Where to Find Love (MXM) ✔

Chapter 32

Eduardo Garcia

I pulled into the dorm parking lot. I found an empty space and texted Isaiah even though I could see him watching me through the blinds of his dorm window. I got out of my car to greet him when he came out of the front doors. His smile when he got close made me smile in return. It had been years and years since anyone had smiled at me like they were genuinely happy to see me. Instead of going to the passenger side of the car, he got close to me, tiptoed and kissed me lightly on the lips.

A group of college guys went, "Ooooh," at our antics. I ignored them. So did Isaiah.

"Hi," Isaiah said when he pulled away.

"Hi," I said in return. "Planning on staying long?" I indicated the bag looped over his shoulder. It had been a few weeks since that incident when I called him and he rushed over to my house. The first Friday I picked him up after that, he spent the night, but I took him home Saturday since I had business. Last weekend he had stayed Friday night and Saturday night and I had taken him home Sunday morning. I was worried that I was becoming a distraction when he should be concentrating on college. It was also becoming more and more difficult to take things slow with him. He would be next to me in my bed, under the covers, our arms around each other, sometimes kissing each other, but if I ever tried to take it a little further, he'd pull away. It seemed like he wanted it as much as I did. He said he wanted us to be different than what I had with Mikey, but it was already so different. Couldn't we add sex onto it now? I'd wait and let him lead. He could tell me when he was ready.

"Yes," he said. I smiled and led him to the other side of the car. I opened the passenger side door and then closed it once he had slid inside. I got into the driver's seat, started the car and pulled out.

"Is there anything in particular you want to do tonight?" I asked.

"Not really," he said. "Although, Derek says you should take me to a real restaurant instead of just picking up food and going back to your place." I glanced at him through the darkness, a street light illuminated his face for one brief moment. I turned my attention back to the road.

"What are you in the mood for?"

From the corner of my eye, I caught him shrug. I liked Isaiah. A lot. Maybe even loved him, but at times like these, he was a little frustrating. It was frustrating that he simply forgot to eat, that he didn't seem to particularly like or dislike food, that he would be just as happy if he didn't have to eat to survive.

"Well, think about it," I said. "I've got to stop at the club and meet with Zach. You can tell me what kind of food you want when I'm done with that. You'll have all that time to think about it."

"Fine," he said as if I had just given him the hardest task in the world. I reached across the center console and held his hand. A tiny smile crept onto his lips as he stared down at our entwined hands and gave mine a gentle squeeze. "Do you know what happened to that man?"

I didn't have to ask him which man he was talking about. I knew he was asking about the man I had beat up with the bat. "No." I said shortly in the hopes he wouldn't bring it up again. I just wanted to forget that ever happened. I didn't want to know if I had killed him.

"I've been looking at the local news," he said. "There were no reports of anyone dying like that," he squeezed my hand again. "So you don't have to worry about that."

That was a bit of a relief, but that didn't mean I hadn't done some permanent damage. I just didn't want to know. He didn't bring it up again.

There was already a line at the front of the club of people wanting to get in. I pulled around to the back and parked in my usual spot. I held his hands as we went inside. Everyone there pretty much already knew we were together and Zach had already used him as a threat so there was no point in hiding it. I led him to the bar where Jose could look after him while I met with Zach. I scanned the bar quickly. Levi and Marcos were dancing on the dance floor in the middle of a group of young women. Brian Scotts had become a regular and was dancing near them. Liz and Kiet sat at one of the tables. He had an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him as they watched the dancers. Neither of them appeared to be on meth. Liz had insisted that relapse had been a one time thing only and it wasn't going to happen again, but it was never a one time only thing.