Catalyst (Connectivity Book 2) Read online

  The next hour passed quickly as the scenery changed and they talked about the next few months. They both voiced their worries about school and what they each thought their experience would be like. Travis mentioned possibly finding a different job or maybe something working with kids, and Jersey confessed, depending on how bored he got, he’d consider looking for a part-time job as well. His experience with volunteering would provide good references for him if he did consider looking for something to do.

  As they drove, it became fairly apparent where they were headed, and they each swapped stories about past trips to the coast.

  Travis parked his truck in the dirt lot at the state site. “Are you hungry? We can eat first then check out the lighthouse, or walk around a bit and eat later. What sounds good?”

  “I think eating first would be good since I’m kinda starving. Is that cool?”

  “Of course. I’m starving too. I just wasn’t sure if you were. I packed some sandwiches and stuff. It’s not much, but they’ll tide us over for a while at least. If we find a little cafe or something later on, if we walk around town, we can stop in for a bigger meal. I brought some firewood too. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to stay late enough to have a fire on the beach with me.”

  “That sounds amazing, Trav. Thank you for today. I always love spending time together but it’s really special to be sharing this with you.” Jersey pressed a kiss to Travis’s lips and when they pulled apart, they each grabbed something from the truck and headed down the path to the beach.

  The weather was sunny with a pretty good breeze, but it was warm and the walk was nice, after sitting in the truck for so long.

  Travis unpacked their lunch and sodas and they ate to the backdrop of seagulls and ocean waves crashing. They sat together for a while with Jersey’s back snuggled up to his chest and Jersey pulled out his phone to take several selfies of them together. When fewer people were around, they got a little touchy-feely and snuck in plenty of kisses hot enough to make Travis’s toes curl.

  After a while, they packed up and dropped everything back at the truck. They wandered down the beach and took their shoes off, squishing the sand between their toes. They drew pictures with sticks and made things out of shells, seaweed, and driftwood. As they walked farther away from everyone else, Jersey cleared a small area of sand and drew out J+T, inside a heart, with a stick. Travis put his arm around Jersey’s shoulders as they stared down at his small declaration and Jersey turned side-on to Travis, wrapping his arms around Travis’s waist. Without a word, Travis picked up his own stick and drew out T+J, inside a heart, right next the image Jersey drew.

  Jersey looked up at him and cupped his cheek as he returned to his side. Travis placed his hand over Jersey’s and they shared a sweet kiss that seemed ripe with promise and affection. Jersey took a few more pictures of their little scenes and tried to get them in a shot with their initials as well.

  They walked a little longer and explored a few driftwood structures, from the inside out, and eventually, they dusted their feet off and put their shoes back on to climb the bluff and head back toward the lighthouse.

  The lighthouse building was free to enter and they spent a while reading the placards depicting the history of the structure and explaining about the local Native American heritage. The building was relatively small, however, and they toured it rather quickly.

  “Okay. So, we can either go wander around town and window shop or go rent a small boat and paddle around the bay. Which would you prefer?” Travis asked as they returned to the truck. He leaned back against Jersey’s door and pulled his boy to stand between his legs. Jersey rested his hands on Travis’s chest and he gripped Jersey’s hips as he pondered the question.

  “Hmm. How about we go into town in search of ice cream, then we go rent a boat and paddle around the bay.”

  Travis chuckled. “Sounds perfect,” he said and kissed Jersey on the tip of his nose before shoving off the door and opening it for him.

  Ice cream was not a hard thing to find and after they each splurged on the cold, tasty goodness, Travis drove them over to the rental place he’d pulled up on his phone.

  They spent an hour paddling on the water, using muscles they forgot they had, and taking way too many pictures of themselves and the scenery.

  Once their little “Sawyer” was returned, they decided to drive down the coastal highway in search of beautiful ocean views and somewhere they could have dinner to wait out the upcoming sunset.

