up to Spencer’s house. It was of a rich taste that I’m sure costs more than the entire net worth of this town. No one stepped out of the car while it waited.

And a few minutes later, Spencer came out of his house wearing a fitting suit. He was tying his tie with one hand while the other carried a briefcase.

“Wow, he’s handsome in a suit.” I muttered. Juniper barked in agreement.

Spencer entered the car and off the car went. I wasn’t sure where he was going. While it isn’t my business, that doesn’t mean I am not allowed to care.

“Where do you think city boy is going?” I asked.

Juniper didn’t reply.

“Probably going to do some city thing in the city because he’s a city boy.” I answered myself.

I had no time to be busy thinking about him. I needed to get today’s work ready. I dressed myself and went out to the fields.

While Juniper ran around and made sure rodents didn’t get into our gardens, I did the business side of things.

“Mr. Birch!” Someone yelled.

I turned around. “Good morning, Mr. Ginkgo!” I replied. He walked over to me and gave me a handshake.

“I brought your delivery.”

“Let’s set it up.” I replied as I helped unload the truck.

We rested under a canopy where I gave him a bottle of water.

“Right! Did you hear?” Mr. Ginkgo said.

“No, what?” I replied.

“Apparently, Mr. Willow saw some fancy-schmancy car driving out of town. Would I be wrong to assume that it belongs to the city boy living across from you?” he asked smugly.

I chugged my water bottle. “Yeah. I saw him get inside it earlier.”

Mr. Ginkgo stared at me as if he was trying to read my face. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s tried to look out for me. I often expect our meetings to always end up focusing on me and my personal life.

“Just say what you need to. You’re staring is bothering me.”

Juniper walked to him and Mr. Ginkgo began to pet him. “I consider you a friend, Graham. And thus, I want to make sure you’re happy. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to befriend him and get close to him.”

“We’re different, Rick. He’s a city boy that wears fine stitched sloths and drinks almond milk lattes. My hands are always covered in dirt and the only fashionable thing I have in my closet is a blue button up.

“It would be nice to get to know him, but what do we even have in common? I don’t even know why he moved here.” I told him with full honesty.

“To be fair, you didn’t tell me the reason you moved here until three years into us getting to know each other.” Rick said.

“So should I just tell Spencer upfront why I will struggle to be friends with him. And will I continue to do that with everyone else?” I asked him. He scratched the back of my dog’s ears.

“You refused to open up. I know you have trust issues because of that incident. But not everyone is preparing to stab you in the back.” Rick said. Juniper barked loudly. “How does Junie here feel about city boy?”

“I’m sure he likes him.” I said. “To be fair, he does like everyone he sees.”

“Dogs are great detectors of good character.” Rick said.

He stood up and dusted his clothes.

“Oh, that machine you ordered came. I forgot to tell you.” He said.

I quickly stood up and went to his truck. He brought out a large box and placed it on a nearby table.

“Finally. I’ve been waiting for this.”

“What is it?” He asked.

I opened the box and pulled out all the parts and instructions. “Help me build it and I’ll explain.” I told Rick. He helped me assemble the machine until it was fully done.

“This looks like something one of those influencers would have in their homes that serves a minor purpose like a steamer or something.” Rick said.

“Wait here!” I said. I ran to a shed and slung a bag of almonds over my shoulder before running back.

“A gift? You shouldn’t have.” Rick said.

“They’re not for you, Rick.” I said. I placed some almonds and water into the machine. When turned on, it began to work. A container was placed in a pipe and white liquid began to pour out.

“I don’t get it.”

“Almond milk. Spencer said that he’s lactose intolerant and can’t drink normal milk.”

“The poor thing.” Rick said.

“Exactly what I thought. So, I figured I could make it for him. It’s not too long of a process.” I said, admiring the work.

“You’re going to give it to him for free? You should at least try to sell it to him. City folks will pay a fortune if you tell them this was eco-friendly and made with all natural ingredients.”

“Maybe this can be how I get close to him. Afterall, a wise person once told me that I should try to get close to that city kid, right?”

Rick rolled his eyes. He knew I was right.

“Fine. You do you.” He glanced at his phone. “I should head out now. Got a few more stops to make.”

“See ya! Say hello to your husband for me.” I yelled.

“I will!” Rick replied. He hopped into his truck and drove out of the lot and back on the road. The almond milk maker had finished. I brought up the container and tasted it.

“I should sweeten it.” I said to myself.

The rest of my chores were done. And I spent more time making more almond milk and sweetening it. By the time it was the afternoon, the black car from earlier returned and parked in Spencer’s driveway.

I watched Spencer get out of the car. Unlike earlier when he was neatly organized, his button up was unbuttoned and his tie slinging on his neck. And his neatly styled black hair was a mess.

Just by looking at him, I knew something was wrong. I’m assuming his day must have not gotten good.

“Juniper. You know what Spencer could use? A nice cuddling session with you.” I said. Juniper began to get excited. “But not today. He looks tired.”

I glanced over at the carafe of almond milk that was on the counter that was ready for me to give to Spencer.

After waiting a bit, I grabbed the glass container and walked out of my house and towards Spencer’s. But before I could knock on the door, I heard some yelling coming from inside. A window was open.

“I know that! But I can’t find anything! He’s covered his tracks.” Spencer yelled.

Someone on the other end talked but I couldn’t hear.

“It’s the fact that no one is on my side. Even the other people who were there saw everything! Yet they’re acting like they don’t know anything.”

I leaned closer to the window. I know it was wrong of me to eavesdrop, but I was too intrigued over what he was yelling about.

“I talked to her about that, but California is a two-party consent state. Any recordings will be dismissed in court.”

Recording? Court?

“Sorry. I know you just want to relax. But still. It’s hard to find anything. I’ll keep scouring my emails and try to find any crumbs.”

Then it went silent.

“No, they haven’t spoken to me yet. And honestly, they burned that bridge when they took their side over mine.” Spencer said. He sounded defeated.

The other person must’ve said something funny because then he let out small chuckles.

“This is why I don’t tell you things.” He said. “Yeah, it’s quite drab here. But the neighbor is one hell of a hunk. You should see him.”

Silence again.

“No. He’s most definitely straight. If he was gay, then I’d go for him, sure.” He said.

Wait… Is Spencer gay? I haven’t picked up on anything like that since meeting him. He does have a great sense of style from the outfits he wears. But I just figured he was a straight guy that knew how to dress himself.

It would make sense considering the number of times I catch him looking at me.

“He’s clueless. He doesn’t even know that I can see him dressing through his bedroom window.”

I looked across the street and saw my bedroom was easily seen from his side.

“Alright, bye. I’ll keep looking.” Spencer said. He let out a huff. A few seconds passed until I heard him turn on a fan and then type on his computer.

With the glass of almond milk, I returned home. I’ll give it to him tomorrow morning. The both of us seem to need time to think.

---

thx for reading the first four chapters! new chapters every tuesday and friday.

5

Spencer Cypress

My mind was heavily occupied after returning from my trip. I had to force myself to stop drinking pure coffee and going to sleep at 2 in the morning. My friend already mentioned that I was looking even more exhausted.

That morning, I woke up to a strange sound I hadn’t heard in a while. Knocking. On my front door.

When I checked the clock, I saw I had only slept for five hours, not my usual 8-9. I forced myself to get up and walk to the front door.

“Phoebe, if that’s you I swear-” I opened the door and saw Mr. Hunk from across the street along with his dog version of himself.

“Hi, Spencer! I-” Graham said until I shut the door in his face.

“Uh! Just a minute, Graham! Let me get fixed.” I began to panic. I ran upstairs, cleaned my face and put on a decent outfit.

After trying to make myself look as presentable as possible, I returned and opened the door for him. Luckily, Graham was still there.

“Hi, Graham. What can I do for you today?” I asked, leaning against the door frame and trying my best to appear as nonchalant as possible. But I’m sure I could feel a bit of foam from my face wash on my face and toothpaste on the corner of my lips.

“Would you like me to come back later? You look like you just woke up.” He said.

“No, no!” I said. I saw he was holding a large glass container in his hands.

He held it out. Graham looked away, a slight blush on his face. “Uh, I made you almond milk. You were upset that we didn’t have any, so I made some.”

I glanced at the container. It was a nice gesture. Honestly, it was probably the nicest thing anyone had done for me in a long time.

“Thank you.” I said, also looking away because my face felt hot.

“Uh, I’ll leave you to it.” He said.

“Wait. Would you like to join me for coffee? Have you had breakfast?” I asked him. He rubbed his neck and smiled.

“Ah, I mean. If you insist. I’m sure a cup wouldn’t hurt.” He replied. Graham just looked incredibly handsome. This tall man standing before me, his face red.

I led Graham inside and back to my kitchen. Thankfully, my living room was cleaner than last time. I placed the almond milk in the fridge while I began to set up the coffee maker.

“So…” Graham said. Juniper made himself at home on the carpet.

“Uh, thanks, again.” I said. It felt awkward now suddenly.

“Have you been drinking?” He asked.

“No, I haven’t. Well, not that much. That was probably a one-time thing. But I vow that I won’t let myself become shit-faced like that again.” I told him.

“Good. Seeing you like that honestly made me scared and wonder what led you to that.” He said.

I turned around and leaned back on the counter. He saw a few feet away from me at the table.

“Let’s just say that I’m fighting for my livelihood right now. And that night was the lowest I had felt since this had all started.” I replied. While my intuition says to trust Graham, I don’t exactly have the best track record for trusting others. It’s how I got into this position in the first place.

“Must be something big if it requires you to move from the big city to Apple Valley.” He commented.

“And you’d be right.” I said. I turned back and finished the coffee. “So, Graham. You’re… how old are you?” I asked.

“28.” He replied. “And you?”

“25. So, I’m only three years younger than you. Anyways. A young man such as yourself would surely have some friends to hang out with.”

“A few.” he said with a blush on his face. “Uh, they’re mostly coworkers. And maybe a few of the other younger town residents. The young people and the old people don’t exactly have the same hobbies, so we keep to our own.”

“I’m sure then that you young people have fun things to do around here.” I said as I poured two mugs of coffee.

“Of course. There’s the Grove Bar and we can go shopping in the town. Sometimes people sneak onto the football field of the local high school and play around.” Graham explained. I brought the mugs over to the table and slid his cup. He thanked me.

I then brought out the almond milk and some macarons I picked up on my way back.

“Did you graduate from there?” I asked.

“No. I only moved here about 8 years ago.” He replied.

This bit of information was interesting. He himself was at one point a newcomer. And he’s had to assimilate to the rest of town. And yet, there is also another question: Why would he suddenly move to a new town at 20?

I watched Graham eat the cookies and enjoy them while I looked at him. He was intriguing. I’m glad to have him as my neighbor.

I poured my almond milk into my coffee and drank it. It didn’t taste like the ones I buy in LA. This tasted better. Far better.

“Is it good?” Graham asked. He looked expectantly at me, almost waiting for my approval.

“Perfect. Please let me pay for this. Such an amazing creation deserves to be rewarded.”

“Consider it a gift.” Graham said. There he goes again not wanting anything for his generosity. Who has hurt you that you feel the need to do good but never receive it back?

“Then I’ll find a way to pay you back.” I replied.

His eyes suddenly lit up. “By the way. I heard you talking about me last night when you returned home.” He said.

I spat out my coffee, which splattered all over my face and on the table. I wiped everything with a blanket, feeling Graham look at me. He had a smile on his face.

“Shit! I said some things about you that I regret. It wasn’t right of me to talk about you in that manner and I’ll never do it again.” I quickly said. I hoped he wasn’t mad. Just when we were starting to get closer.

“Calm down, city boy. I’m not mad. I found it nice, actually.”

“You aren’t mad that I told my friend about you?” I asked.

He shook his head, his light brown hair waving around. “It actually made me think of something.”

“Which is?”

He sipped his coffee. “I find myself also feeling the same way towards you. For some reason, the thought of you hasn’t left my mind. You have an amazing sense of fashion, your hair is so shiny. I like the way your face turns red when you’re looking at me.”

“You are quite blunt, did you know that, Graham? Most people would keep these confessions in their minds and never let them out.”

“Well, a friend told me that I should be more open to others. And I figured that since I knew how you feel about me, it is only fair you know about how I feel about you.”

My hands were grasping at the table mantle under the table. It was a dream come true. Something that I-and many others- have wished for: The chance to know that the man you are crushing on is also infatuated with you.

But also, I knew I had to hold back. I’m sure Graham thought of himself as straight. And I don’t want to rush him into a relationship. Also, I myself am a mess in terms of life, mind, career, and everything in between. Bridging Graham into my mess will only hurt him.

“Look, Graham. I will admit that I do like you.” I said.

“But maybe we shouldn’t date, right? Is that what you were going to say?” He asked. When I looked at him, he didn’t seem disappointed. On the contrary, he looked a bit relieved.

“That won’t be an issue, will it?”

“Not at all. I have some past… problems. I might tell you one day if you keep living here and we get closer. But I don’t think I’m ready to see someone.” He explained.

“I understand. Shall we just put a pin in it for the future? Maybe one day when the dust settles and we feel more comfortable around each other, then we can come back to this.” I said.

He nodded excitedly. He really is a golden retriever in human form. I can only imagine what he’s like in bed. But I shouldn’t think about that.

We finished our breakfast quickly afterwards. Graham took it upon himself to fix the creaky door hinges and show me how to fix the drains in the spare bathroom that had been bothering me.

“I gotta go now. Juniper here has some chickens to herd.”

“You’ve got chickens?” I asked.

“Yeah. Would you like to see them?” He asked.

Right as I was going to respond with a yes, my phone dinged. It was an important one that I couldn’t drop.

“Some other day.” I said.

Before Graham walked out, he turned and gave me a charming smile. He definitely knows that I like his smile considering how much he’s done it.

“Even though we’re going to remain as friends, I want you to know that I do indeed find you handsome. I have never been with a man before. But I like to pride myself in being able to recognize beautiful people.” Graham said.

“We’ll meet each other in the middle one way, Graham. So don’t go off and fall for someone else.” I warned him.

He let out a hearty chuckle. “My heart is starting to become imprinted by yours. Don’t think of me as a fool.”

Graham then walked out of my house. I stood outside the porch and watched as he ran after Juniper as the dog began to chase a lizard.

He turned and gave me a wave before disappearing into his backyard. Meanwhile, my attention was on him. And I groaned when I had to take the call from my lawyer.

6

Graham Birch

Juniper and I stared out the window and looked at Spencer’s house. He was once again inside, probably busy with whatever he had going on.

“Do you think it was a good idea for me to confess to him this early?” I asked Juniper.

He just stared at me while sticking out his tongue.

“Sometimes I feel like you judge me, Juniper.” I told him.

It was blunt of me to tell Spencer about what I heard from him. I have found myself staring more across the street every day, hoping that he’ll come out and I get to see him again.

As for why I confessed to him, I wanted him to know already that I am starting to feel something for him. So, in the future, if the time comes, we’ll be ready to do as we want. And dating him would be an easier transition.

I did my chores for the day. When the afternoon came, I made dinner for myself and served Juniper his food.

Right before I finished my food, my phone began ringing. I checked and saw it was Freddie Hawthorn. I already knew what he was calling for.

“What, Freddie? It’s past working hours.” I said.

I could hear loud music in the background. “Hey! Graham! You should join us at the Grove! We’re all here right now!” He said, his voice with a slight slur.

“I’m not going. I know this is your attempt to get me to go on a blind date.”

“Come on, Graham! I won’t do anything, I promise. Just have a drink with us for a bit and then you can go home.”

The idea was tempting. It wouldn’t hurt to go out. Juniper will be fine and can guard the house. And I need to get out of the house besides running errands.

“Fine.” I replied. I heard him and others around him cheer. I guess he must’ve been on speaker.

“Oh, and why don’t you bring that city boy with you? Let him get a taste of what it is like having fun in this place.” Freddie suggested.

“I’ll try. He’s a busy man and probably won’t-”

“Okay! Bye! Come quick!” Freddie shouted before hanging up. I looked at my phone then at Juniper.

“Guess I’m going out.” I told him.

After cleaning the dishes and making sure Juniper would be safe for the night, I walked across the street towards Spencer’s house. A few seconds after knocking, he opened the door while dressed in a robe.

“Graham. It’s nice to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure of you coming here before your bedtime?” he asked, stepping out and wrapping himself tightly.

“How did you know when my bedtime was?” I asked.

“Your lights tend to go out at around 9 pm.” He replied. I had almost forgotten that he was able to see my window.

“Right. Listen. My friends invited me to go out drinking with them and I was wondering if you wanted to tag along?” I asked him.

Spencer grabbed his phone from his pocket and tapped a few things. “Uh, sure! Yeah! I would like to go.” He replied. He had me wait for him for a few minutes as he got dressed.

We took my car to the bar. I kept glancing over at Spencer because his outfit was once again perfect. If anyone had looked at him, they would’ve assumed he spent hours picking the best outfit.

I pulled into the parking lot of the Grove Bar.

“Listen, city boy. My friends are a bit extreme. If they want you to do something that you don’t want to do, just tell them. Don’t feel the need to prove yourself.” I told Spencer.

Spencer took a picture of his outfit. “Don’t underestimate me, Graham. I can hold myself.”

“If you say so.” I replied. I got out of the car and felt the cool summer air around me. Spencer walked beside me and talked about how the outside looked. He stopped gushing when he saw an old man leaning against a wall and yelling profanities.

Inside the bar it was loud. That was the first thing I noticed. It was a standard bar, the walls covered in American memorabilia or photos.

“Graham!” Someone yelled. I turned to an area where pool tables were at.

“This way.” I told Spencer. He followed close behind as I walked over to my friends.

“You actually made it!” Freddie said. “Shit! I owe Riley $20 bucks now.” He held a beer bottle in his hands. Spencer stepped out from behind me, making his appearance.

“Did they bet on you coming?” Spencer asked me.

“Yeah, we did. Graham had a tendency of not coming out with us.” Freddie replied for me.

I nudged Spencer’s shoulder and led him to a corner of the room. He looked confused, which I found adorable.

“Stay here. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” I said. As I turned, Spencer grabbed my wrist.

“What was the nickname you called me by?” He asked.

“City boy?” I replied.

He smirked. “Exactly. I’m from the city. A few farm folks won’t scare me.” He said. I could feel my face warm up.

“If you say so.” I replied.

Just as I finished saying that, Sandra Sycamore, who works at the bar, walked over with a tray of shot glasses.

“Special order for the city boy!” She announced.

“Freddie,” I groaned. “Was this you?” I asked him. He smiled, showing off his charming dimples while tilting his head to the side. He acted clueless, but I know it was him.

“Take a shot, city boy!” Charlie Camphor said. He was usually the one to encourage others to do dangerous things.

Spencer picked up a shot glass and looked at the group. I tried to tell him that he doesn’t have to take it. But at last, he downed it quickly without any trouble. I was surprised by how Spencer didn’t react to it. It might as well have been water to him.

“Another.” Spencer said.

“Atta boy! Looks like city boy ain’t no pansy.” Charlie said.

He took another shot. Spencer might’ve downed an added three. I was busy trying to make sure that he didn’t drink more. I was the one who invited him out tonight and therefore believe I have a responsibility to look after him.

“Spencer, you should slow down.” I whispered in his ear.

Spencer glanced at me and nodded. His face looked calm.

“Come on, let me have some fun.” He told me.

“Yeah, let the man know how it’s done here in the valley!” Harry Fraxinus shouted amongst the crowd. This caused others to cheer for Spencer.

He became the center for the night. It was as if everyone wanted to get to know the newest man in town.

As the night went on, people asked Spencer about life in the big city. Some questions were obvious, such as the loud noises and traffic. Others asked more strange ones like if Spencer has ever been on a TV show.

And then there was the big question: What was he doing in Apple Valley?

This was also something I had questioned. It’s not every day that a young man moves to a farming town where there is nothing but corn.

Spencer didn’t answer that question. Instead, he gave a vague answer in the form of ‘I needed to get away.’

And this is where I slipped up.

Part of the reason why I don’t go out drinking is because, at some point, I start getting into it. By that, while getting egged on by my friends, I started to drink more, and my vision began to get blurry and my mind hazy.

When I started to drink more, that was when Spencer began to worry about me. He made me sit on a nearby stool while he gave me water.

But from what my mind was able to understand, I insisted on drinking more.

I wasn’t sure why I wanted to drink so much that night. Even though I said I would look over Spencer, I guess part of me wanted to forget about that face that I was falling for. Or forget something else that was cursing me.

The night went on to the point where I couldn’t stand up. I can barely remember sitting down at the bar and keeping my head down.

All I could remember was Spencer’s handsome face looking at me. And I remembered him lifting me up and walking me outside as cold air hit my face.

7

Spencer Cypress

Graham was drunk beyond what I could imagine. I wasn’t sure why he drank so much even though he said he would look after me tonight. Instead, I was the one putting him in the passenger seat.

“Is he gonna be okay?” Carola Laurel asked me. She had helped me carry the massive Graham to the parking lot since everyone else was way too drunk.

“Yeah, I think he’ll be fine.” I replied.

“I guess Graham didn’t warn you that he sometimes drinks until he passes out.” She awkwardly said.

“No kidding.” I said. I put on his seatbelt. My face was close to Graham’s. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

When I got out of the car, I saw Carola looking at me. She had a slight blush on her face. It was most likely the alcohol.

“Uh, Spencer. I had a great time getting to know you tonight. I was wondering if you might want to get a meal with me sometime.” She said, her eyes looking down.

I closed the passenger side door. “Ah, I appreciate the gesture, Carola. You’re a nice woman. But I’m not really looking to date. Also, I don’t swing that day.” I told her.

Carola let out a huffed breath. “I understand. My sister is a lesbian.”

“Why did you tell me that?” I asked. Her face became redder.

“No reason. I just wanted to let you know that I’m fine with it!” She replied. Before I could add something to it, she gave me a farewell before running back into the bar.

While that was nice, I then turned to look at the drunk man in the car. He looked quite peaceful in his sleep.

“Let’s get you home, big boy.” I said. I managed to get the keys and drive us back home. Graham kept sleeping.

“Spencer?” I heard him say. “Aren’t you drunk too?” He asked.

“I can handle my alcohol, unlike you, as I can see.” I replied. Graham leaned his head back. I felt his large hand land on my thigh.

He let out a small chuckle. I turned and saw Graham, his eyes open and looking out the window.

“Can you stop the car?” I heard him ask. I parked on the side of the road where there was nothing but fields of crops.

There was nothing around us. The silence was amplified by the chirping of crickets and the faint humming of the utility poles.

“Do you have to throw up, Graham? Let me find a bag or something.” I said. I began to search through the glove compartments until Graham grabbed my face with his hand.

“Silly city boy.” He slurred. He forced my head out the window to look up. “The stars. They’re pretty.”

I looked up at what he was showing me. I hadn’t gotten the chance to look at the stars. At night, I retreated to my room until dawn. But tonight, I finally had the chance to see the night sky. And it wasn’t interrupted by the light pollution from the city. I could see stars.

“It is pretty.” I said in awe. Graham had let my face go and placed his hands back on my lap. I was too intrigued by the sky to notice Graham had leaned closer.

It wasn’t until I felt a slight warmth on my face that I turned and was face to face with Graham. Red and bright was how I could describe his face. He looked at me with his blue eyes that pierced through me.

“Graham. Sit back.” I told him.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked bluntly. I leaned back from shock.

“You’re drunk, Graham. I don’t want to take advantage of you. And you should sit back, and we can get you home.” I told him. I tried placing my hand on his chest and pushing him back, but he wouldn’t move.

