Free Daybreak by Keira Andrews

clanged open, making him jump. As it lurched upward, Lucas thought he might vomit.
    The light in the emergency sign at the end of his hall flickered, buzzing lightly. At his apartment door, Lucas stood for a long minute, listening for sounds from within. Was Nate in there, sleeping in their bed? Would it ever be their bed again?
    Finally, Lucas knocked softly, his knuckles whispering on the wood. He waited an eternity before knocking louder. Only silence greeted him. Some instinct told him to try the knob, and his breath caught as it turned in his hand.
    The streetlight illuminated the small interior as the door swung inward. Lucas entered the room and peeked over the half wall into the bed nook. The duvet was still pulled smoothly across the mattress.
    Lucas looked back into the living room and saw an empty space in the corner. Usually, Nate’s photography books would be piled high in that spot, his camera equipment stored beside it.
    As Lucas stared at the empty floorboards, he knew that Nate was well and truly gone.
    * * * * *
    As Lucas blearily opened his eyes, he reached out as he did every morning. However, the rest of the bed was empty, and Lucas remembered, his stomach plummeting as he realized it hadn’t been a nightmare. That it had happened.
    He’d cheated on Nate.
    The vestiges of sleep evaporated, and Lucas lay awake as the early afternoon sun brightened the living room. He needed to talk to Nate; he needed to explain. Yet when Lucas imagined what he might say, nothing came.
    It had felt so good to have someone like the pirate want him, and he’d ignored his conscience. There was no excuse for it. Nothing he could possibly say that would make it okay. He hadn’t thought about Nate, just himself.
    After hours of self-flagellation, he picked up the phone and dialed Nate’s number. Well, he dialed nine numbers of it before hanging up each time. Finally, he pressed the last number and Nate’s cell rang on the other end. Lucas’s heart pounded and he took a deep breath.
    With a click, Nate’s voice mail kicked in. At the sound of his voice, tears welled in Lucas’s eyes. He could recite the message along with Nate, but he was still at a loss for words when the beep sounded. “Um…hi. Look, I really need to see you. I’m so, so sorry, Nate. I don’t know what happened, but I would do anything to take it back. Please talk to me. I need --”
    Another beep sounded and his time was up. Lucas stared at the phone, considering whether he should call back. No, there was no point. If Nate wanted to talk to him, he’d call.
    By Monday, it was obvious that Nate did not, in fact, want to talk. Lucas couldn’t blame him, and he dragged himself to class in misery. He could only assume Nate had gone home to Staten Island, and since he only had an early lab on Monday, there was no reason he’d still be around the campus.
    Still, Lucas searched every face as he shuffled to class, hoping he might see Nate and apologize in person. Surely this couldn’t be the end, all because of one mistake? Yet even as Lucas hoped it wasn’t, in Nate’s shoes he wouldn’t want to see himself either.
    As Lucas surveyed the crowd of students bustling through the corridor, he walked right into Casey.
    “Dude! Keep your eyes on the road.”
    Lucas couldn’t manage a smile. “Sorry. Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, I’m fine. Are you? You look like you were up all night. Big weekend?”
    Big weekend indeed . “You could say that.”
    “Come on, let’s grab a coffee.”
    “We’ll be late for class.”
    “You don’t look like you’re in any condition for a lecture on Fitzgerald.” Casey steered him through the crowd, and Lucas didn’t object. Caffeine couldn’t hurt.
    At the nearby campus café, they sat at a table in the back, surrounded by chattering students. Lucas regretted coming to school in the first place. What if Nate went to the apartment to talk to him and he wasn’t there?
    “Earth to Lucas.” Casey waved his hand.