The boys meet again by chance, but what will Brian do when he discovers that Justin is not alone?

I was awakened by the rumble of a motorcycle. My eyes fluttered open as I squinted against the bright sunshine streaming in through the open balcony door, realizing by the sun's angle that it had to be after 8 a.m. now and I would soon have to rise to get ready for another day out on patrol. It was a job I at best tolerated and at worst detested, but it had been made a lot more pleasant lately due to the anticipation of seeing a certain someone, either out on the waves or after my shift was over.

Lying on my back, I rolled onto my side to face my lover, only to encounter a barren, empty space. As I heard the motorcycle's engine being revved, I suddenly realized with horrifying clarity why the bed was empty.

"No!" I cried out as I hurriedly rose from the bed and, grabbing the crumpled sheet, wrapped it around my waist as I rushed to the balcony's left side to peer out onto the parking lot, just in time to see Brian hopping onto his Harley.

I opened his mouth to call out to him, but I knew he would never hear me above the loud roar of the motor.

My eyes filled with tears as Brian reached for his helmet to put it on; just before he slid it over his head, something compelled him to look in my direction as his eyes found me huddled on the balcony.

My heart dropped as we gazed at each other in silent communication, saying so much without saying anything at all, before Brian nodded slightly and, pulling the helmet down over his head, released the kickstand as the motorcycle came to life. In less than thirty seconds, he had exited the parking lot and was gone, almost as if he had never existed at all.

"Brian..." I whispered, tears trickling down my cheek. "Don't go..." A sharp pain pierced my throat and I found it hard to swallow as I slumped against the balcony's railing and laid my head against the cold, smooth metal. I stayed there in that awkward position, listening to the fading sound of the bike, until I couldn't hear it any longer, before I slowly lifted my tear-stained face to stand up straight and turn to head back inside.

Sniffling and wiping my tears away, I shuffled as if on autopilot toward the bathroom to take a much-needed shower when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, propped up against the desk lamp. It was another envelope on the resort's stationery with my name on it, and my heart skipped a beat as I recognized the masculine scrawl of Brian's handwriting.

Walking over to retrieve it, I sat down heavily on the end of the bed and slid the flap open, noticing this one was lumpy for some reason. Frowning as I momentarily forgot my sorrow, I pulled out a folded piece of paper as a key ring fell out onto the bed. It was a yellow surfboard almost identical to Brian's and had two keys dangling from it.

With shaky hands, I unfolded the piece of paper to read what it said:

Justin - this was the best way. Parking space #17. Go find your dreams. ~Brian

Forgetting my shower now, I hurriedly placed the paper down and grabbed a pair of jeans from my dresser drawer, not even bothering to put any shoes on as I snatched the keys from the bed and rushed out of my room and down to the parking lot. It took me a few minutes before I located Space #17, and my eyes bulged and my mouth fell open as I noticed what was parked there: a shiny, used, pale yellow, Beetle convertible.

Walking up to it, I didn't dare hope but I pushed the key into the lock and turned it, hearing the click of the mechanism as it unlocked the door. As I opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, my tears slid down my cheeks anew as I noticed a folded document on the passenger seat and opened it to find a California title with my name listed as the owner of the vehicle. "Brian..." I had no idea how he had managed this and even why, exactly - and how I would ever tell my father - but as I sat there I once more mourned what I had lost.

Two Months Later - Kinnetik - California Office

Cynthia frowned as she stuck her head into Brian's office, finding him idly sitting at his desk. He was turned toward the wall of windows behind him, quietly gazing out onto the impressive ocean view that his fourth-floor suite provided him.

It was one of the luxuries that her friend and boss could afford as a result of several smart business decisions he had made back in Pittsburgh, and she knew that was one of the reasons why he had chosen this particular building to house his new California office. Typically, however, Brian had his nose stuck in his laptop when she entered with seemingly a dozen things going on at once; in fact, it was a running joke that Brian could have saved a lot of money by leasing a space in some inner-city warehouse since he rarely took the time to actually enjoy the million-dollar view his office gave him.

