Christopher 的大四到来了,带来了毕业和找工作的压力.他花了几个小时在图书馆里,研究实习机会并起草求职信.Alex 很支持他,主动帮助他制作简历,甚至安排与他的联系人进行信息面试.
"谢谢你做这个,"一天晚上,当 Alex 审阅他的最新草稿时,Christopher 说."我知道你很忙."
"什么都给你,"Alex 微笑着说."此外,我喜欢看到你对某件事充满热情."
他们的关系已经适应了舒适的日常生活.他们一起做饭,看电影,周末探索这座城市.克里斯托弗甚至开始向他的朋友介绍亚历克斯作为他的伴侣,尽管他在学校仍然保持沉默.
有一天,Christopher 收到了一封来自联邦机构的电子邮件,邀请他参加面试.他欣喜若狂,急忙回家告诉 Alex."我明白了!他们想下周采访我.
亚历克斯拥抱了他."太神奇了!我知道你能做到.
面试进行得很顺利,Christopher 离开时信心满满.接下来的几天里,他都在等待回应,尽量不抱太大希望.当报价到来时,他立即打电话给 Alex.
"我得到了这份工作!"
"恭喜!我为你感到骄傲.Alex的声音里充满了喜悦."我们需要庆祝."
那天晚上,亚历克斯带克里斯托弗去了一家高档餐厅,点了香槟和一顿美食.Christopher 感觉自己就像在空中行走,终于看到了多年辛勤工作的回报.
然而,这种兴奋是短暂的.毕业前几周,克里斯托弗收到了大学纪律委员会的一封信.当他读到内容时,他的心沉了下来——有人对他提出了投诉,指控他有学术不端行为.
他惊慌失措地打电话给亚历克斯."我不明白.我从来没有欺骗过任何东西.
"保持冷静,"Alex 说."我过来."
当亚历克斯到达时,他仔细阅读了这封信."这很模糊.他们没有具体说明你做了什么.
"也许这是一个错误."克里斯托弗的手在颤抖."如果他们在我毕业之前把我赶出去怎么办?"
"他们不会的.我会请律师,我们会解决这个问题.Alex 把他拉进一个拥抱."别担心."
接下来的几周是一场噩梦.克里斯托弗必须与委员会会面,回答有关他的学习习惯和人际关系的问题.他怀疑投诉与他与 Alex 的关系有关,但他没有证据.
亚历克斯很生气,决心要弄清楚事情的真相.他雇了一名私家侦探,很快就发现了真相——投诉是由一直不喜欢克里斯托弗的同学刘青提出的.
"她嫉妒,"亚历克斯说,一边给克里斯托弗看报告."她看到我们在一起一次,决定报复你."
克里斯托弗知道了来源后松了一口气,但损害已经造成了.委员会洗清了他的任何不当行为,但这次经历让他感到震惊.他意识到他的新生活是多么脆弱,一个秘密是多么容易地摧毁一切.
毕业典礼到了,Christopher 手里拿着文凭走过舞台.他的家人在那里,大声欢呼,Alex 站在人群中,自豪地微笑着.有那么一刻,克里斯托弗忘记了过去几周的戏剧性事件,只感到快乐.
仪式结束后,他们在当地一家餐馆共进晚餐庆祝.当克里斯托弗告诉她这份工作时,克里斯托弗的母亲哭了,他的父亲拍了拍他的背.亚历克斯天衣无缝地融入其中,甚至与哈里森分享了一个笑话.
那天晚上,当他们躺在床上时,克里斯托弗看着亚历克斯."我在想...也许我们该停止隐藏了.
Alex turned to him, surprised. "What do you mean?"
" I mean, maybe we should tell more people about us. My family knows, my close friends... why should we keep it a secret?"
Alex was quiet for a moment. "Are you sure? It could complicate things, especially with your new job."
"I know, but I'm tired of being afraid. I love you, Alex. I want the world to know."
Alex smiled, kissing him. "I love you too. If you're ready, I'm ready."
The next day, Christopher posted a photo of him and Alex on social media, finally coming out to the world. The response was overwhelming—most of his friends were supportive, though there were a few negative comments. But Christopher didn't care. He felt free, finally able to be himself.
