Dreams and Expectations by Susan Laine

Author:Susan Laine [Laine, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-63533-994-9
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2017-12-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

HIS CELL phone beeping with an incoming video call roused Nick from his sleep. Blinking, he glanced over his shoulder—and found an empty bed. Tom was gone.

Nick sighed, mostly with longing. But he wasn’t surprised.

He grabbed his cell and answered the call from his dad. “Hi, Dad.”

Familiar brown eyes studied him with mirth. “Did I wake you? I’m sorry.” Braden made a point of checking his nonexistent wristwatch. “It’s almost noon.”

Nick snorted. “On a Saturday. Yesterday was a short day at school because of that fire drill I told you about. Besides, I had a long night.”

Braden quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Nick chuckled. “Not like that.” Then he blushed because it almost had been like that. “Tom slept over. He had a big fight with his dad again.”

Braden frowned, his pursed lips a testament to his distaste about the situation. “Charles has always been too much of a hardass and narrow-minded about certain things. Tom’s a good kid. I can’t imagine him doing anything too upsetting.”

“Tom went to Crestone without telling his dad.”

“That, uh, Zen Buddhist center where Monica liked to visit?”

“Yeah. Charles threw a fit, something about only Christians being ethical or some such.”

Braden’s expression hardened, his jaw working with a visible tick. He was livid. “That is such—” He stopped himself midsentence, clearly fighting to stay in control of his emotions. Nick understood. At last Braden said, “Please tell Tom when you see him next that whatever his father thinks or does, we will stand by him, and he can always come to us should he need to.”

Nick was so proud of his father he beamed. “Thanks, Dad. I will.”

Braden nodded approvingly. “Good. So how are your studies?”

“Still straight A’s and a 4.0 GPA, same as last time you asked me.” Nick smiled to show he didn’t mind his parents encouraging and pushing him when it came to his scholastic progress.

His smile faded when he remembered what he’d talked about with Tom, namely that to be honest with himself he’d have to be straight with his father. Nick realized he hadn’t been exactly direct and forthcoming with his parents either. That made him a hypocrite too.

“Listen, Dad? I, uh, wanted to talk about college….”

“You got into Harvard and Yale. I knew you would.” Braden shone with pride, and his grin couldn’t have appeared any wider. “There are excellent science programs in both, so you have a lot of options to choose from, but I know you’ll figure out what—”

“Dad, I also got into the University of Idaho.”

Nick’s heart practically stopped when Braden’s face fell. The shock was followed by pretty obvious confusion. “Why… what would you possibly study there? You’ve got the whole world—”

“They have a great art and design program.” Nick and Tom both wanted to go there since they could do so together and continue to be roommates and best friends. It was their first choice.

The silence that befell then deafened Nick, who was already dizzy from the rush of blood in his brain. His heart thudded so fast he wondered if he’d get his first panic attack before he even got to adulthood.

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