The Time Taken to Understand (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twenty-Nine~ Mark

Mark was going to tell Alec that he loved him, and he wanted it to be special. He felt horrible because he had become distant from the other, but it would all be worth it in the end. So far, every was perfect. He thought about the right words to say and had practiced them in the mirror. The only problem with his plan was the location. He wanted to do it perfectly, and this to him meant taking Alec away for the weekend. Over the past month, since they had returned from break, he had been searching bed and breakfasts endlessly. This was going to be an important night, and he didn't want it to happen in a random hotel that he found online.

So far, he had toured them all over the state, but nothing was what he was looking for. The search was taking longer than he wanted, and he could feel Alec slowly slipping away. He had almost told him the plan the night before, as he held the other and felt his tears against his skin. It had broken his heart to know that those tears were because of him, but he hadn't said anything, hoping that his search would come to an end soon and everything would be perfect.

And the next morning, he was instantly happy that he had waited as his phone rang and he answered it only to find that it was the owner of a private cabin off of lake michigan who was renting it out for nights at a time. This was wonderful news, but Mark wasn't about to spend seven hundred dollars a night without going to see if the location was as wonderful as it was described to him. The cabin was all the way in michigan, and he wouldn't be able to get there and back in a day, so he did something that he dreaded. He had lied to Alec, telling him that he would be back home for the night, and then booking a hotel room in Michigan.

If this wasn't the place, he was going to drive home and confess his love for Alec right there. But if it was the place, and he had a special feeling that it was, then he would be taking Alec away next weekend and confessing it to him then after he fucked him on the beach.

Mark was at a diner on the edge of Wisconsin and Michigan when he decided to check his phone. He was surprised to see three voice mails, one from Alec, one from his mother, and one from Adam.

He decided that he'd listen to Alec's first because he loved him and wanted to hear his voice, and listen to Adam's last, because he was a bit upset with him for giving Alec a beer the night before when he knew that his father was an alcoholic.

"Hi"

Mark smiled at the sound of Alec's voice. He always talked so quietly and softly but had the most important things to say.

"I can't believe you're doing this to me, Mark". His smile faded with these words, and he felt guilty. "I've been trying to tell myself that it wasn't true. That you weren't cheating on me-"

Mark was stunned at this and choked on air, coughing.

"But after this, I don't know how I'll ever be able to trust you again. I've given you so many chances to come and talk to me about this, but I see that I'm not important enough to you to do so, so I'll be staying at Adam's until I can figure out a new living arrangement". The line hung for a while, as if Alec was going to speak again, but then it dropped.

"This can't be happening right now".

He listened to his mother's recording next.

"Mark, sweetie. Alec called. He seemed to be wondering where you were for some reason. Is everything oka-"

He hung up the phone, dropping his head into his hands for a couple of moments, calming his breathing and thinking about how idiotic he had been. He needed to go see Alec. To explain.

Before he left the diner, he dropped a bill on the table, not knowing it was too little or too much, and started Adam's voicemail as he exited.

"Hey ass hole. You fucked up. Big time. I know I can't kick your ass, but I swear to god Mark, I will find a way to hurt you. I can't believe what you've done. You've broken his heart when you promised you wouldn't do this. I can't believe you're such an fuc-"