Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) (11 page)

“You’ll be okay,” Kelly said. They were standing in front of the car, about to say goodbye. “No matter what happens, your parents love you. That won’t change. Even if they split up—and they might not—you’ll still be the bridge that connects them. You’ll still be a family.”

He was right. Family wasn’t defined by everyone living under the same roof. His brothers had moved out, but they were still family. If his parents couldn’t live together—that would hurt, but he would still love them both, and he was certain they would keep loving him. As for the guy who had given him hope… William threw his arms around Kelly, pulling him close. He touched his nose to Kelly’s neck, smelling his skin, before pressing his lips there. Then he squeezed tighter, emotion rising in his chest.

“Thanks,” William rasped, taking a step back to look him in the eye. “For everything.”

“Yeah.” Kelly seemed a little taken aback. Was he moving too fast?

“Okay.” William wanted a real kiss, but maybe that was best saved for a happier occasion. “See you at the race tomorrow.”

Kelly nodded. “See you there.”

William walked to his car, opened the door, and glanced back at Kelly, heart thudding in his chest. One story might be coming to an end, but another had just begun.

Chapter Five

Butterflies! William was used to them in his stomach, but never had the metaphorical creatures spread to the rest of his body. From the tips of his fingers down to his toes, he felt tingly, excited, and lightweight. Only his head didn’t allow room because it was too filled with memories of his date yesterday and dreams of what might be. Kelly. That’s all he could think about. Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. He even found himself whispering the name out loud, laughing gleefully afterwards.

He was braced for this bliss to dissipate when he went downstairs for breakfast, but instead he found his parents sitting calmly at the table together. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. When he tentatively mentioned the triathlon, they both implied they would both be there. Deciding the day would be full of sunshine and rainbows after all, he focused on feeding himself. When it was time to go, they drove him to where the race was set to begin. They took his mother’s minivan instead of the convertible, but at least his parents didn’t bicker on the way.

They dropped him off at the public pool, then continued to the high school to wait at the finish line with the other friends and families of entrants. William sought out Kelly, who seemed jittery about the race, and did his best to reassure him. Then it began. First each participant swam a practice lap to qualify for their starting position. Everyone was silent as the results were called out. William didn’t have long to wait. He would be second to enter the pool. He moved to the nearby bike stations to get set up before that part of the race began. While arranging his items around the bike as efficiently as possible, he heard Kelly’s name called. Fifth place! Not bad! He felt warm inside while fussing over some final details, his thoughts drifting back to their training sessions at the pool. Then he went to see how Kelly was doing.

“Congratulations,” William said, placing a hand on his shoulder as an excuse to touch him.

“Thanks,” Kelly said, half-turning to shoot him a smile. “So what exactly am I doing here? Should I douse the bike in holy water or something? Can I get a priest to bless it for me?”

William chuckled. “Just make sure your stuff is ready to go. I put my shoes next to the rear wheel, since I’ll need them first. I’m not bothering with socks, are you? I’m also leaving my pack open so I can pull on my bike shorts. The girl next to me is swimming in hers. That’s either clever or stupid. I can’t decide.”

Kelly shrugged. “I wouldn’t bother at all if no one was around, but I don’t want people to see me running around in scuba panties.”

“The pros use special suits for the entire race. Anyway, be sure to check your bike helmet too. Mine had the strap buckled, which would have slowed me down.”

“I think I’ve got the wrong size.” Kelly stooped to pick up the helmet. “Like they gave me one intended for a child.”

He put it on his head, and sure enough, it mostly sat on top of his skull, looking more like a mushroom cap than headgear. William smiled and took the helmet from him but stayed near while examining it. He liked their bodies being so close. A little too much. They were in their swimsuits, skin drying out in the sun after the brief swim. He could feel their combined heat growing in the space between them.

William cleared his throat, trying to focus on the task at hand. “This is adjustable,” he said, reaching inside the helmet. “You just turn this wheel here aaaand…” He put the helmet back on Kelly, and this time it slid over his head, but only just. “That’s the maximum size. You have a big head.”

“I have a big brain,” Kelly corrected.

“Or maybe it’s your ego taking up all that room.”

Kelly smiled, eyes half-lidded. He snatched the helmet from his head and hung it on one handlebar. Then he placed shorts and shirt on the seat.