Since he had returned from that beach resort a few months ago, however, she had found him to be lost in thought a lot, his mind not focused on the task on hand, even though he had told her that the campaign pitch had gone smoothly with the owner. That behavior was highly atypical for Brian, but despite her best efforts to gently prod him regarding the reason why, he had steadfastly refused to reveal any information, even getting downright surlier than normal with her when he felt she was probing a bit too deeply; either that, or throwing out some vague, sarcastic comment about it. So she had finally resigned herself to just quietly cleaning up whatever he didn't finish - or getting someone else reliable like their comptroller, Devon, to fill in whatever deals that Brian had left incomplete.

Secretly, however, she fretted that one day there would be a major slipup and Brian would lose one of his larger accounts and it would affect his bottom line dramatically. How do you tell the CEO of the company, however, that he was close to royally fucking up? It was his company to do with however he pleased; she only wished that whatever was bothering him would get resolved soon before all their jobs were put in jeopardy.

"Brian?" She called over to him softly.

He slowly swiveled around in his leather desk chair to peer over at her, his right eyebrow arched in silent question.

"Want me to order some lunch for you? It's after two."

"No," Brian replied in a dull voice, rubbing his eyes wearily. His entire body was stiff as a board, and it hadn't helped that he had been up until early morning, fucking, drinking, and smoking weed with yet another unknown trick. That had been pretty much his modus operandi since he had returned from the resort - and had walked out of Justin's life. Fuck himself into oblivion in an attempt to forget him. But, of course, it hadn't worked. Everyone he was with just reminded him of Justin - and what he no longer had.

He had to admit that he had been a little surprised that Justin hadn't contacted him after he had left; he would never admit it, but he had been disappointed that he hadn't tried. He realized that he only had himself to blame, though; he had made him swear that once they parted, he would go on with his own life and not look back, and apparently Justin had done just that. So why did it hurt so fucking much that he had followed his wishes?

"Brian?"

He looked up into the concerned eyes of his executive assistant as he rose to his feet, realizing she was still waiting for an answer.

"I'm...going to take a ride on the bike," he decided impulsively as she looked at him in surprise. He wasn't one to do that on a whim; he was normally much more methodical with his schedule. But he had found since moving here that a ride along the ocean provided him with solace and a way to ground himself. And since he had met Justin, it had also served to provoke some bittersweet memories in him. "I'll be back later," he told her as he brushed by her, not waiting for her reply.

Nonetheless, he heard her call out, "But what about the Henderson Drug campaign? There's a meeting in an hour with the Graphics Department to go over..."

"You know what I like," he told her brusquely as her mouth hung open in shock. It was the first time he had ever voiced that confidence aloud, even though she knew he had complete faith in her. "Leave the boards you prefer on my desk; I'll look at them when I get back." That was all she heard him say as he quickly walked to the door and left; a few seconds later she could hear the rumbling of his bike before it sped off.

She shook her head. "What in the world," she murmured before turning to head back to her own office.

One Hour Later...

Brian rode aimlessly, not really caring where he wound up. But the ocean did serve - at least temporarily - to quell the uneasiness and the other, not-so-decipherable feeling in the pit of his stomach. For once, he dispensed with the idea of using a helmet - he knew it was against the law, but he thought, fuck it. He needed to feel the wind against his face as he rode and smell the salt air assailing his nostrils. Mainly he just needed to feel.

Finally, he came around a bend and saw an impressive site: a rocky cliff with large, smooth boulders leading down to a flat, sandy, winding beach; an outcropping of rocks jutted out in an almost perpendicular line toward the ocean, which was presently at high tide, the whitecaps numerous and fierce in their intensity as they crashed over and over again on their way to the beach.

He noticed a sign nearby proclaiming that this area was a state park, but at the moment it was pretty much deserted, except for a few cars scattered around the parking lot. Not venturing a guess as to his good luck, he steered his bike down the dirt path leading to a small parking area and stopped it at the nearest spot leading toward a trail heading down to the water.

