Caleb Torres sat in the driver's seat of his beat-up Honda Civic, engine off, parked two streets over from Redood High. The windows were cracked just enough to let in the late-afternoon breeze, but it did nothing to cool the sweat beading along his hairline. He scrolled slowly.
First photo, Damian last summer, shirtless in front of Caleb's bedroom mirror, head tilted, small shy smile. Caleb had told him he looked beautiful that night. Damian had blushed so hard he'd hidden his face in Caleb's shoulder.
Second photo: same mirror, same pose, but Damian's eyes were closed, lips parted, naked... Caleb had kept that one for himself. Never sent it back. Never deleted it. He wasn't ready to let go yet.
His grip tightened on the phone until the case creaked. Why was his little toy acting so stubborn? Why was he trying to make things difficult?
Caleb's jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached.
