Higher Ground by Becky Black (notion reading list txt) 📗

day, a bust-up was surely inevitable. The relationship had moved so fast; could it end just as fast?

The beam of another flashlight appeared nearby. Zach? Come to talk, maybe apologize? If he thought he had anything to apologize for. He might not, might think himself entirely justified lecturing Adam like a professor.

“Adam?”

Glyn, not Zach. For a second, Adam considered not answering, preferring his solitude. But if he didn’t, Glyn might think something had happened to him and go back and raise a search party.

“I’m here.” Adam turned on his flashlight, and Glyn’s light headed toward him. In a moment, his shadowy figure appeared.

“Are you okay, Adam? I was a bit worried about you going off on your own in the dark. It’s dangerous.”

“I’m fine.”

Glyn didn’t take the short answer as any kind of discouragement; he remained standing there. Waiting for what?

“I’m fine,” Adam said again.

“I’d rather not leave you alone out here.”

Adam sighed heavily. “Okay, sit down. But I’m not good company tonight.”

Glyn sat and turned off his flashlight. Adam did the same with his, and the darkness engulfed them.

“Do you ever miss the moon?” Glyn said.

“Definitely. Several of my years as an undergraduate, I saw more of the moon than of the sun.”

Glyn chuckled. “Bit of a party boy, eh?”

“Could say that.”

“Me too. I’d been looking forward to getting back to Arius, which shows you how dull the outposts are, if Arius was party central.”

Adam didn’t want to talk about Arius. He didn’t want to think of the people he’d attended parties with being dead now. They lapsed into silence again, Adam looking at the stars. He had a strange feeling Glyn was looking at him, not at the stars.

He should go back, he thought. Talk to Zach. They could make up. It was only a stupid row.

“I hope you and Dr. Benesh can settle your differences,” Glyn said, startling Adam by echoing his thoughts. “I hate to see couples fight. Can I ask, have you two been together a long time?”

Adam glanced at the dark shape of him, starlight picking out the edges of his features dimly. A personal question but one couched so politely, in a voice so full of concern Adam forgave it. Maybe Glyn wanted to help Adam work out his sulk.

“No, not long at all. We met right before this whole thing started.”

“Wow, really? I thought you must have been together for a while.”

That made three—Korrie, Simon, and Glyn—who thought Adam and Zach had been together awhile. Adam didn’t know what to make of it. “What made you think that?”

“To be honest, because of the way you argued. What’s the saying? Like an old married couple.”

Adam laughed cynically. His parents sometimes argued like the old married couple they were, leaving him chuckling indulgently. But he and Zach had argued more like a couple heading for divorce.

“Things have moved so fast, you know, because of this situation. And maybe it’s…” He didn’t want to go on, but he summoned the courage to say it. “Over already.”

“I’m sorry.”

Adam shook his head, forced a cheerful tone into his voice. “Nah, it’s fine. Maybe it’s the best way. A relationship express, you know. Better than spending a year with someone and getting badly hurt in the end.” Like he wasn’t badly hurt. He’d taken the express train to misery.

“It is such an unusual situation,” Glyn said. “The danger makes everything seem more intense. I know I’m shocked by how strongly I already feel for you.”

Adam froze. Glyn touched his arm as if trying to orient himself, figuring out Adam’s position.

“I wouldn’t normally do this with a guy who’s in a relationship.” Glyn moved his hand up Adam’s arm, over his shoulder, into his hair. “But what you just said… And we are in danger. Anything could happen, and if it did and I’d never kissed you, I’d regret it for however long I have to live.”

He leaned in, his weight and the warmth and scent of him coming close. Adam shouldn’t let it happen. He should push him away. But he did nothing, and Glyn’s lips touched his. Gently at first, then Adam felt Glyn’s tongue touch the seam of his lips, sweep across it, until he instinctively opened his mouth. Glyn sighed as their tongues touched and what felt like a spark arced between them. Good kisser, not too wet a mouth, tongue teasing and caressing.

“Oh Adam,” Glyn sighed, moving apart only a centimeter or two to speak. He ran his other hand up Adam’s thigh, then stroked between his legs. Adam felt an instant stir in his belly and started to harden in response. But before Glyn could go further, Adam brought a hand up between them and pushed him back. Not hard but firmly.

“No. I can’t.”

“I want you, Adam.” His voice was husky and deeper than usual. It sent a tingle down Adam’s spine, and the temptation surged. Let it happen. Nobody had to know. The darkness would conceal them. He had a feeling Glyn would be good. But he became wary, because this suddenly felt too calculated. Glyn had seemed charming and guileless at first, but then he’d watched Adam and Zach fight and had followed Adam out here, surely knowing he’d be in an unsettled state of mind and not in the best position to make rational choices.

“I’m flattered,” Adam said, his hand still on Glyn’s chest, his arm straight, fending him off while trying to ignore his growing erection shifting in his pants. “But I can’t. I’m thinking about the whole group here. I have to work with Zach. If we end up fighting, it’s only going to make things harder for everyone.”

“That’s very selfless of you. Like parents staying together for the sake of the kids when they can’t stand the sight of each other anymore.”

No. Not like that. He didn’t hate Zach. He was no longer sure if he loved him, but hate—ridiculous. “We’d better get back to camp.”

“Sure.” Glyn’s voice sounded cold. From disappointment, Adam assumed. “Sorry to have