  They drove with the windows down and Jersey in the middle seat snuggled up next to Travis. The road was beautiful and littered with small towns, gorgeous vistas, and intermittent patches of dense forest.

  They stopped at one particular viewpoint that looked busy and discovered a short hiking trail that took them to a stunning scenic overlook. Jersey approached a young couple and asked if they would take their picture with his phone, to which they easily agreed. When they looked at the shot back in the truck after their little hike, Travis thought it was the best picture they’d ever taken together; Jersey’s hair blowing in the wind and both of them with slightly pink cheeks; they looked adorably couple-ish and undeniably happy.

  “There’s another lighthouse up ahead if you wanna stop again,” Travis said after another long stretch of road. “We still have a while before sunset if you want to squeeze in one more thing. Unless you’ve been there before, of course. Or we could hit the caves and check out the sea lions.”

  “Have you done all those things before?” Jersey asked in return.

  Travis nodded. “I think those spots are ingrained in every child that grows up in the surrounding area. Can you think of anything else you’d rather do?”

  “Maybe just have dinner? I know of a few spots we can chill and hang out until sunset. There’s this great little beach I’ve been to before where we can have a fire if you still want to do that.”

  Travis readily agreed and soon enough they pulled up to the restaurant. Since they were dining at an oceanfront grill, most everything on the menu included some kind of seafood. But, they both easily found something to their liking and once their meal was finish, Travis paid and they headed down the highway, with Jersey guiding him where to turn.

  When Travis parked in the designated area, they took a look around and saw several other groups of people with coolers out and radios on. Travis had a moment's hesitation before they stepped out of the cab.

  “Okay, so, um, since I’m new to the whole boyfriend thing, could you tell me if your Spidey-Sense is tingling right now?” Travis said, looking out the side window at a rowdy group of college-age kids with cans of beer littering the ground. “I mean, I’m not easily intimidated and I know I can hold my own if need be, and I know we’ve been pretty liberal with the touching and kissing, but we do still live in the real world where not everyone is nice and accepting. Does this place feel okay to you or should we try to find someplace quieter?”

  Jersey squeezed his thigh and Travis turned his attention back to his boyfriend, but Jersey wasn’t looking at him. He was looking out his side of the cab, where another group of people stood all dressed in motorcycle leathers, chatting next to their bikes.

  As Travis watched, one of the men in a leather vest with a long beard and a bandana holding back his stingy hair, turned their way. His already unfriendly scowl only seemed to deepen, as it apparently registered what he was seeing looking back at him.

  “Maybe we find another place,” Jersey said nervously while tightening his grip on Travis’s thigh and sitting up straighter

  “Probably a good idea,” he said and turned the engine over again. “Hey,” he called softly when Jersey still hadn’t loosened his hold on his leg. Jersey finally moved his eyes to Travis and tucked his hair behind his ear. “We’re okay. Yeah, there are shitty people out there who will always make anyone who’s not ‘normal’ feel bad and try to harass them or intimidate them. But as long as I’m with you, I’ll always make sure we’re safe. I’d do whatever I
needed to do to protect you, okay? Fuck that guy and anyone else who has a problem with us being together.”

  Jersey swallowed but nodded his head while staring into Travis’s eyes.

  Travis looked out the window again and saw the same man still watching them. It seemed he’d notified a few other members of his group and now they had a small audience looking at them, all with matching scowls and burly arms crossed over their chests. Travis returned his attention to Jersey and gently gripped his chin between his thumb and forefingers. He planted a soft kiss, with a few tender sweeps of tongue, on Jersey’s mouth and Jersey finally smiled when he opened his eyes again. They sat there smiling at each other for a moment and Travis released him so they could secure their seatbelts before he backed out and they pulled away. Jersey snuggled into his side and Travis wrapped his arm around him, planting one more kiss to the top of his head. No one was going to ruin their amazing day if he could help it.

  Not even a couple miles down the highway, they came across an empty turnout and Travis parked along the highway.