As he started his new job, Christopher carried that freedom with him. He worked hard, determined to prove himself, and Alex was there every step of the way, cheering him on. The cost of secrets was high, but the reward of living openly was higher. Christopher had learned that love, like dreams, was worth fighting for, no matter the obstacles.
Christopher left the high-rise office building with shaking knees, the weight of the farm deed's absence in his pocket a tangible loss. The afternoon sun glared off the glass facades, but he felt cold to the bone. He'd gambled with his family's legacy, and for a moment, the reality of what he'd done threatened to choke him. His mother's hands, rough from decades of farmwork, flashed in his mind—how she'd pressed that wad of cash into his palm the day he left for D.C., the hope in her eyes. Now he'd traded the land that had sustained their family for generations for a promise from a man he despised.
He hailed a cab, giving Alex's apartment address without thinking. The familiar route passed landmarks he'd come to know well—Georgetown's cobblestone streets, the waterfront where they'd walked on quiet weekends. But today, the sights felt foreign, as if he were viewing them through a fog. When he arrived, Alex was pacing the living room, his phone in hand. He looked up, relief flooding his face, then turned to alarm at Christopher's pallor.
"Where were you? I called you a dozen times!" Alex crossed the room, reaching for him, but Christopher stepped back.
"I went to see your father."
Alex's eyes widened. "What? Christopher, are you insane? I told you to stay out of this!"
"I had to." Christopher's voice was flat, emotionless. "He was going to ruin your life, and mine. I made a deal with him."
"A deal? What kind of deal?" Alex's tone was sharp, his hands clenching into fists.
Christopher took a deep breath, forcing the words out. "I gave him the deed to my family's farm. In exchange, he promised to leave us alone. Forever."
Silence descended on the room, thick and suffocating. Alex stared at him, mouth open, as if he couldn't comprehend the words. "You... what?" His voice was barely a whisper. "You gave up your family's farm? For me?"
"It was the only way," Christopher said, his voice cracking. "He was going to use my job against me, Alex. He was going to destroy everything we've built. I couldn't let that happen."
Alex shook his head, anger mixing with something else—guilt, perhaps, or horror. "You had no right to make that decision! That's your family's legacy, Christopher! Your home!"
"I know!" Christopher shouted, the first burst of emotion breaking through his numbness. "Don't you think I know that? But what was I supposed to do? Watch you go back to that miserable life because of me? Let him tear us apart?"
"You should have talked to me first!" Alex's voice was raised now, his face red with anger. "This isn't just about you! It's about both of us. You can't just sacrifice everything without even consulting me!"
"Consult you? You were ready to go back to your father's company! You were ready to throw away our life together to 'protect' me, but when I try to protect you, it's a problem?" Christopher's hands were shaking, tears welling in his eyes. "I thought we were in this together, Alex. I thought we made decisions together."
"We are in this together! But not like this!" Alex ran a hand through his hair, pacing again. "God, Christopher, do you have any idea what you've done? That farm meant everything to your family. Your mother—"
"Don't you dare talk about my mother!" Christopher snapped, his voice filled with pain. "I know what I did. I know the cost. But I'd do it again if it means keeping you safe."
Alex stopped pacing, looking at Christopher with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "This isn't about safety. This is about you taking matters into your own hands without considering the consequences. You think you can fix everything by sacrificing yourself, but you can't. This isn't over, Christopher. My father is a liar and a manipulator. He'll never leave us alone, no matter what you gave him."
Christopher felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, he's using this against us. He's creating a wedge between us, making you feel like you have to save me, making me feel guilty that you did." Alex walked over to Christopher, gently taking his hands. "I'm sorry I yelled. I just... I can't stand the thought of you losing something so important because of me."
Christopher sniffed, wiping away a tear. "It was my choice, Alex. I made it because I love you. Because I don't want to lose you."
Alex pulled him into a tight hug, resting his chin on the top of Christopher's head. "I love you too. So much. But we have to find a better way. We can't let him win by destroying ourselves in the process."
They stood there for a long time, holding each other, the weight of Christopher's decision hanging over them. Finally, Alex pulled back, looking into Christopher's eyes. "We need to figure out a way to get that deed back. And we need to find a way to stop my father for good."
Christopher nodded, feeling a small spark of hope. "How?"
"I don't know yet," Alex said, "but we'll do it together. No more secrets, no more solo missions. We're a team, remember?"