“Just one kiss, city boy. Grant me that. Let me get it over with.” he asked with full desperation. He looked like a love-sick child that had just discovered what it means to love.

“One kiss only, Graham.” I told him. “And I’ll do it because I know you’ll forget it by tomorrow.”

I leaned in and placed a quick peck on his lips.

“That’s it?” He asked. “No fair! Meanie!” He whined.

“Well, what do you want? Something straight out of the Notebook? Want me to be Rachel McAdams and you can be Ryan Gosling?” I asked him.

“I want a kiss. Kiss me, Spencer!” He said. I rolled my eyes before placing my hand behind his head and bringing him in.

Unlike the kiss before, I put effort into this. I moved my lips until Graham also started to move his. For a man who had never kissed another man before, he seemed quite skilled. But his urgency and hunger overpowered me. I leaned back onto my seat as he pinned me in my seat.

“Graham,” I gasped out. His lips had moved to my neck. “Graham. Calm down, big guy.” I said. He pulled away. His eyes were glossy.

“Did I hurt you, Spencer?” He asked.

“No, not at all. Just tone it down. I’m not going to disappear.” I told him. He nodded and sat back in his seat.

I sat back up and looked at him. He played with his fingers while looking down.

“All better?” I asked him. He nodded solemnly. I found it adorable how one minute he was demanding and the next was embarrassed.

I turned on the car and drove back home. And yet, during the entire drive, my lips felt like they were on fire. As if Graham was still kissing me.

Getting home proved to be difficult once again. Graham had gone to sleep, and I used all my strength to lift him up and move him inside the house. Juniper greeted me as he ran around the house energetically.

Graham was somewhat helpful as he at least climbed up the stairs and showed me where his room was. I noticed his house was similar to mine with a few differences.

After placing Mr. Hunk in his bed, I took off his shoes and shirt. When I went to charge his phone, I noticed he had received several texts from a contact named Sis.

Graham! When you get this message, text me back!

Mom and dad are bitching again and want us to come to their house for the 4th of July.

I know it was wrong of me to snoop. I knew Graham had family from the conversations I had with his friends. But based on the texts, I was able to gather that they must not be close.

Good luck! Hope you and that hot neighbor of yours are able to get closer!

Night night, little bro!

Well, this proves that they are talking about me. I mean, is there another hot guy that lives across from Graham? No, I don’t think so.

I looked at a sleeping Graham as he breathed in and out in his sleep. He wore a white tank top that showed off his well-defined muscles. I placed my fingers on his biceps and traced along.

Juniper let out a small bark. He had laid in his bed that was on the foot of Graham’s bed.

“Sorry, I’ll stop touching him.” I replied.

And yet, I didn’t. I placed my palm on his left pec. In his sleep, Graham brought his hand to grab my wrist.

“Don’t leave…” He muttered.

“Let go, Graham.” I replied. He listened. But I could’ve sworn I saw him smirk. “Goodnight, Graham.” I said to him.

Before leaving, I pet Juniper before exiting out the front door and going to my house.

As I entered inside, I opened my laptop and read a few emails I left out. The standard hate mail and spam. I knew it was his doing. I know he used my email and signed me up for all types of things.

Thank goodness I made a new email for actual business. This is where I scanned all I needed.

My phone began ringing. I saw who it was and wondered why my lawyer was calling me at this time.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Hey, Spencer. You still awake?” He asked.

“Nah. I’m actually sleeping and answered you.” I replied.

He chuckled. “Sorry. That was stupid of me to ask. Anyways, I know this is late, but I got an email a few minutes ago.”

“From who?” I asked.

“It’s from a woman named Amelda Sherman. Does that ring a bell?” He asked.

I quickly typed on my old email and searched using her name. As I read the email, the pieces began to come together.

“Yeah, I do.” I muttered.

“Who is she?” My lawyer asked.

“She used to work under him . She quit suddenly even though she was one of the best workers. And afterwards, the company made sure to try and blacklist her from the industry.” I explained.

I felt my hands begin to shake. I looked at the email in front of me which had the clear instructions sent from the top which banned any current employees from speaking with Amelda.

“What happened to her afterwards?”

My breath became ragged. “I think she moved to the Bay Area to look for another job since no one would hire her. But why did she email you?” I then asked.

My lawyer was quiet for a moment until he said, “Because she wants to speak to you.”

I could already imagine what the conversation would be about. I let my lawyer know that I would accept a meeting with her and to arrange it. I also let him know to give her my new email so we can be in contact directly.

When I ended the phone call, I began to feel strangely lonely. I looked around me and saw how dark the house was.

“S pencer. Come here .” A voice called out. “ Be a good boy and don’t say a word .“

I knew I was hallucinating. He was speaking to me but only in my head. I covered my ears and leaned forward while shutting my eyes.

I wish Graham was here with me. Because I needed someone to save me from myself.

8

Graham Birch

The night before was still a bit hazy for me. I once again remembered why I don’t like going out drinking. And yet, I went out again. I’m pretty sure Spencer was the one that brought me home.

My car is parked in my driveway. I slept in only my pants and shirt. And Juniper didn’t look like he was stressed last night. So, in conclusion, I got home safely thanks to Spencer.

But it was now hitting me that he had seen me at my worst. I could feel the embarrassment already and was dreading having to see him again.

Which means it is time for the only thing I know will make anyone happy: Food. I got up quickly and made Spencer a nice breakfast. I pulled out all the stops and spent way too long cooking because it was almost noon.

“Guess it’ll be brunch.” I said. “Come, Juniper!”

I walked across the street, basket in hand, until I reached Spencer’s front door. He took a while to answer. By the time he did, he only had a robe on, and his hair was a mess.

“What time is it?” he asked, squinting his eyes from the sun.

“11. I brought you something to eat.” I replied happily.

He let me in, and I set up all the food on the counter. Spencer kept looking at me as if he was waiting for me to say something. But I just figured he was ogling me again.

“I brought you more almond milk.” I said.

“Oh, thanks. I was starting to run out.” Spencer said. He glared at me.

“Is something wrong?” I asked him.

He leaned forward on the counter. “Nothing, nothing.” He muttered. His face turned red. “I’m going to go get dressed. Be right back.”

Spencer left up the stairs quickly. I glanced at Juniper and shrugged my shoulders, unsure of why he was acting strange.

With the food set, and Spencer waiting at the table, I served him. I poured him coffee and watched him eat it.

“Sorry about last night.” I said.

He spat out his coffee and began coughing. I patted his back and handed him napkins to wipe the coffee. Spencer’s face was red.

“Last night? So, you do remember?” He asked.

“Uh, a bit.” I replied as I scratched my neck.

“Look, what happened was an accident.”

“It was.” I said. “And I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Spencer drank his coffee. “Well, maybe I liked it.”

“You did?” I asked. Spencer sighed. He stabbed his French toast and ate it. He covered his mouth while staring me down.

“I did.” He said. “And I won’t hesitate if you want to do it again.”

“Maybe not now. I still feel a bit embarrassed about it. And I know that I said some things that I didn’t exactly mean.”

“You didn’t mean it? Graham, those were the sweetest words anyone has said to me!”

I smiled at him. “Really? I never knew that being told that beer tastes like piss were sweet words for you.” I said.

Spencer looked confused. “Wait. What are we talking about?” He asked.

“Last night when I got wasted in front of you. It was not cool for me to do that. And I know I said I would look after you when you ended up being the one to look after me.” I said. Spencer slammed his head on the table.

“Fuck me.” He muttered.

“Did you think I was talking about something else? Did I do something last night after getting drunk?” I asked him. He cut a piece of toast and forced it into my mouth.

“Nope! Nothing at all! You got drunk and passed out. This is all that happened.” Spencer said. I chewed on the food and nodded.

“Okay.” I said while chewing.

“Gross. Close your mouth or cover it.” He told me. I cut off a piece of my toast and fed it to him.

“Heh, my turn.” I chuckled. I offered it to him and watched Spencer lean forward and place the toast on the tip of his tongue. He looked at me, his amber eyes hypnotizing me.

I felt myself begin to get excited. I closed my legs tightly. What was wrong with me? Am I becoming a teenager again? I haven’t had this type of excitement in years.

“Graham? Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Spencer asked.

“Uh, no. Sorry.” I replied. I pulled away and let out a cough.

“Shall we finish eating?” Spencer asked, breaking the silence.

That seemed to ease us back into a standard Saturday brunch. Because we ate in peace until it was time to clean up.

Instead of going home, I ended up staying in Spencer’s living room and watching a movie with him. We turned on the AC and relaxed on his strangely soft couches.

“Look! This is the part when the main character says goodbye to his friends!” Spencer pointed.

“How old is this movie?” I asked.

“Oh, it was made in the 40s.” He replied.

“Why the oldies? Why not something new?” I asked.

Spencer turned to me. “Personally, there’s just something about vintage movies. It was made during a time when cinema was taking off. You had the raw power of acting. No nepo-babies or covering everything in CGI.” He explained.

“Oh, okay.” I replied.

“You see, it’s the rawness that really brings out the human form. You watch the actors in their purest form without any interference. The mind has adapted to see that what we see on screen is a story told through the eyes of the camera…” Spencer went on.

This conversation felt too… sophisticated for me. I don’t know if I’m not smart enough or if Spencer is just reading too much into things.

“Fun fact, the two main leads in this movie were actually in a secret relationship.” Spencer said.

“But they’re both men.” I mentioned.

“Exactly. But apparently the two were just too in love. I visited their home in Hollywood which was turned into a museum. You can read the letters they sent to each other and even recordings where they professed their love. It was all romantical.”

I looked at the TV, seeing the two main characters look at each other. Now that I know about the nature of their relationship, it’s easy to see their emotions behind their eyes. I guess what Spencer said about vintage movies showing raw emotions might have some truth.

“Anyways, they were both buried next to each other. One of them had a daughter via surrogacy because it turns out they were friends with another closeted lesbian couple.” Spencer kept on talking.

The movie ended. He put on a show in the background while the two of us just talked. Our conversation felt natural and fluid.

Sometimes when I’ve spoken to people before, I’ve had to try harder to keep the conversation going. This time it was easy. He would say something, and I would add to it. Or maybe I’m just not good at conversing with people.

“What are you doing for the 4th of July?” Spencer asked me.

I turned to him. Funnily enough, I was just talking to my sister about our plans for the Fourth.

“Uh, nothing. I might just sit around and watch TV. I also have to be with Juniper.”

“Awe, is he scared of fireworks?” Spencer asked.

“No, I am.” I replied.

Spencer chuckled. “I was thinking of doing something. Maybe inviting the town for a small get together.”

“That could be fun. But you’d have to prepare for it now.”

“I’m good at planning things. It was part of my job before moving here.”

It sounded like a good plan. It could be a great way for Spencer to meet the people of the town.

“Do you need me to do anything in particular?” I asked.

“Yes. Give me your friends contact details. I want to get the word out as soon as possible. It’s going to be the Spencer Independence Bash. Also, BYOF.”

“You got it. Whatever that means.”

“I’m going to get a pool, tons of food. Maybe even a bouncy house.” Spencer went on to list what he wanted to do.

While it sounded fun, I was worried because the loud sound of fireworks does not bring good memories. But I didn’t want to tell Spencer that. He should be happy about planning and shouldn’t try to change his plans just for me.

9

Spencer Cypress

I couldn’t believe how smoothly that went. For a moment, I thought Graham was going to discuss the kiss last night. But instead, he didn’t remember.

After Graham left his house, I called up my lawyer once again for any updates.

“Not much yet. A close friend informed me that the other side is trying to gather some testimonies from your former coworkers.” My lawyer said.

“Bertie, is it possible we can try to get them on our side?” I asked.

“I’m not sure, Spencer. When you were first hired, you were given a non-compete clause that you signed. Not only that, but the company has ensured that no one hires you in the wake of your lawsuit.

“You can try to convince some of your former coworkers to join you. But they would not only be risking their jobs but their futures. It might not be the best way to go.” He explained.

“Got it. And how are things coming along with Amelda Sherman? Has she agreed on a meeting?”

I heard my lawyer typing. “She’s able to meet on July 1st. She’s willing to make the drive down from Fremont and meet up in Bakersfield.”

Even though I didn’t have a car, I couldn’t turn down this opportunity. This moment was too vital. “Tell her I’m willing to meet up.”

“You got it! I also sent Mr. Cycad that warning letter that further harassment would constitute legal action. He should calm down by now.”

“Thanks, Bertie. Send me the information about the meet up and I’ll call you later.”

After hanging up, I began to search online for a car rental. But then I heard Graham’s truck pulling up to his driveway. I peeked out the window and saw Graham hop out of his truck.

“Come, Juniper!” He patted his thigh. Graham removed his hat and wiped his forehead using his shirt. I caught a glimpse of his stomach. Even from here I could trace the outline of his muscles.

Juniper hopped out of the car and shook himself. From where I stood, the two were almost the same.

Perhaps Graham can be my ride. Would he be willing to take the drive to Bakersfield? Or would that be too much for me to ask?

Maybe if I ask him in a cute manner then he’ll accept my offer.

I put off that thought as I returned to my computer and made a list of what I needed for the 4th of July party I wanted to throw. With the experience I have, I think I’ll be able to pull it off. And I know the right ways to cut costs.

After enough time had passed, I left for Graham’s house. As soon as the door opened, Juniper jumped on me, causing me to fall back. He began to lick my face repeatedly.

“Juniper! No!” Graham shouted. He managed to get Juniper off of me before he drowned me in his saliva.

“Hello to you too, Juniper.” I said. I stood up and dusted my clothes.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I’ll pay for the dry cleaning.” Graham said.

“It’s fine.” I told him. “Actually, I came to ask you for a favor.”

Juniper ran off to chase a butterfly. Graham and I sat on some chairs on his porch.

“On with it. What do you need from your favorite neighbor?”

“You’re like, my only neighbor, Graham.” I said. He blushed. “Uh, I need to go to Bakersfield for a thing that is really important. And since I don’t have a car, I was wondering if you’d be willing to give me a ride.” I told him.

Graham leaned back in his seat. “Hm. Well, will you be providing food? He asked.

“Yes. I’ll buy snacks.” I replied.

“And I expect you to pay for gas too.”

“Of course.” I said.

“And Juniper will have to come with us.”

“I expected that. So, is that a yes?” I asked.

“Hm… Yes. I’ll take you. When will it be?” He asked. I told him the information of when the trip will be. But I left out what it was for. And Graham didn’t seem to ask too much.

“Oh. there’s something I need to get off my chest if we are to go on this trip.” I told Graham.

“Go ahead.” He asked. I stood up and looked out. I could feel him looking at me.

I turned around and saw him staring up at me. “The night you got drunk, we actually kissed. You asked me to kiss you, and I figured I’d do it since you’d forget. And you did, but now I’m telling you, so…”

Graham quickly stood up. “Oh, God! Why didn’t you tell me? Now I’m even more embarrassed! I knew I shouldn’t have drank that much.”

His face turned red. He looked away from me.

“Graham, calm down. It wasn’t your fault. I should’ve just ignored your requests. We made a deal that we wouldn’t date.”

“You don’t get it, Spencer. Even though I was drunk, I still wanted it. What’s the saying, in vino veritas? Well, I’m guessing that me begging for you to kiss me was something I’ve wanted but kept hidden.”

I reached to grab Graham’s hand. I forced him to turn around.

“Is that how you really feel, Graham? Do you want to kiss me right now?” I asked. He nodded slowly.

Placing my hand on his cheek, I leaned up and placed a small kiss on his cheek. He nuzzled into my hand, craving more of my touch.

“Not that kind of kiss.” He said.

“Then show me.” I told him. His eyes had a slight glow to them. He leaned down and pressed his lips tightly on mine.

He began to move his lips as mine followed his command. Graham wanted one thing: Me. He wanted me for himself in this moment as clear by how his hands grabbed me and pressed me close to him.

I opened my eyes and saw Graham was deep into the kiss. Up close, I could see how beautiful his hair was. Even his eyelashes were to die for.

Graham opened his eyes eventually and he let go of my body. Our breathing and sweat from the heat mixed together in a strange but erotic way.

“Like that.” He said.

“I think we broke our pact to not date each other.” I said.

“I don’t think we broke it. We did say we would date eventually. It just so happened that it was moved up.” Graham said.

“You’re not… wrong entirely.”

I sat us back in the chairs.

“I guess we can date, Graham. But just know that I’m going through something else, in legal terms. I want to warn you that you’ll be handling broken goods.” I told him.

“You aren’t broken goods! You’re just right, like freshly picked peaches.” Graham said.

“And what about you? You said that you also weren’t ready to date because of something.”

Graham leaned closer to my face. “I guess I was feeling broken from what happened long ago that I had forgotten that I was already fixed.” He mentioned.

“Now is the time you ask me out, Graham.” I said.

He cleared his throat and stood up. “Spencer, will you go out with me?” He asked.

I stood up and joined him. “Yes, Graham. I’d like to go out with you.” I replied.

Graham hugged me, almost squeezing me from his strength. After letting me catch some air, we realized Juniper had run off and spent a few minutes looking for him.

He invited me inside his house and offered me a glass of lemonade.

“Now that we’re dating, what do two guys do? Is there some secret Gay Manuscript that only gay men know or something?” Graham asked.

He’s handsome, but not the brightest. There might be a word for that…

“We do what any straight couple would do. We’ll go on dates, share meals, watch movies, and kiss.” I replied.

“Even…” He leaned closer. “Sex?”

“That’s part of it for many couples. We don’t have to do that if you want to because you’re inexperienced. But the offer is not off the table on my side.” I told him.

“Got it.” Graham sighed. “Thanks, by the way, for telling me about that night. If you hadn’t told me, we probably would’ve continued on as just friends for who knows how long.”

“Of course. I’ve seen these types of things happen in TV shows and movies and always screamed at the characters just to communicate. And look where that got us! Officially dating!”

“And with the upcoming trip, we’re gonna have so much fun. I can’t wait.” His face flushed red with excitement.

“Me too.” I replied. I watched as Graham told Juniper about the trip.

At some point, I will have to tell Graham about the reason why I moved to this town. My main worry is, though, if he’ll still see me as the same person or if he’ll become disgusted. Because I know I am disgusted with myself.

10

Spencer Cypress

At the start of the trip, Graham was essentially almost high on the thought of the two of us being in the same car. While I was excited too, it seemed that he was much more than I was.

“I’m hungry.” Graham said.

“We’ve only been on the road for 15 minutes.” I told him.

“Please?” He asked. He turned to me and gave me puppy eyes.

“Eyes on the road!” I said. I searched and found him some gummies to feed him. But because he had to focus on driving, I fed him from my hands.

“Ow!” I pulled my hand back. “You bit me on purpose, didn’t you?” I asked.

He smiled. “I’m a hungry man. And you looked delicious.”

I rubbed Juniper’s fur. He was standing on my lap and looking out of the window.

“Because we’re dating, I’ll let that slide. But don’t expect me to be so easy on you next time.” I warned him.

“You’ll always forgive me.” Graham said.

I leaned back in my seat and checked my email. It will take nearly three hours to get to Bakersfield to meet up with Amelda Sherman. I offered for the exchange to be done over phone call, but she insisted it be done face to face.

“While we’re here, let’s play a game.” Graham said.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Why don’t we ask each other questions to get to know each other?” He offered. It seems like a good idea to distract us from the long trip.

“I’ll start with something simple: What’s your favorite color?” I asked him.

“Mm, I’ll have to go with yellow. But that gold yellow that you see when the sun is just rising. That kind of yellow. And you?” He asked me.

“Probably indigo. It’s a pale type that forms when the night is coming, and the sun is setting.” I explained.

“Nice. Have you ever had any pets before?”

“I had a hamster growing up. But it died because of a wet tail, and I buried it in the backyard.” I said.

“I bet he had a proper funeral.” Graham said.

“Not really. We have a lot of hawks in LA, and it took my hamster’s dead body. So even in death it couldn’t find peace.” I said.

Graham’s face dropped. “Oh,” He muttered. “Uh, what college did you go to? I’d imagine that you would’ve gone to a good one.”

“Rice University.” I replied.

“I didn’t go to college. I did for like 2 years before dropping out because of…” He stopped himself. “Never mind.”

Just like how Graham didn’t ask about why I needed to go to Bakersfield, I didn’t ask him about that. I hope one day he can trust me enough to confide in me.

After over three hours of driving on the road, we finally arrived at our destination. Graham parked his car at a local park. I got out first. Graham clipped a leash on Juniper and put his hat on.

“I’ll be nearby. Let me know when you’re finished.” Graham told me.

“Thank you, Graham.” I replied.

The text said she was sitting at the picnic benches. After searching around, I found her sitting there while drinking a cup of coffee.

“Amelda?” I called out. She looked up. Her pale skin was slightly sunburned. And her black curly hair was tied into a ponytail. And despite the heat, she wore a modest dress that covered her arms and legs.

“Oh, Spencer, right?” Her soft voice replied.

She stood up and we shook hands. Then we sat, with me across from her.

“My lawyer said you wanted to talk to me.” I said.

Amelda nodded. “I was curious about what happened to my old boss so a few weeks ago I did some research and saw everything about what happened with you and him.” She explained.

She let out a ragged breath. I could feel her holding back.

“Anyways. I know what you went through.”

I was taken aback. “You do?” I said in shock. Amelda’s eyes became glossy from tears.

“Mhm. I was his assistant and secretary, so I was always by his side. At first, what we did was fun. He bought me gifts and promised that as long as I kept it a secret then I could rise the ranks.” She explained.

“And let me guess, he started to become controlling?” I assumed.

A small nod. “I guess when I started to see how manipulative he actually was and that he didn’t really care for me was when I started to pull away. But he threatened to end my career if I didn’t do what he said.

“It got worse during a business event when we traveled to New York when he got drunk and…”

She broke into small sobs. I was unsure if I wanted to comfort her out of respect. But I did hand her some tissues that I brought with me, and she wiped her tears.

“I quit that very night and filed a complaint to HR. But I’m sure you know, HR doesn’t work for the people but for the company. Next thing you know, I was blacklisted from all nearby jobs. And when I tried to speak out, I was threatened by his friends.

“I feared for my life, Spencer. I really thought that at some point I would get killed. I even bought a gun just in case. So, I knew that there was nothing left for me. I packed up everything and moved. The last that I had learned was that I had been replaced by a newly graduated student, you.”

In the distance was Graham. He threw a stick and watched Juniper catch it.

“Did it get better afterwards?” I asked.

“In a way, I guess. But I was a coward and ran away when it got tough.”

“You’re not a coward, Amelda. What you went through was a terrible thing. You were abused by a powerful man who tried to silence you.” I told her. “How is your life now?”

“It’s better than before. I got a good job and met my husband.” She said. She looked past me. I turned and saw a man sitting at a bench a few feet away.

“So, it did get somewhat better. But I’m sure the scars still haunt you.”

She took a sip of her coffee and nodded. “Now let’s get down to business. I called you because, after discussing it over with my husband, I’ve decided that I want to join you with your lawsuit.”

I leaned forward. “Are you sure? It would be great to have you on board. But I don’t wish for you to have to relieve all of that trauma.”

“It’s been over five years. I may not be entirely over it. But if I want to get rid of my fears, I’ll have to slay the dragon.” She replied.

“If you say so. If you want, my lawyer can represent you. He’s all caught up with my case and I’m sure he can also work on yours too.”

“Thanks, Spencer. I might, however, get someone else. Just because I don’t want to overload your lawyer.” She said.

