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  COPYRIGHT

  Indigo Road

  © 2015 RJ Jones.

  Cover Artist

  © 2015 Meredith Russell

  Editor

  Erika Orrick

  First Edition December 2015

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All Rights Are Reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any book format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact the author at [email protected]

  WARNING

  Intended for an 18+ audience only. This book contains material that may be offensive to some and is intended for a mature, adult audience. It contains graphic language, homosexual relations, explicit sexual content and adult situations.

  TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Best Western: Best Western International, Inc.

  Disneyland: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Starbucks: Starbucks Corporation

  Super 8: WHG TM Corp.

  VW Vanagon: Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft

  Tylenol: Johnson & Johnson

  Post-it: 3M Company

  DEDICATION

  For my husband, Scott.

  My best friend.

  CHAPTER ONE

  May 25th

  Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

  I WAS sweating like a pig in my cap and gown as I waited in my seat for my division to be called on stage. Perspiration dripped down my back, and I wriggled, hoping the cotton of my shirt would catch the drips and take it away from my skin. But from the smell around me, everyone else was in the same predicament.

  The graduating students from division one were in line, creeping forward as, slowly but surely, each graduate’s name could be heard through the crackle of the microphone. It was dumb luck that Alex’s and my graduating classes were in the same commencement program. I looked up to see my best friend nearing the stage, getting ready to receive his diploma. If Alex and I had our way, we’d bound out onto the stage together.

  Alex turned to look at me, a wide smile cutting across his features. Giving me a double thumbs-up, he made his way on stage as I—against college etiquette—whooped and hollered for him.

  Excitement ran through my veins like wildfire, and I continuously shifted in my seat, but not only because I’d just finished four years of college. Next week Alex and I were starting a yearlong road trip across the country. Sure, there was still the little problem of not having a vehicle yet, but Alex assured me we’d have one by the end of the week with the help of Craigslist. Hopefully, someone had what we were looking for and at the right price. We’d scrimped and saved every penny we could for the last three years. Our plan was to take a year off and we needed a reliable van—one that would fit a mattress in the back so we could sleep and camp out—but not one that broke into our food and gas money. Alex was an economics major and he had the whole trip planned down to the last penny, with a ten percent margin, of course. I knew he had an elaborate spreadsheet ready to track our expenses.

  Finally, my name was called and I walked on stage, my dress shoes clicking on the wooden floor as I looked out over the sea of faces: friends and family who had come to witness this historic moment in the lives of the graduating classes. Proud smiles and the occasional teary face looked back at me. The large auditorium with tiered seating had been filled to capacity with thousands of guests and students plus the orchestra and choir. After being presented my diploma and shaking the dean’s hand, adrenaline prickled my skin, and it took all my effort to walk off stage without whooping for joy. I made my way back to the designated seating for graduating students and half listened to the final speeches. Some were inspiring, but most were long and boring, but honestly, I just wanted out of there. The real planning for the road trip was waiting. Not to mention a graduation-cum-going away party.

  Not that there was much to plan. Pack a duffel bag with a few clothes, throw it in the yet-to-be-purchased van, and drive. The rest would sort itself out on the road.

  As the orchestra started playing and the choir sang “Hail Purdue,” the students made orderly lines and filed out of the Elliot Hall of Music to the Purdue Bell Tower and lawn area outside. Eager to celebrate, everyone broke ranks once we were in the warm Indiana sun. The time had come to throw our caps in the air and hug our friends and fellow students. For a brief moment, the clear blue sky was filled with black squares and a scene from The Birds came to mind.

  I was hugged by lots of the girls, glossy lips were pressed to mine in brief congratulatory kisses, which was fine by me, but I scanned the noisy crowd for a mop of dirty-blond hair. Alex wasn’t hard to find; he was over six foot and towered above most everyone else. My skin tingled as I spotted him, and I pushed through the excitable crowd of students, receiving a few more hugs along the way. He was talking quietly with Jessica, his now probably ex-girlfriend, whose makeup was a little smeared, a sheen of moisture in her eyes. They hadn’t been dating long, and as far as I knew it was more of a friends-with-benefits arrangement than anything else. Although getting any information from Alex was like getting blood from a stone. He wasn’t one to kiss and tell. Even with me. She looked equally happy and sad, and I was hoping they’d made the split. I mean, you can’t have a girlfriend when you’re going to be traveling the country for the next twelve months. That’s just stupid.

  Jessica gave me a sad smile and rose on tiptoes to kiss Alex’s cheek before turning away, getting lost in a sea of caps and gowns, tears and excitement.

  “Hey,” I said, catching his attention.

  “Horse.”

  “We did it.” I grinned, nudging his arm, my excitement threatening to take over once more.

  “Yes, we did.” Alex swung his arm around my shoulder, a huge smile on his face. “Let’s go find the folks.”

