Chapter 18 A Perfect Ending

“WE WERE at breakfast for, like, an hour, how’d they get

everything so neat and tidy?” I asked as I ran my razor over my lathered left cheek. I wished to be well groomed for my parents when they picked me up later.

Ellis grabbed a towel after turning the water off. He stood in the tub, drying his hair, as I shaved. “Rob said he hired a cleaning company. Somebody his mom knows,” he said. I wiped the steam from the mirror for the fifth time so I could watch his movements. His genitals bounced as he rubbed his legs dry. Even soft, his penis was larger than mine. I sighed. My inadequacies never stopped pointing themselves out.

Ellis, though—he was perfect.

I wanted to walk over and take the towel from his grasp. I could imagine running my fingers over his hairy chest and sucking on his nipples. Being near him was turning me into a sex fiend; we’d already made love twice this morning, what more did I want? “To make love to him again tomorrow,” I mumbled my answer as I rinsed my razor under the faucet.

“What?” Ellis asked.

“Oh, nothing.” We still hadn’t talked about Christmas break. He was leaving in another two hours, and so was I, but we were not planning on driving in the same direction.

Ellis stepped out of the tub and hung up his towel. I grinned. It excited me to see him walking around naked, even if we were in the bathroom. He came up behind me and placed his palms on my shoulders, leaning close to kiss my neck. His mouth was so deliciously distracting I nicked my chin.
“Ouch.” I winced.

“Careful, little darlin’. I don’t want to have to take you to the emergency room for a shaving accident.” He rubbed the back of my neck and watched me in the mirror.

“Ha ha.” I stuck my tongue out and he smiled. “And I thought you settled on L-D?”

 

“You like it?” Ellis continued massaging my shoulders. It felt so nice.

 

“No. But it’s kind of nice being mysterious and something just between us.”

“Okay. L-D.” Ellis smiled, but it wasn’t so much mirth as desire. His eyes were very intently watching me as I finished shaving. I wiped off my face, and he turned me around. He went down to his knees and stripped me of the towel I had wrapped around my waist.

I gasped.

It surprised me how fast he had my dick in his mouth. I had to grip the sink behind me because my knees were buckling. I watched, stunned and enraptured. His hand followed his stroking mouth and I could barely breathe. Ellis hadn’t done this since that first night. Maybe it was my cutting remark or maybe his lack of confidence had stopped him from trying again until now. Whatever the reason, I didn’t care. I was glad he’d found the courage to try. Blowjobs are the number one most incredible feeling on the planet—hands down!

Ellis was way better this time. He had me hard in seconds and the pressure built exponentially with every stroke. Ellis sucked with the exuberant aggression I longed for in my fantasies. He really is perfect! “Oh!” I moaned, tilting my head back. I could feel the mirror behind my head, but I could not rest it there long. I wanted to watch!

“I’m gonna… Ellis… I’m gonna come,” I said, breathing heavily as I laced my fingers through his hair and tugged as my muscles exploded with electricity. Every part of me was quaking with my release and pulsing with the jets of my come.
Ellis choked and pulled back. “Sorry,” he said.

I closed my eyes and took a hold of myself, stroking a few more times as I finished. I felt Ellis lick the tip of my penis, and I looked at him, still on his knees. I think my insides quaked even more from the look in his eyes—staring up at me with come on his lips—than when he was sucking me off. He’s beautiful.

Ellis picked up my towel and wiped off his face and hands and my groin. He planted a kiss on my cheek and then left the bathroom. “I’m gonna get dressed. Okay?”

It wasn’t okay, but I knew we had to get going. “Yeah.” I took a deep breath and went to my room. This was depressing. I hated packing. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want Christmas to come. I wanted this semester to drag out several months longer so we could remain in the blissful living conditions we now enjoyed. Together.

I tucked my toothbrush into my shoulder bag and spied the Tshirt Ellis had been wearing the morning he ran suicides. I paused. I thought he had it. Why would he give it back? Was he telling me something? I thought he liked this one.

I took it out and walked to his room.
“Ellis?”

“Huh?” He turned to face me. He had just snapped his suitcase shut.

“Why did you give this back?” I held out my shirt. “I thought you liked this one? Don’t you want something to think of me by while we’re apart? Don’t you want to have something of mine?” Because the thought that he didn’t frightened me.

He tilted his head to the side and softly smiled. “Cole, are you upset that I didn’t steal your shirt or that you think I’ll forget about you?”