“Maybe I should start doing this every morning,” William said. “I’ll just hop out of bed and race out the front door where the day’s outfit will be waiting on my bicycle.”

“Does that mean you sleep naked?” Kelly asked.

“Oh,” William said, cheeks starting to burn. “Uh…”

“What are you doing here?” a new voice demanded.

Kelly tensed. Then his expression became controlled. Together they turned to face Jared. William recognized him from their brief confrontation in the hall, but now he scrutinized Jared with renewed interest. For a guy Kelly used to have a crush on, he was surprisingly average. Jared had a runner’s build, light acne dotting his shoulders and face. His brown hair was a little poofy and not styled in any specific way. His eyes might have been nice if not so hard and joyless as he scowled at his former friend.

Kelly’s voice was equally cold when he responded. “I took another look at that trophy and decided it would look good in my room. You didn’t have any plans for it, did you?”

Blood flowed to Jared’s face, turning it crimson. “You’re not going to ruin this for me. Either of you.” He glared briefly in William’s direction. Then he turned and stomped away.

Kelly watched him go. Scratch that, he
stared
after him, gaze unwavering, arms crossed over his chest. Even as Jared worked to get his own bike prepared, Kelly maintained his vigil.

William’s stomach sank. “Geez, you must really like him.”

“Seriously?” Kelly said, finally tearing his eyes away. “That’s the vibe you’re getting?”

“If you didn’t care about him, you wouldn’t get so upset. It signifies an emotional investment or whatever.”

“
Whatever
is right.” Kelly turned around and searched his bike, seeking some other advantage. They were both in the triathlon, but for very different reasons. To William it was the culmination of their time training together, moving side by side toward a common goal. For Kelly it was about hurting the guy he still had a crush on. William felt certain that was correct. If Kelly didn’t still have feelings for Jared, there wouldn’t be so much emotion there. Where did that leave William? Was he just a rebound? An option Kelly was exploring but didn’t take seriously? William waited for Kelly to say more, or to even acknowledge that he existed. He didn’t. William had served his purpose and was no longer needed.

Feeling both hurt and slighted, he quietly returned to the pool, taking his place in line behind Anna Herbert, a heavy-set girl who had slid through the water with impressive agility.

“Looking forward to the race?” William asked her.

“Mm-hm,” Anna replied.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your motivation?”

Anna shrugged. “I thought it would be fun.”

William nodded. “In that case, I hope you win.”

He studied his feet as the other contenders took their places. Part of him hoped Kelly would come apologize, but he probably wasn’t even looking this way. Chances were he was facing in the wrong direction, just so he could glare at Jared.

Coach Watson gave them a lecture about good sportsmanship. Then the starting whistle blew. Anna Herbert dove in. William watched her, eager for his turn, wanting to exercise and burn off some of his frustration. When the whistle blew again, he plunged into the water. Each contender would swim up and down every lane of the pool before moving on to the next portion of the race. William didn’t usually focus on speed, but he did now, because he found he wanted to get away. Kelly was somewhere behind him—the first guy he had developed feelings for, the first guy to hurt him and choose someone else. William wanted nothing more than to escape those emotions.

He passed Anna two lanes before climbing out of the pool. When accepting a towel, he glanced over in time to spot Jared diving in. Once again he wondered what Kelly saw in him. They were both runners. Was that what made Kelly love him? William had been running lately, despite not being very good. Didn’t that count for anything?

He made it to his bike, pulling on his shirt and his shoes—which wasn’t easy with damp skin. He was getting ready to pedal when Anna dropped her helmet and it wobbled over to bump against his wheel, so he got off to fetch it and hand it back. She smiled her appreciation, which made him feel a little better. Not everyone in this race was crazy! As he began biking, he wished people could just be nice to each other—the whole world, not just to those in the triathlon. If everyone agreed to be kind, most problems would be solved. No more war or violence, rape or murder, or anything else horrible. Just people being decent. That’s how his mother had raised him. Too bad she couldn’t be a mother to everyone.

Not that his brothers were perfect. Errol could be selfish, and Spencer… He was pretty great, except when he had decided to enlist in the Marines. Then he had become a monster, lifting weights constantly, consuming protein shakes, snapping at William or anyone else who dared interrupt the endless military-related videos he watched. One time, when William refused to relinquish the laptop to him, Spencer had shoved him aside, taken it by force, and then slammed the door in his face. William ran straight into that door, hurting his nose bad enough that it wouldn’t stop bleeding. Once Spencer finally got accepted into the Marines, all that bad energy had disappeared. Spencer went back to being a bossy and overbearing but generally cool older brother who always looked out for him.

