Ryan hates the tremors that shiver through Dante’s body and he holds his boyfriend close, rubs his back and arms and legs as if trying to wipe away whatever happened to bring him to this. “It’s okay,” he murmurs, his lips against Dante’s temple, his hands brushing the hair away from his face. “Shh, baby, it’s okay.” The baby comes easily enough and he likes the way it sounds so he says it again. “Everything’s okay now, shh. Calm down.”
When the trembling subsides, Ryan wants to know what happened. In his mind’s eye he can see Dante getting off the bus in front of his neighborhood and suddenly Dietrich is there, gunning the motor of his Corvette and chasing after him, laughing like a demon from hell. Or one of the other boys from the skate club, mad about the competitions and harassing him