As he killed the bike's motor and hopped off the seat, he turned to head off toward the beach, only to stop dead in his tracks as he observed a vehicle parked several yards away, right next to a trail marker of some type. It wasn't the most luxurious of vehicles, or the most expensive. But it was instantly familiar to him with its curved, front end, big headlights and convertible top.

His mouth went dry as he walked slowly up to the empty vehicle, noticing a surfboard keychain hanging from the rearview mirror; it was very similar to the surfboard that he had decided to simply leave back at the resort when he had had to return to Kinnetik a few months ago. Brian stood next to the used vehicle, peeking inside to see if anything would give away the owner, and trying not to jump to conclusions. But it was difficult; he was missing Justin way too much, and his heart was too vulnerable to wild speculation.

He looked around the immediate area, as well as down on the beach, but saw no one that resembled him. Could he be mistaken, then? Was it just wishful thinking on his part? In this state alone, he imagined there could be hundreds of this same type of vehicle all over the place. He sighed as he brushed one hand through his hair. That must be it, Brian sadly concluded as his face fell. It was some cruel joke on God's part; a type of revenge for what he had done.

He decided since he was there anyway, however, that he would at least walk down to the water's edge and peer out at the waves he was itching to surf. Brian vowed that he would come back here with some surfing equipment and try the water out soon, but for now without any board or clothing he would have to be content with merely observing how the waves crashed perfectly against the immense boulders surrounding the park, and how they created the perfect tunnel of water to navigate on a surfboard. The constant, steady sound of the ocean always did soothe him, at least temporarily. That is, until the memories of a certain, blond, beautiful young man invaded his thoughts once more.

As he began to head over to the pathway leading down to the water, he turned his head to peer back at the rear of the car he had just seen, and his heart skipped a beat as he noticed something he hadn't paid attention to before: there on the back of the vehicle was a personalized license plate that told him all that he needed to know. It had to be Justin's, then! Didn't it?

For the first time in a long time, Brian had a reason to smile: no one else could possibly have a banana yellow Volkswagen Beetle with a California license plate that read "Gidget?"...Could they? But if it was his by some happy coincidence, then where was he?

One Hour Earlier - Justin's POV

I steered my Beetle onto the familiar, dirt road leading down to the parking lot of the state park; I had discovered this rather underused gem a few weeks ago - when I had been feeling particularly melancholy and had just wanted to be alone with my thoughts and do some sketching - and I had quickly claimed it as a favorite place to go during breaks from my art classes, loving the seclusion that some of the more isolated areas afforded me. It was during the more introspective times that the last thing I wanted to do was be surrounded by swimmers or surfers, especially after spending all summer long playing lifeguard for my father's resort, and this windswept, beautifully rugged patch of land and ocean was a perfect place to calm my emotions and lift my spirits, at least temporarily.

I had been at school now for a couple of weeks, and was slowly getting accustomed to the routine. I had even made friends with a couple of fellow students in my still life and art history classes, and felt a sense of belonging amongst such a large group of like-minded peers who held the same passion for the arts that I did. The Oceanside Art Academy, located a few miles up the road, was everything I had imagined and hoped it would be; it was challenging, had a beautiful campus with spacious art studios and ample supplies, and the best art instructors anyone could wish for. If I had any chance of making a living as an artist, I was confident that the Academy would provide me with the tools - and the contacts - to do just that. And being in the Los Angeles area would also allow me to pursue career options in a number of fields you couldn't find just anywhere, including graphic arts and cartooning.

It had taken some persuasive intervention on my mother's part to get my father to change his mind and allow me, after all, to live on campus, rather than commute back and forth from the resort here to the academy. I knew with the extremely generous gift that Brian had bestowed on me that I would now have reliable transportation - which meant I could have handled the commute, I suppose - but hauling my art supplies back and forth, plus dealing with California traffic, would have meant I would likely have been on the road at least for two hours each way, every day. So ultimately I had won over my hesitant mother and had enlisted her help in getting my father to agree to let me stay on campus. It was never the money that had been an issue anyway; due in large part to both his business expertise, plus Brian's new ad campaign, guests were booking at a much higher rate now, and the resort often had to turn people away on the weekends, a happy problem to have. No, I figured it was more an issue of trust. But I had never really done anything to violate my father's trust, and he knew that. So in the end he had grudgingly agreed to let me stay on campus with a roommate to help defray part of the expenses.

