Love On The Links Chapter 14

This story is a work of erotic fiction involving teenage boys. All the usual rules apply. If you shouldn't be reading this now then don't continue on. Copyright Notice - Please, this story is Copyright © by NCDuffer and the author retains all rights. You may distribute, copy, print, staple or spindle this story however you like, provided this copyright notice remains intact and you do not change the story in any way. Also you may not charge any fee to anyone to distribute or access this story. Comments and constructive criticisms are always welcomed! Send them to ncduffer@hotmail.com.

When we got home on Sunday afternoon, James came into my room.

"Damn dude," he said, "there's like a million messages from Jack on the voice mail. You better call him before he thinks you're stepping out with another dude." James just winked at me as I threw a pillow his way. "Did you ever figure anything out last night on the dock after I went to bed?"

"Yeah, I did," I replied. Unbeknownst to either of us, my father was walking by my room at that exact instant; a turn of fate that would set a very unfortunate set of circumstances into motion. I continued, "I think I'm going to break up with him."

"Why?" James asked.

"Well," I replied, "he just seems so hell-bent on coming out to everybody, and I'm not ready to do that yet. I'm so desperately in love with him, but I love him so much I'm willing to let him go rather than hold him back."

"Wow," James said, "you really DO love this guy." I just blushed. Elsewhere in the house, my father's cheeks were also flush, but his with anger as he replayed the conversation back to my mother. They had to do something, and fast.

I picked up the phone and dialed Jack's number.

"Hi Mrs. Stewart," I said, "may I please speak to Jack?"

"He's not home right now, sweetie," she answered. "He's up at the club with his father."

"Ok, I'll just try to catch him up there. Thank you," I said and hung up the phone. I put on my jacket, the weather was a little chilly today. It was moving out of Autumn; Winter would be here soon.

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"Hey momma," Jack said as he walked in the house.

"Aww, sugar," Mrs. Stewart said while kissing him on the cheek, "Will just rang. I sent him up to the club to meet you. I didn't know you'd be home so soon."

"Will called?" Jack's face lit up. "I wonder where the devil he's been!"

"Well, he should be looking around for you up at the club. Your father just rang before you walked in, he said that Will's dad called him and invited him over to talk about playing in a golf tournament this weekend. If he's still over at the Parkers' when you boys get over there, tell him to remember to invite the Parkers over for dinner the Saturday after next."

"Ok, will do. Can I take the car, momma? Pleeeeeeeeease?" Jack did his best puppy dog look. "I PROMISE to be careful. Please?" His mother just couldn't look at those eyes and say no.

"I guess honey, but be EXTREMELY careful, and be back soon. No road trips to South Carolina trying to get hitched."

"But mom! You've only got to be 15 down there!" Jack just giggled and gave his mother a hug. "I love you, momma," he said, meaning every word.

"I love you too, sugar." Jack grabbed the keys off the board by the door and flew out the door towards the garage.

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Will got to the club, and nobody was there. He peeked his head into the window of the proshop, but it was a ghost town, also. As he was about to start home, he saw the familiar running lights of a black suburban rapidly approaching. It screeched to a halt right beside him, and the passenger window rolled down. His heart fluttered as he saw the face of his beautiful southern boy. There was just something about Jack's eyes, something so deep and stirring, Will was captivated by them.

"Well," Jack said, "don't just stand there! Hop in here and give me some sugar!" Will climbed in to the passenger seat and gave Jack a soft, lingering kiss.

"Jack," Will sighed, "can we drive around for a little while? There's something I need to tell you."

"No problem. So what's up, baby?" Jack said happily, his head seemingly in the clouds.

"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately," Will said.

"What about? And where were you all weekend? I called you like a thousand times," Jack said, talking excitedly about 90 miles an hour.

"We went to the lake," Will said. "And I got a chance to do a lot of thinking. About you," that made Jack smile, "about me," sigh, "and about us." Something about the way Will said the word 'us' made Jack's blood run cold.

"Will, baby, what's wrong?" Jack pleaded, his eyes meeting Will's and searching desperately for the feeling behind his vexing words. He found nothing. They rounded the curve to Will's house, and they both saw Jack's dad's Saab in Will's driveway.

"What's your dad doing here?" Will asked.

"He's talking to your dad about going to some golf tournament this weekend," Jack answered.