“I understand.”

“I’m willing to join you, Spencer. That man did things to us, and he needs to suffer the consequences.” Amelda said.

“Definitely.” We both stood up and I shook her hands.

“Our lawyers should both be in contact soon and he should be served in a week or two.”

Amelda and I both exchanged small bits of information. But before she left, I had one question left to ask her.

“Wait. Why did you want to meet with me in person?” I asked her.

She turned around and smiled at me. “Because I wanted to see the man that was just like me. And from what I’ve seen, you’re a strong man that is definitely doing something to get his justice. And if I see for myself who you were, then I’ll get the strength I need.”

I thanked her and watched as she walked over to her husband. He gave her a kiss and the two left for the parking lot.

After they left, Graham walked up to me and placed his hand on my hair.

“Are you guys done?” He asked.

I suddenly turned and gave him a hug. He brought his hands and hugged me back.

“Thanks for being here with me, Graham.” I told him. Juniper barked. “You too, Juniper.” I patted the dog’s fur.

Graham kissed my forehead. “I’ll always be here for you.” He replied.

I leaned up and placed a proper kiss on his lips.

“Let’s go home now. I’ve got a party to plan.” I said.

“Can I help you with it?” He asked. He placed his hand on my back and led us back to his car.

“Well, I’m certainly not strong enough to assemble a pool by myself.” I replied.

Graham, Juniper, and I got into the car and began the drive back home. I looked out the window and, for the first time in a while, felt like things were starting to look up.

11

Graham Birch

The meeting really raised several questions for me. Who was that woman that Spencer talked to? Why did she cry at one point? And on the way back home, Spencer suddenly felt… happy about the future.

The 4th of July came around. The large yard that surrounded Spencer’s home was converted into a block party. Many people came, all bringing their own fireworks and wearing patriotic gear.

“The turnout is amazing.” Spencer said.

“Country folk love two things: Farming and the US. This is just the first hour. In a bit, they’ll all get drunk and loud.” I said.

Spencer patted my shoulder. “No drinking for you tonight, big guy. Remember last time?” He asked.

“To be fair,” I leaned closer to his face. “That was the spark that led us to dating. I’m just saying.” I reminded him.

“I guess.” He rolled his eyes. He planted a kiss on my cheek. “I got to go greet the guests. Keep an eye out on things.” He said.

Spencer walked away to the front yard. I leaned against a brick wall. The smell of hot dogs and sweet lemonade ran through my nose. I was sweating and wiped my forehead with my shirt.

“Graham!” Freddie yelled. He walked over to me and patted my back. “Some party, eh! Looks like city kid knows a thing or two about throwing a function.”

“You underestimate him, Freddie.” I replied. He handed me a cup of lemonade.

“You looked parched. Drink something before you pass out.” He said. He assured me there wasn’t anything in it.

“Thanks,” I replied. I took a sip of lemonade. Spencer had contacted some farmers and paid them to make natural lemonade.

“So, listen, Carola told me that Spencer is queer. Is that true?” Freddie asked.

I coughed up my drink.

“Uh, what? Are you drunk right now, Freddie?” I wasn’t going to out Spencer if he didn’t want anyone to know.

“Not yet,” He winked. “I don’t have a problem with it. Just something that I heard.”

“I have to go check on Juniper.” I said. Freddie leaned back on the wall. I handed him my empty cup and walked to enter the inside of Spencer’s house.

Juniper laid on the couch and slept. He had run around earlier when the first round of guests came and tired himself out.

“Juniper.” I whispered as I pet his soft hair. “Tonight is the 4th of July. I’ll try not to freak out again. But I can’t make any promises.”

He began to lick my hand as if he knew I needed to calm down.

I’ve had a disdain for the 4th of July for 8 years. Every year, I try to move on from what happened, but it only gets worse. I wish I could be one of those people who moves on but instead I stay stuck in the past.

“Graham?” Spencer called out.

“In here!” I called out. He entered and quickly sat on the couch.

“Jesus, it’s so fucking hot outside.” He groaned. The collar of his shirt was already stained with sweat.

“Ain’t used to the heat?” I asked with a smirk.

He signaled to his red face. “I grew up in SoCal but stayed indoors most of the time.”

I stood up and grabbed a few ice cubes before putting them in a bag and wrapping it in some paper towels. I placed it on his forehead.

“That feels nice.” Spencer said.

My phone began ringing. I excused myself, went to a random room and answered the call.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Just wanted to check on you. I know what today is and all.” My sister replied.

“You know what? I think this year I’ll be better. I haven’t been freaking out as much as the years before.” I replied.

“Still, I’m worried about you. Graham, why didn’t you join us for the 4th? I could’ve kept a close eye on you.” She questioned. It was like her to always want to check on me. She’s the only one I got.

I let out a sigh. “Spencer needed me.”

“Oh, your boyfriend? Well, I understand. But will he be able to protect you when your thoughts get to you?” She asked.

“I don’t know, Rebecca. But I feel safe around him. And for the first time since her , I actually feel happy. Seeing him has become the new highlight of my day.” I said.

“I would love to meet this man. He sounds like he’s your knight in shining armor.”

“More like knight in soft Ralph Lauren.” I replied jokingly. Rebecca let out a small chuckle.

“Just in case those thoughts come, make sure you find yourself a quiet room with Juniper. And remember, Graham. It’s all in the past. They won’t hurt you again.”

“Got it,” I replied.

“Bye, Graham. I’ll talk to Amir about visiting you some time soon.”

“Please do. I want you to meet Spencer.” I said. We said our goodbyes before hanging up. I leaned against the door and looked outside. The sun was going to start setting soon and the fireworks would start.

I returned to the living room and saw Juniper and Spencer sitting next to each other and looking out the window.

“What are you two doing?” I asked.

“I think Juniper saw a cat and now I’m helping him find it.” Spencer replied.

My wandering eyes began to travel down Spencer’s back and to his bottom. His shirt was slightly raised, exposing a bit of skin. The heat had allowed sweat to build up there.

As if he knew I was watching him, Spencer gave his bottom a small wiggle. It was strange for a man to have a bottom this beautiful. I almost wanted to touch it.

“It’s here!” Spencer shouted. I stepped back, not noticing I had gotten too close to him.

“Uh, what’s here?” I asked.

“The fireworks! I have to go now. Keep an eye on the party.” He said. He kissed me on the cheek. “Bye! Catch you during the show.”

Spencer quickly walked out of the house. I looked at Juniper before looking down at how hard I was. I knew I wasn’t going out like this.

The fireworks were almost ready to set off. In the distance, all the fireworks that Spencer and other people brought were set up and would be lit up. Then, those far away would watch the show.

Kids ran around with sparklers and the adults drank beer and chatted loudly.

“Are you ready?” Spencer asked me.

I gulped hard. “Yeah, sure.” I replied. In reality, I was shaking in my seat.

Spencer pulled out his phone and typed something.

“There. It should be starting in a few seconds.” Spencer said.

It was about ten seconds when the first firework went off. It was one of the smaller ones and quickly caught the attention of everyone. The kids all sat in on the grass while the adults began to film the spectacle.

The fireworks started off slowly. Each pop rang in my head. I grabbed Spencer’s hand for comfort. But I think he just assumed I grabbed it to be romantic.

“Oh, look! It’s one of the big ones!” A person shouted.

A red flare rose into the sky and created a banshee-like noise. Then it burst into an even bigger red spark. The red light shone directly on us. I turned and saw Spencer’s face was lit red as he looked in awe.

“Pretty, right?” He asked me. I nodded.

“Y-Yeah.” I muttered.

Please, Graham! It isn’t what it looks like!

I leaned back and placed my fingers in my ears. It’s just my head.

Listen to me, Graham! I can explain!

Shut up. Shut up! Shut up!

Another large firework popped. This one was blue. Several more emerged. Pop, pop, pop . The area around reflected the different colors. And this overstimulation mixed in my head and combined with my conflicting thoughts.

Give me another chance and I’ll do better, please!

“I’ll be right back.” I quickly said to Spencer. I didn’t even wait for his response as I left my chair and entered the house.

As soon as I entered the house, I walked around and found Juniper on the couch. He perked up and quickly ran over to me and began to lick my face.

“Hey, Juni. I’m sorry, but I need your help.” I told him.

Juniper and I walked into Spencer’s room and entered his bathroom. I shut the doors and windows and huddled with my dog in the bathtub.

“Juni.” I muttered as I placed my head in his fur. I couldn’t hear the fireworks anymore. But I still felt on the verge of falling apart.

I tried this time to forget and be strong. The scar from that time, however, still bleeds to this day.

12

Spencer Cypress

The fireworks lit up the sky beautifully. The sound was loud, and I had prepared by offering ear plugs to people who wanted them. While I’ve never been a true fan of this day, being in the countryside alongside folks who do love it is a different experience.

Halfway through the show, I began to worry about Graham. I assumed he had gone to check up on Juniper or go to the bathroom. But he had been gone for a long time.

I stood up from my chair and passed through the crowd. Before entering the house, I came across Harry Fraxinus, who I had met at the bar a while back.

“Hey, Spencer! Great party!” He called out. He had a slight slur in his tone.

“Uh, thanks.” I replied. He grabbed my wrist and brought me closer to him.

“You probably suck some good dick, right?” Harry asked me. I could smell the alcohol in his breath. I placed my hand on his chest and lightly pushed him away.

“I’m gay, not desperate. And besides, I’m dating someone.” I told him. I tugged my arm away. Luckily, everyone was distracted by the fireworks to notice.

I left him there and entered the house. Despite the booms of the fireworks, the house felt silent. I looked all over the first floor but found no one. Then I checked upstairs, scanning every empty room. The only one left was my bedroom.

“Graham? Juniper?” I called out. My room was empty. The one thing I noticed was off was the bathroom door being closed. I was sure I had left it open.

Stepping up to the door, I opened it slowly. In the bathtub was Graham clutching onto Juniper. He had his head down onto the dog’s fur. Juniper looked over to me and began to wag his tag.

“Graham! Are you okay?” I approached and kneeled next to the bathtub. I placed my hands on Graham’s shoulder and began to shake him.

He was shivering. His knuckles were white from how hard he was grabbing his own shirt. I began to grow worried that something terribly wrong had happened to him.

“I’ll call 911! Just hang on, Graham!” I said. I pulled out my phone. Before I could begin typing the emergency number, Graham grabbed my phone and made me drop it.

“Spencer…” He muttered. He was finally looking at me. Graham’s teary eyes were red. This was my first time seeing him like this.

“Oh, Graham! What’s wrong? Tell me.” I said.

Graham grabbed my face and brought me in for a kiss. His kisses were harsh. I could feel his nails start to dig into my skin on my cheek. And he bit my tongue multiple times. I tasted his tears during our kiss.

“Graham,” I pulled away. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

He wiped his tears away.

“Please don’t ever leave me, Spencer! Don’t cheat on me and break me, please!” He begged.

“I won’t, I won’t.” I repeated. I leaned on the tub and managed to get Graham to lay his head on my shoulder. Juniper licked Graham’s face.

The fireworks kept going off. Each time, I noticed Graham jump from the loud noises. I wasn’t sure what was wrong. All I knew was that he couldn’t be alone and I wanted to care for him.

“Spencer,” He muttered. “You said you won’t hurt me, right?” He asked for reassurance.

“That’s right, Graham. I’m a man of my word.” I replied. He broke into a few more sobs.

I stayed like that for a while as Graham held onto me. I played with his hair and tried humming a song to distract him from whatever thoughts he was having that were plaguing his mind.

Because from watching him react, I knew it wasn’t a physical pain he felt. It was a mental one that felt like it was physical. I knew all too well how that feels.

With a ragged breath, Graham sat up in the tub. I gave him toilet paper to wipe his tears and snot from his face.

“Are you feeling better? I can still call the ambulance to check up on you.” I said.

He shook his head. “N-No, I’ll be fine.” He replied.

“If it’s the fireworks, I can call to have them turned off.”

“Don’t! I don’t want my problems to spoil everyone’s night.” He said.

Graham finally looked at me.

“Thanks for being here with me, Spencer.” He told me. His hand rubbed on the nail marks he left on my face. “I’m sorry for that.”

“It’s fine.” I replied. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

Graham looked down at his hands as if he was observing them.

“I’m not a violent person, am I? Please answer me, Spencer.” He said.

I patted his hair. “No, Graham. You’re not a violent person. Quite the opposite, you’re the sweetest person I have ever met. You’re kind, generous, selfless, and more.” I explained.

“I’m not sure if I believe you.” He muttered.

“Look at Juniper. He loves you and you’re such a good owner to him. And me. You’ve treated with open arms and have been such a great neighbor. I mean, you introduced me to your friends and even made me almond milk from scratch.” I said to him.

He nodded his head. “Thank you, Spencer.” He replied.

When the fireworks began to pick up, I hugged Graham closer.

“I used to date this girl,” Graham said.

“Uh,” I stuttered.

“We had been dating since senior year of high school. And during college, we still dated by long distance. I thought our relationship was perfect. I would’ve done everything for her. The least I expected was for her to be loyal.

“Well, years ago during the Fourth of July, I…” Graham broke into a few more sobs. I held him closer. “I caught her and my brother in the bathroom.”

I brought more toilet paper to clean his eyes from his tears. My heart broke for him. I never knew that he carried this baggage with him.

“Graham.” I said to him while caressing his face. “It’s all in the past. Those people will never hurt you now.”

His fingers began to grab onto my torso. Graham brought me closer to him and almost refused to let me go.

“Don’t hurt me, Spencer. I don’t think I can be hurt again.” He told me.

“I won’t, Graham. I will never hurt you. And if I do, I’ll give you permission to punch me in the face.” I replied. He looked up at me with a serious look. “Nevermind. But my point still stands. I won’t hurt you.”

“I trust you, Spencer. I hope you’ll understand why you’ll never meet my brother.”

“Fuck your brother and your ex. They aren’t allowed to get to know you. You’re too valuable and special for them. Please remember your worth, Graham.”

He kept holding me. The fireworks kept going off outside. The light from the window was different in colors. I pulled out some earplugs and opened the packaging.

“I’m going to place these on. Is that okay?” I asked him, knowing that the booms of the fireworks were bothering him.

“Yeah,” He muttered. I placed the ear plugs in his ear.

I stood up after having to pry his hands off me. Holding out my hand, Graham grabbed it, and I led him to my bed. I allowed him and Juniper to sleep in it and covered him with a blanket. The curtains were closed, and the nightlight was left on.

“Stay here for the night, Graham.” I said, knowing he couldn’t hear me. But I kissed him on the forehead and slowly exited the room.

As soon as I closed the door, I leaned back on it and stared at the wall in front of me. Looking back now, Graham had never spoken about his family. I only found out about his sister on the night we went out drinking.

He has a brother, which I just learned. Graham and his brother are not on good terms. And from the text his sister sent him, which I assume Graham is still close to, he also doesn’t have a close relationship with his parents.

Could the betrayal Graham experienced be the reason he was hesitant to date me? He must’ve been worried that I would betray him like his ex did.

Graham, a man I assumed of, was much more complex than I could imagine. In reality, this man had been showing me how multifaceted he actually was.

My phone let out a notification. It was from the pyrotechnicians who alerted me that the final act would begin soon. I left for outside and rejoined the crowd.

The finale was spectacular. It was amazing, but I had wished Graham would’ve joined me. But I knew that it wasn’t comfortable for him.

People began to leave past midnight. I thanked everyone for coming. Some stayed behind to clean up.

“Great party,” Freddie told me.

“Thanks.” I replied.

“Where’s Graham? I haven’t seen him in a bit.” He asked.

I closed the bag of trash and slung it over my shoulder. “He had an upset stomach and decided to turn in for the night.” I replied.

“Ah. It would’ve been nice to see him enjoy the fireworks. Every year he bails on us.” Freddie said. “Well, I gotta go. Nice job, city kid. You should definitely host next year.” He patted my other shoulder and smiled at me.

It was well into the early morning when everyone had left and the backyard was somewhat clean. I yawned and ended up crashing on the living room couch. All I wanted was to sleep.

13

Spencer Cypress

I must have woken up sometime around noon. My mouth was dry, my hair was feeling oily, and for some reason, my hand was wet.

“Did I…” I checked my groin. No, I didn’t wet myself. Instead, I turned and saw Juniper smiling at me while licking my arm.

“Uh,” I said. Graham walked into the living room and shooed Juniper away.

“Morning!” Graham happily told me.

“Graham? You’re,” I groaned as I sat up. “You’re still here?” I asked him.

“I cleaned up a bit outside and made you something to eat. I hope you don’t mind that I used your kitchen.” He said.

“No, no. It’s fine. Thank you for that.” I realized I had been wrapped in a blanket. My feet touched the carpeted floor as I fully sat on the couch. I looked around the living room and felt that post-party haze.

“Get freshened up. I want to tell you something important.” Graham told me.

I went to the bathroom and showered. I think I knew what he wanted to tell me. He wanted to apologize for venting to me last night. But I’ll make sure to let him know that it isn’t something he should apologize for.

The bed where he had slept had been made. The blankets were folded, and I saw in the trash that Graham had used a lint roller to clean up Juniper’s fur.

I joined Graham at the kitchen table. He made a spread for me to eat.

“Sorry about last night, Spencer. I know I told you something and basically vented without permission.” Graham said.

“Don’t feel sorry for that. You trusted me with something that had been hurting you for a long time.” I replied. I grabbed the syrup and poured a bit on his pancakes. “Are you feeling better now?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Much better.” He said.

Then it fell silent. I looked at my food. My cup of coffee had almond milk in it. That alone assured me that I had someone I could cherish.

“Is she still with him?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Graham replied.

“Sorry, I know this must be uncomfortable for you, so I’ll stop.”

He slammed his utensils down. “Ask me. I’m tired of constantly having to run from this. I know that sooner or later, I will have to confront this.”

“You don’t have to tell me everything.” I told him.

“Just ask me. This is how I can work to move on, by coming face-to-face with what happened.” Graham said. He certainly looked determined. And I want to help him as much as I can.

“How did your parents react to it?” I asked.

“Clancy, my brother, was always the favorite. So, when that happened, they took his side. I protested and refused to come to family events. My parents then threatened to cut me off if I didn’t make up with my brother.

“I refused. So, they stopped paying my tuition. Which meant I had to drop out. I used the bit of money I had to rent a house far away from them. Luckily, Mrs. Alder, the woman who owned this house before you, was nice enough to let me rent the house across from hers.”

I got up and sat next to Graham.

“You’re so strong for facing that, Graham. I wish I could be like you.” I said. I wiped a loose tear from his face.

“I only had my sister to guide me.”

I kissed Graham’s face. “For what it’s worth, your ex lost a catch.” I told him. This seemed to make a smile on his face.

“I haven’t spoken to my parents or brother in several years. And my sister is in low contact with them.”

“I hope you at least punched your brother in the face.”

“Actually, I did. I even broke his nose. If I’m being honest, when I caught them, I felt rage and wanted him to be as ugly so my ex would see that she made a terrible choice.” Graham explained.

Graham was brave enough to tell me about his past. He was strong and pushed through those dark memories. And I should follow that example. I want to be strong like him because I admire him.

“I want to tell you the reason why I moved to Apple Valley.” I said.

“You shouldn’t have to do that.” Graham replied.

“No, I want to.” I sternly said.

He sat closer to me and became quiet. This was his way of telling me that I had the floor.

“Uh, just know that I know what I did was wrong. But I am working to repay what I did. Before coming here, I used to be a secretary for a man named Fergus Manchineel. At first, our relationship was strictly professional. But then, it started to change.

“It started with him completing me, then taking me out to fancy dinners. He bought me gifts and then we started a full blown relationship. But we kept it lowkey because he was married, which I know makes me a scumbag.

“Then, earlier this year, we went on a trip to Reno because he had something to take care of. He got drunk and tried to force himself on me, but I panicked and ended up throwing him off a second floor balcony. He broke his legs and had to be hospitalized.

“Afterwards, I was of course fired and blacklisted. However, I knew that what my boss did was wrong. So, I filed a lawsuit against him. But Fergus, being a man with a lot of privilege, used his connection. Suddenly, I was being stopped by the police and started to be visited by Scientologists.”

I chuckled a bit at that.

“Per the advice of my lawyer and the few friends I had left, I moved away from LA and came here, where luckily there was an empty house at a low cost. That’s why I’m here. Because I’m fighting for my life.” I explained.

Graham had been holding my hand as I told my story.

“You went through all that? I’m sorry, Spencer.” He told me.

“But things are starting to look up. Remember when you took me to Bakersfield? It was to meet a woman who was also a victim of my boss. She agreed to join me and filed a lawsuit against our former boss.”

“So then what about your parents? Is that asking too much?” Graham asked. It was nice hearing him be wary about knowing more.

“My relationship with my parents is… complicated to say the least. I grew up with them looking down at me and picking at everything I did. If I got a B in class or came in second place, I was called a failure.

“When they found out about what I had been doing and the fact that I threw my boss off a balcony, they got angry and haven’t spoken to me. I’m pretty sure they’ve actually been helping my boss to blame everything on me.” I explained.

“I guess we both have our issues we’re suffering from.” Graham said in a light hearted mood.

“I know you’ll see me in a different way. I had an affair with a married man and knew.” I looked down at my lap.

The words my parents told me came back to me. I remembered all their horrible words they called me. The slurs and remarks that attacked my character. I knew what I did was wrong. It’s something that I regret.

“You did some horrible things, Spencer. But that doesn’t make you a horrible person.” Graham told me.

“Still, I feel guilty. And I’m still not out of the woods yet. I’ve filed a lawsuit and it’s starting to look up, but my ex-boss has tons of resources. I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.”

Graham held out his fork that had food on it. I ate it and he smiled and rubbed my head.

“I believe that good things will happen, Spencer.” He said.

“Yeah, well, I don’t know about that.” I muttered.

“You trust me, right?” He asked. I nodded in reply. “So, trust me when I say that things will get better. It did for me. Which means your turn is coming soon.”

The pessimistic part of me wants to keep believing that all of this will blow over and that I will end up in a ditch. But Graham’s words have given me hope that maybe all this won’t end in misery.

“You’re right. I know that I will win this.” I said, a bit more hopeful. I kissed Graham on the lips aggressively. He was caught off guard. I managed to steal a piece of strawberry from his mouth and eat it.

“Meanie.” He said. I wiped my lips.

“Oh, Graham. You are such an adorable man.” I awed. I stood up and walked to the living room and began to type on my laptop.

“Uh, what are you doing?” He asked.

I looked up. “I’m going to work twice as hard from now on. If I want to actually win this case, then I must not waste a single minute of lollygagging.” I replied.

“Is spending time with me is lollygagging?” Graham asked. I looked at him and saw him looking at me with puppy eyes.

I patted the spot next to me on the couch.

“That’s not what I meant, Graham. I’ll still make time for you. As my boyfriend, you’re my top priority. Why don’t you come over here, bring your breakfast, and join me?” I said.

“Boyfriend…” I heard Graham mutter to himself.

Graham was quick to bring his plate of food and sit next to me. While I typed away and reexamined many documents, he ate his food and watched me, occasionally giving me food.

I guess what my boyfriend reminded me today was that the both of us are people that thought we were done with love. Only for it to find us once again and lead us into each other’s arms.

14

Graham Birch

Spencer was busy for a while. It seemed that my words of encouragement sent him into overdrive and worked twice as hard to win his case.

