He had seen the man that day at the funeral, but Ellis hadn’t thought much of it. He’d been too concerned with Bryn’s ashen complexion and the dark circles under Bryn’s eyes. Ellis had thought he needed to get Bryn out of the South and fast. It was sucking the life out of him. If anything, the dance had proven that even more. Bryn was himself when he was on stage, when he could be one of what Einstein had called “God’s artists,” a dancer.
And now what? Bryn’s father had been gay. His mother never had the courage to leave or to figure out a way to live that didn’t involve hurting Bryn. No wonder Bryn had been friends with the one boy who had hated him the most. Bryn’s only example of family and of love had been made of pain.
“f**k!” Bryn yelled. He was ahead of Ellis but only barely. He s
