Freely - The Long Return

A story from the Love Has No Boundaries event sponsored by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group.

Members of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group were invited to choose a photo and pen a letter asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were encouraged to select a letter and write an original tale.

Jessica Freely responded to this request.

PHOTO DESCRIPTION
A stunning African American man in a stylish suit looks over his shoulder at us. He has an oval face with high, chiseled cheekbones, hooded eyes, and full lips. His hair is cropped close to his head. He is frowning slightly and in the depths of his liquid eyes is an expression that could be lust, longing, or reproach.

STORY LETTER
Dear Author,

Weve been best friends for so long. He knows my pains, fears and the little things that bring me delight. One day, I caught him, staring at me, with that look on his face. The very next day, he was gone.

Its been fifteen years, and now hes back. Self-made and self-assured.

Why did he take off all those years ago? What could he want from me?

Sincerely,

Alessandra

Love Has No Boundaries

An M/M Romance series

THE LONG RETURN

By Jessica Freely

Introduction

The story you are about to read celebrates love, sex and romance between men. It is a product of the Love Has No Boundaries promotion sponsored by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group and is published as a free gift to you.

What Is Love Has No Boundaries?

The Goodreads M/M Romance Group invited members to choose a photo and pen a letter asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were encouraged to select a letter and write an original tale. The result was an outpouring of creativity that shone a spotlight on the special bond between M/M romance writers and the people who love what they do.

A written description of the image that inspired this story is provided along with the original request letter. If youd like to view the photo, please feel free to join the Goodreads M/M Romance Group and visit the discussion section: Love Has No Boundaries.

Whether you are an avid M/M romance reader or new to the genre, you are in for a delicious treat.

Words of Caution

This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved worldwide.
This eBook may be distributed freely in its entirety courtesy of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. This eBook may not be sold, manipulated or reproduced in any format without the express written permission of the author.

The Long Return, Copyright 2013 Jessica Freely

Cover Design by Goodreads M/M Romance Group

This ebook is published by the M/M Romance Group and is not directly endorsed by or affiliated with Goodreads Inc.

M/M Romance Group Publication

THE LONG RETURN

By Jessica Freely

Photo Description

A stunning African American man in a stylish suit looks over his shoulder at us. He has an oval face with high, chiseled cheekbones, hooded eyes, and full lips. His hair is cropped close to his head. He is frowning slightly and in the depths of his liquid eyes is an expression that could be lust, longing, or reproach.

Story Letter

Dear Author,

Weve been best friends for so long. He knows my pains, fears and the little things that bring me delight. One day, I caught him, staring at me, with that look on his face. The very next day, he was gone.

Its been fifteen years, and now hes back. Self-made and self-assured.

Why did he take off all those years ago? What could he want from me?

Sincerely,

Alessandra

Story Info

Genre: contemporary

Tags: LGBT Youth Center, African American, long-lost lovers, community activism, at-risk youth, reunited, homophobia, in the closet

Word count: 11,391

THE LONG RETURN

By Jessica Freely

Bright sunshine flooded through the windows and reflected off the freshly painted walls of the Delany Center for LGBT Youth on Michigan Avenue in Detroit. On a Saturday afternoon like this one, the center was a bright, bustling hub of activity. Kids chased each other up and down the halls and through the lobby, their voices a raucous, welcome soundtrack to the day-to-day chores of maintaining the center. In the laundry room, Director Trevor Davis threw another load of sheets in the washer and grabbed some fresh ones to make up the centers ten beds.

Trev, Trev! Can I borrow your laptop? I want to show Vivienne your It Gets Better video, Bryan said.

Yes, if you help me make up the beds first.

Bryan scrunched up his face. His nose wrinkled and brow puckered before the muscles smoothed into a grin. Okay.

Bryan was fifteen, and homeless. His parents kicked him out of the house three months ago when they found his sketchbook, filled with homoerotic drawings. Fortunately, Bryan found his way to the center that first night, before getting caught up in the cycle of prostitution and drugs that awaited so many young people on the street. Others werent as lucky. Vivienne, for example. Before she found out about the center, the sixteen-year-old trans woman had been on her own for two years, turning tricks just to get out of the cold.

Trev thanked his lucky stars he had beds for these kids. It hadnt always been the case. In fact, for years theyd only been able to keep the center open on the weekends. There had been no beds, just a couple of couches where those most in need could crash for a night or two before being thrust back out onto the streets.

But for the past five years, increasingly generous donations from the Mathis Foundation had changed all that. They came unsolicited every quarter. Now the center had two dormitories, a vocation center, a kitchen, even a rec room. And theyd attracted the attention of the Community Initiative Coalition, whom theyd be meeting with on Monday about expanding their mission even further.

Trev had written the Mathis Foundation several times, thanking them, telling them what a difference they had made. Hed never gotten an answer, much less an explanation. All the same, this was one gift horse he wasnt about to look in the mouth.

As Trev followed Bryan to the dorms, he paused at the rec room. Carlos and Dean were in there, playing Ping-Pong. Carloss shot went wild and hit Dean on the forehead. They both broke down laughing. Trevs heart swelled at the sight of kids finally getting a chance to be kids again. That was what the Delany Center was all about.

How many times had he wished thered been a place like this when he and Shane were young? Maybe, if theyd been around people who accepted them for who they were, things would have turned out differently.

He could still picture Shane at seventeen, all long limbs and big, luminous eyes, but not awkward, never that graceful, beautiful, with warm brown skin, and a smile that could light up the whole city. Trev, with his dark complexion and geeky appearance, differed from Shane in almost every way. Shane was outgoing; Trev was shy. Shane was athletic; Trev was a bookworm. Shane dropped out of high school; Trev graduated with a full scholarship to Wayne State University.