I still couldn’t believe that I had told Spencer my deepest secret. The only ones who know besides my family is Rick Ginkgo, the delivery driver, and his husband. I guess the trust I had built with Spencer made me find comfort in him.

Was it smart of me to tell him that? I think so. He’s a nice person and even told me his reasoning for being here. Whether we like it or not, the two of us came here running away from something.

Never knew I’d have someone to trust deeply again after all this time.

Spencer was gone for the day. He had to go to LA for something about his case. While he has preferred to not tell me of all the details because he said it’s too confusing, he has assured me that things are going great.

For the day, I finished my work and did my chores.

My sister began to call me. Spencer had let me know that he would be coming in an hour.

“What do you want?” I asked her.

“You know exactly why, Gram.” she teased.

I let out a groan. “It’s going good.” I said.

“That’s it?” She asked. “Give me something more than that.”

“We’ve been going strong. Last night, we talked on the phone until midnight. We would have talked more but he had to go to bed early.” I replied.

“And how are you feeling about having a boyfriend?”

I stared out the window that faced Spencer’s house. “It’s taking some getting used to. I never expected to date again, let alone date a guy. But I’m happy. And I like him that much.” I replied.

“I’m proud of you, Gram. You’ve come a long way since that day 8 years ago. You should take a day off from work and take Spencer somewhere nice.”

“Like a date?” I asked.

“Well, yes. That’s what people do when they date. I’m sure Apple Valley has some nice places around for two men to have a date. Make that your number one priority.” She told me.

“Alright. I’ll try to do that. But Spencer has been busy with work. How do I manage to convince him to take time off?”

“Do that thing you do with your eyes. Trust me, he’ll fall for it.”

“Bet.” I replied. “When are you and Amir coming to visit again? I’d love for the two of you to meet the man himself.”

I could hear her daughter screaming in the background. “Soon, Gram! I promise I’ll make time before the school year starts back up.”

The phone call ended with the promise that my sister and her family would visit us eventually. I sat back and watched as, right on cue, a black car pulled up to Spencer’s driveway.

Spencer got out of the car, still wearing a fitted suit, and talked to whoever was in the passenger seat. Then the car drove off. Spencer, instead of entering his own house, skipped over to my front door.

He knocked aggressively and only stopped when I opened the door.

“Graham!” He threw himself on me and began to kiss my face. “Oh, how I miss you!”

I felt my face heat up. “Was today good?” I asked.

“Good? It was amazing!” He said. He looked up at me with amazement.

“Tell me all about it. I made us some dinner in case you’re hungry.”

“I could eat a horse.” He mentioned. I led him inside the house and served us dinner.

“So, what is my boyfriend so excited about today?” I asked.

“We think we might have my ex-boss trapped in a corner. My lawyer managed to go through some old files and found that my old boss had sent an email accidentally to another coworker of a similar name. The coworker remained anonymous but nevertheless we’ve got something.” He told me.

“Which means?” I asked.

“We got his ass.” Spencer told me.

I could only be happy for him. Spencer’s case, while I don’t know much about it, is an interesting one. I asked him what he’ll do when it’s over. But even he doesn’t know about his future. I hope I’m in it, at least.

“Is there going to be a trial?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s scheduled for August.” He replied.

Juniper begged for some food. Spencer asked me if he could feed the dog some. I figured why not.

“You should get a pet.” I said.

“I’ve thought about it. But then who would look after it if I’m gone?”

“Me!” I eagerly said. I quickly slunk down in my seat when I saw how overly excited I was. “I mean, I’ll do it. I can look after it.”

“Perhaps. Maybe when the trial is over.” Spencer said.

After dinner, Spencer and I watched a movie in my living room. It was a ploy for me to get him to stay with me longer.

“Look! This is the scene when she finds out he had been writing to her after she left!” Spencer said.

I couldn’t be bothered to look at the TV. My attention was all on him. Something must’ve happened to me in the last few days because I’ve seemed to have found myself falling more for him.

“Ugh! I cried the first time I watched this movie.” He said.

“Mm, yeah.” I muttered.

“They say love is dead. But it’s not. It’s just… being changed. Ya’know?” He asked me. He turned and saw me staring at him. “What? Is there something on my face?”

He began to rub his face using his fingers. I grabbed his wrist and brought them down.

“It’s what isn’t on your face.” I replied.

“Huh-” He asked. I brought my lips onto his face and began kissing every part of it.

Spencer began to chuckle and mention how it tickled. My kisses led from his face to his neck. I could smell his cologne that he had put on earlier that day. A nice woody scent, like pine. The smell also mixed with his aftershave.

He eventually stopped paying attention to the movie. Spencer’s hand began to grab at my hair, grabbing handfuls in his fists.

My hunger for him has only been growing in recent days.

Finally, I let go of him and admired him. His face was flushed red, and he was breathing heavily.

“That was unexpected of you.” He said.

Spencer sat up on the couch. He brought his hand to cup my cheek.

“Did you get it out of your system?” He asked me.

I shook my head. “Nope.”

Chuckles were let out. He grabbed both of my hands and placed a kiss on the back of them.

“Let’s go on a date!” I quickly said.

“A date?” He muttered. “Hm, sure. Let’s go on one. We’ve been dating for a while and haven’t done so.”

“I’ll find a nice place. Let me do all the work, please?” I begged.

“No need to be desperate, Graham. Do what you want. I’ll still go regardless.” He replied.

“Yeah!” I cheered.

Spencer pulled out his phone and checked the time on his phone.

“It’s getting late. I should go back.” Spencer said. I gave him a few more kisses all over his face until I was running out of air to breathe.

“Breakfast tomorrow?” I asked. I handed him his coat and then escorted him to the front door.

“Yes. I’ll swing by tomorrow. Would you mind if I did my work at your house, actually?” He asked.

“Why?”

“I feel weird in my house. Ever since the Fourth of July, I’ve been feeling like I wasn’t alone in my house.” He told me. “I hear scratching on the walls when it gets really quiet.”

“Is it a ghost?” I asked.

He patted my head. “It could be a rodent, maybe. I’ll call the exterminator soon.” Spencer said. “Well, I should head out now. Good night, Graham!”

“Night!” I replied. Spencer gave a pet to Juniper before exiting my house and quickly running to his side.

I watched from my side as he entered his home and quickly turned on the lights inside his house. I let out a giggle and wondered if he was scared of the dark and needed someone to protect him.

15

Spencer Cypress

I wanted nothing more than to be able to sleep peacefully at night and wake up tomorrow and spend more time with Graham. He’s been an amazing boyfriend over the past few weeks, and I could count on him.

And yet, I can’t even get a proper night’s rest. Some point during the night, I began to hear scratching on the wall. This had been going on for a while. While I used to think it was house settling noises, it began to get louder.

As the scratching got louder, I sat up and tried to hear where it was coming from. When I found out where it was coming from, the wall next to the bathroom, I approached closer and scanned the area.

“This is how you die, you fucking dumbass,” I muttered to myself.

I pressed my ear against the wall. The scratching was indeed coming from there. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened next.

A loud screech came out from the wall. I jumped back and landed on my ass.

“Fuck this!” I shouted. I ran out of the house, not even bothering to put on slippers, and ran to Graham’s house.

I pounded on his door for a few minutes. Juniper began to bark. Finally, when my boyfriend opened the door, I jumped in his arms and hugged him.

“Spencer?” He asked.

“Graham! You have to help me! There’s something in my house!” I told him.

“Calm down.” He told me. He saw I was barefoot and gave me some slippers to wear. He stepped out and walked with me to my house.

It was the only thing I could think of. I wasn’t going to sit around and just wait for whatever that was to come and kill me.

“Where did you hear it?” Graham asked. I stood behind him.

“My room.” I told him. He assured me that he was going to take care of things.

I showed Graham where I heard the screeching from. Instead of freaking out like me, he instead took charge and listened closely.

“Interesting.” He muttered. “Do you have a hammer?” He asked me.

“Uh, no?” I replied. He gave me a look. “I’ll go check.” I said.

I did manage to find a hammer under the sink in the kitchen. I gave it to Graham and watched him hit the wall with it.

“I might have to break the walls.” He told me.

“What? No way!” I retorted.

“I don’t think it’s a monster. And I’ll fix it afterwards.” Graham said.

I huffed. “Fine. But if it’s the Babadook or something like that, I’m throwing you first.” I said.

Graham smiled and rolled his eyes. I watched as he began to break holes into the wall. Every time he banged the hammer on the wall, I cringed on the inside.

“Anything?” I asked.

“No- Wait, yes!” He alerted me. I got closer to him and watched as Graham stuck his arms into the hole.

He pulled them out and made the hole bigger. With both hands inside, he felt around until I saw his arms flex, meaning he was grabbing something. When he pulled out his hands, he held something in hands.

“Hang on,” Graham told me.

Upon closer look, I saw he had pulled out a ball of black fur. It began to move, causing me to jump back and hide inside the bathroom.

“Ew! Ew! Get it out!” I said.

“Hang on, Spencer. Look!” Graham said. I looked out and saw Graham holding the ball of fur.

“Is that a chicken?” I asked in awe.

“Huh? No,” Graham looked at me like an idiot.

“Sorry. Pop culture reference.” I said. I got out of the bed and walked over to him. “It’s a cat!” I eagerly said.

“Yup. Looks a bit terrified.” Graham said. He inspected the cat as it barely moved around. “Let’s feed him. He looks hungry.”

“So, it’s a he.” I mutter. Graham and I took the cat downstairs. I began to search around my kitchen for something to feed him while Graham inspected the cat.

I managed to find a can of tuna I wasn’t planning on eating. I did some research and diced up some carrots on the side.

“How is he?” I asked.

Graham was looking at the cat on the living room floor.

“He looks a bit shaken up.” Graham said. The cat let out a fierce hiss. “And he’s feisty too.”

I brought the food in front of the cat. He hissed at me. But I didn’t let this deter me. I managed to place the plate in front of him directly.

“Is he eating?” Graham asked.

We waited as the cat smelled the food. Then he began to eat. “Yes!” I cheered. Graham and I cheered for joy and hugged each other.

“Look at him go.” Graham mentioned. “Poor thing. Must’ve been starving.”

“But how did he get in the walls? And how long has he been there?” I asked.

“This has happened to many people here. During the Fourth of July, cats will enter homes to avoid the loud noises. My guess is this little fella snuck inside during the fireworks show. As for how he’s lived, he’s probably been feeding off a dead mouse or something.” Graham explained.

“A mouse?” I gagged.

“Who knows? Maybe you can keep him, and he’ll kill all of them for you?” He suggested.

I looked down at the cat as he ate away. “I don’t know. Isn’t getting a pet like, a big deal? I don’t know if I can look after him.”

“Cats are quite independent. I’m sure you can look after him with little effort. Though some do become incredibly attached to their owners.”

The cat finished its food quickly. I brought over a bowl of water for him to drink up.

“Still, we should get him to a vet and maybe ask around if someone is missing their cat. Based on how big he is, I reckon he’s no more than 6 or 7 months old.” Graham said.

“Where will he sleep?” I asked.

Graham smirked at me. “I’m sure you’ve got a spare room.”

I relented. It’s not like the cat was going to murder me in the middle of the night. And at least I know it’s not a monster in the walls. Just a starving cat.

I kneeled next to the cat. It hissed at me. I examined it more. His fur was entirely black. And its eyes were a bright yellow.

“You’re going to pay rent at some point.” I muttered to the cat.

Graham laughed.

My clock on the wall told me that it was past midnight.

“Shit! It’s late.” I said. “Sorry, I disturbed your sleep.”

“It’s okay. This was a fun mini adventure.” He said.

“Go back home. I’ll finish up here and take care of this little guy.” I said.

“Okie dokie. But if you need any help, just run back, with shoes this time, and call me.”

I pushed Graham out of my house and watched him as he went home.

“Damn, I still have his slippers.” I said. I then turned my attention to the little cat. He had moved under the couch. I could barely make out his tail sticking out.

The cat must still be a bit shocked. Being stuck in the walls for days and then seeing light and suddenly being ogled by two giant men would frighten anyone.

“Hey! Kitty! Let’s get you somewhere to sleep.” I told the cat. I looked under the couch and saw him looking at me with his bright yellow eyes. “Awe, you’re actually adorable.”

He let out a hiss.

“Fuck you too.” I said. “Look, it’s been a long night. I’ll let you sleep here if you promise to behave. You’re not some animal… well.”

The more reasonable option was for me to sleep in the living room and keep a watch on him. Which is what I did. I brought down my blanket and slept on the couch.

“Night, kitty! I’m going to sleep now! Don’t kill me in my sleep.” I called out.

I was expecting a reply. I simply dimmed the lights and turned in for the night. A cat wasn’t on my agenda for this week. Though, this entire stay has been one crazy rollercoaster.

16

Spencer Cypress

There wasn’t a vet nearby in Apple Valley. Apparently, when an animal is injured, most people here just pray that it’ll survive or take it out of its misery. We drove over to the town with the cat in a box that he seemed to enjoy fondly.

It doesn’t seem that the cat had much problems. It was a little dehydrated and starving but we were recommended some tips.

After passing by a pet store, we began to make our way home. I had the box in my lap with the cat curled up inside.

“Juniper seems to be fond of the cat.” Graham said.

“I don’t think he’s too fond of Juniper, though.” I replied.

“What are you going to name him?” He asked me.

“Is he my cat now?” I asked.

“Well, he seems to tolerate you the most. It makes sense. And you could have someone that can keep you company.” Graham told me.

“I have you, though.” I replied.

“Still. And look at him. Isn’t he adorable?”

I opened the box, peeked inside, and saw the cat looking up at me with its large eyes.

“Fine.” I muttered.

Graham drove us home. He carried the new cat stuff to my house while I carried the spoiled prince in my hands. Inside, the cat quickly ran under the couch after being chased by an eager Juniper.

“You’ve got this, right?” Graham asked.

“Ee-yes.” I replied with hesitancy.

“Good.” Graham hugged me out of nowhere. He crushed my head into his chest, which I didn’t mind much.

“Don’t forget we’re supposed to have a date soon.”

“I haven’t. Are you free this Friday night?” He asked.

“Uh, I think so. I have a meeting with my lawyer, but it should end soon.” I replied.

“Perfect!” He almost jumped while still hugging. “Oh, I’m so excited. I haven’t been on a date in so long.”

“Can you let me go now? I think my rib cage is puncturing my lungs.” I grunted out. Graham let me go and fixed my messy shirt.

“There we go. You look snazzy now.”

I knew I was blushing while looking at him. But I didn’t bother to hide it.

“Uh, Spencer? Can I kiss you?” Graham asked me. He looked a bit ashamed to make such a request.

“Go ahead, Graham. Do you want to kiss me on my cheek or forehead?” I asked.

I was caught off guard when Graham grabbed my face and forced a kiss on my lips. For a moment, I was caught off guard until I eventually relented and felt myself calm down.

With an open eye, I saw Graham deep into the kiss as his eyes were shut closed and his face also turning a deep shade of red. I knew he felt me smirking.

Graham’s shoulders slumped down, his grip on my face loosening. “I knew it.” I heard him say.

“Knew what?” I asked.

“Come, Juniper. We need to get to work.” He called. Juniper left the couch and joined Graham. “Bye, Spencer! I hope to see you later!”

“Wait! What do you mean ‘I knew it’?” I called out. Graham had already ran across the street with his dog in tow. He quickly turned and winked at me before going back inside his house.

I stood confused for a bit before closing my door. I kneeled next to my couch and saw the cat down there looking at me.

“They’re weird, right?” I asked him. The cat stared at me with its large yellow eyes. Its black coat made it blend into the shadows. It was essentially a void looking at me.

I started lunch quickly and set up the cat’s litter box and food. He seemed to enjoy eating, though he was a bit standoffish when I tried to get close.

“Cat! I have work to do. Try not to bother me.” I said. I threw a rat toy and watched him attack it while I set some music on and read over my emails.

More emails had come in from my lawyer. He sent me some documents to scan over. Then I also kept searching through my email history for more evidence against my former boss.

I looked up from my laptop and saw the cat standing next to the speaker.

“You like the song?” I asked him. The cat stretched himself before loafing on the floor.

I smiled to myself.

“I’m guessing you like Buddy Holly, huh?” I asked, expecting a reply. “Hm, well, I can’t name you Buddy. I’m pretty sure that’s a dog name.”

The cat had its eyes closed.

“Holly?” I asked. I searched online and saw it was a gender neutral name. “Holly! Pspsps. You like that name?” I asked him.

The cat looked at me. It was hard to read him. But I’m just going to assume that he likes it. If not, then he should’ve said something.

“Holly it is. That’s your name now. So don’t complain about it in the future.”

I looked at my reflection in a mirror.

“I’m going fucking crazy.” I muttered. I slapped my head before looking back down to my computer and continued working.

After a few hours of working, I shut my laptop and got ready for dinner. Graham sent me a few pictures of Juniper, my Daily Dose of Juniper as he refers to it.

Holly ate his food while I ate mine. There was silence between us, which was a bit calming, but I did miss the chaos from my neighbors.

Going to sleep seemed to be easier than last night. Holly settled in her own bed. And by that, I mean my bed. She had perched herself in the middle of my bed.

“You have your own bed.” I sighed.

Holly had the nerve to look at me then landed his head on my linen blanket.

“You’re getting cat hair on my things! Kitty!” I whined.

In the end, I ended up sleeping at the end of my bed, almost falling off in the middle of the night. I woke up with my back hurting. Holly seemed to be peacefully rested.

There was a quick knock on my door. I opened it and saw Graham with a large bag in his hands.

“Graham-”

Juniper quickly ran into my house and began to chase Holly. Holly climbed up the jungle gym I had built him and looked down at Juniper like he was lower than him.

“Juniper! Where are you manners?” Graham said.

“It’s fine. I don’t think Holly minds it.” I replied.

“Holly?” He asked.

“Huh? Oh, I named him already. Holly.”

Graham smirked. “I guess you’re getting attached to him already. Anyways, I brought things for breakfast.”

He walked in while I shut the door. “Why? I mean, I appreciate the gesture and company.”

“Because I felt like it. I woke up with the desire to see you and figured I’d make you breakfast since you’ve been eating microwavable French toast for the past few days.”

I shook my head. Of course, he knows what I’m eating. And of course he wants to make me something to eat.

“At least let me help.” I told him.

“Then come on.” He turned and winked at me.

I rolled up my sleeves and joined him in my kitchen. Strangely, the two of us were able to cook perfectly together. I didn’t feel bothered by someone else being in the kitchen with me.

While Graham set our food, I prepared the food for the animals. I opened the windows, turned on the music, and then we ate breakfast in peace.

“I have our date ready.” Graham told me.

“Can I ask where?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Just know that it’ll be a town favorite. I want you to see the best of Apple Valley.”

“I trust you, Graham. You better not take me to some commune and make me join a cult.” I replied.

Graham giggled. “I won’t. Trust me.”

Holly had perched himself next to a window while Juniper hoped to play with him. Meanwhile, Graham and I cleaned up, sat on the couch, and decided to put a movie on. Today might just be a lazy day for us.

17

Graham Birch

Spencer took over an hour to get ready for our first date which had been set up by me. But, in my opinion, it was worth it because he came out in one of the snazziest outfits I had ever seen. 

“Great, I feel under-dressed now.” I said. 

“Oh, nonsense. I’m dressing up for myself, and a bit for you.” Spencer replied. His hand landed on my shoulder. “And, in my opinion, this shirt looks incredible on you.” 

“It’s just a white shirt.” I replied. 

“And a good one at best.” He said. 

I turned on the car and pulled out of my driveway and onto the road. The windows were rolled down while the radio played some early 2000’s pop songs. 

“Do you think Holly is gonna be okay by himself?” Spencer asked. 

“Didn’t you buy a camera or something like that to look after him?” I asked.

Spencer showed me his phone. The screen was a live feed of his living room. Holly was perched on top of his jungle gym and had his eyes closed. 

“Yup! Still getting used to knowing him. He really likes to act like my house belongs to him. He’ll sit on my laptop or use my clothes as make-shift beds.” He explained. 

I chuckled at this. It was nice seeing Spencer put so much effort into caring for Holly. Though, that extra attention was being taken away from me. 

Am I jealous of a cat?

“So, where are we going? Is there some romantic high-end place here? Or a hidden gem that not even the influencers know about?” Spencer asked me. 

“Definitely not high end. Hidden gem, probably.” I replied. “It’s a town favorite, The Sweetie Kiwi.”

“Sounds… sweet.” He chuckled. 

“Indeed, it is. It’s a bit on the pricier side compared to the places here. But boy, is their stuff worth it! Trust me, you’ll like it.” I told him.

Spencer seemed excited in his seat. 

I drove through the long empty roads until I reached the main town. One of the more modern and recently made buildings had the sign ‘The Sweetie Kiwi’ at the front. Spencer awed at the place, practically wanting to jump out of his seat as soon as we parked. 

“This place looks so chic!” He gawked.

“Hold your horses, Spencer. I can see how excited you are.” I told him. 

I got out of my truck and opened the door for him. He thanked me and we made our way to the front booth. I gave my name, and we were taken into the restaurant. 

“Woah. This reminds me a bit of Banzarbar.” Spencer mentioned. 

“Huh?” I asked. He brushed me off. I took out his chair and let him sit. 

“Wait. Is this okay? Aren’t people going to react if they see two guys on a date?” Spencer asked.

“Nah. Apple Valley is one of those chill places. This town has a history with the Knights of the Clock and that kind of stuff. But if this were Texas, that would be a different story.” I explained.

“So… we’re good?” He asked for confirmation. 

“We’re good. We can hold and kiss freely.” I said. “I-If you want, that is! I don’t mean to say that we have to kiss or anything! It’s only the early stages and,” I quickly stuttered. 

“Calm down, Graham.” He let out a small chuckle. 

“Right, sorry.” I muttered. I scanned the menu. “Order what you want, I’m paying.”

“You sure? These prices look kind of… pricey.” 

I tilted my head and looked at him. “I have quite a bit of money, Spencer. I may live modestly, but I still have some cash in my pockets.” I replied. 

“In that case…” Spencer said. When the waiter came, he went ahead and ordered one of the more expensive steaks on the menu and requested some type of wine that would’ve twisted my tongue if I tried to pronounce it.

The lighting in the restaurant was dim, but the lamp above us made it feel like we were in our own little world. I caught myself just staring at Spencer while he talked about things that would never make sense for me. 

But they didn’t have to. So long as he talked, I was entertained. 

“And so, she said ‘$34 cashews taste so much better.’ And I was like, ‘It’s just Erewhon. Nothing special about it.’” Spencer finished his story.

He cut a piece of his steak and ate it. I grabbed a napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth. He was taken aback for a moment before leaning in closer for me to clean him. 

“Sauce.” I replied.

Spencer nodded. “Anyways, enough about me. What about you? Any fun stories that took place BS?” He asked.

“BS?” I asked back.

“Before Spencer.” 

I chuckled at this. “Uh, I don’t really have anything. My life has sorta been boring. Though, when my sister visited a few months back, she put my niece in this horrible overalls. And she made the mistake of using Juniper’s turmeric soap, so her skin was yellow. She looked like a Minion.” 

Spencer laughed as I told the story. I noticed he covered his mouth whenever he laughed. And I wondered why he was ashamed of showing his laughter. 

Right before dessert came, I heard a person calling my name. I turned and saw Rick Ginkgo and his husband walking towards our table. 

“If it isn’t Graham!” Rick teased. 

“Damn it,” I muttered. 

“Am I interrupting something?” He asked. 

