Sal looked back over his shoulder. No one seemed to be watching him or following him. They were probably plastered and with Dante; they had their hands full.
The premises was big and packed with security cameras. The one called Mack could be watching him, but Sal didn’t give a shit. He liked the Giants, but he felt sure they were hiding something from him.
The rain continued to fall in crazy, chaotic drops and a blanket of coldness crept over his skin. The sound of water hitting the ground was loud, drowned out only by the occasional boom of thunder.
Sal jogged over the stone path while the piercing rain soaked his clothes yet again. His shoes were quickly flooded as water seeped in from everywhere, soaking his socks and feet. He turned the corner to see the barn towering ahead in the horizon. It was a functional, classic, red barn, with two-and-a-half-stories, Z-braced barn doors, and traditional window trim. The roof had a steep pitched to it with generous overhangs, topped with a cupola large enough to ventilate the barn.
When he was a few yards from the barn door, images of Ted surfaced inside his head. Ted was scared and very much in pain which wasn’t a surprise. He was also locked up somewhere.
What the hell? Sal was a few yards from the barn door, and the handle was almost within his reach when a crisp-sounding voice called out to him, “Sal? What are you doing?”
Sal stopped even though he was close to solving the mystery regarding the barn.
Damn you, Seth! Sal thought. It was as if he was a puppet on a string and Seth was his master. Sal sighed and took another step toward the barn. It would be locked, but he'd crawl onto the roof, if necessary, to get inside.
Seth took his hand to stop him from moving forward and moved in front of Sal, so they were standing toe-to-toe. Seth's black hair seemed to have become one with his face due to the hard weather. His eyes sparkled in the increasing darkness. Sal was practically nailed to the ground, having completely forgotten about the barn.
He leaned in so that his forehead rested against Sal's, and they both closed their eyes. Sal could feel Seth’s hand resting on the back of his neck before Seth’s lips brushed his, and he felt like he was walking on sunshine. It was magic, the way Seth’s lips connected with his. Though he'd tried, he hadn't been able to imagine how warm they'd feel pressed up against his own, and a smile grew on Sal’s face before they pulled slowly apart.
Seth looked pleased as he brushed Sal’s wet hair behind his ears. “Nice! Now, come on, mind-hacker, let’s get that Porter guy back where he belongs.” He put his arm around Sal, and they walked slowly back to the bus and an unconscious Logan Porter. Sal wanted to say something, but a tornado inside of him prevented him from putting a sentence together.
As the bus left Giant Hill, Darwin sighed with relief.
He'd underestimated the boy, and Dante and Mack had nearly ruined everything.
The boy wasn’t ready yet, especially not ready for the barn.
Thank God for Seth, Darwin thought. All he needed to bring Sal around was to introduce him to a handsome, charismatic man who could touch him, make him feel his life for the first time, and then prepare him for what came next.