Why did he look like he’d read my mind? “Um, I don’t know.” And why did I suddenly sound pathetically whiny? “Both.”

“Come here.” He beckoned, and I sank into his open arms. “First of all, I gave that shirt back because I stole a different one. The shirt that says ‘Even My Protons Have Pride’ is a little looser and doesn’t pinch my armpits.”

“Oh.” That made me feel better. I didn’t mind if he stole a shirt and I knew the “Speed of Dark” one was really tight on him. “And second, I’m not going to forget you. In fact, I’m not leaving you.”

 

I pulled back in surprise. “You’re not?”

Ellis shook his head. “Nope. I talked to my mom this morning. She’s fine with us visiting your folks first and then coming back to my house whenever we can. I think she’s more confident in our relationship since our talk. She likes you, and I think she’s happy that she can get to know you over the break.”

“So, you’re not hitching a ride with Rob?” I couldn’t believe it.

 

“No. But he hasn’t texted me back, so I’m not sure he got my message.”

 

We both heard the apartment door close.

 

“Hey, El? You here?” Rob’s voice made us look at one another and laugh.

 

“In here,” Ellis called.

 

We let go of each other as Rob walked in. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

 

“Nope,” Ellis said as he lifted his suitcase and carried it to the door.

 

Rob and I walked out of the bedroom too, and I turned the light off and closed the door behind me.

 

“I got your text, but I wanted to come by and say Merry Christmas.” Rob handed Ellis a round, wrapped object. “Gee, I wonder what that is?”

 

Rob pointed his finger at me. “Hey, no comments from the peanut gallery. You know how hard it is to disguise the shape?” “Did you try a box?”

Ellis smiled and ignored me. He ripped the paper off his present and immediately bounced the new soccer ball on his knee. “Thanks, Rob. It’s just the right size!”

“Yeah, I know it’s lame, but I gave all my money to Cole’s car fund.”

 

“Hey, don’t try to make me feel guilty for being needy.” “I’m not. I want you to have it. Plus, I got you this.” Rob handed me a gift bag.

I think Rob is one of the most loyal people I’ve met. He’s genuine and caring and doesn’t pretend to be anything other than he is. I like his honesty, and I was touched by his generosity. “Thanks. But I didn’t get you anything.”

“That’s okay. I’m happy that you finally admitted we’re friends.”

I picked through the tissue paper and pulled out a blue T-shirt. I read the front out loud: “‘I’m not lazy; I’m overflowing with potential energy.’ Hah! Thanks, Rob. That’s great. I like it.” Then I looked at Ellis and said, “It reminds me of you.”

“I’m not lazy,” he refuted.

 

“Rob, do they make a T-shirt that reads ‘I’m not messy; I’m demonstrating chaos theory’?”

 

Rob laughed. “I wish!”

“Thanks, Cole.” Ellis grinned. “Way to support me.” I could tell he wasn’t mad. He turned to Rob and said, “This is really nice of you.” Ellis patted his back. “You’re such a great friend.”

“Yeah, well, don’t get too emotional about it. I’m still trying to understand the whole gay thing. I don’t want to cause too much sentiment and have you both hugging all over me.”

Ellis and I looked at each other. I think we both knew that was exactly what Rob was not so discreetly hinting at. “Does someone need a hug?” Ellis asked facetiously.

“No,” Rob answered simply.

“I think someone does,” I said, following along with Ellis’s unspoken intent. Simultaneously, we lunged at Rob from both sides, wrapping him in a group hug. But unlike when he and Russell did it to me, Rob wasn’t trying to get away. He loved it.

“Hey, what’d I miss?” Russell asked as he entered unexpectedly.

 

“Group hug,” Ellis explained.

Russell joined in and we stood like that—clinging—for a full five minutes. I think going home for the holiday break, and away from each other, was something all of us weren’t ready to do. But we did.

MY FOLKS were better than I thought. My dad was quiet, but he did give Ellis a “garden tour.” That made me happy. We spent five days with my family and then headed to Ellis’s house with the intent of being there until after New Year’s Day. (We promised to visit my family a half day on Christmas Day just to be fair.)

I loved Ellis’s family right away. They were so very different from mine. Very touchy, very affectionate, and everything I’d ever wanted growing up.