I stared at him blankly. “Well, what do you think?” I asked. Rick smirked and turned to Spencer.

“Hi, I’m Rick Ginkgo. And this is my husband, Emile Maple.” Rick introduced him. 

Spencer smiled. “Hi! I’m Spencer! Nice to meet you two.” He stood up and shook their hands. “Are you friends of Graham?”

“No.” I replied.

“Yes.” Rick replied. “I don’t mean to brag, but I was the one who led him into eventually asking you out.”

“Really?” Spencer asked. “Well, why don’t you two join us? We’re just about to have dessert and it would be nice to get to know another gay couple here.”

I made a face to Rick to subliminally tell him not to accept Spencer’s request. But he winked at me and joined us. Emile had a stoic face, common for him. 

The waiter came by and took our orders. Then Spencer proceeded to bombard Rick and Emile about everything. Work, family, their relationship, and everything else in between. 

Rick leaned over to me while our partners were busy. “Sorry, man. But I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see you get flustered.” He whispered.

“You owe me for this.” I told him.

“I’ll bring you some of Emile’s rose croissants.” 

That was enough to get me to shut up. 

I couldn’t say that the date was bad. Because Spencer and I still had fun, I hope. I didn’t expect it to become a double date, but I think it didn’t ruin it. 

I paid the bill (only for me and Spencer) and the four of us walked outside. It was now getting darker outside. 

“Thanks for this fun date!” Spencer said.

Emile nodded in confirmation. “We should meet up again sometime. This time, we should plan it ahead instead of intruding.” He said while alluding to his husband. 

Rick looked away, becoming interested in a job poster on a telephone pole. 

I unbuttoned the top of my shirt as the heat was getting to me. Rick patted my back. 

“You did good, Graham. I’m proud of you.” He said. 

Maybe it was the high of the emotions or just because I was happy, but him telling me he was proud of me made me feel giddy on the inside. 

“Thanks.” I cleared my throat. “Now go home already.” 

Rick grabbed his husband and the two left for their car. Spencer waved at them until they were out of sight. He then turned to me and jumped into my arms, giving me a hug. 

“Thank you for this amazing date!” He said. 

“Uh, of course!” I replied. I looked away because Spencer was looking at me like I was something important. 

“I know it didn’t go as planned. But either way, I liked it and want us to have more of these.” He told me. 

I could see from the corner of my eye him pouting. 

“Look at me, Graham.” He told me. I turned slowly. He was still looking at me. The light from the telephone pole brightened his amber eyes with a bit of green on the edges. 

My hands came to hug him back and press him close. I leaned my back on my truck while the two of us kept looking at one another. Spencer’s lips curled into a smile. 

“Can I kiss you?” He asked.

“You told me that I don’t have to ever ask you. Well, the same goes for you.” I told him. 

He leaned up and placed a kiss on my lips. I returned the kiss as. His mouth had hints of chocolate and mint from the dairy-free ice cream we had eaten. 

“Let’s go home now.” He said. I placed a small peck on the tip of his nose before letting him go. 

“Okay.” I muttered. We got into my truck and started the drive home. 

On the drive home, Spencer had a large smile on his face like he was satisfied. But I knew I wasn’t. I wanted more of him and it was getting harder to control it.

18

Spencer Cypress

When mid-August rolled around, it seemed that the work began to pile up more. As the court date was on the horizon, I knew I had to get everything prepared and ready for whatever may come.

As for Graham and me, there are no words to describe how I feel. I had placed walls up that I thought would protect my vulnerable heart. But in reality, it was isolating.

Graham then came in, slowly chipping away at those walls and coming to my rescue. I had feared that I would be hurt, only for me to be healed.

I couldn’t say that my life was perfect. There are many issues that are still present. At least there’s a few things in life that seem to bring me happiness and give me a purpose to wake up in the morning.

My lawyer sent me a list of possible questions I would ask during the trial. I read them while I placed Holly on a tall chair as if he was the judge.

“Alright, next question.” I said to myself. “So, Mr. Cypress. On the night of January 20, you and Mr. Manchineel attended an event in Reno. He got drunk and you helped him to his room. At any point during the walk from the party to the hotel room did he make any sexual advances towards you?”

I then walked to the couch as if I was on the stand.

“Yes, he did. His hands kept touching different parts of my body, such as my legs and behind. I had to get him to stop being handsy with me because we were in public.”

I let out a groan from exhaustion. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a treat for Holly as a reward for being an impartial judge.

The questions that were going to be asked were all touchy subjects. Some asked about our history and how our relationship affected our work life. Other more arcane questions asked more for personal information.

I needed to take a break from my work. Holly went into a carrier backpack, and I walked over to Graham’s house.

“Good day, neighbor!” I loudly announced. Graham exited a chicken coop, wiping sweat from his forehead. Juniper ran up to me and began to sub himself on my leg.

“Spencer! Hi!” He quickly walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. “I would hug you, but I smell like chicken poop.”

“It’s fine. I came to check out everything here.”

Graham and I walked to a patio where he washed up before serving me lemonade. I let Holly roam around while Juniper trailed him.

“I’m beat. I just want to relax all day.” Graham said.

“Why not take the day off?” I asked.

“Can’t. Maybe in the future if I’m able to expand the business. And even then, I like getting my hands dirty.” He explained.

“Wow,” I awed. “That’s really impressive. I struggle to even turn on a lawn mower.”

“If you want, I can show you a few things around the farm.” He suggested.

“I’m good.” I took a sip of my lemonade. “That kind of work is not for me. I’d prefer to do things in an office or something like that.”

A man had come by and took a break in the patio.

“Graham, we finished with the 3rd sector. It should be ready now.” He said.

“Got it.” Graham replied. “Spencer, meet Mykolas Aspen. He’s one of my closest workers.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” I said. Mykolas also greeted me.

“You’re the city boy that everyone’s been talking about!” Mykolas said. “Nice! I’ve never met someone from LA. Is it true that a jar of peanut butter costs like $15 over there?”

“Uh,” I stuttered.

“Get back to work, Mykolas.” Graham told him. Mykolas slicked his black hair back before smiling at me and running to where he came from.

“He seems nice.” I mentioned.

“He’s a bit of a pain but a hard worker.” Graham replied.

I extended my hand across the table for him to grab them. He understood this and brought his rough hands to grab mine.

“Graham. I want to ask you a favor. But I think it’ll be too much to ask for.” I said.

“You can ask me for my kidney, and I’d give it to you.” He told me.

I paused. “I- Well, maybe that’s too far. But I appreciate the gesture.” I said. “Anyways, my court date is coming up and it’s going to be hard. I was wondering if you’d come with me to LA and be there for support.”

Graham leaned closer. With full determination, he said, “I will absolutely be there for you. Till the end of the earth.”

My face began to heat up.

“Great,” I said. “Uh, there’s a few things you’ll need to do.”

“Anything.” Graham said.

We both looked over to Juniper and Holly. They were both in the grass, with Holly basking in the sun and Juniper a bit away but keeping guard.

“Are you confident about the case?” Graham asked me.

I shrugged. “Can’t say I’m overly confident. There have been times when I felt like this case would go in our favor but other times, I felt like I could lose.”

“What would happen if you win?” He then asked.

“My former boss would have to retract everything he said when he called me a liar. I and Amelda would receive a settlement. And he also might be criminally prosecuted. It’ll also give me leeway to sue him for defamation and libel.” I explained.

He let out a huff. “So, you’ll be going from one case to another. Are you sure that you’re up for that?” He asked.

“I have to do it. I need that man to face the full consequences of what he did. Too many other people haven’t had the privilege. It’s the least I can do for me and them.”

Graham got up from his chair and sat next to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and rubbed it.

“Then I will be there for every trial. Just don’t be afraid to reach out to me.” He said.

“Just don’t get annoyed of me.” I chuckled.

“I should be saying that to you. I feel like Velcro the way I’m stuck to you.”

Graham had to get back to work after our conversation. I put Holly back in his carrier and I took him home.

I finished up the last of my work. Right before I went to bed, I called Graham on the phone.

“Is there a spider or did a raccoon get in?” Graham quickly asked.

I sat up from my bed and saw Graham pressed against his window staring at me. I chuckled on the phone.

“No danger here.” I said. “Just wanted to call before going to bed.”

“Oh, well, what do you want to talk about?” He asked.

“Anything. The wind, chickens, tomorrow.” I replied.

“Hm, I have a scheduled phone call with my sister.”

“Your sister? Rebecca, right?” I asked.

“Yes, her! She’s a few years older than me. She’s also married to her husband, Amir. They have a daughter, my niece, Angela.” He explained.

“Are they the only ones in your family you still talk to after what happened?”

“Yeah,” Graham solemnly replied. “Rebecca doesn’t talk much to them either. She only does it because my parents have threatened to sue for grandparent rights to see Angela.”

“Damn. Your family, besides your sister, all sound like assholes.” I said. He let out a hearty chuckle.

“I said the same thing. But it’s fine. My family was one of those people that tried to give off the impression that we were perfect. So, when we fractured, they tried hard to keep everything together but failed.”

“I’d love to meet your sister one day. It sounds like the two of you share a close bond.”

“She might visit soon. Though, she doesn’t know when. Trust me, you’ll love her. She’s funny, kind, and a bit dramatic.”

I looked out the window. Graham had sat on a chair and looked happy.

“Look out.” I said.

He turned and the two of us looked at each other. He waved at me.

“Can I be honest with something?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

“I’ve never been to LA.” He admitted. “Is it scary? Am I gonna end up being some extra on a movie? Is Caitlyn Jenner gonna run me over with her car? Am I gonna get recruited to Scientology?”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “You’ll be fine. So long as you avoid the dangerous parts, especially WeHo, then you’ll be fine.” I said.

“You’ll be there. Which means that I’m in good hands.” He said.

“We’re both in good hands.” I replied. I let out a yawn.

“Go to sleep, Spencer.” He said.

“Okay, okay.” I relented. “Night, Graham.”

“Night!” He kissed the phone. I watched him do this through my window. He waved at me before going to his bed.

I returned to my bed and stared up at my ceiling. I managed to fall asleep quickly without any trouble. My sleep in recent weeks has been more satisfying.

19

Spencer Cypress

As soon as the black car pulled up in the driveway, I walked out of my house and walked to the driver’s side.

“Whoo! And I thought Pasadena was hotter than hell’s ass.”

“Phoebe!” I said. She flicked her brown-blonde hair to the side and put on her sunglasses.

“Spencer! Ugh! Come here, babe. I miss you too much.” She hugged me. I caught a whiff of her strawberry perfume.

“Thanks, again, for agreeing to take us.” I told her.

“Of course. We should head back right now before rush hour. Where’s your boyfriend?” She asked, scanning around the area.

“He should be here soon.” I said. Graham walked out of his house with his luggage in hand. I saw him pet Juniper one last time before closing the door.

“Holy… Are you living next to Zane Phillips?” I heard Phoebe mutter.

“Back off.” I said to her. Graham walked over and stood next to me. “Uh, Graham, this is Phoebe Acacia. Phoebe, this is Graham Birch.” I said.

“Nice to meet you,” Phoebe said. Even through her shades, I could see her eyeing down Graham.

“Hi.” Graham softly replied.

“Well, let’s get going now! My boyfriends are waiting for me to come back with Tocaya.” She said.

“Boyfriends?” Graham asked. I grabbed my luggage and took it to the frunk of the car.

“She has a few boyfriends. Ya’know, poly.” I said to him. He blushed and nodded. I also placed his luggage away.

Phoebe began to drive us away from the house. I checked the cameras and made sure the pet sitter knew when to come to feed Holly.

“Oh, baby. Your hair is getting frizzy.” Phoebe mentioned.

“Get off my hair. I’ve been stressed as hell.” I replied.

“So, are you moving back to LA when all of this ends?” She asked. I could see Graham from the back seat looking at me.

“Still don’t know.” I said.

Graham had a smile on his face.

“Oh, I got those Swedish candies you like.” Phoebe signaled to the glove box. I pulled out a bag of sweets she had bought.

“Lifesaver.” I muttered. I gave a handful to Graham.

We arrived in LA a few hours later. Phoebe dropped us off at the Ritz Carlton before she left. Graham looked like a fish out of water as he stood amongst other people.

“Let’s get checked in.” I told him. He simply nodded. I noticed him fiddling with his fingers. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“Uh, yeah. I’m just nervous. What if they hate me?” He asked.

“They won’t.” I told him. He stood nervously as I got our hotel keys.

Once we were settled, I handed Graham the menu for room service to look over while I set up my laptop and took out my papers.

“’Kay, I need to organize these files. You go ahead and eat in the meantime.” I said.

“Is that all you want me to do? Do you need anything else?” He asked.

“Sit there, eat, and be handsome.” I said. He nodded in agreement. He watched me while he ate, sometimes giving me some of his food.

Night came and it was time to turn in. And then the realization hit me, we were going to have to share a bed. Curse Phoebe. She booked this room and definitely did this on purpose.

“Look, Graham. As much as I like you and wish for nothing more than for us to be all touchy-feely, that’ll be for some other time.” I told him.

“I-I wasn’t planning on doing anything!” He retorted with a blush on his face. “But could we, perhaps, cuddle?” he asked while looking down.

“Cuddling is fine. But if I feel a third arm, we’re going to have problems.”

I got in bed and watched Graham slowly get in with hesitancy.

“Sorry. I haven’t laid next to someone in a while.” He muttered.

“I’m not going to bite you, Graham.” I said. I scooted a bit closer to him and let him place his arms around me. My face became squished in his pecs.

“Uh, Spencer? I think you’re licking me.” Graham said.

“No!” I replied. He chuckled, causing his chest to move. And strangely, that helped me fall asleep in his arms.

I was awoken the next morning by grunting coming from the middle of the room. I sat up and saw Graham doing morning exercises. His face and chest were sweaty. It was certainly a view.

“You’re awake?” He said. He walked to my side of the bed and planted a kiss on my cheek. “I ordered breakfast. I hope that’s okay.”

“Good idea.” I got off the bed and stretched my body. “I have a meeting with my lawyer in a bit. Shower and get dressed.” I told him.

Graham slicked his sweaty hair back. I had to cough and look away.

My lawyer was in the lobby of the hotel waiting for me. He gave me a handshake.

“Mr. Spencer. Shall we get to business?” Bertie asked.

“Yeah. I guess.” I replied. “Graham, you sure you don’t want to go back to the room? It’s gonna be boring.”

“No, I want to join!” He replied. I introduced my lawyer to Graham, who is my partner.

“Let’s get down to it, Spencer. I think the case could swing in our favor. However, there is a chance that the defendants may throw some curveballs.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Keyaki! Hand me the folder.” Bertie’s assistant handed him a manila folder. “They will try to bring up the Christmas party thing from two years back.”

He showed me the folder of a conversation I had with my ex-boss. This was one of the pieces of evidence that makes me worry about the case.

“Also, while we’ve dealt with Gunner Cycads by sending him the cease-and-desist letter, others in your ex-boss’ circle have been making noise. We can go after them, but that process will also take up a lot of time.”

I let out an exhale from my nose. “They are just as guilty as Fergus Manchineel. And when a basket of apples is rotten, you must throw them all away.”

“Got it.” Bertie said. He and his assistants worked to the side while I read over the documents. Graham placed his hand on my thigh to stop me from shaking it.

“You’re strong, Spencer. You can do this.” He whispered to me.

“Thanks.” I replied.

Bertie then turned around with his phone on speaker and placed it in front of us.

“What were you saying, again?” Bertie asked.

“I heard from a friend who works for a PI company that Fergus Manchineel hired someone to follow your client, Mr. Cypress.” The man on the phone said.

I could feel Graham’s hand freeze. I could also feel myself growing cold and sweat started to form on my forehead.

“How long did the tracking go on for?” Bertie asked.

“The records for that have been sealed. But the initials show that Mr. Manchineel hired one of our best, and his rates are quite pricey.”

“Thanks, Linden.” Bertie hung up the call. He gave me a worried look. “I don’t know what they got on you, but they will definitely try to use it in court.”

I looked down at Graham’s hand, then back up. “Could my relationship with Graham affect the trial?”

“Possibly. I can try to discredit any evidence, citing that it was taken out of context, but I think you should also prepare for this instance.”

My lawyer wrote down a few questions that they might ask and told me to look over them. We ended the meeting.

Graham and I returned to my room. The entire time, he was silent and didn’t talk. But he held my hand tightly. It wasn’t until we got inside our room that he hugged me.

“Graham?” I asked.

“I can’t believe someone was following you and I didn’t know.” He muttered. “Someone could’ve hurt you and I would’ve been useless to stop it.”

His fingers began to dig into my skin on my back. I patted his shoulder for him to look me in the eye.

“Graham, you’re doing a good job. I’m safe, aren’t I?” I asked. He nodded. “Be my savior. Protect me from those evil people.”

He then kissed me on the lips. “I’ll be your knight in shining overalls.” He said.

“That’s my man.” I laughed.

I knew that the trial was going to be a hard battle. I was going to have to face people that have hurt and betrayed me. And yet, I think I’ll be able to look them in the eye without running this time.

Because this time, I have someone in my corner to defend me and stand with me.

20

Spencer Cypress

The courthouse was busy. People walked in and out, not knowing that I was going to be fighting a battle that would make or break me.

“Let’s head inside.” Bertie said.

Graham stood next to me in his blue button up shirt, the only formal attire he had. Even his pants were stained in a bit of dirt.

“You ready?” He asked me.

I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m fucking ready.”

We walked inside and made our way to the courtroom. Right outside, I bumped into someone before entering inside. I knew who it was when I saw the Jimmy Choos with black leather.

“Well, well, well.”

I looked up and saw him. Stevenson Oleander, my ex-boss’ right hand man. He had a smirk on his hideous face.

“Asshole,” I muttered.

“Watch it, Spencer. Don’t forget who is the one that is being branded a whore.”

Graham stepped from behind. “Is something wrong, Spencer?” Graham asked. Stevenson looked up to the man behind me.

“I see.” He smirked. “Well, I guess Mr. Revolving Door had already found himself a new man. Word of advice, keep cameras around because who knows what lies he’ll say about you.”

I was going to lunge forward but Graham kept me in place. “Don’t.” He whispered in my ear.

Stevenson walked away and entered the courtroom. My hands were already starting to shake and sweat. But I had to continue. I couldn’t stop now.

Like any standard courtroom, the two sides were split. I sat on the prosecuting side. Though, technically, both sides are prosecuting and defending, Bertie told me not to worry too much about that.

Then he came in. Fergus Manchineel, my former boss, walked in followed by his top-tier lawyers and security. He sat in a wheelchair, which was rolled by his wife. They both had smug looks on their faces.

When he got settled on his side, we all stood up for the judge to come in. Then the jury was settled before we sat.

“This trial is to settle the matter between Spencer Cypress, the plaintiff, and Fergus Manchineel, the defendant.” Judge Alan Lebbeck said. “Mr. Cypress, you claim that the defendant has slandered your name after an incident that took place earlier this year, which affected your work and reputation and is now seeking financial compensation. Is that correct?”

My lawyer stood up. “Yes, your honor.” He said then sat back down.

“And you, Mr. Manchineel. You claim that the plaintiff has made false allegations that threatened your image and marriage. You also filed a counter lawsuit for reparations in damages. Is that correct?”

Fergus’ lawyer, Logan Privet, stood up and confirmed it.

“I will allow the plaintiff to start.” The judge said. My lawyer then stood up.

He presented the argument that our affair originally started but pointed out the power imbalances. My lawyer then mentioned the threats made against me. Luckily, my scouring for hours through old emails paid off as I had evidence of Fergus’ threats.

I saw the jury writing down notes. Luckily, most of the jury members are young people. But I can’t get my hopes up right now.

Then it was time for the defendant to present their case. Of course, it started with the basic victim-blaming. Then they moved on to trying to claim that I was the one who made advances.

Overall, I concluded that their argument was weak. Their entire argument was to take Fergus out of any situation and instead paint me as a horny-sex crazed-incubus.

During the break session, Graham got me a cup of gelato from a place down the street.

“How did you know I like this?” I asked.

He turned away smiling. “Uh, I asked Phoebe. She gave me a list of things that you like.” He scooped a bit of gelato and fed it to me.

My lawyer was reviewing some papers.

“So, how is it looking?” I asked Bertie.

“One can never be too confident. But I’d say it’s going well. And tomorrow with Amelda Sherman’s trial, it will pile on even more.”

Lunch was over and the court was back in session. It was now time for the rebuttals. My lawyer was quick to point out inconsistencies in Fergus’ narrative and brought up the times he came onto me.

Everything was going well until Fergus’ lawyer stood up and said, “We’d like to call Mr. Leon Locust to the stand.”

I was prepared for this. I knew they would bring a witness. Walking up to the stand was an old coworker. I don’t remember much because the two of us worked separately. But I had to send him forms or faxes from Fergus when I worked with him.

“Leon, how long have you been acquainted with Spencer?” Logan Privet asked.

Leon leaned into the microphone. “Uh, about four years.” He replied.

“What kind of a worker would you describe him as?”

“Objection, relevancy.” My lawyer shouted. “Mr. Cypress’ work has no purpose regarding this case.”

Judge Lebbeck looked at Logan. “Sustained. Mr. Privet, ask a question regarding the matter of the case.”

“Very well.” Logan coughed. “Leon, when did you first notice something going on between Spencer and Fergus?”

“It was last year, sometime during October. I came to work after hours because I had left my phone. As I passed Fergus’ office, I could hear the two of them sweet-talking to each other.”

“And at all during this bit, did you hear Spencer sounding like he was forced into it?”

“Not at all.” Leon said. “Spencer was very much into it, too.”

“Objection, your honor.” My lawyer said. “This statement is prejudicial. There is no way to corroborate this statement as it has no basis.”

“On the contrary. Emails and text messages show that Spencer has a pattern of such behavior.” Logan replied. The TV in the courtroom flashed through messages.

“As you can see, Spencer often referred to Fergus as ‘a silver fox,’ ‘sexy beast,’ and even ‘a white horse I’d like to ride on into the sunset.’”

I lowered my head in shame. I was starting to regret bringing Graham. I didn’t want him to see me humiliated in front of him.

“Objection overruled.” The judge said.

When Logan finished his questioning, my lawyer stood up. I hoped he had something up his sleeve.

“Leon, do you pride yourself in telling the truth?” He asked.

“Objection! Relevancy!” Logan shouted.

“This is a point on the witness’s character, which will coincide with his testimony.” Bertie said. The judge allowed it.

“Y-Yes.” Leon stuttered.

“Do you recall what happened on the 5th of August last year? Something about a few missing parcels that never arrived at their destination?” Bertie asked.

“I, it was an honest mistake.” Leon said, becoming flustered.

“An honest mistake? You messed up with a few numbers, which caused an innocent worker to be fired. A lawsuit would have come your way if it hadn’t been for…” Bertie scanned through his notes. “That’s right! Fergus, who covered it up.”

“Leading, your honor!” Logan shouted.

“I am just trying to establish a basis that Mr. Locust here had a pattern of lying at work. The missing parcels were not the first and certainly not the last mistake he has made.”

Bertie turned to the jury.

“Leon here is a liar. He is a cheat, who lets others take the fall for him while he is protected by Fergus. So, I suggest you take his testimony with a grain of salt.” He told the jury.

“Uh- Uh.” Leon stuttered.

“Do you deny that Fergus is protecting you? You’re on the stand.” Bertie said.

“Your honor!” Logan shouted.

“Please answer the question.” The judge said.

Leon let out a loud sigh and hung his head low. “Yes, he is.” He admitted.

