his boyfriend squirm and let out an occasional chuckle when Alex hit an especially sensitive spot.
It was well past midnight when they started walking back to their hotel. For the first time in his life, Alex simply enjoyed the midnight walk. The usual itch to make waves, to get attention, to not be swept aside wasn’t there anymore. Alex didn’t need to bind Noah to himself with crazy antics that would ensure Noah was entertained enough to stay with Alex.
He trusted the love Noah had for him, and he trusted Noah to stay, and he found that, once he let go of the distrust he’d been carrying on his shoulders for as long as he could remember, it felt like he was invincible.
It was the best night of Alex’s life.
Nothing could ruin it.
Except for the sight of Noah’s mother standing in front of their hotel room door.
11
“Mom?” Noah would probably have sounded less surprised if they’d come back to the hotel only to find that the place had been taken over by a group of trained seals.
Helen Price, dressed in an immaculate pantsuit, hair pinned back in a bun like she was headed to a business meeting, was pacing back and forth but stopped the minute she caught sight of Noah and Alex approaching.
Noah let go of Alex’s hand and hurried forward. “What are you doing here?”
Noah’s mom threw a quick glance in Alex’s direction, but otherwise she didn’t acknowledge his presence. “I’m looking for my son,” she said in a clipped tone. “We have an emergency.”
Whatever the emergency was, the effect of the words was immediate. Noah’s whole body tensed. Alex took a step closer. It might have not been a good idea to wrap Noah in his arms in front of Helen, seeing as all evidence pointed to the fact that Noah hadn’t exactly told his mother about his relationship with Alex, but Alex still wanted Noah to feel his presence and wordless support.
“How did you find me?” Noah asked.
Helen studied Noah for a second. “Did you not hear me? We have to go. Now.”
Noah swallowed, but he didn’t move. “Did Carl tell you where we are?”
Helen crossed her arms on her chest and gritted her teeth. “Seeing as you didn’t seem to find it pertinent to inform anybody of your whereabouts and have ignored my calls all afternoon, I was forced to use more drastic measures.”
“Such as?”
Helen nodded her chin toward Alex. “I contacted his father and asked him to see where he last used his credit card. Imagine my surprise to find out you’re in Portland without telling me a word about it.” Helen’s voice was raised significantly by the end of that little speech, and she seemed to realize it too as she glanced around to see if anybody had witnessed the outburst.
Noah blanched. “That’s an invasion of privacy.”
“That’s not important right now,” Helen said slowly. “You’re needed in OHSU. Right now. I’ve been spending valuable time trying to track you down. Time that has been wasted because of your selfish actions!”
Noah had seemingly frozen in place. Alex had no idea why Noah’s presence was required in the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital, but Noah looked freaked-out, so Alex decided that Noah’s mother could go to hell, Alex was going to take care of his boyfriend. He moved closer to Noah and entwined their hands. He didn’t mean the gesture to be some kind of a demonstration, but it seemed that Helen took it just as that. Her eyes zeroed in on their linked fingers. She looked at Noah almost pleadingly.
“You didn’t,” she said in a choked voice.
Noah didn’t reply for a long time, but when he finally did, his voice was hoarse. “We’re in a relationship.”
Helen stepped closer. “How could you?” she demanded. “You know the stakes. You know the risk you’re taking. How could you be so stupid?” She sounded like she was about to cry, which was sort of an overblown reaction in Alex’s opinion, especially since Noah had said she wasn’t homophobic.
Alex stepped forward. Whatever Helen’s problem was, Alex was not going to just stand there and listen to her insult Noah. He was going to give that woman a piece of his mind. Before he could say anything, though, Noah’s hand shot out, and he stopped Alex.
“Don’t,” he said quietly.
Helen, in the meantime, had lifted her purse on her shoulder and was patting her hand over her hair, even though not a strand was out of place. “You’re coming