Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 3

didn't buckle with the pressure. "Seems like it's just sprained," he said.
    "I don't know if that's good news or not." Jude let out a quick breath and glanced back. "It's a long way up."
    Ethan followed the glance to the steep incline extending above them. Damn. He'd have a hard time climbing that even without a busted ankle. But he couldn't stay down here forever. "I'll make it," he said. "Let's get out of here."
    It took a good twenty minutes to clamber up the embankment. Ethan grabbed roots and small trees to pull himself along when he could, and crawled when he couldn't. Jude still had to help him a few times. By the time they hauled themselves onto level ground, his ankle was screaming. He collapsed on his back with a gasp. "Need a breather," he said.
    Jude plopped down next to him. "You okay, bro? You look terrible."
    Despite himself, Ethan laughed. "And I bet you'd look great after you nose-dived off a cliff, right?"
    "I might." Jude grinned. "No more firewater for you, white man."
    "Yeah, right." Ethan closed his eyes. Especially after last night. So far, Jude hadn't brought it up. He probably should've been grateful for that. Whatever happened up here, he couldn't carry it back to the real world, with his stridently anti-gay family, and his empty life in a town where law enforcement overlooked little things like a group of teens beating an old man to death—provided, of course, that the old man was a fag, and therefore not a real person.
    He couldn't let things go any further with Jude. But knowing it wasn't an option didn't stop him from wanting it—here, now, bad enough to hurt.
    ****
    Night came fast on the mountain. Blue skies one minute, a star-spangled curtain of twilight the next. Jude added a few more branches to the armful he was carrying and headed back to their makeshift campsite before the light left for good. He'd brought along a few bundles of fire logs, because the campground supply store charged five times more than they should, but no kindling.
    He'd pitched the tent in the woods, not far from the road. They'd have a clear view of anyone coming or going, especially at night. And it wasn't like any vehicle could make it around that tree, so if someone did come along, they'd have to stop.
    Ethan had insisted on helping, despite his ankle. So Jude had put him in charge of meals, and damned if the man didn't have hidden culinary talents. Everything he'd made with the limited fare they'd brought had been incredible. It left Jude wondering why he'd never known that Ethan could cook...and what else he didn't know about his best friend.
    When he got back to the tent, Ethan had spread one of the sleeping bags out next to the impromptu fire pit, and was holding a can of beer against his ankle. Jude dropped the branches next to the pit and went over to him. "It's getting worse, isn't it?"
    "No. And I'd like to keep it that way." Ethan flashed a quick smile. "I see the gathering expedition went well."
    "Not that hard finding wood in a forest." He decided not to mention that it'd be a lot harder finding water and food. If no one came along in the next two or three days, which was a distinct possibility, he'd have to leave Ethan here and walk to the campground himself, or they'd run out of water and maybe die of dehydration.
    He wouldn't bring that up yet, either.
    Turning his attention to the fire, he got a good blaze going, and then grabbed two beers from the cooler and sat next to Ethan. "Thought you might want to drink a cold one," he said, handing one over. "While we've still got some ice."
    "Thanks, man."
    Jude nodded and cracked his open. He'd finally started to relax after spending all day waiting for last night to bite him in the ass. But not a word had been mentioned, so maybe he was in the clear.
    Ethan knocked back a swallow and stared into the fire. After a minute, he said, "I think we need to talk."
    Jude slumped in place. Here comes the bite. "About what?" he muttered at the ground.
    "Why do you have a gun? And no bullshit about 'bears and stuff' this time."
    Relief pulled a burst of laughter from him. "Well, there could be bears," he said, and then let out a sigh. "But you're right. That's not why I have it." He polished off some of the beer, leaned forward and grabbed a long branch to poke at the flames. "It's because of Mike."
    "The douchebag?"
    "Yeah. Him." This time, his laugh was bitter. "Douchebag isn't the half of it. You know why I broke it off with him?"
    "Because he treated you