"Jack, turn the car around," Will said, his face growing pale. "Turn the car around. NOW!"

"Why? Will, what's WRONG?!" Jack asked,

"Jack, PLEASE," Will practically begged.

Jack was getting down right freaked out now. Will was being cryptic enough already, and now he was panicking. This just set Jack spinning. He whipped the suburban around in the road and headed back towards the clubhouse. When they pulled up in the parking lot, Jack killed the motor and just stared across the car at Will.

"Ok, this stops right now," Jack said. "You're going to tell me what's going on, and I want the straight up truth. You're scaring me, Will."

"Jack, there IS no golf tournament this weekend," Will said.

"Yeah there is," Jack responded. "My mom told me right before I picked you up that your dad called my dad, and invited him over to talk about a golf tournament this weekend. She said THIS WEEKEND, Will. I'm sure of it."

"Jack," Will said, "my dad is flying to Nashville Wednesday night for a Democratic Party fundraiser. He's going to be there until Monday morning."

"Well then why would he call my dad…" Jack trailed off as the realization dawned on him. Soon, the color of his face matched Will's. "Shit man, what do we do?"

"I don't know, Jack," Will said, trembling. "I'm so scared, I don't know what to do."

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"Goddammit, Jim," Joe Parker said, his voice rising in anger, "if you don't do something about it, I will." Anna Parker walked into the study with a silver service tray at just that moment.

"Coffee anyone?" She said, her eyes cold, calculating, sizing up Jim Stewart.

"No thanks," Jim said, giving her a sarcastically friendly smile. Something about this house made Jim uncomfortable. It may have had the nicest of antique family furnishings, but it seemed very foul underneath.

"No, Anna. Could you leave us alone for a minute, the men are discussing something," Joe said with his typical patronizing dismissal. Anna promptly left, and didn't dare interrupt again.

"Joe," Jim said, his voice calm yet firm, "I refuse to do anything about it. I don't have a problem with it, and if I may be so bold, the only one with a problem here is you. I know for a fact neither of them thinks it's a problem."

"You think y'all can just waltz in here, let your son get my boy all riled up, and I'M the one with the problem?"

"Frankly, Joe," Jim stated flatly, "your boy was 'riled up' before we even heard of this place. It's not like Jack flipped some switch inside him; he's been 'riled up' since he was born."

"Parker blood is as pure as gold," Joe Parker said insolently. "I refuse to sit here and listen to this horse shit about defects my son was born with. My family has run this area for 300 years, and I don't see as why this abnormality to which you refer would show up now. We've never had one in my family, and as far as I'm concerned, we don't have one now. This conversation just offends my sensibilities to continue it any further. You just remember, you keep your boy away from mine."

"Joe, if you keep on this path, you're only going to drive him away even further from you, and even more towards Jack. Is that what you really want?"

"Understand this, Jim. My son will do what I tell him, when I tell him to do it. I don't buy into your liberal philosophy of letting kids just run wild. Kids need firm discipline and boundaries set for them."

"I understand that," Jim said, "but they also need compassion and understanding. They need to be listened to; they need to know that you love them unconditionally."

"I find it repugnant that you come into my house and dare lecture me on parenting," Joe said, his court room poker face now firmly secure.

"Joe, you invited me here," Jim said incredulously. "And I was under the impression we were going to talk about golf! And while we're at it, you NEED a lecture on parenting. You have no clue about what's going on in your son's life. Instead of arguing with me, you should spend this time actually TALKING to your son, letting him know you love him, letting him see that you really DO give a damn about him. For God's sake, Joe, he's your SON! Don't you see how much you already have to be proud of? Of course not, you don't even know him! He's a stranger to you, and that's all YOUR fault." Jim said, gathering his coat and hat and preparing to leave.

"You just remember," Joe Parker intoned, fire in his eyes, "my boy stays away from your son. Sounds like there's no hope for your faggot son, but I'll be godDAMNED if I let my boy turn out that way."

"That's a shame, Joe," Jim said, "because I love my gay son, and I know he loves me. It's too bad you'll never be able to say the same. Oh, and Joe," Jim added before walking out of the study, "Will is always welcome at my house."

Joe Parker slammed the door to his study and walked over to his private liquor cabinet. He started to pour himself a drink, but decided just to take a pull off the bottle instead. He slumped down in his high-backed leather desk chair, his head in his hands, and cried.