Ironic, then, how I wound up having to lie to my father when it came to the car. I recall when my father had first found out about it; knowing my father would never approve of what Brian had done, I had wound up telling him and my mother that it had belonged originally to one of Daphne's friends and how they had been looking to sell it for a lowball figure because they were moving out of state unexpectedly and didn't want to bother taking it with them. And I also had to come up with a pretty lame excuse that they were willing to actually let me give them a small down payment in exchange for taking the car now and Daphne paying them the balance on it for me so I could have the car right away, and how I would be paying Daphne back by the end of the summer with the proceeds from my lifeguard money. It had sounded totally ridiculous to me; but to my utter surprise, my father had actually accepted my convoluted story following my promise that I would, indeed, pay Daphne back everything that I owed her.

My mind filtered back to the present as I heard my companion softly scoff at what he was seeing.

"Doesn't look like much," my friend and roommate, Liam, commented as I drove slowly down the primitive dirt road heading toward the beach area, having to proceed at a snail's pace to avoid some of the ruts that were scattered throughout the surface.

"No," I admitted with a smile as I glanced over at him; both of us were in art classes together, and had quickly forged a bond with each other through that as well as winding up as roommates. I had described this park to Liam a few days ago, and despite my really preferring to come here alone most of the time, he had wheedled me into letting him come along for the ride to check it out. "But just wait; once you get past the entrance, the scenery is incredible."

"If you say so, Justin," he responded dryly, obviously unconvinced.

I smiled; it was pretty much nondescript until you rounded the next curve, and then...

"Holy shit," I heard Liam murmur as I nodded. "This is sweet!"

I grinned. Spoken like a true artist. Liam was strictly a sketch artist using charcoals. He was always telling me he would never paint because it got his nails and his clothes too dirty. I thought it was prudent for the sake of our rooming together, then, not to point out all the smudges he typically got on his shirts or on his face while he was using his so-called, 'cleaner' media of charcoal pencils to draw with. I silently resolved that one day I would push him toward graphite pencils, my sketch supply of choice, instead. Much cleaner to use, and more precise.

"Wow, I didn't know this place even existed," he commented as I pulled up near the trailhead to park. "You say there're caves around here, too?"

I nodded as I cocked my head over toward the left where the trail began. "Yeah, down near the beach. They jut out into the water. You can only go into them during low tide, unless you're wearing scuba gear."

Liam's eyes lit up. "Hey, maybe we could try that sometime! I always wanted to try scuba diving!"

I laughed as I turned the car off and we got out. "Yeah...as soon as we both get rich and famous, we'll do that." He grinned back at me; we both pretty much lived from month-to-month on either our parents' money or, in my case, on part of my scholarship money. Sometimes we did well to have a dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese, but it wasn't too bad; not as long as we both had the chance to work on what we loved.

I opened up the trunk of the Beetle and retrieved a backpack with some beach towels, sun blocker, water, hat and sunglasses as Liam hefted out our art portfolios and other needed supplies. "Come on," I told him. "I'll show you one of my favorite spots for sketching."

Several minutes later, we were sitting companionably on a large, smooth boulder, flattened years ago by the carving of constant, rushing water from the ocean. It jutted out into the blueness, providing a perfect spot to view the scenery below. Even when there were people there, it was still quiet up here on my perch. Oftentimes, I would come here and just sit for hours when I didn't have school, watching the sun slowly sink lower and lower into the horizon or watching the activity far below and occasionally sketching something or someone that caught my eye. I would be so still that oftentimes wildlife would scamper unconcerned within feet of where I sat, whether it was a shorebird or something more much mundane such as a squirrel or chipmunk. I never grew tired, though, of watching this ever-changing vista.

