Broken Halo (Wander Lust - PT 2)

CH 5: "Lost In The Shadows"

Talk of Doug had his guts twisted into tight knots. Joey did his best to eat the sandwich that Link made for him, though he felt sick, and the food he sent to his stomach threatened to revolt.

Link sat across the small kitchen table from Joey, slowly consuming his lunch, his eyes rarely leaving Joey's face. "You're a grownup," Link smiled as he watched Joey nibble at his sandwich. "You don't have to eat every last bite if you don't want to. I promise I won't send you to bed without dessert."

"Huh?" Joey stared at him. Link stared back, his smile holding. "Oh," Joey laughed quietly and lowered his eyes to his plate. "There's nothing wrong with the sandwich. I just..."

"I get it," Link said. "A broken heart has a way of killing the appetite."

Not just the appetite; Joey felt like it was killing him. His final moments with Doug were trying to consume his thoughts, and he didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to consider how convincing Doug had been when he'd told Joey...

I've cherished every second of our life together. For me, life only really began when I met you.

His plate blurred and Joey hurriedly blinked back the sudden tears.

Link finished off his sandwich then stood up. "Do you want to see my wood shop?" he asked gently. "Where I make the furniture?"

Eager for any distraction at this point, Joey nodded and followed him out the front door. Link led the way across the lawn toward the open garage that housed his pickup, through the garage and a door in the back.

Joey entered the shop, surprised to find it so large. Various woods scents lingered strongly in the air and sawdust blanketed the floor, piled in drifts around some of the machines.

"If I didn't have to go to work," Link said. "I think I could spend every second of every day in here. I love working with my hands, taking something plain and turning it into a beautiful creation." He chuckled. "I think I got that from my father." He smiled at Joey. "He was a master at creating things of beauty." His gaze lingered warmly on Joey. "A natural artist."

"I don't know about your father," Joey murmured. "But you are certainly talented."

"Well, thank you."

Joey strolled through the shop and paused at a set of shelves secured to the far wall. Intricately shaped and carved wooden trinkets sprinkled the shelves. Joey's focus came to rest on a wooden heart with the infinity symbol delicately etched into the center.

"Love is eternal." Link had moved up behind him without Joey hearing him. "That was what I meant for it to convey." He shrugged and smiled. "It isn't overly creative, though, huh? Kind of cheesy?"

"No," Joey whispered. "Not cheesy. Sometimes less is more. I think it's beautiful."

"Do you believe it?"

"What?"

Link stepped around him and rested his shoulder against the shelf. "That love is eternal."

"For some, maybe," Joey mumbled and turned his eyes from Link's face.

"What about God's love," Link asked softly. "Do you think that's eternal?"

Joey shrugged and moved along the shelf. "I don't know if I believe in God." The cutting words of Doug's note played through his mind. "And if he does exist...he's an asshole with a twisted sense of humor."

Link stared at him silently, then burst out laughing.

"What?"

"Nothing," Link cleared his throat, short laughs tumbling out. "I like your honesty. You're not afraid to say what you feel. Some people might fear a lightning bolt in the ass if they talked about God that way."