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“So, I’ll meet you there,” Caleb said when they got to his SUV.

“See you in five.” Aaron waved and continued on to his car.

Caleb was ecstatic with the turn the afternoon had taken. Not only had he unexpectedly spent the game with Aaron, but now they were doing more.

Caleb ended up at the park first. Once he was out of his car, he looked across the green grass. With the sunny, warmer afternoon, kids were out on the playground in force, while a group of teens played ultimate Frisbee nearby. The craft fair was set up around the fountain. The fair was considerably bigger than he remembered it being the few times his parents had dragged him here. The playground was different too, with a climbing wall as its centerpiece.

Aaron pulled his car next to the SUV, and Caleb turned to greet him.

“You looked deep in thought,” Aaron said over the roofs of the cars to him.

“This was probably my second-favorite place to hang out as a kid.”

“I’m pretty sure I know what the first was.”

Aaron was more at ease than Caleb had seen him so far on the trip. He hoped it would continue, since his time home was coming to an end in a few days. Maybe asking him on an actual date wouldn’t be the worst thing.

“I’d always train through here too.” Caleb stayed with the safe topic of the park for now. “It was my favorite place to run lap after lap in the off-season since I didn’t play any other sports.” His gaze shifted to Aaron. “Did you come out here much?”

“You know, I never really did.” He shrugged. “I know the town does movies here in the summer, and I’ll probably come out for some of those. As a kid, though, I wasn’t very outdoorsy.”

“True.” Caleb nodded. “You were usually stuck in a book, as I remember.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone else?” Caleb steered them away from the craft fair and into some trees. He brought them to a stop at a water fountain next to a running path.

“Of course.”

“When I was a freshman, I was running out here one morning before school and ended up alongside Ralph Tyler. He was a junior on the track team. Remember him at all?”

“Not so much from school. I know him now because he owns a gym. His daughter is a fifth grader too.”

“Oh. Maybe I shouldn’t spread gossip, then.” Caleb put his hand over his mouth.

“You can’t start a story and then not finish it.” Aaron pulled at Caleb’s hand, which made him clamp it to his face tighter because he liked Aaron pulling on it. Finally he let him pull it free.

“Okay. It’s just as much gossip about me, I guess. We were running and he was really pushing me because he was the true runner, after all. Anyway, we paused right here to get some water, and while I was stretching against that tree, he kissed me and I kinda kissed him back.”

Aaron involuntarily gave a nervous laugh. “Wow.”

“Right. I thought I was maybe into guys, but I hadn’t done anything because I didn’t want to get in trouble. It was such a fumble, but energizing at the same time. We heard someone on the path, so we didn’t kiss for long, and he swore me to never tell. Which I haven’t until now.” Caleb chuckled but stopped at Aaron’s surprised look. “Sorry. Too much information?”

“No. I was just….” Aaron looked away, leaving Caleb sure he’d said the completely wrong thing. It wasn’t like he was coming out to Aaron, but he was left feeling like he’d screwed up instead of simply revealing part of his past. “I was such a confused basket case during high school. Terrified someone would find me out and make life more hell than it already was, being the bookish guy.”

“You always seemed happy,” Caleb said, facing Aaron.

“I was okay. I didn’t have a tortured high school experience. Names were called, occasionally books knocked off desks, or whatever. I made sure to stay in my lane, though, you know?”

Caleb nodded. He’d been lucky he had the jock role to play, which tended to keep him out of any bully’s sights.

“When I was a freshman in college and finally taking some chances since I wasn’t at home anymore, I was at a frat party and ended up in the basement of the house with a very drunk junior member. I was newly pledged, and he ordered me to follow him, which, of course, I did. I thought we were going to bring up more stuff for the party, but instead he took me in a dark corner and started kissing me.”

The way his features suddenly clouded over stabbed at Caleb’s heart. He took Aaron’s hand and squeezed gently.

“You don’t have to finish the story.”

“It’s really not a bad ending. The kisses weren’t great—he tasted like cheap beer. He groped me a little, but we were interrupted because someone else came downstairs. He quickly pulled back and shoved a case of soda in my hands and took one for himself. He made a quick retreat. He either didn’t remember it or ignored that it ever happened.”