Paper hadn’t kept him away. But I could.
I should’ve stayed put or driven away. Pretended none of this’d happened, I hadn’t let things go this far.
But I was past that.
Travis watched the cathedral door intently. In his right hand he carried a duffle bag. His other hand was stuffed into a deep front pocket in his hoodie.
Not good.
I had no idea what type of weapons he might have in his bag. He could have mace. A knife, a gun. The possibilities were endless.
Or maybe he had nothing at all.
Still, what made Travis’s behavior more jarring was what he stood to lose. One wrong touch and he’d be back in a cage, so he circled the rules instead. Close enough to live in Blair’s head,but far enough to pretend it’s not his fault. Men of his breed absolutely loved fences; they run the line and rattle the gate to prove they can.
I couldn’t wait around to see what he’d do.
For a painfully long minute, I waited for Travis to shift his focus, suddenly distracted by a phone call. He turned and faced the other direction for a moment, enough time for me to slip out of my truck.
Rain stung against the back of my neck as I crossed the slippery street. My jacket clung heavily to my skin as my boots splashed quiet ripples through the filthy puddles beneath me.
The cathedral doors gave under my hand and let out a noise that sounded like bone splitting. Inside, rain softened to a distant hiss on the roof. I wiped water from my forehead and took in my surroundings.
Stale air permeated, cold, and wet. It carried the stench of mildew and old candles. Faint light trickled through the few intact panes of colored glass.
I didn’t want to linger and have anyone think I was suspicious. I needed to find Blair.
So, I pushed deeper, each footstep loud against the warped wooden floor. A volunteer’s cough echoed down a hallway, far enough away that I had time to vanish before they could see me.
I walked past someone stacking cans near the front.
Then I heard it; down below. The hollow thud of a box as it hit the floor. Faint, but distinct enough for me to detect.
I found the stairwell tucked behind a carved arch with stone steps that led down into a darkness that smelled of damp earth. My boots slipped on the wet edge of the first step, and I caught myself on the rail.
This place was a deathtrap.
Rain dripped down from my hair and left an obvious trail behind me as I dove into the underbelly of the cathedral.
The basement ceiling hung low, arched. Cobwebs swayed and shifted with the draft and bare bulbs flickered overhead. Shelves lined the walls with boxes of food and dented old cans, forgotten after they’d passed their expiration date.
A sadness lingered in this place.
In the middle of the basement, Blair. Bent over, setting down a box. Completely oblivious. A light bulb swung above him and washed his body in light before stealing it back, a fickle confession lamp that couldn’t decide.
I remained in the shadows too long, hidden from the view of the light cone as my heart pounded and I reminded myself: I didn’t come here for Blair.
I came here because Travis was outside.
That’s the excuse.
That’s the reason.
But as I watched Blair stand there, alone, and unaware…
I couldn’t tell what was true anymore.
I’m not this guy.