Bertie had a satisfied smile on his face. “No more questions, your honor.” He said before returning to his seat.

I gave him a nod, which he returned.

“The trial will stop here for today. We will adjourn in three days.” The judge announced. He slammed his gavel before leaving the courtroom.

I saw Fergus’s jawline clenching. I knew he was angry. His whitened knuckles indicated that. All I could do was let out a sigh of relief.

But the war is far from over. And now, I had to face Graham after he had seen all of that. I hope he doesn’t pass judgment too harshly.

21

Graham Birch

Seeing the court trial felt so… strange. I have seen court scenes in movies and TV shows. But that felt all too real. It was like I was in those movies and TV shows.

Spencer felt a little embarrassed after the trial. He admitted that he was worried that I would see him in a different light. But I didn’t mind it too much. It was something that happened before we met.

And besides, I now have him to myself. No one is touching him. Only me, with permission of course.

Spencer ended up going to Amelda’s trial in support. He told me when he came back that Fergus looked tired.

Then it was time for the second trial. I wore the same shirt, which Spencer washed and ironed for me. However, when we got there, the courtroom was already full. I had to sit in the back, which means I couldn’t be close to Spencer.

The trial began. There were a bunch of legalese used and I couldn’t understand some of the words. But I was able to pick up ‘testimony’ and ‘witness’.

A different man went up onto the stand.

“Please state your name.” Bertie said.

“Alfonso Jacaranda.” He replied.

“You work as a data analyst and head of your department. Which means that you’ve had to report to Spencer on many occasions, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Did you notice anything particular about their relationship at any point?” Bertie asked.

Alfonso leaned back. He definitely had some relaxation to him. “I’m very keen with small details, per my job. So obviously I noticed them both getting chummy with one another.”

“But something changed. Could you tell me what happened on the 23rd of November, please?”

“Yes. It was the company potluck. I excused myself to go to the bathroom. That’s when I heard the two of them, uh…” He trailed off.

“I understand. Did it sound nonconsensual to you?” Bertie asked.

“That’s the tricky part. I did hear Spencer sound hesitant. And Fergus sounded a bit too pushy.”

Fergus’ lawyer objected. The judge sustained his pleas.

“At some point, did you feel their relationship start to change?” Bertie asked.

“Yes. I noticed after that day that Spencer looked upset. Whenever Fergus appeared from behind him, he jumped in fright. I also noticed Spencer wearing clothes to cover his skin. And anyone would tell you that Spencer and turtlenecks go together like oil and water.”

“Relevancy!” Logan shouted.

“Overruled.” The judge replied.

“Would you say that Spencer was uncomfortable in that position? Was he possibly being taken advantage of?” Bertie asked.

Alfonso nodded. “I’m sure. When I volunteered at a shelter for DV victims, there were certain signs they displayed, such as paranoia and keeping to themselves. Spencer displayed all of these qualities in only a few days.”

Bertie turned to the jury. “It’s clear as day that my client was taken advantage of. And his boss used his position to force my client into submitting to him. And if you don’t believe Mr. Jacaranda’s testimony, well then, I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.”

He returned to his seat with swagger. Honestly, I could see some of the female jury members blushing as they watched Bertie.

Logan then stood up and approached the witness stand.

“Alfonso. Part of your job in data is looking at small details. That is what you said, right?”

“Roll the tape, I guess.” Alfonso replied.

“So how come, noticing all these details, you never approached Spencer and offered him help? As you said, you have seen these types of victims before. Surely you saw the signs being written.”

Alfonso scoffed. “Seriously? You’re blaming me, a bystander, instead of the man committing the actual crimes!”

“Allegedly.” Logan retorted.

I tried to sit up in my seat. Spencer had his head down. I wasn’t sure if he was looking. But I knew he was paying attention. I wish he’d turn around and see me.

“I had hoped that Spencer would probably go to HR or speak out. Afterall, it’s hard to get victims to acknowledge that they’re victims. But then the incident in Reno happened.”

“Did you ever go to HR to file a complaint?” Logan asked.

“I tried. But the HR lady is a cousin of Fergus, so you can imagine how that went.”

“There is no record of you ever attempting to file a complaint.” Logan said.

“Really? Well, check the paper shredder. Give me a few days and I’m sure I can assemble something.” Alfonso replied.

“Which means that your testimony is built on your word. And the word of one man is not enough. Your honor, this unus testis, nullus testis clearly shows that the prosecution had no official basis for their argument. It is, once again, built on hearsay.”

“Not true, your honor.” Bertie said, standing up. He grabbed a remote and showed some pictures of the TV.

Luckily, from the back, there were TVs that showed us what was being displayed. I saw pictures of Spencer, only he was covered in bruises. My heart shattered when I saw one picture where he had a bite mark on his neck.

Rage built inside me. I calmed myself down when I saw Spencer sitting up. He was facing it. And I had to be strong with him.

“These are just some of the injuries my client documented as a result of Fergus’ abuse. If you think these were done by someone else, we are happy to do a tooth comparison with the scar.” Bertie said.

Logan turned to the TV. He slicked his hair back.

“Those injuries could’ve been done by anyone. It’s clear that Mr. Spencer wasn’t exactly the most chaste of all people.”

“Objection! We’re here to discuss how Fergus abused Spencer, not to discuss his body count.” Bertie shouted.

“Warning, Mr. Privet.” Judge Lebbeck said.

The trial continued. More emails and text messages were brought up. Both sides argued and made their cases. I already knew that my Spencer was innocent. And it wasn’t a bias. Because to me, who could ever hurt such an amazing man?

At some point, the doors opened slowly and two people walked inside. I didn’t care for them at first until I heard them whispering to each other.

“Has he gone on stand?” The woman asked.

“I don’t think so.” The man replied.

I turned and saw the two of them standing near the front doors. They were both older, probably in their fifties. Their clothes were elegant and fitted perfectly. Even the hair and their heads were perfect as not a single strand was out of place.

And yet, they had a strange aura. I felt off around them. I even scooted a bit away.

“Do we have to be here?” The woman asked.

“You think I want to be here? That boy has caused us enough problems already.” The man replied.

It was then when I felt like I knew who they were, even though I had never met them.

Both had jet-black hair. The mom had amber eyes while the dads were a dark brown. But their skin was pale. And the dad’s face looks exactly like Spencer’s.

I knew then that they were Spencer’s parents. Spencer hadn’t spoken much about his family. From the bits of information he told me, I knew he wasn’t on good terms with them. And I think he alluded to that they sided with Fergus.

I knew I was glaring at them. And the dad turned to me and gave me a stink eye.

“Looks like they let anyone in here.” He muttered.

Before I could reply, I turned back to the court and saw what was happening.

On the screen was a photo of me and Spencer kissing right outside the Sweetie Kiwi during our first date.

Then, Logan stood in front of the jury with a smirk.

“As you can see, if Spencer was truly traumatized by my client, then why has he moved on to some country bumpkin?” He asked.

“Objection! Mr. Cypress’ current love life has nothing to do with how Fergus manipulated and abused him.”

“I’m only pointing out a pattern that Spencer has shown. Which is…” He got a bit closer to Spencer. “That this man can’t live without the need for validation. And when my client stopped entertaining him as much, he started to make up a sob story to get people to feel sorry for him.”

Logan then leaned closer.

“Isn’t that right?” He then said. Spencer lunged forward but was held back. The bailiff stepped in while the judge slammed his gavel. I stood up and tried to move to the aisles to get closer.

“I will have order in my court!” The judge shouted. “Mr. Cypress, keep your anger in control. Mr. Privet, do not try to incite the other parties. As for the photo, I will allow it. But no more nonsense. Not in my courtroom.”

When they saw the photo, Spencer’s parents turned to me and scowled.

“It’s his partner.” The dad said.

His mom just looked at me with disdain. I couldn’t react or else I’d get in trouble. The two left the courtroom.

The court hearing ended then. I rushed over to the bench and saw Spencer looking down at his lap while his lawyer stood with his assistants nearby.

“Spencer?” I asked.

He looked up with tears in his eyes and hugged me. His arms tightly grasped my shoulders.

“Graham.” He sniffled. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

I patted his back. “I’m not mad at you.” I replied.

“Do you see me differently now?” He asked.

I pulled away, looking at his red eyes.

“Yes. Because now I know that you’re stronger than I thought.” I replied.

He wiped his face with a tissue then kissed me on my cheek.

Bertie placed his hand on Spencer’s shoulder. “Listen, the next court hearing, they’re going to call you and Fergus to the stand. Do you think you’ll be able to do it?”

Spencer turned to me. My hands held his tightly in assurance.

“Yeah, I can do it.” He replied.

“Good. Go get something to eat. We’ll talk later.” He said.

I helped Spencer up and took him out of the courtroom. In the distance, I could spot his parents getting into a car. His dad saw me, having no reaction.

While they drove off, I helped their son and comforted him. Spencer didn’t need them. He had me.

22

Spencer Cypress

It was the final court session. And I was going to go face-to-face with the man that had terrorized me for too long.

I knew the time would come. First, Fergus went up. He made a show of him being in a wheelchair and making whining noises.

He looked at me. While his face looked sad, behind his eyes, I knew he was perverting me. Because that is just the man he is.

“Fergus, could you go over the events of the night of January 20 earlier this year?” his lawyer asked.

“Uh,” Fergus muttered.

“You don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable.” His lawyer added. I wanted to scoff. He was being coddled like he was the victim.

“No, I can do this.” Fergus let out a sigh. “We were coming back from the party, and I was a bit tipsy. I think this was a perfect opportunity for Spencer to take advantage of me.”

“Prejudicial statement!” My lawyer retorted. Judge Lebbeck reprimanded Fergus.

“We were on our way back when Spencer began to tease me. I pushed him away because I was drunk and didn’t feel like doing that. When he tried to lean in to kiss me, I pushed him away. I just so happened to also be leaning on the rail. And Spencer got angry that I rejected him, so he pushed me off the railing. Next thing I knew, I had fallen on top of a car.”

I noticed Fergus’ wife sobbing.

“Do you think Spencer had any malicious intentions when he pushed you off?” His lawyer then asked.

“I don’t know. But his intention then was definitely to hurt me. And he is still trying to hurt me today with this farce.”

The lawyer continued to pry questions that were specifically asked about how horrible he felt after the accident. I knew my lawyer would pick up on this too.

Bertie then went up and slicked back his hair.

“Mr. Manchineel. I’m sure you are aware that there is much evidence against you, right?” My lawyer asked.

“I would like to see it.” Fergus replied.

The TV lit up and there were text messages and emails being shown.

“Is this not you? In one message, you call Spencer your ‘second-wife’. And you often sent him heart emojis.”

Logan objected. “Heart emojis mean nothing, your honor. I send my friends kissing emojis. Does that mean I want to kiss them?”

“Do you even have anyone that would want to kiss you?” My lawyer asked. Bertie was reprimanded by the judge.

“He was my assistant. Of course I was close to him. He knows what restaurants I like, he knows how I’m feeling based on the socks I wore, and even the exact temperature of my coffee.”

“And do you think that closeness led to more?” Bertie asked. He walked back to the TV. “I was able to retrieve footage from the Monarch Hotel in Reno, who were happily able to give us footage of that night.”

The TV turned on. The grainy footage, dated of that night, showed me carrying my drunk ex-boss through the hallway.

“As you can see, Mr. Manchineel’s hand is slipping past Mr. Cypress’ hips and towards his behind.”

“My hand just happened to glide there!” Fergus shouted. “I was drunk!”

“And here, Mr. Manchineel has pinned Mr. Cypress right against the front door of their room. Notice my client trying to push him away by placing his hands on Mr. Manchineel’s chest.”

I didn’t want to watch the video. But I had to. Even though the footage was grainy and low quality, my face was easily seen. And it was clear I did not want him to be one me.

“Even if Mr. Manchineel was drunk, it still doesn’t match his original story of Mr. Cypress forcing himself on him.” Bertie explained.

“We would request for this footage to be stripped from the record! It had no basis in the context of this case as we are discussing the harm Mr. Cypress caused and not what my client has or hasn’t done!” Logan shouted.

“On the contrary, Mr. Manchineels actions relate to what led Mr. Cypress to push the defendant from the second floor of the hotel.”

“Overruled, Mr. Privet.” The judge replied.

I turned and saw Graham sitting there. He gave me a smile. And I felt better with that. But when I looked behind him, I saw the two people I dreaded seeing: My parents. My mother glanced at me before turning back forward.

“Your honor, the plaintiff wishes to enact Vincent’s Law.” My lawyer said.

“And the defendant refuses! Vincent’s Law is barely new and has no relevance to this case.” Logan replied.

“According to Article 3 of Vincent’s Law, any individual who makes above $299,999.99 is required to present an invoice of any purchases at the request of a court of law or member of said court. Seeing as how Mr. Manchineel fits those requirements, he is obligated to send us that invoice or face an inquiry and audit on behalf of the IRS.” My lawyer explained.

“And what exactly are you looking for with the invoice, Mr. Areca?” The judge asked.

“Proof that Fergus Manchineel has hired private investigators, bribed his own employees to testify in his favor, and also suspicions of siphoning money from the company.”

The judge leaned back in his seat. “The plaintiff’s request is accepted. The defendant will submit a list of all purchases from all accounts he has. I have yet to see Vincent’s Law be executed, so this should be intriguing.”

Fergus’ questioning ended. Then it was my turn to take the stand.

It was hard to face Fergus. So, I didn’t. I looked away and avoided his eyes. Instead, my vision was set on Graham Birch. He looked out of place sitting amongst the crowd of professionally dressed people.

Wearing only a light blue button, which was slightly wrinkled because I forgot to iron it last night. And his hair was slightly messy, unlike others who were perfectly styled. And yet, I loved him for that.

Graham gave me a reassuring smile. His blue eyes had a sparkle in them.

“Mr. Cypress, could you explain your relationship with Fergus in the initial part of your job?” My lawyer asked.

“I started working as Fergus’ assistant after graduating from Rice University. At first, my job was simple. Paperwork, setting up meetings, all that jazz.” I said.

“And then what started to change?”

I sighed. “Fergus started staying late. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me he was going through a fight with his wife. I offered support and let him know that I would help him. It went on like that. Then the touching started.

“They were subtle at first. Just a tap here on my hips or rubbing my shoulders when he passed by. Then they got more noticeable to where even some of my coworkers asked if there was something going on between us.”

“And how did you feel about his sudden affection, Spencer? Please be honest.” Bertie said.

Graham smiled at me.

“I liked it at first. I was alone at the time and the affection Fergus was giving me made me feel wanted. And I knew it was wrong, so he told me that he and his wife were getting divorced.” I explained. My lawyer showed those text messages on screen.

“Could you tell us when you knew something was wrong between the two of you?” My lawyer asked me.

I glanced down to my lap, feeling tears pierce my eyes. Bertie placed a box of tissues next to me.

“Uh, I sort of came to the realization when he tried to take control of my life. Yeah, he bought me clothes, but he also told me what I should wear. He also began to change my schedule by making sure it aligned perfectly with him. Even on his days off, if he went somewhere, I was assigned to go with him.” I explained.

“By the time prior to the Reno event came along, how did you feed towards Fergus?”

I looked up, looking at Fergus. He could see my face and teary eyes.

“I was disgusted by him.” I said. I could see Fergus’ eyes flinch. For so long, I was afraid to say anything to him. I knew this was my time.

“What went through your mind on the night of January 20, Mr. Cypress?” My lawyer asked.

I explained the first few hours of the event, which went somewhat mundane. I also pointed out how my boss was getting drunker as the night went on and I grew worried.

Then I explained what happened in the moment leading up to when Fergus fell from the second floor of the hotel. When he began to touch me, when I pushed him, and when he fell off.

I knew I was crying when telling the story. And I couldn’t stop crying and speaking. I had spent so much time wondering what I was going to say when I was on the stand.

Would I stutter? Would I be frightened by the judge? And most of all, was I going to falter upon seeing Fergus, the man who had hurt me so much?

But I was brave. At least, I thought of myself as brave at that moment.

“No further questions, your honor.” My lawyer said.

Combined with the camera footage, my co-worker’s testimony, and my testimony, it was no surprise when Fergus’ lawyer couldn’t find anything to question me about.

“Very well,” Judge Alan Lebbeck said. “Fergus, please submit the forms needed as requested by the plaintiff. We will reconvene in five days.”

The court began to file out. I wasn’t surprised to see my parents being the first ones to leave. I wondered what they were even doing here. They said what they said when all of this came out.

“Wanna get something to eat?” Graham asked me as he placed his hand on my neck.

“Yeah,” I muttered.

“You were really brave up there, Spencer. I’m proud of you.” He told me.

I wasn’t sure why, but he saying that to me felt amazing. I really needed someone to tell me that.

On the bright side, once this ends, no matter the results, at least I knew that I put up a fight and didn’t let myself be kicked down.

23

Spencer Cypress

There was something in the air, something festive. My optimism often switched, going from hopeful to dread.

Fergus’ lawyers sent over his receipts. There were strange charges on them, which my lawyer is certain were used for bribery via payout of a shell company.

But my lawyer told me that would be for a different lawsuit. Which will also depend on the outcome of this trial.

As for Amelda’s case, the trial is going to take a bit longer. We’ve met up and she’s leaned on me for support.

The final day for the trial finally came.

Graham had kissed me multiple times before we entered the courthouse. “No matter what happens, I’ll still be proud that you got the courage to do this.” He told me.

“Thanks for being here with me.” I said.

His face turned red as I played with his messy hair. I watched my former boss come into the court house. However, I noticed that it wasn’t his wife who was rolling his wheelchair. Instead, it was his friend, Gunner Cycads.

“Something happened between him and his wife?” My lawyer asked me.

“Probably.” I mentioned. “Look at his face. He’s probably told his wife the truth.”

Everyone took their seats and the judge came in. He went over the case and the jury all filed in.

“This is the matter between Spencer Cypress, the plaintiff who has raised a suit against his former boss, accusing him of spreading misinformation and attempting to destroy his career. Fergus Manchineel, the defendant, who claims that the plaintiff has made false claims about their affair, which has affected his work and relationships.” The judge explained.

My lawyer gave me a reassuring nod.

“Has the jury come to a decision?” The judge asked.

Jury #1 stood up. “Yes, your honor, we have.” He said.

The judge then asked each jury member individually if they agreed with the results that were handed. Each one confirmed.

The bailiff handed the results back to the jury and the first jury member stood up.

“We, members of the jury, find the defendant, Fergus Manchineel, guilty of slander and defamation. We also find the defendant guilty of libel based on text messages sent by Fergus Manchineel.”

As soon as I heard the verdict, my body gave out and I collapsed onto the table. My lawyer eagerly patted my back.

“You did good, kid.” He muttered. I looked up, feeling the tears finally leaving my eyes.

I turned to the audience and saw Graham cheering with Phoebe. He smiled at me and mouthed ‘You did it!’ at me.

The jury finished reading the verdict. Fergus’ face was crestfallen, and his friends didn’t say anything.

The judge took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The jury were all excused.

“Mr. Fergus.” The judge said. “Throughout this trial, it was very obvious that what you did was your own fault. And yet, you continued to push this agenda that the plaintiff was at fault. This pusillanimous farce you created only made you more guilty.

“Hence why, you will be ordered to pay for Mr. Cypress’ legal fees and must pay the amount in damages as stated earlier in the trial. And I am sure that you should expect more lawsuits to come your way from the plaintiff now that the results of this case will give way for such to be filed.”

The lawyer banged his gavel, and the courtroom began to exit. I leaned over the partition and gave Graham the tightest hug.

“You okay?” He asked me.

“Uh,” I stuttered. I was overwhelmed and wanted to keep sitting.

“Can you go get him something?” I heard Graham ask someone. “It’s okay, baby. Take your time.” He muttered in my ear.

Then the tears came. I sobbed in Graham’s hug as he dried my tears. I had spent so long suffering under that man. And now, my name was cleared, and I can finally rest knowing that the world now also knew of what Fergus did to me.

I eventually got enough courage to stand up and walk out of the courtroom.

“Spencer!” My lawyer called. He slicked his hair back. “How are you feeling?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Fine. It’s weird. I should be celebrating. But all I wanted to do now is eat and take a long nap.”

“You’ll get to do that soon. Listen, I know you want all this to end. But I’m afraid it’s just starting.” My lawyer said. He pulled out another packet of paper. “With the verdict today, we can go after Fergus for financial compensation.”

Graham placed a kiss on my cheek. “Do what you think is right, Spencer. No one is forcing you to do anything.”

I nodded at him and took the papers that my lawyer was holding out to me. “Let’s do it.” I said with certainty. “We’ve made it this far. The war has been won, this will be a mere squabble.”

My lawyer nodded, giving me a handshake. He left me with the promise that he would make sure all of this goes by smoother.

Phoebe returned with an energy drink and a snack bar.

“Babe, I went ahead and ordered some food. I’ll have it delivered to your room.” She told me. She then gave me a hug.

“Thanks, Phoebe. For being here and sticking with me.” I said.

“Of course. By the way, some of our ex-friends might try to apologize for not believing you. It’s up to you if you want to bring them back into your life.”

“Are you going to?” I asked her.

“Nah. When someone tells you who they are the first time, you better believe them.” Phoebe replied. “I have an appointment in Pasadena, so I have to head out.”

Phoebe gave me a kiss on both cheeks. She also played with Graham’s hair before leaving.

“I’m beat.” I said.

“Let’s get back to the hotel room. Freddie sent me a picture of Holly and Juniper sleeping next to each other while waiting by the window.” Graham said.

“You’ve gotta send me that photo.” I said. We began to walk to the parking lot. As we did, I noticed two figures standing near the exit.

My fucking mother and father were right there.

“Shit.” I heard Graham mutter. “Let’s take the other exit-”

“No.” I said. “I wanna hear them out. They probably must feel stupid after what happened today.” I said.

My mother and father both lit out their cigarettes and turned to me. Once again, it was hard to decipher their faces. No matter what, they always carried that scowl that I was all too familiar with.

“Spencer.” My mother said. Her voice croaked a bit.

“Do you need something? I figured you got everything you needed today.” I said.

My father huffed loudly. “Spencer.” He ran his fingers through his graying hair. “We did some reflection in the past months. And, well-”

“You finally figured that you had royally fucked up?” I asked.

Both my parents were shocked since I had never dared curse in front of them.

“We just didn’t know what to think.” My mother pleaded. “W-We heard all these stories about you and thought that maybe you were going through another rebellious phase.”

“So, you believed the stories from strangers over your own son? I can’t even say I’m shocked! Because that’s how it’s always been! I’ve always been thrown to the sidelines since I was born! The one time I needed the two of you, yet I wasn’t even given an ounce of compassion!”

I was growing irate and had to calm myself.

“You two should’ve just given me up when you had the chance.” I said.

My mother broke into sobs as she wiped her face with a handkerchief. My father consoled her.

“Spencer, we’re sorry. We truly are. And we’re willing to do anything to make it up.” My father said. His face had fallen. It was the first time I had ever seen him remorseful.

“If anything, these last few months have shown me that I never needed you two. I was perfectly fine without your connections or money.” I spoke. I felt like I wasn’t going far enough with them.

“I don’t need you two, ever again.” I finally said.

The need to punch something was taking over. I walked past them and stormed ahead, leaving them both.

“You two lost someone special. I hope you know that.” I heard Graham say.

Graham caught up to me. He stopped me by pulling me into a hug and not letting go.

“Spencer, did you know there are mountain lions not far from here.” He said.

