The Homeport Journals by A.C. Burch

Author:A.C. Burch
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Gay Mainstream
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Published: 2015-03-26T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Pilgrims’ Park in the Dark

Cole and Marc slink down the driveway like chastened delinquents. Their demeanor is oddly similar: heads down, hands in pockets, deep in thought. An awkward chill settles between them. HomePort is a shadow at the top of the hill, a haunting, black mass in the gentle moonlight. Now that Marc knows its secrets, the old place seems ominous, barren, and forbidding. As so many times before, the circle of light appears, only to vanish when a solitary man skulks across the balcony into the night.

“What do you think goes on up there?” Marc asks, hoping to gain some emotional distance from Dorrie’s tirade.

“I’ve got my ideas, Sherlock. Do you really think we should be discussing them right now? Dorrie’s right. We’ve got to deal with us. There’s been way too much bullshit for far too long. C’mon, let’s head over to the park.”

Cole strides toward the gate. Marc lags behind, surveying the balcony. After a moment, and against his better judgment, he catches up. They cross Commercial Street to Pilgrims’ Park, Frida trailing quietly behind, attuned to their mood, her tail wagging in a low, tentative arc. When they reach the park, the moonlight is as bright as day. Its golden swath illuminates the breakwater’s march to Long Point.

Cole voice is rife with tension. “Sit down.”

As Frida sits immediately, Marc smiles at her atypical response. After a moment meant to assert his independence, he sits on the bench where Dorrie recounted her dream.

Cole paces, then speaks in a halting voice. “This is difficult enough knowing you don’t want to hear it, so give me time to get it out, Ok?”

When Marc nods, Cole stares at the ground, seems to struggle for an opening sentence, then begins. “When you knocked over the easel, I knew why. I’d been jazzed by our conversation out in the woods and pushed too hard. I tried to give you time to come around, but something had begun. Even though it scares the shit out of you, I’ve gotta tell you Marc. I’m in love with you. Not the man in the portrait, but you. I have been for months.”

Cole’s voice cracks slightly. He takes a deep breath and waits. When he seems to realize Marc either can’t or won’t answer, Cole resumes, his tone even more subdued. “I’ve stood outside your bedroom door several nights since that day, trying to find the courage to knock. I figured if we took a chance on us, everything else would fall into place. But I knew you’d never let me in, not after all that happened with that bastard in New York.”

Marc feels a sudden chill as Cole continues, sounding less sure-footed than before.

“But even so, I knew I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t at least tell you. It’s all about truth, remember? It has to be.” With this, his voice cracks.

Still getting no response, Cole walks toward the jetty. Marc jumps up, strides ahead, and abruptly blocks his path.

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