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"Will, honey, you're shaking like a leaf. Come on, let's go for a walk," Jack said hopping out of the suburban. He helped a dazed Will out of the truck and wrapped his arm around Will's shoulder. "Come on, buddy, shake it off. I need you to walk right now." Will slumped against Jack as they slowly shuffled out onto the course. At this point, Will was too shaken up to really care who saw them.

"Will, come on buddy, talk to me," Jack said. "Let's get your mind off of this, besides we don't even know what that was about back there. For all we know, your dad's fundraiser got called off, and he invited my dad to go play somewhere with him."

"No," Will said. "He knows. They both know. My mom and dad are going to kill me, Jack. James told me they'd write me off, he was right. Oh GOD, Jack, why did this have to happen to me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" He broke down, choking on the bitterest of tears as he slumped down on a cart bridge over a small creek. Nobody was playing today, so they were afforded a secluded place of privacy in these woods. Jack sat down beside him and wrapped his arms tightly around Will. His grip tightened as Will pressed himself into Jack's side.

"Shhh," Jack said. "What's this about James? Did you tell him this weekend?"

"MmHmm," Will said, nodding his head affirmatively.

"How'd he take it?"

"He was awesome about it, man," Will said, looking up at Jack with tear stained eyes.

"That's so fantastic, man. Maybe there's hope for your parents, after all?"

"Jack, there is so much I have to tell you," Will said. "But I don't want you to say a word until I've finished everything I have to say." Jack nodded his head, ok.

"When I was born," Will began, "a chain of events was set into motion. My family practices a custom of arranged marriage that my ancestors brought with them from the Old World when they got here in 1702."

Jack smiled to himself as his dad's words suddenly came to his mind. He quickly dismissed it, though, and centered his attention back onto Will.

"Well, when I was born, my parents selected a girl for me. She is from a family that is a little older than mine in Charleston, and she is one month younger than I am. Her name is Hillary Trudeau. She's beautiful, Jack. She's smart, she's funny, she's everything I could ever want in a wife," Will said, never once wavering in his eye contact with Jack. "Unfortunately, my life was destined to run a different course than debutante balls, weddings, and christenings. Things are PERFECTLY set up for me, Jack. Everything is just ready for me to step in and take over, all I have to do is sign away my soul. I can look at her everyday, and see this beautiful girl, but I'll never look at her with the same eyes that I look at you with. You're my 'one.' Everything about you fits me. Your eyes hold me captive with just a glance. Your smile lifts my spirits with just a flash. Your arms can make me melt, or make me strong. You are my everything, Jack."

Jack's eyes were glistening, wet with tears of love and happiness. Somehow, though, they were twinged with a hint of sorrow. Will continued.

"Jack, you are such a special person. So amazing that I can hardly believe that you aren't some figment of my imagination. Some fictional character out of a romance story. You've shown me that it's ok to be myself, and that I deserve love just as much as anyone else. You've shown me that I can be gay and still be normal. I always thought I had to be some cartoon stereotype to be gay. Everything we've shared has done nothing but prove me otherwise. You've given me so much, Jack, and I'll always be eternally grateful."

'Eternally grateful,' the words shot right through Jack as his stomach started to fall into his shoes.

"Things are going to start getting awfully hot around here. I imagine that after our dads' conversation today, life as we knew it is going to cease to exist. My dad's a resourceful bastard, Jack. He's going to try everything he can to put a stop to us, and make me 'normal' again. There's too much at stake for our family, our name, our history and our future, for my dad to let this go without a fight. He's going to be ruthless, Jack. And I know he's going to hurt me anyway he can. Perhaps if he can shame me enough, and break me down, I'll cave in. He'll come after you too, Jack. My dad has so many 'good ole boy' contacts around here, it wouldn't surprise me if he tried to ruin your whole family. He wants you to cease to exist, Jack. He wants to purge me of you. But what he doesn't understand is that I'll still be gay, and I'll always be in love with you, no matter how many girls I go out to the movies with. That's why I have to do this." Jack was crying openly, now. He made no attempt to hide his tears, or even try to wipe them from his face. Two wet streams made their way down his soft cheeks. Still, he held Will's gaze.

"Don't say it, Will," Jack cried softy. "Don't say those words."