I glanced over at a small group of surfers trying to master the waves that were a bit larger than the ones back at the resort. As usual, some of them were better than others. One in particular was extremely adept, managing to stay on his board most of the time as he rode it all the way in. He was tall, tanned, and muscular, and ironically enough, was balanced on top of a bright yellow surfboard. The only thing missing were the red flames - and a certain someone who was still uppermost in my mind and in my heart, even now. I let out a forlorn breath. I had wanted so badly to contact Brian after he left. But I knew he had been right about us. He had his world to go back to, and I had one I had yet to explore. He seemed to feel it was best that we just remain a memory - a wonderful memory. Normally I could almost accept that and agree with it; but other times - when it was in the dead of night or something I saw reminded me of him like that surfer did right now - I wondered if I had done the right thing by honoring his wishes. Had he completely forgotten about me by now? I know that I hadn't forgotten about him.

"Hey," was the soft call from beside me, following by a slight, gentle nudge.

I blinked as I turned me gaze back onto my friend.

"Where did you go just now, roomie?" he asked me curiously.

I smiled wistfully at Liam as I hugged my hands around my ankles before turning to stare out at the water that continuously crashed against the rocks below. I contemplated how long that had been going on; it had to have been thousands of years. I wondered how many other people had sat right here where we were sitting, lost in their own thoughts, hopes, and dreams just like I was.

"You're thinking about him again...Aren't you?" was the quiet inquiry.

I closed my eyes as they threatened to betray my inner turmoil; I hadn't even noticed the tears prickling the back of them until he referred to Brian, but they were there. About a week ago, after the two of us had had more than enough beer and a couple of joints, I had confided in Liam about Brian; about the man who had changed me irrevocably and had found his way into the bottom of my soul - and directly into my heart. The man who had come into my life so unexpectedly and then had left the same way.

I didn't see any point in denying it, so I merely nodded before whispering, "Yeah. I guess I was."

"Why don't you call him, Justin? What would you have to lose?"

I shook my head firmly. "No," I told him, a painful lump in my throat. "He...He told me this was for the best, and I need to respect his wishes." I rubbed my hand through my hair, ruffling it. It had grown out a little more since the beginning of the summer, but was still more washed-out than normal from being in the unrelenting sun day after day.

"But..."

"Can it, Liam," I told him sternly as my eyes flashed and I turned to face him. "He's probably forgotten all about me by now anyway."

"Yeah...That's why he bought you that car."

I bristled slightly as I glanced skyward in aggravation and sighed heavily in consternation. "I should have never told you about that. That was all in the past. Now will you just drop it, please?" Of course, all my roommate had to do was leaf through any of my used sketchbooks and he would know what a total lie that was. Brian was always featured prominently in any of them.

He sighed but nodded as he held up his hands, peering at my sympathetically. "Okay..." He reached to snag his sketchbook from its place next to him as I took another deep breath and let it out, trying to rid myself of my melancholy mood. Deciding to follow his example, I reached for my own sketchpad nearby, wanting to be ready in case some dolphins appeared. They tended to frequent this beach around this time of day, and I was always entranced by their fluidity and gracefulness in the water.

I extended my upper body as far as I could as a gust of wind swept up from below, making one of my pencils begin to roll away from me; as I grabbed onto it, some dust particles swirled around us like a miniature eddy and I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my left eye. Reaching up, I probably did the worst possible thing I could do by rubbing it and rapidly blinking in an attempt to dislodge whatever was bothering my eye, but it was still there - as was the pain. I grimaced as Liam eyed me with a frown.

"What's the matter?"

"I think I got something in my eye. It's fucking killing me, too." I blinked a couple more times, still trying to hopefully wash away whatever it was, but it remained stubbornly there. "Can you take a look for me and see if you see anything?"

He nodded as I twisted my body around on the rocks to look at him as he did the same. Leaning over, he peered into my eyes for a look.