“Huh?” I asked, looking up. Graham smiled at me.

“Well, you’ve shown so much strength today that I figured you could easily take one down.” He replied with a chuckle.

I patted his shoulders and pushed him away lightly.

“Come on, I’m starving.” I said.

Graham held my hand and began to talk about random things. I turned and saw my parents get into their car and drive off.

Today has been an exhausting day. I felt like I had been holding my breath for so long and can now finally breathe.

24

Graham Birch

I guess I could say that the next few days blew by quickly. Spencer went to Amelda Sherman’s trial to support her. And to no one’s surprise, she won her case against him.

Spencer was waiting for another long trial to come. But Fergus, his old boss, ended up just giving him a large settlement. Apparently, he just wanted to get everything done. And from what Spencer has told me, Fergus has lost his job, his wife, and most of his friends.

So, where does that leave us? Together. Because throughout this entire time, we stuck next to each other. I was there for Spencer, and he was there for me.

We left LA after that and returned home. Juniper was eager to greet me, jumping on me and licking my face. Holly was… somewhat eager to see Spencer. Though, that just might be how cats are.

Life returned back to how it was. Well, kind of. Spencer and I knew that we wanted to strengthen our relationship.

“Uh, Spencer?” I asked him. He was cooking something in the kitchen and waved at me to tell me he was listening.

“Yeah?”

“Now that the trial is done, what do you plan on doing? Got any jobs aligned?” I asked. “I mean- I’m not saying I’m getting tired of you! Obviously! It’s just, well, staying inside must be getting boring for you!” I word-vomited out.

He let out a chuckle. “I’m thinking of something.” He said. “For now, I want to spend this time just getting my mental health back in shape.”

I set up the table and then fed Juniper and Holly.

Spencer poured the almond milk I made him into his coffee.

“And what about you, Graham? Anything you’ve got planned?”

“Work.” I said. “Oh, my sister! She’s visiting soon!” I told him.

“Really? Am I going to get a chance to meet them?”

I nodded. “Yes! My sister has been dying to meet you! She’s also bringing her husband and daughter.”

Spencer and I finished our food and then went our separate ways. He stayed indoors while I went out and got my hands dirty.

“Looks like the pears are ready for harvest!” Someone yelled. I turned and saw Rick Ginkgo walking towards me with a trolley.

“A delivery?” I asked.

“Yes.” He replied. I opened it and pulled out a small box. “What is it?” He asked.

I scanned the package inside. “I think it’s some book…” I muttered.

As I picked it up, I saw it had my name and… Clancy, my older brother. I slowly lowered the book while Rick looked at me confused.

“Something wrong?” He asked.

“N-No.” I stuttered. “It’s just, nothing.” I said. Rick raised an eyebrow but didn’t pry.

“I should head out. Let me know when we can do a double date again. Emile has been wanting to share some recipes with Spencer.”

“Yeah, sure.” I muttered. Rick left while I took a seat on a chair and looked at the book.

I knew what it was. It was a photo book that our mom made for us when we were growing up. I scanned the pages and saw that different photos from different memories were plastered on the scrap book.

At the end of the book, there was a handwritten note that was new.

‘Graham. I know that what I did was unforgiveable. I hope one day we can go back to how things were. I hope we can be brothers again.’

He spelt unforgivable wrong. I don’t know why that was the first thing I thought of. The biggest thing I should be thinking about is how did he get my address?

Surely my sister didn’t give it to him, right? My sister hasn’t spoken to my brother ever since that night. She only talks to my parents because my parents, being who they are, are probably holding something over her head.

They did it to me. And they’ll definitely do it to her.

“Juniper, how good are you at barking?” I asked him. Juniper had his tongue out while looking at me. “Not good, I guess.”

I knew if he knew my address to send me a package, he could come here.

My hands began to freeze as the book was open on the page of the two of us hugging one another during a trip. We were all smiles. Anyone could look at this photo and think we’d be brothers forever.

Flashes from that night began to go through my head. I could still remember the loud fireworks and my mouth faintly tasted like fruit punch.

Juniper had begun to rub his head on my torso. I rubbed his soft fur, trying to calm myself down.

Despite this, I had to get up and continue working. I didn’t dare to touch the book again. Only to bring it inside and put it under the couch.

Spencer came around with Holly and joined us for dinner. I found it funny how Holly already had his own spot next to Juniper’s bowl.

“Graham!” Spencer shouted. I jumped and turned to him. “You’ve been spacing out for a while. Is something on your mind?” He asked.

“Uh,” I stuttered.

He already knows what happened between me and my brother. And I want Spencer to know everything since he was open to everything that happened to him.

“My brother sent me something.” I said. Spencer stopped and his face dropped.

“How did he find out where you live?” He asked.

“I was wondering that too.” I replied.

“Something feels off.” He said. He sat and began to serve the food. “I’ll be on the lookout since I’m always home. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

“Got it.” I said.

“It’s clear that your brother is trying to get back into your life. Whether he’s doing it for good or bad intentions, I don’t know. But I never trust a Greek bearing gifts, so we should keep our senses up.” Spencer said.

“How can you tell?” I asked.

“Growing up in LA, around all types of poshy people, you’re able to distinguish people who give free lunches and those with actual good intentions. Because no matter what, they will always hold an olive branch and sword in both hands.” He told me. “Now, eat your food!”

After dinner, I showed the book that my brother had sent me to Spencer. He was quiet as he scanned through all the pages.

“What should I do with it?” I asked when he finished looking at the pages.

“Hm,” He pondered for a bit. “Do any of these memories bring you any sort of joy?” He asked.

“No, not really.” I truthfully replied. “I just feel indifferent now. I know they’re just memories now and that I’ll never feel like I did back then now.”

Spencer then had a small smirk on his face. “Then why don’t we burn it?” He suggested.

I raised an eyebrow. It didn’t sound like a bad idea. It’s not like I have any attachment to a few photos.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” I said.

Spencer eagerly lit up the fire pit outside, making sure the fire was big enough.

“Here, you do the honors. Do you want to burn each picture individually or throw the whole thing?” He asked.

I opened the book and pulled out a few photos. “Let’s start small.” I spoke.

I threw the first few pictures in the fire. Each one burned away into nothing but ashes. Part of me grew sad at seeing it. But another part just wanted to end this.

After throwing a few more, I decided to throw the entire book inside. I saw bits of tissue paper rising up and glitter started to sparkle. This was what I needed to do.

“Better?” Spencer asked me.

“Much better.” I said, letting out a large sigh of relief. “I feel like a bunch of weight got lifted off my chest.”

“Let’s head inside.” Spencer said, grabbing my hand and taking us in.

As soon as we ended up on the couch, Spencer climbed on top of me and began to kiss me. I leaned back on the couch as he firmly planted himself on my lap.

“Spencer…” I moaned out as his lips ended up on my neck.

“Does that feel good?” he asked softly, muttering into my ear. Spencer bit on the area under my ear.

“Yeah,” I grunted out. My hands went down to grab him from behind.

He pulled away and looked at me.

“Graham, do you want to do it tonight?” he asked, his face turning red.

I nodded quickly without a second thought. “Yeah. I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while but didn’t know how to bring it up.” I replied.

Spencer placed a kiss on my forehead.

“Let’s go to your bed. I don’t feel comfortable with the animals watching us.”

I turned my head to the left and saw Juniper and Holly were also on the couch and looking at us. I felt embarrassed.

“Right.” I said. Spencer’s legs tightened around my waist. I stood up and carried us upstairs while still kissing.

As I set him on the bed, I took in a good look at the man I had fallen for. Spencer began to undress in front of me. While I wasn’t sure if I was ready, I knew I wanted him regardless.

25

Spencer Cypress

Graham is… big. Very big. I think the correct terminology is well endowed. But that feels like an understatement. 

While he was big, I’ll be honest, Graham seemed to be a bit inexperienced. Of course, I understood. It was his first time with a man. I took a bit of a lead and showed him what to do. 

But when he got the hang of it, my God did it feel perfect. And Graham slowly took control over what went between us. 

I was able to sleep easier that night. Graham wanted to keep going but I had to make him stop because I was too exhausted. 

That morning, I woke up to Graham peering down at me while smiling. 

“Good morning!” He eagerly said and kissed me. 

“Graham-” I was cut off by a pain on my side. “Fuck!”

“Dang it.” Graham muttered. “Are you badly hurt? Do you need some medicine or something? I don’t know much about this.”

“I’ll be fine.” I grunted as I sat up. 

“Want me to run a bath for you? Could that help?” He asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, that’d help, please.” I said. He left for the bathroom and turned on the water. After he was finished, he carried me over and slowly placed me in. 

“Good?” 

Warmth took over me. I beckoned Graham over with my finger. “Join me.” I told him. 

Graham was hesitant but he sat across from me. His legs were caging me around my waist. 

“Uh,” Graham muttered. “I really enjoyed it last night. It had been a long time since I’ve been with someone that way.”

His blushing and deterrence to look at me made him look innocent. 

“I liked it too, Graham.” I replied. He looked up, still blushing. “It just seems like we’re perfect for each other.”

“I think… I love you, Spencer.” Graham blurted out. 

I leaned forward until my lips were close to his face. “I love you too, Graham.” I said and kissed him. 

Graham quickly gave into the kiss and held me close. My hands went down to grab him down there. He was already excitedly hard. 

“Spencer? Do you want to do it… again?” He asked.

My fingers traced his length until I placed my palm on his torso. 

“Well, I’m not just touching you like this for no reason, right?” I asked. He nodded and began to shift us a bit forward until I was laying on the edge of the tub. 

It probably wasn’t a good idea to do another quickie in the morning. By the time we were done, Juniper was already scratching on the door.

“Right, we should feed them.” Graham said. We got dressed and quickly fed our pets. 

“Sorry, animals. We were busy this morning.” I told them.

Graham came from behind me, hugging me and placing his head on my shoulder. 

“Well, then can we be busy tonight again?” He asked.

I smirked at him. “You got one taste of the forbidden fruit and now you want more?” I teased him. He blushed and snuggled into my neck.

“Would that be a bad thing?” 

I let out a sigh. “No.”

Our days became constant at some point. When I woke up, I knew that Graham was just a few paces away from my house. That is, if he wasn’t sleeping over or if I wasn’t sleeping over. 

Things settled down. No more having to worry about former bosses or lawsuits. 

Yet, I was still unemployed. While I had enough money to live off for a year, I knew that I should at least get started now with looking for work. 

But I also didn’t want to move away from here. I had what I needed, minus the job, of course. 

For now, I focused my efforts on preparing for Graham’s sister and her family’s arrival. It will be my first time meeting them.

“What if they don’t like me?” I asked.

“You’ve been saying that for the past few days. Calm down.” Graham told me. 

“But what if I embarrass myself in front of them or say something stupid?” 

“Hey,” He grabbed me and spun me around until he leaned me on the kitchen counter. “If I like you, then they’ll like you.”

“Yeah, right.” I put my hand on his face and stopped him from kissing me. “Do you have scissors? I wanna make some decorations for the house.”

“They’re in my office.” He said. 

His office is somewhere I don’t go to much. It’s not that Graham has banned me or anything. We just prefer to keep his work something separate. 

I looked through his shelves and drawers, only finding files or loose papers. 

The desk was a complete mess. I resisted the urge to arrange all his papers. But the part that likes everything organized took over. It was a violation, yes. But I was at least satisfied.

“Spencer! Do you need help?” Graham called out. He entered the office and saw me sitting at his desk. “I didn’t know you liked doing paperwork.” he said, approaching the desk. 

“I’ve got quite a lot of experience, Mr. Birch.” I replied. 

Graham came to my side and looked at the files. “Hm,” He muttered to himself. “How did you organize these?”

“Uh, I did it by date. But I noticed that some of these documents were packets, so I assumed they were the most complex and vital ones. Those got pushed forward.” I explained. 

“This is… genius.” He said. 

I blushed. “Thanks.” I said. “It was nothing complicated. I just did what I knew how to do.”

“Well, it seems that you have a natural talent for that.” 

Just as I was about to say something, Juniper began barking loudly. Graham and I went out to the porch and saw an elegant silver car pulling up into the driveway.

“Is that them?” I asked. The license plate said ‘Oregon’ on it. 

“Yup!” Graham said. The back car door opened, and a little girl came running out.

“Uncle!” She ran and jumped into Graham’s arms.

“Angela!” Graham picked her up and spun her around. “Look how big you are!” 

Juniper ran out and also began to wag his tail. Graham’s sister and her husband stepped out and greeted Graham. 

“Uh, Reb, Amir, Angela, meet Spencer.” Graham said. I smiled at them and was going for a handshake until his sister pulled me into a hug.

“Ugh! Finally, I get to meet the famous Spencer!” She said. She leaned into my ear. “I hope you’ve been taking good care of him.”

“Uh,” I stuttered. 

“Oh, and this is my husband, Amir.” She introduced me to him. He gave me a charming smile. 

“Pleasure to meet you. City council president Amir Ghaf at your service.” He said while giving me a firm handshake. He’s a politician. The smile makes sense now.

“Amir. No politics. You know the rules.” His wife reprimanded him. I looked down and saw Angela looking up at me. She had the signature blue eyes that Graham and his sister have. But she also had the brown skin and black hair of her father. 

“Hi!” Angela said. “Are you the man that my uncle has been talking about always?” She asked. Graham swooped down and picked her up quickly. 

“Okay… then. Why don’t we head inside?” Graham said. Angela was chuckling as her uncle lifted her into the air and let her guide him to the kitchen.

“Sorry for the sudden introduction.” Rebecca said to me. “Graham and I haven’t seen each other in so long.”

“It’s no problem.” I said. I closed the door and let them walk into the living room. 

“Hm. Graham, did you get a new pet?” Rebecca asked. Graham set down his niece on the couch and put a cartoon for her. 

“Uh, no. That’s Holly’s.” 

“Who’s Holly?” Rebecca asked.

“Kitty!” Angela shouted. She ran to the cat tree where Holly was peering down at her like a plebian whom he has no time for. 

Rebecca leaned into my ear. “So, I guess you two are basically living together now.” She whispered. 

“Well, not exactly.” I softly muttered. 

“Ay! Graham! Let’s get the fire started!” Amir shouted from the backyard. Graham left for outside while Rebecca and I went to the kitchen. 

It felt like all the nerves I had before just melted away. I was grateful that Graham’s family were easy going people. Perhaps this weekend won’t be so dreadful.

26

Spencer Cypress

I noticed that Graham seemed to be happier now that his sister was here. Part of me felt bad because of how rarely he sees them. 

Dinner had been served and we ate outside on the patio. 

“I don’t recall this place being as well decorated as when we last came here.” Rebecca mentioned. 

“That’s all Spencer’s work. He picked out everything. Claimed that my house was ‘too bachelor’.” Graham hugged my torso and brought me closer. 

“Keep training him, Spencer. Maybe you’ll finally get him to start using a duvet.” She said.

“Oh, I already have. Took a bit of training.” I said. 

Amir entered the patio. “Alright. Angela is watching Octonauts on the TV.” He said. He kissed his wife on the lips and sat. “Chamberlain called me about some planning.”

“Babe, what did I say?” She told him. 

Amir looked down but still smiled. “No politics. I know, I know.” He shook his head. “She never lets me bring up my work.”

“Why?” I asked. 

“Cause I think it’s best to keep work and family separate.” Rebecca replied. “It can work for some couples. But for us, we’d like to keep that box closed.”

“Could we work well together?” I asked Graham. 

Graham choked on his seltzer. “Uh, what?”

“Relax, I’m joking.” I patted his pec. 

“You two are so adorable.” Rebecca said. “I was a bit weary when Graham first told me that he was starting to grow feelings for you. But it seems to have worked out.” 

“Yeah, it did.” Graham said. He kissed me on the head. 

“Right, babe! You should tell that about what your parents said when we went to visit them a while back.” Amir said. 

Rebecca’s face dropped into a scowl. “Right,” She sighed.

“What did she say?” Graham asked. I felt his arm around me grow stiff. 

“Mom and dad are threatening to withhold my inheritance if I don’t help you get back in contact with Clancy.” She said. 

“Inheritance?” I questioned. 

“Our parents are quite well off.” Rebecca told me. “They paid for our education and helped us get good jobs. I’m sure you know what happened on that day a few years ago, right?” 

I nodded. “Yeah. Graham told me.”

“Because Clancy is our parent’s favorite, they felt he did no wrong. And when Graham refused to reconcile with him, he was cut off. He became a persona non grata. But it wasn’t until about three years back when they suddenly piqued an interest in Graham again.”

“Why?” I asked. Graham and Rebecca both shrugged their shoulders. 

“Beats us.” Graham said. 

Amir drank the rest of his wine. “I have a theory.” He said. 

“What do you think, baby?” She asked.

“I have a few connections in Portland. I asked around and supposedly, Clancy’s business that your parents gave him has been on shaky ground.” He spoke.

“What? And you never told me?” Rebecca asked. 

“I was waiting for confirmation. That’s what the phone call was with Chamberlain about. But word has it that Clancy’s business might go down. He owes some people some money and the banks may foreclose on him soon. There’s a reason we call him the Builder of Pisa.”

I saw Graham’s face. I knew he wanted to crack a smile. 

“But, that’s not all. Because this is where my theory comes in.” Amir then said. “What I think is your parents are noticing that Clancy is a failure, to put it bluntly. And since they know that Graham is quite successful, they might try to get back in touch with him.”

“So…” Rebecca said. 

“They bet on the wrong kid. And now they want to fix it. I don’t think they’re looking for money. I think they just want to reattach their name onto something meaningful. That’s why they’re threatening you with your inheritance. Because they desperately want to see Graham again.”

Rebecca glanced over at Graham. “I wouldn’t put it past them.” She said. 

“Me neither.”

“Don’t do it, Graham.” I told him. “They don’t want to reconnect because they realized they were in the wrong. They only want to do it for their own ego.”

“I agree with Spencer.” Amir said. 

“I wasn’t going to trust them regardless.” Graham said. “But at least we now know that something fishy is going on.” 

“What do you mean?” Rebecca asked. I stood up and brought the charred remains of the photo album. Graham explained what his brother had sent him and the fact that his address was now known. 

“Jesus-fucking-Christ.” Rebecca muttered. 

“Just when I thought I couldn’t hate my in-laws even more.” Amir jokingly said. 

“Why don’t we talk about something else?” I suggested, feeling the atmosphere drop. 

“Right. Well, have you two decided to live together now?” Rebecca asked.

“No. What made you say that?” Graham said.

“I went to use your bathroom and saw there were skincare products and Gisou hair oil. I’m 99.99% sure that you don’t use all those products.” She stated.

I nodded a bit. “Yeah, I just like sleeping here.” I replied. 

“Mhm.” She winked at me. 

“It’s true.” Graham tried saying. 

“Amir, can you start planning the wedding?” Rebecca asked.

“Of course. Do you want a spring or summer one? Or how about winter?” he then asked, playing along with his wife. 

“I–” I said. 

“Summer.” Graham replied. I pushed him and he just placed his hand on my hair and rubbed it. 

“I guess summer could be fine.” I muttered. Rebecca and Amir both let out a loud chuckle. 

The door opened and Angela walked out onto the patio. “Can we play Uno?” she asked while holding the box. 

“Oh, well, that’s Uno: No Mercy. I don’t think that’s suitable–” I was cut off by Graham who stood up. 

“Let’s do it!” He said. 

Angela was surprisingly good at the game. I wasn’t, however. Out of the five of us, I never won. 

It went well into the night. By 11, Angela had fallen asleep next to Juniper and Holly on the couch. Amir and Rebecca left for the guest room. 

“What did you think of them?” Graham asked as we both settled into the bed. 

“They’re really nice. I had fun with them.” I replied.

“Yeah? I’m so glad you guys got along. Now everyone that I love is close.” He said. 

He spooned me from behind. I could feel Graham’s nose smelling my hair. His hands hugged my torso. 

Graham began to lick parts of my neck slowly as I stifled my moans. 

“Graham.” I whispered. “We’re not alone.” 

“Relax, Spencer. I won’t do anything.” He replied. 

I rolled my eyes. This giant hunk was already hard down there. He wasn’t going to be able to go to sleep without it going down.

By the time morning came around, I got up early and began to make breakfast. Everyone joined soon. 

When it was early noon, I heard a car pull up into the driveway. I quickly looked at Graham. 

“Is someone else coming?” I asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. “No.”

I ran to the front door and saw a dark blue car parked next to Amir’s. I saw the license plate also had Oregon on it. 

The first to step out was a woman. She has black hair and large brown eyes. The next was a man. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. I knew who he was. It was Clancy, Graham’s older brother. 

“Fuck!” I said. 

Just when I was going to close the door, Graham and Rebecca appeared from the front door. The two of them looked at the visitors. 

“Hi, Graham.” Clancy said in a short smile. He approached the front door. 

I don’t know if he was stupid. But it didn’t surprise me when Graham landed a punch on his face. I pulled Graham away while the screaming began from Rebecca and Clancy’s girlfriend. 

This was supposed to be a relaxing weekend. And yet, things always have a way of not going to plan for us.

27

Graham Birch

“Did you fucking follow us here?” My sister shouted.

“N-No.” Clancy replied shyly. He was still rubbing his face from the punch I gave him.

Spencer put an ice pack on my knuckles to soothe them. I kept staring out the window as my sister and Clancy shouted at each other.

“Graham?” Spencer called me. I snapped out and turned to him. “Would you like me to call the police?”

I stood up from the stool and cracked my neck. “No. I need to deal with this.” I replied.

Before I stepped out of the house, Spencer grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him. He hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

“You don’t have to, Graham.” He said.

“No, I have to. It’s been years. The wounds have healed. While they still hurt sometimes, they can’t be ignored any longer.”

I stepped outside the house and the yelling had stopped. Rebecca huffed loudly and her husband finally managed to pull her side.

I broke the silence quickly by saying, “What are you doing here?”

Clancy and my ex both must’ve been shocked that I talked to them.

“Hi, Graham.” Clancy said. “Uh, how have you been-”

“Answer the damn question!” I shouted. My brother and ex both stepped back.

Clancy then stood tall. “I’ve been wanting to reconnect for a while. But you changed your number, and Rebecca wouldn’t give me your new one.” He replied.

Rebecca scoffed loudly. “So how did you manage to find this place?” She asked.

It seemed like Clancy didn’t want to talk anymore. So, my ex stepped forward. “We saw the text conversation between you and Graham a few weeks back on the Fourth of July.” She replied.

“You went through my phone? Are you serious, Clancy? Can’t even respect the privacy of the only sibling who even gives an atom of a fuck for you?” She began to get irate. Amir pulled her aside to calm down.

Now, it was me and Clancy, facing each other once again. I must’ve been a few inches taller than him.

“Tell him,” My ex, Amalie Calliandra, whispered to Clancy. I saw her hand and saw a ring on her finger.

“Did you propose?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Clancy replied. “A year ago. We’ve been planning the wedding and…” He trailed off.

“And what?” I asked.

“I wanted to ask you if you wanted to be my best man. I know a lot has happened between the two of us. But hopefully we can put our differences aside and move forward. Like how we used to be.”

That was the funniest thing I had ever heard. I couldn’t help but laugh loudly, almost to the point of falling onto the floor.

“Really? You think suits and cake can fix this? It won’t! You wanna know why? Because there is nothing there to fix anymore.” I shouted.

“I-I know, but still.” Clancy said, his face growing worried.

“If you think that us becoming brothers again will get mom and dad on your good side to save your failing business, guess what, I won’t do it!” I snapped.