"I have to, Jack," Will said, now openly sobbing. His breathing and speech were jagged and irregular. A sharp intake of breath. "I have to do this to protect you. I have to throw myself in front of you to protect you from him. It's the only way I can stop him from coming after you. He could never publicly do anything to me, but he has no qualms about humiliating you. I have to let you go, Jack. I have to set you free…for your own good."

"I won't let you go, Will, I won't!" Jack had turned from dejected to angrily indignant.

"You don't have a choice, I'm afraid," boomed a loud voice from behind them. Will immediately recognized the distinct southern drawl that belonged to his father. There was a slight hint of bourbon that carried over the breeze.

"Goodbye, Jackson. I love you. Always." Will whispered, gazing into the sad eyes of his beautiful southern boy and squeezing his hand one last time. Will rose to his feet, wiped his eyes, dusted himself off, stood up straight and proud, and walked down the wooded path with his father. Jack tried to stand up and run after them, but his legs betrayed him and he collapsed into a sad heap of tears and anguish. As Will headed out of sight, he got chills as a loud desperate wail escaped from deep within the woods; forceful and primal as if it were the very sound of death itself.

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I didn't sleep at all last night. I soaked my pillow with white hot tears, and just when I thought I could cry no more, another wave took its place. I was so angry with my father. I was angry at the whole world. When my alarm went off at 6:45am, I had seen neither hide nor hair of sleep. I used the bathroom and washed my eyes. They were puffy and red, despite my best efforts to wash away the evidence of my tears. I quickly hopped in the hot shower and felt a little better after the hot water invigorated my nerves. I slipped on some boxers and a teeshirt and somberly walked downstairs to the kitchen.

When I entered the kitchen, there were signs of busy activity already in progress. My father's briefcase was open, and files were spread all over the countertops. I froze in my tracks when my eyes focused on a particular item; a pamphlet for Winthrop-Ralston Academy for Boys was not only open, but certain parts were highlighted. A lump formed in my throat and I turned to run upstairs. I whirled around and ran smack into my mother.

"Sit," she quietly commanded. I obeyed without protest.

"Why, Will?" she asked sadly. "What did we do wrong? We've always striven to buy you the nicest things, to make sure you always had the best friends. The blue blood that flows in your veins is some of the oldest and best in the South. How could you humiliate us like this?"

"Frankly, mother, I really could care less how this makes you look. This is how I am, how I was born, and how I'm meant to be." I could see this was sailing right over my mother's head. I had to change tactics. "Momma," I feigned 'little-boy innocence,' "I can't help it. I love him. Surely you know what it's like to love somebody so much you'd be willing to drop everything just to be with them."

"Your father and I have already found you someone, William," she had completely disregarded my previous appeals, but I could tell she was weakening.

"Mom, Hillary knows," I exclaimed.

"What!?" my mother asked, her mouth open in shock. "We'll be the laughing stock of the society down there, Will. How could you tell her a lie like that?"

"I didn't have to tell her, mom," I explained. "She figured it out, somehow. Trust me, I didn't want ANYONE to know, but somehow all you people keep figuring it out. And it's not a lie, mom. Can't you look in my eyes and see the truth when I say I love him? That I would do anything for him?"

"This is just a phase, Will," my mom said. "This too shall pass."

"Mom, I've been waiting almost 16 years for it to pass. I don't think it's going anywhere."

"Will, how do you even know what love is? You're only 15," my mom asked. This was good. She was starting to wear down. All I had to do was show her how much I loved Jack. Then she'd understand, right? I put my heart and soul into the response, and expressed to her just how deeply aware I was of the concept of love, and of being in love.

"How do I know what love is? I'll tell you. I know what love is when I wake up in the morning and still feel Jack's arms around me. I know what love is when everything I see, hear, feel, touch or smell around me reminds me of Jack. I know what love is when I think of the future and I see him right beside me. And I know what love is when I am willing to walk out of this house forever and never look back just so I could be with him." That last statement caught my mom off guard a little, and I think I might have just gotten her attention.

"You…you'd do that?" she said.

"In a New York minute," I replied immediately. No hesitation at all.

"Why, Will?" she said, visibly shaken. "What have we done to make you turn your back on us?"

"You turned your back on me first," I replied flatly. "Mom, you have no idea how you guys crushed James. I honestly don't know how he got through all this, but I will tell you this, you guys should feel bad for making either of your sons embarrassed to be whom he really is."

