Clouds and Rain

Gable to crawl under the covers again and then moved a little closer. “I can hold you like I used to in the hospital. If you want. It would always make you fall asleep, remember?” After some hesitation, Gable nudged closer and Flynn held him until he became heavy in his arms. They both woke up a few times that night, and although it wasn‟t entirely restful, Flynn felt their first night at home was a success.

    THE next morning they both came downstairs early and had a mostly silent breakfast, which wasn‟t all that different from before Gable‟s operation. Flynn went outside to take care of the horses, and despite the fact he thought it was good to leave Gable to fend for himself a bit, his mind wasn‟t on the work. There was too much left unsaid between them and that made Flynn feel antsy and insecure. The fact Gable hadn‟t wanted him in his bed last night was still causing him heartache.
    He understood that making love was out of the question for a while, at least until Gable regained some of his strength, but the fact it hadn‟t occurred to Gable that, even without sex, Flynn would want to share his 105

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    bed was making him worry. Where did that leave him? What were Gable‟s feelings for him right now?
    Walking back to the main house, Flynn resolved to attempt to broach the subject with Gable, although he had no idea where to start.
    When he walked inside the door, Gable was standing near the window and smiling broadly. “It‟s a long morning cooped up here alone.” Flynn closed the door. “I‟m yours all afternoon if you want. Just have to get dinner going, but even that can wait until after lunch.” He thought Gable looked like he was in a good mood. “Why don‟t you sit down and I‟ll make us a few sandwiches. I‟d tempt you to the porch, but it‟s a bit cold to eat outside right now.” He smiled, remembering the many weeks they‟d spent that summer, silently devouring their lunch before going back to work.
    When he returned, Flynn was not surprised he had to wake Gable up again. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he said, touching Gable‟s hand.
    Gable smiled at him and made Bridget move to the other side, so Flynn could sit down. He then took his plate from Flynn.
    Flynn hoped that Gable‟s high spirits would make it easier to start a difficult conversation. “We need to talk, Gable.”
    “Okay,” Gable answered, taking a large bite out of his sandwich.
    “This is good!”
    How could he explain to Gable how he was feeling without hurting his feelings? He sighed deeply and then took an even deeper breath in. “I want to be honest with you, Gable.” Gable‟s smile disappeared and he looked down at his plate. “I know you want to leave, and it‟s okay.”
    Flynn didn‟t believe his ears. Did Gable actually want him to leave?
    Before Flynn could formulate an answer, Gable put his plate aside and started getting up from the sofa. “Sorry, need to pee,” he said by way of apology. Flynn stepped back and held out the crutches so Gable could focus on finding his one-legged balance. Then Gable yanked them out of Flynn‟s hands with such force it almost made him topple over. He managed to stay upright, though, and hastily made his way to 106

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    the back of the house. Flynn heard him swear and hit things, but he didn‟t move closer until he saw a crutch fly into the hallway.
    “Gable?”
    No answer, just a loud bang, which sounded like a door being thrown shut. Bridget found her refuge underneath the guest bed.
    Flynn tentatively walked closer to the downstairs bathroom, which was a long, narrow corridor with a toilet in the back and a wash basin near the entrance, and saw the door was still ajar. He slowly pushed it open some more.
    “LEAVE! Just… GET OUT OF HERE!”
    Flynn was surprised at the booming quality and commanding tone of Gable‟s usually very quiet and understated voice.
    “Gable, I don‟t want to leave. I‟m here for you.” Flynn tried to keep his voice steady but he was only partially successful.
    Suddenly the door was pulled entirely out of Flynn‟s hand and Gable appeared, leaning on one crutch and holding onto the door for balance. His eyes looked wild and he was red-faced and breathing heavily. “Why don‟t you just leave right now? I‟m sure Calley will put you up for the night. It was never a problem for you to find somewhere to rest your head, right?”
    “Gable, I—”
    “You what?” Gable spat out, and then had to take