Clancy’s face quickly turned angry. “Who fucking told you that?” He asked.

“You forget, Clancy. But you’ve always been a failure. Maybe if mom and dad didn’t coddle you growing up, you would’ve learned like the rest of us how to do stuff. Instead, you rely on our parents to save you when things get rough.” I told him.

“You-” Clancy tried to land a punch on me, but I blocked it. Amir stepped between us and began to push me back. I could hear Juniper from inside barking loudly.

“Hah! Can’t even punch me! And I’m the biggest target here!” I mocked him.

“Clancy! Stop!” Amalie shouted.

He smirked at me before stepping back. His arms reached to my ex and hugged her close to him.

“That’s why she’s with me.” He muttered.

Even when he said that, I didn’t even feel angry.

“Just leave, Clancy.” Rebecca said from behind me. “Drop it because Graham isn’t ever going to forgive you.”

The door opened and Spencer came walking out. He stood next to me and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s call the police, Graham.” He said.

“No.” I said. “That’ll be too generous.”

Clancy saw how close Spencer was to me and narrowed his eyes. “Don’t tell me- Did you turn queer after getting dumped?”

I grabbed him by the collar and pulled Clancy close. “At least I’m happy in my relationship! Don’t forget that you’re getting my sloppy seconds! And who knows, once a cheater, always a cheater!” I spat in his face.

“And to think that mom and dad don’t think you’re a violent person.” He said.

Rebecca got closer. “What do you mean?” She asked.

“Ha, nothing.” He said.

Amalie then stepped forward. “Clancy, he told your parents that after what happened, that you were threatening me and him.” She replied.

“What the fuck, Amalie! Why would you tell them that?” Clancy shouted at her.

She looked down.

“At least now we know why mom and dad have been distant with you, Graham.” Rebecca said.

Spencer then clapped his hands loudly to attract our attention. “Look, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day. I’ve got a brunch to prepare, and I just want us to enjoy it without any distractions.”

Clancy looked at him weirdly.

“That’s classy for ‘Please get the fuck out and leave us alone.’” Spencer added. “I’ve got the police on speed dial. And we have a vicious dog and cat inside who can distinguish friends and whores.”

Clancy muttered, “Whatever.” He began to walk away. “Come on, Amalie. Let’s go. There’s nothing for us here.”

Amalie stayed and looked up at me.

“I should go.” She said.

“Before you do, why?” I asked her. “Why him?”

She sighed. “I wish I could answer that too, Graham. But I can’t. I was stupid and made a stupid choice. If I could go back and stop myself, I would.” She said.

I nodded at her. Though I thought I was angry, now, I just pity her. She’s stuck with someone who is essentially an adult child.

“Goodbye, Amalie.” I said.

“Goodbye, Graham.” She replied. “I hope you two have a good relationship.” Her attention turned to Spencer.

“Give him what I didn’t.” She said. She then left after Clancy called for her. She ran to the car and got in before the car drove away from the house quickly.

“Well, that was…” Spencer said.

“Why don’t we head inside?” Amir suggested. “Where’s Angela? I hope she didn’t hear any of that.”

“I put some headphones on her. Figured she didn’t need to hear the adults shouting.” Spencer replied. He then turned and smiled at me. “You alright, Graham?” He asked me.

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Do you wanna eat right now? Or do you just want to relax? Either one is fine.”

Him putting his feelings before me was admirable. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

I placed a kiss on his forehead. I grabbed his wrist and began to pull him into the house, but he didn’t budge.

“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.

“You go ahead. I have to talk to Rebecca about something.” He replied.

Rebecca gave a raised eyebrow but walked over. Amir and I entered the house. Juniper walked up to me and began to rub himself on me. He knew what to do when I was feeling down.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” I asked Amir.

“Who knows?” He rubbed my shoulders. “I’d rather not ask. Probably plotting something.”

I entered the kitchen and began to prepare the food. Angela walked in and stood on a stool.

“I wanna help!” she demanded. I shook my head while laughing.

“Here.” I handed her a bowl of mint leaves. “Pick some of the leaves off.”

Angela got to work. The two of us did the rest of the cooking. The silence was relaxing, but I was already missing Spencer’s voice.

28

Spencer Cypress

I waited until Graham and Amir were inside when I pulled out my phone and stopped the recording.

“I recorded everything.” I said to Rebecca. “I even took a picture of Clancy here.” I told her.

She stared in bewilderment. “Wait, what?” She asked. “How?”

“Uh, I pressed the record button.” I said.

Rebecca shook her head. “I mean- Why did you record?” She asked.

“Well, I figured that you would need some type of evidence to send your parents. How would they feel if they found out their oldest son came to intimidate the very son they’re trying to get back on their good side?”

Rebecca’s frown turned into a small smile.

“Not only that, but I caught the part where Clancy admitted to lying about Graham sending him and Amalie threats.” I then sent her the recording. She received it and heard the entire audio.

“Wow, Spencer.” She said in shock. “I’ll make sure not to double cross you, ever.”

“It was nothing. Just make sure not to use it in any legal cases. California is a two-party consent state.” I told her.

“Thanks, Spencer. We were all so angry that none of us thought to get evidence.”

I nodded. “In the end, though, it will all be up to Graham if he wants to let them back into his life.”

“That’s true.” Rebecca let out a long sigh. “I’m still planning on cutting them off. But their strings are so tied that it’s gonna take a while before I’m free of them. What about you? Do you think Graham should talk to them again?”

“Personally, Graham has been fine, better even, without them. Maybe because I also don’t speak to my parents, but just because they gave birth to you doesn’t mean they’re owed it all back.”

“Can’t argue with that. You and Graham have built what you have.” She said. “I’m glad he has you in his life.” She gave me a hug.

“Thanks.” I muttered.

She let go and then grabbed my hand, walking us back into the house.

“Everything okay?” Amir asked.

“Yeah.” We both said.

“Shit! I left Graham alone!” I ran to the kitchen. I saw that Angela was helping in the kitchen.

“Uh, I made the batter.” Graham said. “I hope that’s okay.” He said. I leaned up and planted a small kiss on his cheek.

“You’re amazing.” I said. He blushed and looked away.

“Thank you.” He said. I rolled up my sleeves and joined him to finish cooking. When brunch was done and set, we ate out on the patio.

It then came time for Rebecca and her family to leave. I packed some food for them for the road, and we promised we would make plans in the future. Before leaving, Rebecca pulled me aside.

“By the way, I sent our parents the recording.” She said.

“What did they say?” I asked.

“They’re not happy. They think that Clancy ruined their opportunity to talk to Graham. And from what my mom had told me. Amalie has removed her ring.”

I could only smirk. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Things have a way of turning out better.”

Rebecca gave me one last hug. “You’re good to Graham, Spencer. You are everything he needs. I don’t want to put a lot of pressure on you but keep him safe.”

“Understood.” I said.

We said goodbye to them as they left down the road. I was already missing Angela running around and chasing Juniper or trying to pet Holly’s fur.

“Can we see them soon?” I asked Graham.

“We… literally made plans before they left?” He asked me. “Guess you liked my family that much.”

I chuckled. “They’re nice.” I said. I cleaned the kitchen while Graham cleaned outside. By the time it was almost midnight, we were exhausted and sat on the couch while watching a movie.

“Now what?” Graham asked.

I saw him panting on the couch while his chest was covered in sweat. He was a snack waiting to be eaten. I couldn’t pass this opportunity.

“Well, since no one is here now, we can always…” I began to trace the outline of his pecs.

“Spencer…” He warned me. “I’ve been pent up for a few days. Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked me.

“I’m certainly not stopping, am I?” I asked him.

Graham pounced on me and began to kiss my face. “Wait! You’re sweaty!” I giggled.

“You still find it hot, though. Right?” He teased me. I nodded.

“Yeah, I do.” I said. He returned to kissing me before removing my clothes slowly.

Graham then carried me to the room. He shut the door before slamming me on the bed and finished what he needed to do to me.

As time passed, Graham and I settled back into our normal lives. I sat in his office, fixing his files while searching for a job. And he would be out working.

His phone began ringing. He wasn’t around to answer, so I did.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Is this Graham Birch?” A voice replied on the other end.

“Uh, no.” I looked at the picture of us he had set up on his desk. “This is his assistant. Can I help you with something?”

“Yes. This is Piero Mela. Mr. Birch had sent me an email two weeks prior about wishing to be the supplier for us. And I had a few questions about his proposal.”

“Of course.” I began to scan through his papers. I found the packet that had the man’s name on it and quickly read it over.

“I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to switch suppliers at the moment. While it would be greatly appreciated, and Mr. Birch has made a generous offer, we are weary of the new changes it would bring.”

“I completely understand your concerns, Mr. Mela.” I said. I heard footsteps and saw Graham had entered the office.

I held up a single finger. He stopped, sat on a nearby chair, and didn’t say anything.

“Your current supplier is Clarkin Produce. Am I right?” I asked.

Peiro Mela confirmed. “Yes, they are.”

“Well, I let you in on something. In the past few months, they’ve sold two of their largest farms. I’m sure you’ve noticed that you aren’t receiving the same amount of produce and have been told that production should pick up soon, right?” I asked.

“Yes,” He replied.

“Truth is, the Clarkin Produce company got themselves into some scandal a few years ago and have been just barely surviving, so they’ve begun to sell to stay afloat.”

“Are you saying that I should jump ship before I sink too?” Piero asked.

“I would say it’s a wise choice. Because if they keep selling and have less land, then you won’t receive how much you used to.” I explained.

Piero let out a sigh. “I mean, if you think you and Mr. Birch can supply to us, then it’s a possible deal. But how can I trust that I will receive good quality products?”

“We can send over a package of some of our produce, if you wish. You can get a taste for yourself. Peaches, almonds, I’m sure our samples will surprise you.”

There was silence on the other end. Graham leaned closer.

“Let’s do it.” He said. “I’ll accept your company as a new supplier.”

I cheered silently. “Thank you, Mr. Mela. We’ll make sure that all your needs are met.”

“My restaurant will send over the documents.” Piero said. “Thank you, Mr…”

“Spencer Cypress.” I replied.

“Thank you, Mr. Cypress. Without your words, I would have been stuck in this dilemma.” He said. He then hung up.

Graham reached over and grabbed my face while kissing it.

“You’re amazing.” He said.

“I’m just doing what I know how to do.” I said.

“Keep it up, and I might just hire you myself.”

Hire me.

It didn’t sound like a bad idea. I was wondering if Graham just said that because he was impressed. But personally, that idea grew in my head quickly.

“I’ve been trying hard to get Piero’s restaurant under my radar. And you managed to do it in one phone call.” Graham said.

“I guess I just have that type of charm.”

“Heck yeah, you do.” He muttered. “Come on, my assistant. We’ve got to pick out our best crops to send over.”

I quickly rerouted all his phone calls to my phone. Then, I joined him outside in the field. And I quickly regretted not bringing a hat or sunscreen stick.

———

hey guys. tuesday the final chapters will be posted. as is tradition, the final two chapters will be posted on the same day!

hope to see you there!

29

Spencer Cypress

A few days had passed. And I had an idea.

The job hunt wasn’t going well. I had decided to stay in Apple Valley for the indefinite time. It just seems that this place is better suited for the calm life I now want after having a hectic past months.

It wasn’t until I was busy reworking Graham’s schedule that the idea came to me: Why don’t we work together?

In the past, Graham has talked about wanting to expand his business, but he simply didn’t have the “knowledge” for it.

Friday night came around. Graham was called by some of his friends to come to the bar, with me tagging along.

I was hesitant to go. I remembered what one of Graham’s friends, Harry, said to me on the Fourth of July. And I ended up telling Graham about that entire interaction.

“Don’t worry, Spencer.” He assured me. “Stick by me and I’ll keep you safe.”

I would always trust Graham. So, that night, I stuck close to him. I was able to talk to a few of his friends and had forgotten how nice many of them were.

Everything was going well, until someone decided to bring up my sexuality. And that person was none other than Harry Fraxinus.

“Spencer!” He shouted from across the pool table. “I heard that you had a particular taste in partners, right?”

“Knock it off, Harry.” Graham said.

“I’m just saying. It’s not every day that a gay man comes to Apple Valley.” He said, with emphasis on the ‘gay man’ part. Everyone had definitely heard in the vicinity.

“What is it to you?” I replied.

Harry smiled. “Do you have a crush on any of us? Freddie? Mykolas? Me, perhaps?”

“I have standards.” I said. “And you certainly don’t fit them.”

“I feel hurt.” Harry said.

“Knock it off, Harry.” Sandra Sycamore said from behind the bar.

“Yeah! Why do you care about who he likes?” Carola Laurel replied.

“What? I’m not allowed to ask someone a question?” Harry said.

“It’s none of your business. Leave him alone.” Graham said.

Harry’s eyes fixated themselves between Graham and me. It was like a bulb went off in his head and his grin turned even wider.

“Wait. Don’t tell me. Graham, are you dating Spencer?”

There was a brief pause in the air. While Graham has happily been affectionate with me around his family and even at that restaurant, we haven’t really discussed him coming out to other people.

Whenever I asked, Graham would always say that there would be a time for that.

And without missing a beat, Graham grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close.

“Yeah, I am.” Graham announced.

It was quiet until the people around us began to congratulate us. I had to hide my face because I was turning red.

“Wow! And how long have you two been going out?” Carola asked.

“Uh, about two months.” I replied.

“I always knew that there was something going on between you.” Esther Myrtle said to me.

I turned and saw Graham being congratulated by Freddie. He gave me a shrug. I rolled my eyes but was still happy.

When things quieted down, we ordered a round of drinks for everyone. The only one not happy that night was Harry, who slumped in the corner of the room.

Graham and I weren’t tipsy when we went home. In fact, we were sober as ever. I knew this could be my opportunity to say something about that job offer.

“Can you pull over?” I asked.

“Do you have to throw up?” He asked.

“No.” I said. He pulled over on the side of the road. I got out and felt the crisp air send chills down my back.

Graham got out and walked to my side.

“Tonight was unexpected.” He said. “I didn’t expect to just come out like that to everyone.”

“It was brave.” I said. I then looked up at the night sky. “Do you remember that time when you first told me to look at the stars?” I asked.

“No.” Graham replied, also looking up.

“It was the first night you took me to the bar. You were really drunk and made me look at the stars.” I explained. “That was the first time we kissed, unofficially of course.”

“Dammit! How could I forget something like that?” He said.

“The thing about memories is you can always make new ones.” I told him.

He didn’t waste a moment before leaning in to kiss me. I hugged his neck while feeling our lips clash together.

“I will make a million memories together with you.” Graham said.

Now was the time.

“Graham. I think I found a job I want.” I said, His face dropped a bit, but he kept his smile.

“Whatever you choose, I’ll support it.”

“That’s the thing.” I grabbed his hand and made us lean on the side of his car. “The job I want doesn’t exist. At least, not yet.”

He looked at me with confusion.

“I was wondering if you’d make me your assistant. Or at least someone that can handle the managerial duties. You have a lot of ideas but need someone to organize them. Well, I can do that for you. And since I pretty much know everything about you, you can trust me to make decisions for you.”

I rambled on and looked down at the gravel road.

“I want to work for and with you, Graham. I know I can do my best. But if you don’t think so, that’s fine too.” I said.

“Spencer.” He said. I looked up and saw his eyes glossy. “I would love nothing more than for us to work together.”

As if light waves passed through us, my joy became elated, and I jumped into his arms.

“You won’t ever regret hiring me, Graham!” I said.

“I have never regretted anything when I’m with you, Spencer.” He said, hugging me tightly

“I’m willing to invest a bit of the money I have into the business. I want the both of us to succeed in this venture.”

“I won’t stop you, Spencer.” He said. He cupped my face in his hands. “Now, what title would we give you?” He asked.

“I was thinking about Senior Manager Spencer Cypress.” I said.

“Sounds perfect to me.” He said. “And as your first task, you have to give me 10 kisses before the night is over.”

I leaned up and gave him nine kisses on his face.

“Let’s save the last one for home.” I winked.

“I guess we already have our first problem.” Graham said.

“Which is?” I asked.

“I’m gonna have trouble keeping my hands off you during work. Will I even be able to concentrate?” He asked.

“We aren’t sex-crazed demons, Graham. We’re adults who have jobs. I’m sure you can manage.” I said. I got into the car, making sure to show him my bottom.

“You are definitely not going to make this job easy for me, Senior Manager Spencer Cypress.” He said. He got into the car and turned it on.

“Come on. Holly and Juniper are waiting for us.” I spoke.

“By the way, should we come up with a new name for the company? I think Birch Groceries doesn’t have a good ring to it.”

“We’ll think of something.” I said.

Graham drove the rest of the way home. I looked away from the window to stare at the man right next to me.

I no longer had to wonder when happiness would finally come to me. I already have it.

30

Graham Birch

I ended my phone call with Spencer and of course picked up some groceries for him from the store.

“Hello, Graham!” Mrs. Poplar said to me as she rang up my items.

“Good day.” I replied with a smile.

Mr. Poplar leaned against the bagging area. “So, you don’t want to go on that date? She’s a nice girl.”

I rolled my eyes. “No, thank you. I already have someone.” I said. I finished bagging my items and said goodbye before leaving for my truck.

I drove the long way back home. I turned the corner and drove down the street, reaching our homes. Before I even finished parking, Juniper ran out and waited for me to park and open my door.

“Juni!” I said. He began to wag his tail and run around. Spencer joined me, jumping into my arms and giving me a kiss.

“Did you get my stuff?” He asked.

“Yes, I did.” I replied. He helped me carry the bags inside. Holly perched himself on his chair. I gave him a rub on his head, which he seemed to enjoy.

“I finally got a response from Mr. Zelkova. He’s agreed to loan us some of their bigger trucks as long as we make the down payment.” Spencer told me.

“That’s great. That means we can expand our destinations and reach farther areas.” I replied.

“Yup! Already made a list of 15 new places we can try to get. We can for now pick three and see how it goes from there.”

“You’re so smart.” I played with his hair. He smiled while looking away.

“Listen, business has been going well ever since I joined the company. I was thinking if you wanted to take the day off tomorrow and have some alone time?” He asked while leaning in to me.

His eyes, full of lust, I knew exactly what he wanted.

“Sorry.” I said. His face dropped. “But we can’t slack off. We’ve got work to do and we can’t get any breaks.”

He let out a huff. “Fine. But next weekend, we’re gonna relax as much as we can.”

“If that’s what you want, then of course.” I said.

‘Holly & Juniper Growers’ has certainly begun to grow more in the past few weeks. I don’t know the exact numbers, since that’s Spencer’s job. But the charts he’s shown me, and future projections look promising.

I sometimes wonder if it was really a good idea to essentially make Spencer my partner in business. Life is unexpected. You never know what will be thrown your way.

But I have confidence between us. So, while the future remains uncertain, this is something I know will last. Whenever I feel hesitant, I just look back at how much Spencer has helped me and how I’ve helped him.

“Whatchu thinking about?” Spencer asked me. I snapped out of my thoughts and saw he was handing me a carrot to grate.

“Nothing.” I said.

“I went ahead with the applications. I really liked Mery Jucara and Garry Ash.”

“I trust your judgment.” I replied.

He kissed me before forcing me to take the carrot. We finished cooking and then watched a movie on the TV with our pets by our side.

“My parents texted me this morning.” Spencer said.

“I thought you blocked them.” I replied.

“I did.” He sighed. “It was through Facebook, which, who even uses anymore? But they just wanted to let me know that I would always be welcomed back.”

“Are you going to take them up on their offer?” I asked.

“Don’t know. I think I’m gonna ghost them for a while longer, just to teach them something. And you? Your phone has been ringing from a number in Oregon.”

“Same here. My parents were worse a few weeks back after everything with Clancy went down. Rebecca has told me that our parents pretty much cut ties with Clancy when they found out about his surprise visit to my house.”

He hugged me tighter. His palm landed on my chest, and I felt my heart rate pick up.

“Isn’t it funny?” He asked.

“What is?” I asked back.

“We both came here to get away from our families, to get away from our pain. And yet, we managed to find a way to find happiness once again.” He said.

“I really thought I wasn’t gonna be ready to date someone again.” I replied.

“Nothing ever comes to us when we expect it the most.” He told me.

I turned to the TV, feeling only happy. How is it possible that a few months back, I was alone without any intention to have someone else in my life? And now, I have someone. A special someone.

Spencer began to fall asleep in my arms. I looked at his face, seeing he was starting to grow a bit of a tan.

“Spencer.” I whispered to him.

His face scrunched. “Mm, what?” He asked.

“I love you.” I said to him.

He let out a smile. “I love you too, you big dummy.”

I placed a kiss on his face.

The two of us slept on the couch that night. I was shaken awake the next morning by Spencer.

“Wake up!” He said.

“No.” I grunted.

“Come on. We’ve got work to do! You said no breaks.” He threw those words back at me.

I got up and breakfast was already made. I cleaned myself up and ate something quick. Spencer was at the front door, putting on sunscreen and putting a straw hat on.

“Where we going, Tom Sawyer?” I asked.

“Ha, ha. Funny.” He told me. “I’m gonna join you today. I need to stretch, or I’ll get carpal tunnel.” He said.

“Fine by me.” I replied.

“Juniper! Holly! Come on!” Spencer yelled. Both the animals came running to the front door. As soon as Spencer opened the door, they both ran out and began to run into the grass.

Spencer took the lead, carrying a clipboard and telling me information I knew I should be listening to.

“Maybe we should also fix up the website. I noticed that even your old domain was hacked. Did you use Wix or something?” He asked.

“Whatever you think is good.” I said.

“Give me something, Graham. We’re in this together. I need your ideas too.” He told me.

“Well, we can make a new logo. That would be nice.”

“Good idea.” He wrote something on his clipboard. “Logo and website. We need to make it look simple but noticeable. Anyways, let’s check the almonds.”

He grabbed my hand and led me to the fields. He watched me work while he answered phone calls and texted away.

There were lots to do. It felt like I had little time to do everything.

“Your sister called.” Spencer told me.

“Something wrong?” I quickly asked.

“Nope, not at all. We just checked up. She’s really invested in our company.”

I handed him a cold water bottle from my cooler.

“Things are gonna be great! I just know it!” He said.

“By the way, what are you gonna do with your house? You’re basically living in mine.” I mentioned.

“Meh. I was thinking of moving in with you and using my old house as a mini office building.” He replied.

“Moving in? With me?” I asked as happiness filled me.

“Yes. If that’s okay with you.” He said.

I nodded. He kissed me on the forehead.

“Now, get back to work.” He told me.

“But I want another kiss.” I protested. His face was flushed red.

“We’ve got all the time. A sunny today, a sunny tomorrow, a sunny forever. All in between for us.” He said to me.

“Okay. Sounds good to me.” I said.

We both stood up, dusted our pants, and got back to work.

I looked at the distance, seeing the sun slowly beginning to set on this sunny day. But, as Spencer told me, we have tomorrow and forever to be together.

And I then turned to Juniper and Holly. The two were lying next to one another and looking at the sky. I wondered if they could understand each other the way Spencer and I understand each other.

While Spencer and I held each other, it felt like I was holding my future in my hands. I knew this was for certain in this crazy, hectic life.

---

thanks for reading! i hope you enjoyed this story.

i’m gonna miss these two characters. and juniper. and holly. fun fact: this was the first story where both characters have a pet.

if you liked this, check out some of my other works. i’ve got something for (hopefully) everyone.

August 9, 2024- November 5, 2024

goodbye! until the next adventure!

♥