Maybe this was a similar obsession for Kelly. A white whale that needed to be harpooned before he could return to calmer seas. William abandoned his bike, accepting a paper cup of sports drink from a volunteer. He thanked the man, then started jogging. So far he hadn’t seen anyone pass him on the bikes. Anna hadn’t been far behind, taking her drink shortly after him. That meant he was in the lead. Kelly only wanted Jared to lose. William was in a position to make that happen. If he did, maybe Kelly would be free to love him. Hell, maybe it would
make
Kelly love him. Who else could give him such a present? William picked up speed, feeling motivated. All the training had paid off. Sure, his body was hurting and starting to fight against him, but he was used to that. He wasn’t out of resources yet. That’s what counted. He kept his pace steady, remembering to breathe, trying to think of any other advice Kelly had given him.

He was nearing the school when he heard footsteps from behind. William tried to outrun them, but it was no use. He simply wasn’t fast enough. The beat behind him drummed nearer, then caught up. He glanced over and saw Kelly, who had slowed now to run by his side. William knew Kelly could go faster, but he chose to match his pace. If this kept up, they would cross the finish line together. Romantic, but why risk losing the race? William smiled his appreciation, then said, “Win this.”

Kelly’s grin was wild. Then he nodded.

From the other side of William, another form blew past. Jared! Kelly had noticed, determination hardening his features. Then his beautiful legs stretched out, becoming impossible arcs that propelled him forward. William, amazed, enjoyed a perspective no cameraman would be fast enough to capture. Kelly had already reached Jared. Now they ran side by side, but not in harmonious union. William could see them both straining to take the lead as he continued to fall behind. If either one of them ran out of energy, or found more, then—

The tip of his foot hit something, just the very end of his toes, but at this speed it sent him flying. The sensation was almost enjoyable until his body hit the ground. He rolled, feeling his least padded bones take the brunt of the fall: his shins, elbows, and forearms. He had the sense to cover his head and ended up on his side, eyes winced shut against the pain. He mentally checked himself before moving. Nothing felt broken. Just sore. Rolling over onto his back, he groaned and lifted the arm that hurt most.

“What happened?” Kelly asked.

William’s eyes shot open. “What are you doing? Run!”

“What happened?” Kelly repeated with concern. “Are you all right?”

“I tripped. It’s just a scratch. Go!”

Kelly looked toward the finish line, muscles tensing, ready to launch toward it. Then he looked back at William, the urgency draining from his face. His lips twitched, as if fighting down a smile. William forced himself to sit up, hoping it would convince Kelly that he didn’t need help.

“You know,” Kelly said, crouching next to him, “they say dogs have antiseptic saliva. I saw one not far back. If you want, I can fetch it for you so it can lick your wounds.”

William gawped. “The race—”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kelly said with a shake of his head.

William felt emotion rushing to his chest. “What about Jared?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kelly repeated.

Okay, now he felt like crying. Or laughing. “What about me?”

Kelly’s white teeth flashed. He stood and held out his hand. “That’s a very big question. One I’m not ready to answer just yet.”

William accepted the hand and was pulled to his feet. Then he waved Kelly away. “Come on. Let’s finish the race.”

Kelly shook his head. “You go ahead if you want. I never should have entered. You’re here for the right reason. So is Jared. I’m not.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” Kelly looked to the crowds. “I’m going to join my family. Once it’s all over, come find us. Okay?”

William nodded. His body had gone stiff, but he forced himself to keep moving, hoping to loosen up again. A guy he didn’t recognize zipped past him. William felt momentarily proud that he had managed such a huge lead. He was still in third place, now that Kelly had walked to the sidelines, but he didn’t expect that to last. He lurched along, seeing his parents cheering him on. That got him the rest of the way to the finish line, but Anna Herbert huffed past him just before he could cross it. William didn’t focus on her though, because his parents were both there, hugging him, fussing over his injuries, smiling at each other in mutual pride. He hadn’t expected this as a prize! Or the feelings Kelly had all but confessed. Even though he hadn’t come in first, William still felt like he had won the race.