  “You okay?” he asked, once the truck was stopped and they’d unfastened their seatbelts.

  “There are always people like that,” Jersey said, looking back at him. “It sucks but,” he shrugged, “the only thing I can do is try to avoid it and not let it get to me, you know? I’ve always been an easy target because of my size, but I can’t change who I am. And yes it’s worse when I’m actually with a guy, but I usually stick to places I know I won’t have a problem. I’m sorry you got your first taste of it, though.”

  “Babe,” Travis said. “I'm not worried about me. I can handle myself, and I’ve been dealing with insults and barbs my entire baseball career. Granted none of them were actual threats to my well-being, but I’m well versed in dealing with jerks. It kills me, however, to know that you’ve been dealing with that kind of treatment just for being who you are and looking like you do. If we’re ever out and something like that happens, I’d always do my best to make sure you were safe and comfortable.” Travis gripped Jersey’s hand and stroked his thumb over the back of it. “Still want to go build a fire and watch the sunset with me?” he asked softly.

  Jersey nodded. “Of course I do,” he said. “But first—” He captured Travis’s lips in a sweet yet passionate kiss. They both made small sounds of contentment as the kiss deepened and Travis carefully nudged Jersey backward until Travis was sitting in the center seat, away from the steering wheel. He tugged Jersey up into his lap. Jersey came willingly and straddled his thighs while holding his face between his warm palms. Travis ran his hands up and down Jersey’s back and over his hips and thighs, simply enjoying their closeness and the moment they were taking for themselves. They’d had a long day full of new adventures together, but after their little parking lot ordeal, it felt nice to reconnect with his guy and allow themselves a quiet moment in the privacy of their own space.

  When their kisses slowed and they held each other close, Jersey finally nipped him once on his earlobe and Travis retaliated by swatting him on the butt. Jersey cackled with laughter and scrambled off of him and out the door, with Travis following close at his heels. Leaving the truck unattended, Jersey ran straight out toward the dry grass and the small dunes, howling with joy and taunting Travis that he’d never catch him. Travis laughed, a loud and carefree sound bubbling out of him, as he gave chase, intent on doing just that.

  Unfortunately, Jersey was pretty quick and didn’t appear to be sinking into the sand the way Travis was. Yet, he did his best to chase after his spritely little boyfriend, and they laughed and dodged and wove their way up and down the beach, hooting and carrying on like the teenagers they were.

  Travis loved it.

  They so often found themselves weighed down by responsibility and deadlines and pressure, not to mention societal or familial obligations, that it felt amazing to just let go and be wild and crazy for however long it lasted.

  He chased Jersey happily, and somehow when he wasn’t paying attention, Jersey flipped the tables and started chasing him. No way was he going to be caught. He took off in the opposite direction, running and stumbling along, singing out taunts and teases. But as he looked over his shoulder and saw Jersey doubled-over, howling with laughter, Travis’s heart stuttered in his chest and he nearly lost his breath at the sight.

  Jersey was simply gorgeous. And he realized in that moment, that without his consent, he’d gone and fallen in love with the man. As much as he’d tried to tell himself that he needed to save his heart for some random person, who may or may not even exist, it just wouldn’t listen. His heart wanted what it wanted, and that was the amazing man he’d just spent the most incredible day with.

  However, in his profound moment of realization, while his head had been turned, he hadn’t seen the chunk of driftwood poking out of the ground, and he tripped right over it, tumbling down in a flurry of limbs and sand.

  Jersey shrieked and ran his way immediately. “Oh my God! Travis! Baby, are you okay?” he called as he neared and flung himself on the sand, scrambling to reach him where he lay laughing. “Oh my God! You scared the shit out of me! Are you okay?” Jersey gasped out and clutched his face, looking for any visible signs of damage.

  “I’m okay, babe. The sand broke my fall,” he replied lightly and moved to sit up.

  Jersey fluttered at his side, clearly wanting to ascertain for himself the truth of his statement, but not wanting to hurt him if he really was injured.