  After a few minutes of searching the crowd, we found our parents and Julie, my sister. Alex’s cousin Calvin and his boyfriend, Davis, were there too.

  “Oh, honey, I’m so proud of you. Of both of you,” Mom gushed, giving me a tight squeeze, only to release me and hug Alex just as hard. Jenna Maybury, Alex’s mom, was next, giving us both hard hugs.

  “Congratulations, son.” Dad wasn’t one for many words, but I could see the pride shining in his eyes and that made my smile grow that little bit bigger.

  “Well done, Jerkoff.” Julie punched my arm, a smirk playing on her lips.

  “Thanks, Buttface,” I replied.

  Julie rolled her eyes. “Seriously with the language? You’re supposed to be a college-educated man now. What’s going to happen when you have to start acting like it?”

  I shrugged and returned her half smile. “I’ll let you know this time next year.”

  I WAS a little buzzed after a few beers, the emotion of graduating still coursing through me, as well as the anticipation of the upcoming trip. Our party was a couple of night
s after the ceremony and the Mayburys’ backyard was filled with well-wishing friends and family. Lawn chairs and small tables dotted the grass, and twinkle lights strung in various trees around the fence line gave the area an ethereal feeling, despite the noisy chatter of the guests. The food and alcohol flowed freely and I was at risk of getting seriously drunk.

  I looked over to Alex, who was talking with his aunt and uncle under a tree, and he smiled when he caught my gaze, his eyes reflecting the outdoor lighting.

  Just when I thought I should back off the beers and take it easy—God knew I didn’t want to be too hungover tomorrow as we looked for vans to buy—a piercing car horn came from the front of the house. It was loud, intrusive, and never ending, playing on my alcohol-drenched nerves. My first thought was that someone had had a heart attack at the wheel and was slumped over the horn. That was until I saw a dark purply-blue Volkswagen van come through the back gates.

  What the…?

  I turned to find Alex, but he was right next to me. “What is that?”

  “I have no fucking idea.”

  I saw Dad and Mr. Maybury exit the van and roll down a banner from the roof that hid the windshield and hit the ground.

  Congratulations Alex and Josh was written in spray paint on an old white sheet that was decorated with different-colored spray-painted stars. There was a badly drawn map of the country with lines crisscrossing through it indicating a haphazard route.

  “Holy shit. They bought us a van,” Alex whispered, a look of awe on his face. My jaw went slack and I was surprised he had found his voice, as mine seemed to have fled. “They bought us a freaking van!” Alex vibrated next to me. I knew I should have stopped drinking earlier. Our guests had started to congregate around us and the vehicle, delight clear on their faces. They were obviously in on the plan.

  Dad stood next to me and dropped the keys in my hand. “Here you go, son. Congratulations. You and Alex deserve it.” He clapped me on the back and I found my voice.

  “You didn’t,” I whispered. “You so did not buy us a van.”

  Alex was busy hugging his mom and dad, and my excitement bubbled to the surface. “You bought us a van. You actually bought us a freaking van!”

  The buzz of realizing we were really going on a road trip replaced my buzz from the beer. Tears burned my eyes and I hugged Mom and Dad, whispering “Thank you, thank you” a million times over.

  “Hey, Josh, give me the keys.”

  That snapped me out of my not-at-all-like-me blubbering. “Like hell,” I yelled over to Alex. “I’ve got first-day driving, remember?”

  Alex and I climbed into the van and soaked it all in. Our parents were standing arm in arm outside watching us, big proud smiles on their faces. Some of our party guests were mingling around, talking about their own graduations and wishing they had done what Alex and I were about to do, while others went back to their beers and food and watched from a distance.

  We closed the doors to shut out the noise and suddenly it was just Alex and me.

  “I can’t believe they did this,” came Alex’s shocked whisper.

  “I’m still trying to figure out if I’m hallucinating. How many beers have you had?”

  “Not nearly enough to hallucinate this.”

  “Are you sober?” I asked.

  “If I wasn’t before, I am now.”

  “Good, pinch me.”

  The bastard punched me in the arm.

  “Ow, fucker. I told you to pinch me.”

  “Still think you’re hallucinating?”

  “No. Thanks.”

  We spent the rest of the night looking at the van, which was tricked out spectacularly, only stopping to say goodbye to our guests. By the time the night was over, I was sober and lying on my back in the rear, my best friend next to me.

  “Dad apologized for the color,” I told Alex after staring at the ceiling for what felt like ages.

  “What’s wrong with the color?” he asked.

  “It’s purple.”

  “Indigo.”

  “What?”

  “It’s indigo,” Alex said very matter-of-factly. “You know, the second-to-last color of the rainbow, not blue but not purple either.”

  “What’s the last color?” I think I was still drunk after all.

  “Violet.”

