Melting - Sean Ashcroft Page 0,69

years of my life.

The feeling was so intense my eyes were stinging with tears.

This was what being homesick felt like, I thought. I didn’t miss a place. I missed a feeling. The feeling of being exactly where I was meant to be.

Wes was a part of that feeling. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel at home again if he wasn’t within arm’s reach.

“Well, if I was thirty years younger…” Dad teased.

“He’d leave me for you in a heartbeat,” I said.

“No. No, he wouldn’t,” Dad reassured me, voice soft and full of affection.

I needed a hug. From my dad, and from Wes, and from Seth and Andre and Mark and even Isaac, now that I didn’t feel like I needed to be jealous anymore.

I missed them all so much my stomach hurt when I thought about it.

“That boy loves you,” Dad said. “Trust me on this. I’ve never seen him so happy as when you’re around. Or so sad as when you’re not.”

Another pang in the pit of my stomach made me wince. I didn’t want Wes to be sad.

Which was a clue that I knew exactly how I felt about him. Like I’d move mountains to make him smile.

What I was considering was a small thing, in comparison.

“I’ve never been so happy as when he’s around,” I said. “Or missed anyone as much.”

“Then I think you know what to do,” Dad said.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Yeah, I do.”

31

Wes

After two weeks of missing Hayden so much it was like a permanent knot in my chest, the last straw was seeing a big SOLD sign on the ice cream parlor.

I’d had this fantasy where Hayden called me one day to tell me he’d bought it, that he was coming home, that I wouldn’t have to miss him anymore.

I loved him with all my heart, and my heart was breaking. There’d been this chance for him to move here, and now it was gone.

I should’ve asked. I should’ve told him that was what I wanted, that I’d do whatever he needed to help him, that I’d be there for him and I’d love him so much that it’d all be worth it.

He could have moved into the guesthouse with me, and we could have had dinner with his dad all the time, and we’d have been so happy. I knew we would.

But now he’d never come back here. Not without—

Wait.

I was too far away to be sure, but…

It couldn’t be, could it?

My feet picked up in the direction of the ice cream parlor, eyes focused on a dark head of hair I could only see the back of as I abandoned the groceries in the bed of my truck.

A fragile, trembling kind of hope welled up in my chest, shaking so hard it might burst and take my heart with it if I was wrong, if I was only seeing what I wanted to see.

I was out of breath by the time I was close enough to see, heart hammering in my ears, and then…

I was right. I was right.

“Hayden!” I yelled, putting on a burst of speed to close the distance between us as he turned to look at me, eyes wide with surprise.

Laughter bubbled up in my throat as I ran to him, echoing all around us as I pinned him to the wall of the parlor.

Hayden grunted, winded by the impact, and I took the opportunity to kiss him, hard and needy and desperate, trying to pour everything I wanted to say into this one kiss. I’m so glad you’re here, I love you, please tell me this means you’re never leaving again.

The realtor was staring at us, but I didn’t care.

Right now, the only thing in the world that I cared about was Hayden.

And he was here. He was right here, where he belonged. With me.

I didn’t ever want to let him go again.

“Wes,” he murmured, pulling back to look at me. “You weren’t supposed to be here.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“I had this all planned out!” Hayden said.

I laughed again, too happy to care about ruining Hayden’s no doubt carefully considered plans.

“Sorry,” I said, without meaning it even a little bit.

“No you’re not.” Hayden wrapped his arms around me in return, warm and solid and smelling of his aftershave and shampoo and a little bit of the unmistakable stale smell of plane air.

That was fine. There was a shower and a washing machine back home.

“No, I’m not,” I agreed. “I’m never gonna be sorry about seeing you.”

“Well, good,” Hayden said,