  “Are you sure? You just tripped over that dumbass stick,” he said, shooting daggers at the offensive piece of wood, “and went flying through the air. My heart just about leapt out my chest, seeing you trip like that. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  Travis dusted his arms off and reached for Jersey, who scrambled into his lap and threw his arms around his neck. “I’m fine, babe. I was definitely surprised, but I’m alright. Grass and dirt are a lot harder than sand and I’m conditioned to it from diving for baseballs.” He brought his arms around Jersey’s back and squeezed him reassuringly.

  After a moment, Jersey pulled back and cupped his cheeks tenderly, then set about dusting him off from his face to his arms. They stood up and Travis dusted off, then took Jersey’s hand and walked with him back to the truck.

  With relieved conversation and a more upbeat atmosphere, they gathered the things they needed and found a decent spot to set up their fire. Jersey collected rocks to make a small fire ring, while Travis returned to the truck for the last of the firewood.

  They worked together to get the fire going and then settled together on their blanket. In the time they’d been goofing off, the sun had crept toward the horizon and turned the sky a gorgeous palette of oranges, pinks, and purples, and Travis held Jersey close as they talked softly and watched the sun dip below the horizon. When the brilliant colors started to fade, they lay down together and listened to the crackle of the fire and the cadence of the ocean.

  -XIII-

  Saturday morning was gray and dark as Travis pulled his truck into a visitors parking spot at the townhouse complex where Josh’s dad was moving out.

  “Hopefully it doesn’t rain,” Jersey commented as they walked up the path. “It’s going to suck if we have to haul all that stuff in and out in the rain.”

  “No kidding,” Travis replied with his arm draped over Jersey’s shoulders.

  Yesterday had been one of the best days Travis could ever remember having, and with the realization hitting him that he was in love with Jersey, he’d been loath to let the man out of his sight or arms. Saying goodbye last night had been a long and difficult process. Travis had contemplated just staying over at Jersey’s suggestion, but he’d contented himself with the knowledge that he’d be seeing his guy again early the next morning and parted with more than several attempts to keep his lips to himself.

  “That’s their place.” Jersey nicked his chin out to a house across the way with a large moving truck in front of it. “Looks like Josh and Cory a
re already here. I wonder if Jim and Diane will be over too.”

  Cory’s idea of asking for help from the baseball team had been a good one. With Brian and Monica Connected and Josh and Cory Connected, they were going to be limited on the distance they could handle when making trips around the house and down to the truck.

  As they approached the open front door, Josh appeared in the opening with his back to them as he maneuvered one end of a mattress.

  “Hey, Josh,” Jersey called out and Josh turned his head with a huge smile lighting up his face.

  “Dude,” he called in return. “Hey, babe. Jersey and Travis are here. Let’s leave this a minute, yeah?” And with a gunt from inside the doorway, the mattress dropped and fell against the doorframe. Cory appeared around it and slipped out the door.

  “You guys! It’s so good to see you,” Cory said as he and Josh came over for hugs and back-slaps. “Liam should be here soon too, but how have you guys been?”

  “Pretty good,” Travis replied easily and Jersey nodded in agreement.

  “It was awesome hanging with you guys at your place last weekend, Jersey. Thanks again for that. It was fun to get the families together. Although hopefully, your mom didn’t think anything was too weird with all the closeness between everyone.”

  “Nah, she’s cool. She didn’t even mention it. It was good hanging with you guys too. I know you guys are all married and shit now,” Jersey teased. “But it was great spending time with Josh. It’s been a while since we were able to just chill like that.”

  “Aww. Did you miss your old buddy, Jersey?” Josh teased back and threw his arm over Jersey’s shoulders, ruffling his hair.

  Jersey snorted. “Well, now that we’re back to this, I can’t really remember why I missed you. But if you must know, Travis has been keeping me plenty occupied.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he has,” Cory snickered and everyone laughed at his insinuation.