"Will, you just don't understand. You will one day when you have kids of your own."

"MOM!" I shouted, stepping into her personal space and staring at her face to face. "Don't you understand? I’m GAY! I won't HAVE kids one day!"

"Yes, you will, sugar, yes you will," my mom said, running her hands through my hair. I wasn't sure whom she was trying to convince more, me or herself.

"Well, I've got to go get ready for school," I said, stepping away from my mother.

"Not today, son, your father is down at the office withdrawing you right now."

"What?" I screamed. "Why am I being withdrawn from school?"

"Because you're going to a new school. A boarding school in Virginia. You will finally be able to be in the company of other boys of the same background."

"What, is this a boarding school for gay boys, mom?" I asked sarcastically. "Because that would be a particular fantasy of mine come true." Nice going smartass.

"No, William, and quit using that dirty word to refer to yourself. You're not…" she stammered for the word. In the end, she couldn't even bring herself to say it at all. But nonetheless, she continued, "I meant it's a school for boys from good families. You don't have to worry about people of inferior blood contaminating you like you do here with that boy." Oh well, I thought, I guess I didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped. I shrugged my shoulders and walked back upstairs to my room. There was little hope left of discussing this like an adult with my parents. I found that to be bitterly ironic.

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I finished packing all my stuff to start school after Christmas. There was still about a month left of the fall semester when my parents withdrew me from school. My parents decided to send me away (are we noticing a pattern here) to Europe to stay with some of their friends in Switzerland until Christmas. The plan was for them to fly out, meet me in Europe, and spend Christmas vacation together in the Alps. I would be returning only a few days before the spring term began at Winthrop-Ralston. They had been monitoring me closely for the past few days since all hell had broken loose. I had been cutoff from the phone and the internet, but thank God for James. He had been my personal courier, passing notes back and forth to Haley at school to give to Jack when she got home. I explained the whole situation to Jack, and quite understandably, he was devastated. I had grown quite detached from my emotions, my family, my whole life. I was running on emotional auto-pilot. The next morning I was to fly out of Raleigh to London, and make a connection to Zurich. I asked my mom if I could call Hillary and tell her I was going away. She reluctantly agreed.

"Hello," Hillary asked.

"Hey Hill, it's Will," I answered.

"Darling! How in the world are you?!" she asked, excited to hear from me.

"Not too well, I'm afraid," I answered pitifully.

"So they know, huh?" She asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"And it went that well, did it?"

"Yeah, they pulled me out of school, Hill. They're sending me to Winthrop-Ralston in the spring."

"That's a really good school, Will."

"I know, but it doesn't have Jack."

"Well, I've got a few friends that go there, but they're all straight. Don't worry, though, they're cool. Actually, come to think of it, one of them is gay, but they treat him the same as before they knew. I'll call Henry and tell him to expect you and to introduce you to all the guys. I won't tell him ABOUT you, though, you can decide if and when you want to do that for yourself."

"Thanks, Hill. I'm leaving tomorrow to go to Switzerland and stay with the Marceaus until Christmas."

"Auguste and Sophie? Oh DO tell them I said hello."

"I will Hillary. I just wanted to call you and tell you goodbye before I left."

"Don't say such things, Will. As long as you keep me in your heart, we'll always be there for each other. Just close your eyes and think back to that warm Charleston day we spent together at the Battery, and it will be just like I'm right there beside you. Besides, they have phones over there, silly!"

"I know, Hill, it just seems like my whole world is ending."

"We're gonna take these lemons,"

"And make lemonade?" I interrupted.

"No, I was gonna say make Absolut Citron, but if lemonade is more your speed, we can make that too." We both laughed.

"How is Jack taking all this?"

"Not too well, either, I'm afraid. He's pretty devastated. I'm too emotionally detached to even think about it right now."

"Well, you'll get your time, Will, but you have to let it out. You have to grieve. It's just not healthy to keep it all bottled up."

"I'll call you whenever I get there, ok? And give you my address and phone number."

"I'll call you as often as I can, ok? I know you will be awfully lonesome and homesick over there. My poor Will. My heart is just breaking in two for you, sweetheart."

"Thanks for always being there, Hill." I said. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Will Parker" Hillary said, "and you will be constantly in my heart and prayers."

