On A Night Like This

Chapter Twenty-Four

-Dylan-

When he and Jayce got to town, he had to find a parking spot further away than normal. It was crowded, and the amount of people made him even more nervous. The main street was filled with families, the kids bundled up to stay warm in the snow as they ran around or tugged their parents towards the candy shop.

It was an overcast day, but the Christmas decorations and lights strung up on the storefronts made everything look warm and inviting. Dylan took a few deep breaths and told himself that it would be worth it to see Jayce happy, even if he wanted to be anywhere but here.

As they stepped onto the main street, the stares began. He could feel everyone's eyes on him and he tugged his scarf up to try to hide more of the scar on his face. The only thing that calmed him was feeling Jayce take his hand, and when he looked over at him, Jayce was smiling up at him. "Let's get some hot chocolate. I could use something to keep my other hand warm while we walk around."

"Sure. Is your face warm enough?"

Jayce nodded. "The scarf you made is perfect."

He thought Jayce looked cute in his navy blue pea coat with the red scarf tucked in around his neck. For a moment, he wished things were different and that he could kiss Jayce right here in the middle of the street. His fear kept him from doing anything but holding Jayce's hand, and the only reason he was comfortable with that was because he knew everyone would be too busy staring at his face to look at their hands.

The crowd was thickest near the candy shop, so he filed in behind Jayce and stuck as close as he could. He tried to avoid meeting anyone's eyes, but a man next to him bumped into his shoulder hard. Too hard to be an accident.

"What are you doing here?" the man asked, his words sharp. "We don't want you around our kids."

Before he could say anything, Jayce stopped in his tracks and turned. "He's with me. We're enjoying the lights like everyone else."

The man scoffed. "You might wanna rethink that. This creep kept a hiker locked up in a cabin in the middle of the mountains."

Jayce glared at the man. "I'm the missing backpacker who was in Dylan's cabin. I don't know who the hell is spreading weird rumors that he kidnapped me, but it couldn't be further from the truth." His voice was getting louder as he spoke, starting to draw the attention of everyone around them. Dylan wanted to bolt, but Jayce had a tight grip on his hand.

"Dylan saved my life," Jayce continued. "I would have died from hypothermia if he hadn't found me in the snow and taken me back to his cabin. He took care of me and shared his food with me. I wasn't locked up. He taught me how to snowshoe and then led me out of the mountains and drove me back to town. He's an incredibly kind man and I came all the way back here from Seattle because I want to spend Christmas with him. I'm lucky to have him in my life. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves for judging Dylan without getting to know him and for treating him the way you have."

The man suddenly wouldn't look at them. His eyes were focused on the ground and he turned and abruptly walked away without a word. Dylan was afraid of what would happen next as he heard the whispers and murmurs start back up. When he gathered the courage to glance up at the people around them, they were still staring at him, but he noticed their stares were less wary now and more curious instead.

Still holding tightly to his hand, Jayce began to lead him through the crowd to the entrance of the candy shop. A thin, older woman with white hair approached, stepping into their path. She was looking right at him. 

"Hello, dear," she said, giving him a smile. "I've seen you around, and I'm afraid I did just what your friend said. I made judgments about you without ever speaking to you. I'm sorry for that." She held out two candy canes. "I hope you enjoy the celebration. Carolers will be coming through in about an hour."