Cooper pushed him away and turned his back. “I’m sorry. I’ve made up my mind. I have to go now. Please understand I didn’t do this to hurt you. I’m doing it for your own good. I don’t think I would ever get used to the fact you were an escort. Even though I’m embarrassed to admit it now, and I thought I could get used to it, I have to be honest with you for your own good. You’ll see this is the right thing in time. I promise.”
Treston felt such an overwhelming sense of panic he dropped to his knees. He forgot all about the linen slacks and he reached out with both arms. As Cooper continued walking away from him, he continued to beg. “Please don’t leave this way. We can work it out. I promise we can. You’re my hero. You can’t do this to me.”
But Cooper didn’t stop. He climbed into his truck, started the engine, and pulled away without looking back. Cooper remained on his knees until Lyon pulled into the parking lot and found him there crying. Lyon didn’t even park his car. He stopped in the middle of the parking lot, jumped out without bothering to turn off the engine or shut the door, and raced to his side. He reached down to pick Treston up and cradled him in his arms.
Treston was sobbing so hard by then he couldn’t even speak. He fell into Lyon’s arms while Lyon tried to find out what had happened. When another car pulled into the parking lot, Treston said, “Please help me get into the van. I don’t want anyone else to see me this way.”
Lyon lifted him into the passenger seat, then climbed in and sat next to him. He put his arms around Treston and cradled him again until he calmed down enough to speak clearly. It took all the strength Treston had to tell Lyon what had happened and that Cooper was not coming back and there would be no wedding. In between sobs, Lyon kept saying, “It’s going to be okay, man. I’m here. Just tell me what to do.”
After he told Lyon everything, he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his new wedding jacket and said, “Please go inside and tell everyone the wedding is off. I can’t face them like this. I don’t think I can ever face them again.”
“They’re your friends,” Lyon said. “They’ll understand. Come inside with me. I don’t want to leave you alone like this, buddy.”
“I’m okay,” Treston said. “I want to be alone right now. I just can’t face anyone.”
Lyon clenched his fists. “I’m not leaving you alone. I’m going to make it right. I’ll find that fucking park ranger and I’ll kick the shit out of him for doing this to you. I’ll break every fucking bone in his body.”
Treston rested his palm on Lyon’s stomach and said, “No, please don’t. I don’t want you getting into trouble and I hate violence of any kind.”
“But he deserves it,” Lyon said. “If I’d been here a few minutes earlier I would have kicked his ass right here in the parking lot.”
“Please promise me you won’t do anything,” Treston said. “I’m already embarrassed enough. It would only make things worse. If you really love me, you’ll go inside, tell everyone what happened, apologize to them all, and let me have some time alone.”
Lyon punched the center console, and it took Treston a few more minutes to calm him down. But he finally convinced him the only thing he wanted was to be left alone so he could think.
Before Lyon opened the door to get out, he hugged him one last time and said, “You sure you’re okay?”
Treston nodded. “I’m sure.”
“If you need me, I want you to call me at any time,” Lyon said.
“I will.”
Lyon opened the door and jumped out. He reached for Treston’s hand and said, “I love you, buddy. Anything you want, anything you need.”
Treston squeezed his hand and said, “Me, too. And thanks for always being there. Hell, who needs a husband with a friend like you around?” It took a lot, but he forced himself to smile so Lyon would think he was okay. He didn’t want Lyon to know what he was really thinking: thoughts between ramming the van into a tree and jumping off a cliff at Lake Mead.
“Promise me you’ll call me later and let me know how you are and where you are,” Lyon said. “I don’t care how late it is.”
“I promise,” Treston said.
After Lyon closed the door, Treston pulled off the wedding suit jacket and threw it on the floor. Then he reached back into a box behind his seat where he’d packed some clothes and he pulled out a pair of jeans and a black shirt. After he removed the suit and put on the other clothes, he removed all the jewelry and threw it into the box. He changed his shoes and socks and threw the toe rings and ankle bracelet into the box. As he pulled out of the parking lot, hoping he wouldn’t run into any of his friends, he pulled up to an open dumpster as close as he could so he wouldn’t have to get out, and he threw the wedding suit right out the window. He watched it land on top of a pile of black plastic trash bags, then pulled out of there as fast as he could. He never wanted to see that suit or parking lot again. The only thing he wanted to do was drive as far away from Las Vegas as he could and never look back.
But when he pulled into the street, he made such a quick right turn he didn’t bother to look to his left. The last thing he heard before everything went blank was a screech, followed by a bang so loud it rocked the van. He felt peaceful for a moment. The world went silent, bright lights flashed before his eyes, and he felt lighter than he’d ever felt in his entire life.
Chapter Sixteen
At first, Treston thought he’d died and gone to heaven. He’d lost track of time, and for a moment or two he almost forgot about being left at the altar, so to speak, by Cooper Boon.
As the bright afternoon sun filtered through the cracked windshield of the rented van, Treston opened his eyes a few minutes after the accident and saw the face of Jesus looking down on him, framed with rays of glorious rays of sunshine, just like he’d seen in the movies.
But instead of harps playing and celestial choirs singing, he heard the sound of sirens approaching. Then Jesus unbuckled the seatbelt, scooped Treston up in his arms, and carried him away from the smashed-up van. He set Treston down on a grassy section so he could get a better look at him.
Treston was still in shock. It took a moment for him to realize this wasn’t Jesus and he hadn’t died and gone to heaven. When he realized who it was, he actually thought he might have died and gone to hell.