“Your parents should be proud of you. You’re not perfect, but it takes a lot to own up to your actions and be better than yourself… I don’t think I could do the same if I was you.” His words made my heart stop for a second, making me feel like I finally did something good for once in my life. Even if it was good after a terrible choice. My eyes watered slightly, just nodding my head and thanking the younger man. Andy smiled, hugging my side again. I let out a deep sigh, feeling lighter now than I have in years. I stood up, pulling on my clothes. Andy sat there for a moment, only following my lead when I threw his tight pants at him. We cleaned ourselves and then dressed in a comfortable silence, taking a few playful swipes at each other as we pulled the other’s clothes or pushed each other over while working our pants on. Fully dressed, I walked up to the front, grabbing Andy’s things. The clerk wasn’t far behind me, hugging me as I was about to turn around.
“This little vacation wasn’t so bad… Thanks for being such a good host.” I just sighed, shaking my head and handing him his phone and wallet. Andy somberly took them, looking up at me with sad eyes. We had been putting off our goodbyes, distracting each other with jokes or touches. However, there was nothing left to distract us. Andy rubbed his arm, looking off to the side as he stood there. I opened my arms, holding them out to him. Andy smiled, quickly stepping forward and hugging me back.
“You got work tomorrow. Get some rest, okay?” Andy giggled, while tears left his eyes.
“I forgot about that, thanks for the reminder, Mr. Kidnapper.” I groaned, causing the crying boy to laugh hard. Andy recovered from his humor in my arms. He let his grasp go, making my arms fall as well. Andy bit his lip, gripping his elbow hard before he looked up and stood on his tippy toes. His lips met mine, and all of his emotions were apparent from his desperate kissing. Passion, desire, longing, sadness, and happiness. The kiss ended as quickly as it started, as he let his forehead rest on my chest. Andy let out a deep sigh into my torso, speaking calmly.
“Take care of yourself, Jason.” I didn’t have the words to properly reply to the young man, just kissing the top of his head. Andy gave me one last charming smile, as he stepped up to the front. The door opened, and Andy climbed out. He gently closed the large door, and I could see him walking away into the night. The fluorescent lights illuminated his pale white skin that peeked out from his tight clothes.
After a minute, Andy turned around and looked back at the truck. I was just staring at him from the driver’s seat, feeling empty. The boy smiled, holding up a peace sign for a moment. I sighed, turning the truck on and putting it in drive. I flashed my brights twice at the clerk, making him smile and drop his hand. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him anymore, as I reversed out of the parking spot and pulled out of the gas station.
I left the small town behind, resting my chin on the steering wheel as I stared out over the dark corn fields. It sucked, being alone in the truck. However, my hands didn’t shake and I didn’t feel the urge to reach for some booze. I occupied myself with memories of the past week, unable to help the warm feeling in my chest or smile on my face as I drove home.