  “There’s two purples in the rainbow?”

  Alex reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight before releasing it.

  “Yep.”

  The wonder in Alex’s voice had my chest tightening, and I turned to look at him, only to see a large smile matching my own.

  “I CAN’T believe how cool Maude is,” Julie said as she plonked herself on my bed, disrupting the piles of my stuff ready for packing. Alex and I were due to leave first thing in the morning. Well, Alex’s ‘first thing’ was very different to my first thing, but because I’d won the coin toss, I was driving the first day. Alex and his dad had been making some ‘minor adjustments’ over the last few days and the van was currently at his place. Oh God. That meant he’d be showing up ‘first thing.’

  “Maude?”

  “Yeah, your van. Dad said the previous owner named her Maude. I think it’s kinda fitting.”

  “Maude.” I ran the name over my tongue. It sounded a little weird, but I guess any name would do. “Well, Maude it is, then.”

  Julie lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time as I packed my stuff around her. “You’ll be home for my ceremony, right?”

  She was graduating high school next year and I promised I’d be home in time for it, but her question was laced with doubt.

  “Of course I will. I’ve told you this,” I reassured her.

  “But… what if you find somewhere you want to stay? You know, find a girl you want to marry and stuff. You might not come home.” Julie wouldn’t look at me, preferring to stare at the ceiling with glassy eyes. I knew she was trying to keep the emotion of the moment from showing.

  “Aww, you gonna miss me, Buttface?” I smirked, punching her on the arm as I lay down next to her, threading my hands behind my head.

  “No, stupid,” Julie said, wiping the back of her hand across her eyes. “I want you to bring Maude back in one piece so I can use her for my own travels. Besides, the chance of you finding a girl who’ll want to marry you is slim to none anyway.”

  My sister was probably right. So far no girl I’d met made me want to commit more than a couple of weeks of my time, but I wasn’t opposed to the thought of finding the “one” someday. It just wasn’t going to be in the next twelve months.

  My snappy comeback stopped on my tongue as the doorbell rang.

  “That’ll be Alex. He said he was stopping by this afternoon.” I looked to my sister, who was now beaming devilishly at me, still lying on my bed.

  “Don’t keep your boyfriend waiting,” she replied, waggling her eyebrows as she stood and made for the door.

  I grabbed her in a fierce hug, holding her tight. Despite the five-year difference between us, we had always been close, and a part of me would miss her a lot.

  “I’ll miss you, Buttface,” I whispered against her long hair.

  “I’ll miss you too, Jerkoff. Just make sure you have a good time but be careful, okay? I want Maude back.” Her voice cracked and she wriggled out of my arms, making her way quickly to her room and closing the door behind her.

  Sure enough, it was Alex.

  “Hey,” I said, opening the door.

  “Horse.” He always had the same reply. It’d taken me a few days after we first met in junior high to ask the meaning. He’d just shrugged and said, “Because horses eat hay.” He’d been saying it ever since.

  Alex slipped past me, carrying a swivel stool and a small black case with him.

  “C’mon, we better do this outside,” he said, making his way through the kitchen toward the backyard.

  “Um, okay?”

  Mom and Dad looked at me, a question in their eyes as Alex wav
ed to them and kept walking. I shrugged and followed him through the sliding door out into the backyard.

  Alex set the stool on the lawn, sat down, and rummaged through the case, bringing out a set of clippers. He took his shirt off and threw it over the wooden railing of the deck behind him.

  “Here,” he said, passing me the clippers, a nervous look on his face. “You better do me first before I lose my nerve.”

  “Um, what?”

  “Shave my head. Do it quick.” Alex closed his eyes and waited patiently, his shoulders tight with tension.

  I turned the clippers on, feeling the little black contraption vibrate rapidly in my hand. Alex jumped a little at the noise, then rolled his shoulders.

  “Are you sure? You like your hair.” Alex had gorgeous hair. It was a dirty-blond mess of waves that brushed his ears, and somehow—even if he’d just woken up—it looked like he’d styled it that way.

  “Yes. I don’t want to worry about getting regular cuts while we’re on the road. Plus, it’ll grow back, right?” He sounded like he doubted his hair’s ability to grow.

  “Of course it will. In a few months you won’t even notice.” I paused, waiting for him to give me the go-ahead. He simply nodded and closed his eyes again.

  By the time I’d shaved all his hair off and run my hands over his prickly scalp, he was relaxed again, the tension in his shoulders disappearing. I ran my hands over his head once more, feeling for any unevenness, and Alex tilted his head, pressing into my fingers. I’d heard head massages felt pretty good, but I’d never had one. Little noises were coming from Alex as I moved the pressure to the base of his skull and top of his neck. I glided my fingers over his smooth skin, kneading the little knots of tension. His head fell forward in ecstasy as I soothed his muscles.