I was a realist by nature. I’d grown up thinking that everything I witnessed made sense. The universe by design made sense. And my lot in life somehow made sense. I was doomed to live with a black cloud over my head and exist in a world were nothing good went my way. But what I’d learned this semester in college was that the realistic nature of life was predictably unpredictable. You’d never know what lay ahead; even if you’d scientifically calculated the probability of coming events by analyzing any given data from your past. History didn’t always predict the future. You had to live it one day at a time to find out what happened next.

Right now, my every moment was Ellis.

Christmas night, when the stars were bright, and everyone else was in bed sleeping, we snuck out of the house and sat on the bench swing his dad had built in the garden next to the house. We snuggled there, swinging quietly, for a long time in silence. It was cold, so Ellis wrapped us both up in a blanket. I had my head on his shoulder and a placid smile permanently glued to my face. I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me when he took out a little box and handed it to me, but it did. I immediately grabbed the box and clutched it to my chest.

“Merry Christmas,” Ellis said, as he watched me open it.

I pushed the ribbon off and ripped the paper. Inside a fuzzy velvet box was a platinum band etched with two parallel lines and inlaid with three small diamonds between them.

“Oh, Ellis!” I cried.

“I didn’t forget I owed you a ring. Are you still sure you want to marry me? I wouldn’t blame you for changing your mind. It was kind of early to ask you something so serious. I do things without thinking sometimes. I know people might ridicule us for—”

I thrust my hand out and covered his mouth. “Oh no! You did not just dis the romance!” I exclaimed. “You’re the guy I’ve been dreaming of all my life. Too early? Fuck early! I want to marry you.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and smothered his face in kisses. Yes, apparently I am very sappy and sentimental—a fact I was happy to discover. “You’re mine, Ellis Montgomery.” Kiss, kiss, kiss. “All mine. I don’t care what other people think; I’m not waiting for the sake of popular opinion.”

Ellis rode out my efficacious refutation and lovingly stroked my face. (I know I’ve mentioned how wonderful his hands feel on my face a hundred times, so what’s once more?) I loved his hands on my face! Ellis said softly, “Okay. You win. I guess I got all caught up in the fact that my dad asked my mom after only eight months. I didn’t even want to wait that long. I love you.”

I know my expression glowed bright enough to outdo the moon. Ellis really knew how to woo a guy. “I love you too. Can I put it on?” I asked.

“Of course.” Ellis took the ring out of the box and slipped it on my finger.

 

I frowned.

 

“What? Don’t you like it?” he asked, thoroughly bewildered as to why I was not pleased as punch with the ring of his choosing. I lifted my elbow up, and my hand down. The ring promptly slid off into his lap.

 

He caught it before it got lost in the folds of the blanket. “Oh no! I’m sorry. I guessed your size based on mine. I didn’t know.” I scowled. “It figures. The happiest day of my life and the ring is so huge it will never stay on!”

 

“We can get it sized. Tomorrow! I promise. Give it here.” I crossed my arms and sulked. It was even more disappointing to have a ring that didn’t fit than to not receive one at all. He put it back in the box and pocketed it. “We’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

“But tomorrow we’re meeting Jonathan and Cathy for lunch.” “Then we’ll go after.”

“What if the store is closed?” I could always find one more negative to support Murphy’s Law.

 

“It won’t be.”

 

“You know the universe hates me, right?” Because that was exactly how I saw it. Doomed. I was destined to fail.

Ellis, of course, being the glass-half-full kind of guy he was, countered my negativity by responding, “Then I guess it’s a good thing that the God of the universe likes me.”

I turned my frown upside down and gazed into the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen. “Yeah, I guess it’s a good thing. But are you sure yo—”

Ellis put his finger to my lips. “Cole. Don’t start.” Ellis gave me a look of finality. I was not to challenge him with another question. I got it. “Now hush up and watch the stars with me.” He took his silencing finger away and kissed me. Then he pulled me close and held me securely against his chest. “I love you, Cole. You never need to question that.”

As we sat there Christmas night, listening to our hearts beating together in the stillness, I mused over giving optimism another chance. Yeah, maybe I could try it… if the world didn’t end first.

About the Author

WADE KELLY lives and writes in conservative, small-town America

where it is not easy to live free and open in one's beliefs. Wade writes passionately about the controversial issues witnessed in real life and strives to make a difference by making people think. Wade does not have a background in writing or philosophy but still draws from personal experience to ponder contentious subjects on paper. When not writing, Wade is thinking about writing and more than likely scribbling notes on old napkins in the car.

Visit Wade Kelly at http://wadekelly.weebly.com/index.html. You can contact Wade at [email protected]