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the van before Leo could comment.
    Only when I stood on the street did I feel exposed and vulnerable.
    Looking around, I tried to spot Steven’s truck, but the only vehicle I recognized was the black Jeep that Mike and Alex climbed out of. I saw Julio and the other guy, Tony, coming up the sidewalk, but I didn’t see Andy and Pete.

    Determination
    43

    “Come on, babe. I can’t wait to show you,” Brian said, then took my hand and pulled me away from the van. The building we walked toward resembled an old roadside motel. Huge wooden railings wrapped around the two-story structure, which had doors spaced at regular intervals. To the right sat a dumpster partially surrounded by a high wooden fence covered in graffiti. A guy in oversized jeans and a dingy, once-white ribbed tank top watched us as he threw a couple of bags into the dumpster.
    Brian led me past the dumpster and through an iron gate, which wasn’t locked. After passing the stairs that led up to the second floor, he went to the third door, marked 107, and fished his keys from his pocket.
    “Your copy is inside. I got two sets from the landlord,” Brian said as the lock disengaged and the door swung open. He stood back and let me walk into the dark apartment first, moving to the side as we walked in to flip on the light switch next to the door. The first thing I noticed was the large sleigh bed on the far side of the room. A gaudy comforter peeked out from the foot of it, covered in large red, black, white, and gray concentric geometric shapes. As I moved into the small studio apartment, I looked to my left and saw Alex’s couch and television stand, complete with his flat screen. So, while he had stored a lot of his stuff at the boardinghouse, he’d also lent some of it to us so we would have something to sit on. I promised myself, then and there, that when I got back on my feet, I’d do something very special for Alex.
    Brian wrapped his arms around me from behind, careful not to touch my stomach, and whispered, “Welcome home, baby.” I turned in his arms, anxious to share this amazing moment with him. It didn’t matter that there were five other guys scattered through the small apartment. Brian and I were living together, which was what we’d wanted for so long. Something in my life had finally gone right.
    “Uh, we’re going to just… yeah,” Alex said with a laugh as he tried to herd Mike, Julio, Leo, and Tony from our living room. I opened my eyes to see the other guys setting down an array of boxes that contained Brian’s clothes from the boardinghouse. When I just closed my eyes again and kissed Brian with everything I had, the guys gave a few wolf whistles and headed toward the door.

    44
    Jamie Mayfield

    “You guys can stay for a while,” Brian said halfheartedly as he broke our kiss, but he didn’t let go of my waist. I nuzzled against his neck, waiting for them to leave. Of course I appreciated what they had done for us, but God, I wanted to be alone with Brian. Even if we did nothing more than just lay in bed kissing until we fell asleep in each other’s arms, that would be a perfect night for me.
    “Dude, if I wanted to see that, I’d buy the DVD,” Tony said with good-humored sarcasm, and Brian snorted. The other four guys filed out after exacting promises from Brian that he would text them later.
    The only one to stay was Leo, who closed the door behind the others.
    “I wish you would have stayed at the boardinghouse, where we could protect you,” he told Brian, and I could hear the emotion in his voice. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stood near the door. In the short time I’d known him, I don’t think I’d ever seen Leo so shaken.
    “Leo, I couldn’t stay there with him. It put the other guys in danger. We’ll be fine here, and we’ll be careful, I promise.”
    “You better be, kid. You and Mike mean a hell of a lot to me. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to either of you.”