"Remember," Christopher whispered, leaning into Alex's embrace.
But as the days passed, the tension between them didn't fade. Christopher couldn't shake the guilt of what he'd done, and Alex couldn't shake the fear that his father would find another way to destroy their lives. They tried to go back to their routine—work, cooking dinner together, movie nights—but there was a lingering awkwardness, a sense that something had shifted between them.
One night, after a particularly long day at work, Christopher came home to find Alex sitting on the couch, a bottle of whiskey in hand. It was a sight that had become all too familiar in the past weeks.
"Alex, you need to stop drinking," Christopher said, sitting beside him.
Alex took a swig from the bottle, ignoring him. "I got a call from my father today," he said, his voice slurred. "He wants me to attend a company event next week. Says it's 'important for my future.'"
Christopher sighed. "You're not going, are you?"
Alex didn't answer, just stared at the wall. "He mentioned the farm again. Said how 'generous' you were. How 'stupid.'"
Christopher flinched. "Don't listen to him, Alex. He's just trying to get to you."
"Is he wrong?" Alex turned to look at him, his eyes glassy. "You gave up everything for me, Christopher. And for what? So we can sit here and pretend everything's okay? So I can watch you slowly hate me for what you lost?"
"I don't hate you," Christopher said, reaching for him. "I could never hate you."
Alex pulled away, standing up. "Then why do I feel like this? Why do I feel like I'm drowning, and every time I try to swim up, you pull me back down with your sacrifices?"
Christopher's heart sank. "Is that how you feel?"
Alex didn't answer, just walked into his bedroom and closed the door. Christopher sat on the couch, alone, the silence deafening. He didn't know how to fix this. He'd thought giving up the farm would save them, but instead, it had driven a wedge between them.
The next morning, Alex was gone. Christopher found a note on the kitchen counter: "I need some space. I'll be in touch."
Christopher read the note over and over, feeling more alone than he had since the night Alex first took him to the barn. He called Alex's phone, but it went straight to voicemail. He texted, but there was no response. Days passed, then a week, and still, Alex didn't come home.
Christopher felt like he was falling apart. He went to work, but he couldn't concentrate. He ate alone, slept alone, the apartment feeling empty without Alex's presence. He missed the sound of his voice, the way he'd tap his fingers on the table when he was thinking, even the smell of his cologne.
One night, unable to sleep, Christopher went into Alex's bedroom. It was just as he'd left it, the bed unmade, a few shirts lying on the chair. Christopher sat on the edge of the bed, picking up one of Alex's shirts and holding it to his face, inhaling the faint scent of him. Tears streamed down his face as he realized how much he'd messed up.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but eventually, he fell asleep, still clutching the shirt. He woke to the sound of the front door opening. His heart raced as he got up and walked into the living room.
Alex was standing there, looking tired and disheveled, but Christopher had never been so happy to see him.
"Alex," he said, his voice hoarse.
Alex looked at him, his expression unreadable. "Hi."
"Where have you been?"
"Staying with a friend," Alex said, avoiding his gaze. "I needed to think."
Christopher nodded, not knowing what to say. The silence between them was heavy.
"Look, Christopher," Alex began, "I'm sorry I left. I just... I needed to figure some things out."
"Have you?" Christopher asked, holding his breath.
Alex took a deep breath. "I think so. I realized that I was angry at myself, not at you. I was angry that I let my father get to me, that I let him affect us so much. And I was angry that I couldn't protect you, so when you did it yourself, I felt... useless."
Christopher walked over to him, taking his hand. "You're not useless, Alex. You're the most important person in my life. I don't care about the farm. I care about you."
Alex looked into his eyes, and for the first time in weeks, Christopher saw the warmth and love he'd missed. "I care about you too. So much. And I'm sorry I made you feel like your sacrifice was a burden. It wasn't. It was an act of love, and I should have treated it as such."
Christopher smiled, relief washing over him. "Does that mean you're coming back?"
Alex pulled him into a hug, tight and warm. "I was never leaving, Christopher. I just needed to get my head straight."
They stood there for a moment, holding each other, the tension between them finally easing. When they pulled apart, Alex cupped Christopher's face in his hands, kissing him gently.
"I missed you," Christopher whispered.
"I missed you too," Alex said, kissing him again, more deeply this time.