I hung up the phone and went upstairs to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be an early flight out.

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My Grand Tour should have been the most exciting time of my life. It's a right of passage for boys in my family to take their tour of Europe and enrich their lives culturally. For me, it was just a constant reminder of how alone I was. Every art gallery, every chateau, every bridge that crossed over an ancient river at sunset, just broke my heart anew. My parents had given the Marceaus strict instructions that, at no time, was I to use the phone at the house. The only exception was to call home. I rarely called home; I only phoned to request more money be wired to my account. I was going through money like it was burning a hole in my pocket. I wanted to leave my parents with as bitter of a taste of this trip as it gave me. I bought anything I wanted, and a lot of junk I didn't want. Half the stuff I would never even open from the box. This was just the only way I could think of to lash out at my parents. Soon, it was Christmas time, and I met my parents and brother at the airport. It was a strained reunion at best. I casually strolled past them at the gate and embraced my brother in a warm hug. I politely shook my father's hand, gave my mother a chilly hug, and led them to the car waiting for us. They didn't push the issue, but I could tell my father wanted nothing more than to wring my neck. Fine, let him. End my misery.

_________________________________________

On the plane flight home, James kept looking at me and smiling. I kept asking him what he was smiling for, but he just laughed and told me "nothing." I think the altitude must have gotten to him. We made our connection in London, and 10 hours later landed in Raleigh-Durham International Airport. I was half-hoping Jack would be waiting at the gate, but my heart sank when there was no one to welcome me back to the States. James noticed my disappointment, and squeezed my hand.

"Don't worry, bro," he said, "I still love you." I put my arm around his shoulder and just hugged him tight. Our experiences with our parents had made us inseparably close, and if there is such a good thing as a silver lining to this whole damned fiasco, it was the fact that my little brother became my life long best friend. I knew from that day forward that whenever I needed him, he would always be there. The sun was going down as we retrieved our luggage and headed for home. James kept looking at me with this goofy grin and whenever I would ask about it, he would just shake it off and say "nothing." I thought he might be cracking up, maybe mom and dad had finally gotten to him. I couldn't have been more wrong, though.

As soon as we arrived home, I grabbed my luggage and went straight up to my room. All the crap (which is what I considered it--it had no emotional attachment to me) that I had bought in Europe was being shipped over here and wouldn't arrive until tomorrow or the day after. There was a knock on my door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"James," came the reply. I got up off my bed and opened the door. I was met with a huge bear hug and an "I love you, bro." I got a little shaken up, and returned the sentiment.

"Ok, that's enough," James laughed, "people are gonna think I like guys too if I keep all this touchy feely crap up. Anyway, welcome home bro, I left you a surprise in your closet--it's kind of appropriate that I should leave it there…" James trailed off as he laughed to himself. I closed the door and shuffled across my room and got to my walk-in closet door. Whenever I opened it, I was almost knocked over by Jack as he leapt out of the closet and into my arms.

"Wha…how…JACK!" I stammered. I couldn't talk long, as I had a tongue down my throat very soon after that. We collapsed onto the bed and held each other tenderly for what seemed like both hours and seconds at the same time.

"It is so good to be back in your arms, babe," Jack said.

"How did you get in here?" I asked. I was still so shocked that it hadn't really sunk in on me that I had the man of my dreams back in my arms.

"Well, James and I have been scheming for a while now, figuring out ways for me to somehow get some kind of time alone with you."

"But what about my parents, Jack?"

"I wouldn't worry about them," Jack said. "Your brother is down there right now polishing off the rest of that pack of Dramamine into their diet cokes. They ought to be out like a light here really soon." He smiled a devilish grin and I attacked him.

"How long?" I asked breathlessly between mouthfulls of Jack's tender neck.

"I have to slip out around dawn, but James has already taken care of that, too," Jack replied. Note to self: Thank James.

Jack grabbed my remote and flipped on the stereo. Dave Matthew's Band was in the changer, and the "Live from Red Rocks" disc one came on. Good God Almighty. Jack knew that listening to Dave makes me so horny, and having him here with me in my arms, it was almost too much. My body felt on fire; it had been too long since I'd truly felt this alive. We spent that night making love and forging our souls together with a heat and intensity I had never experienced. I've never cried such bittersweet tears before in my life; Jack and I continually cried while we made love. It was the most magical night of my young life and I prayed for that night to never end. But all too soon, there was a soft knock on my door and James softly tip-toed into my room.

"Come on, guys," he whispered, "it's time for Jack to go."

"Give us a minute," I whispered, my eyes watering over again.

"Ok, I hate to rush you, but it won't be safe for him to stay much longer," James said as he quietly closed the door.

"Jackson, I don't have the words…" I sobbed into his chest.

"I know, Will, me either," he said as we clung to each other and wept. "This isn't goodbye, not by a long shot," Jack said. "We've only just started our lives together, and God Almighty Himself would have a tough time keeping us apart. Your parents shouldn't be a problem." He laughed a wistful laugh and gently kissed me. "You know I love you, baby, and that will never change, no matter what." With that, he slipped out of the bed, put his clothes on and walked to the door. He turned around one last time, and looked at me with those eyes. I flew out of the bed, naked as the day I was born, and flung myself into his arms.

"I love you so much, Jackson, please promise me it's forever," I sobbed into his chest as he wrapped his strong comforting arms around me.

"Forever and then some, babe," he said and kissed the top of my head. He reached for the door and James was waiting on the other side, ready to put the escape plan into action. I was too emotionally spent to be embarrassed of my nakedness, and I turned Jack around one last time and gave him the best, most passionate kiss I could summon. I put every last bit of tenderness, emotion, love, and fire into that kiss. James cleared his throat, indicating that it was indeed time to go, and I reluctantly broke the kiss.

"Forever," I softly whispered, and like the wind, he was gone.

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Epilogue: It was nearly two years ago that Jack and I shared that magical night. I began at Winthrop-Ralston, and despite my best efforts at hating everything there, I actually developed a strong affinity for the place. If it only had Jack there, it would have been perfect. I developed some strong friendships there with some really awesome guys, and it did me a world of good to get out of that small southern town. Jack and I kept in extremely close contact, and we emailed each other every day. We would talk on the phone as often as possible, and kept up with what was going on in each others' lives. Jack won the state our senior year in golf; he got in Sports Illustrated in the faces in the crowd section for shooting a record course low by someone under 18. He had a full golf scholarship to attend Georgia Tech in the fall. He was really going to be something special one day, and I was just glad I was going to be there with him to experience it. I was accepted to attend the University of North Carolina, and I was moving down to Chapel Hill as soon as humanly possible. I had already received some literature about pledging a fraternity, and I couldn't wait to get involved in the greek scene there.

Whenever I left to attend W-R, Jack decided to come out. There were a few people who reacted negatively to it, but thankfully, all of our friends (with Robert's fierce leadership) accepted him with open arms. Together with Garrett and Matt, Jack started a very successful chapter of a gay/straight student alliance. In just two short years, the chapter had over a hundred members and over 20 people at my high school felt comfortable enough to come out! (I'm so proud of my little social reformer--can you tell!?)

James is now a big high school man, lettering in three varsity sports as a sophomore, and very active in student clubs and organizations. He's a very vocal member of the GSA and has a stunning debutante socialite girlfriend down in Charleston. In a bizarre twist of fate, it looks like my parents might be related to the Trudeaus after all. He and Hillary have been dating for almost a year now, and with her attending the University of South Carolina in the fall, they're a pretty sure bet to stay close.

My parents still haven't come around on the idea that their oldest son is gay. They have begrudgingly realized that it's impossible for me to change whom I am, but they most certainly don't have to like it. I'm as alright with that realization as can be expected, I guess. I don't blame them; they are a product of their upbringing. An upbringing I was lucky enough to both experience and escape. I figure that I've gotten the most out of them as is possible, but with such great friends, a really awesome brother, and the most wonderful guy in the world by my side, I would say my future looks pretty bright.

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Author's Note: I would just like to personally thank each one of you who has read my work, written me comments, and sent me encouraging words. I can't believe it's been over a year since the adventures of Jack and Will began, but this year has seen a great many changes in the life of the author. I have been able to discover so much more of myself, and I contribute a lot of that to being able to vent on paper what was too sensitive at the time for me to say out loud. This story is dedicated to everybody out there who believes in the power of love to cross all boundaries, cultures, and differences. In all things, LOVE should be our motivating factor. Thanks again, and God bless!