Truth Behind the Lies
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
23,639
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
23,639
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter Eleven
Review Responses:
madlodger: Thank you. Did you? Then I wonder what you'll think of this chapter then. No, no I can say that he wont always be in that home. Did you like the love scene? Really? I didn't think it was my best but it was okay. Thank you though. Will he get pregnant? It's definitely possible. ;)
Anon: Yes he is, haha.
Bookworm51485: Will the divorce put Shay in charge of his mother? I'm not good on too much legal stuff, so I dont know, however, this IS my story, isnt it? You just gave me an idea, thank you. You see, you guys help prevent me from getting stuck on this story. "Cooperation", dont you just love it? Thank you for your review and Larry will get his eventually and karma will be a bitch.
Inoku: Thank you, thank you.
bambi4real: Larry will get his soon although I can't tell you how as of yet. Shay doesn't find out what's waiting on him at home in this chapter (next one)however, this situation will be brushed over once I let loose a shocker which will be coming up very soon. VERY soon. Hope you did well on your exams.
obeliskbeliever: Hey, there's nothing wrong with taking a holiday...I love holidays. I'm glad you like it.
Kyo-nezumi: Haha, thanks and I use no beta, aren't you proud?! Don't you write "Rain"? If so, then I'm waiting on your update. ;)
Shelly: Haha, how about all seven? Although, I'm seeing the fiery hail as being on the top of my list.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY KWANZAA, FELIZ NAVIDAD, etc. TO EVERYBODY!!
To Queenie 4666:
Thanks for catching the slip up I made. I usually read these chapters over and over to check for mistakes and it never seems to fail that I'll miss something anyway.
Chapter Eleven
Monday—early afternoon
“So,” James started as he put down his now half empty bottle of Samuel Adams. Both he and Randy met at Roman’s Pizza during their lunch breaks and ordered a round of beers and a steak and cheese sub a piece. “You ran into your little lover at the store, huh?” Randy nodded as he took a bite of his food. “He have a shocked look on his face?”
“Oddly enough, yes. It was almost as if he had hoped not to run into me. Should I have been offended?”
James finished chewing his food and wiped his greasy fingers off on his napkin. “I don’t think so. He said he wanted to talk to you, right?”
“Yeah, but you don’t know what that means. He could tell me he never wanted to see me again.”
“Or not.”
“I doubt it.”
Randy’s blonde cousin rolled his green eyes. “You’re quite the pessimist, you know that?” Randy smiled. “Look, you two will find some middle ground in…..whatever you call this thing between the both of you. So, when you guys kiss and make up, you need to let him meet your family.”
Randy frowned at James, confused. “My family?”
“Me, dumb ass. Me, Rich, and the kids. You know the rules, family always has to give their seal of approval on a family member’s new love interest. And I hope this guy is charmin', cause let me tell you, little Katie can be quite critical of people.”
Randy laughed. “Sure. If all goes well with our little talk this afternoon, I’ll mention it to him and see if he will.”
“Good. Well, what’s his name anyway? Every time I ask, you always dodge the question.”
“That’s because it’s a surprise.”
“What?” James asked. “Why? Do I know him?”
“You’ve probably heard of him.”
His cousin frowned. “What the hell? Who are you seein', Rand? Brad Pitt?”
“No. No. I just don’t want to tell you now and let your head build up all these assessments of him before you meet him first.”
James sat back in his chair, mouth gaped open. “Cuz, I’m shocked you’d think that of me.”
“It’s not that I think of you in that way, James. It’s just because of his rep, that’s normally how people take him in initially.”
“Well, alright then. I’ll accept that. So how’s this Sunday for you and him to come over?”
“That’s cool with me.”
***
Same time, different place
Bryant laid in the bed of his room, brown eyes—blinking occasionally—looking towards the ceiling but they weren’t focused on anything. Ever since his tirade after Larry had left the day before, the hospital kept Bryant under constant sedation. The male nurses had strapped his wrists and ankles to the bed, but it was really a waste of time. The curly headed brunette’s limbs felt like they weighed 1,000lbs a piece. Bryant was so out of it, he didn’t even know what day it was. He was totally unaware of what was going on around him.
His mind was only focused on the past…
20 years ago…
*sigh* “This is much better, isn’t it?” A 21 year old Bryant asked his new husband of equal age. Together, they walked under the night stars, hand-in-hand, along the small pond his grandmother Ella had at her house. The woman was up in age but once she found out her grandson was getting married, she made it a point that she would fix a feast for the young couple and did she ever! After the wedding was over, family and friends came in large numbers to give happy wishes to the newlyweds and to get a taste of Ella’s down-home cookin’.
“Yes. Much better. It was startin' to get too crowded in that house with all those people in there. I rather like this…..just us, you know?” Larry lifted the hand he had interlaced with Bryant’s and kissed his love’s hand. “I love you.”
The slightly smaller brunette smiled. “I love you too. Today was absolutely perfect. The only thing I wish differently would be if my parents could’ve been here.” Bryant’s parents died in a car crash when he was 10 years old. Since then, he’d been living at Ella’s house and she became just as much of a mom to him as his real mother. He valued his relationship with his grandmother.
“Yeah. I know you miss them.”
“I do. But I know they’re watchin’ over me….somewhere.” Bryant smiled.
Larry smirked. “Maybe we could get them some grandchildren to watch over too.”
Bryant smiled, blushing. “Larry!”
“What? I’m ready for some kids, Bry.”
“Me too. But we just got married TODAY. We have the rest of our lives together to start thinking about children.”
“Yeah, I know. But I don’t want to wait for that perfect family. I want it all, Bry. I want the kids, the nice house, the good job, the healthy sex life…”
Bryant laughed. “You want all that, huh?”
“All of it. My home life was a disaster. I’m tired of dealin' with foolishness. I’m ready for a better life. And this family will give that to me. Startin’ with you.”
“Well, I guess we should get started on that perfect family then, huh?”
Larry smiled. “As soon as all the guests leave.” They both laughed.
“Bryant! Larry! Come inside and see some of your guests off!” Ella yelled from the back door of her house.
***
“So? Well, are you or aren’t you?” Larry asked eager once Bryant and Buggy came home. It was the day of his doctor’s appointment to see if he was pregnant or not and Larry was dying to go. But Bryant remembered he had just gotten off working night shift at his new job at the coal mine and he wanted him to stay home and get some sleep. Larry hadn’t been able to sleep a wink since Bryant had left.
Too full of smiles to speak, Bryant bit his lip and nodded. Covered in coal dust and smelling of it too, Larry laughed and lifted the smaller brunette off his feet and twirled him in the air.
“Oh wow! I’m gonna be a daddy!”
“Larry, Larry, you’re forgettin’ I still have mornin’ sickness.”
“Oh!” Larry quickly put Bryant down. “Sorry.”
***
Bryant smiled once he saw Larry come inside the hospital room. “Say hello to your son, Larry.” The new father walked to Bryant’s bed and gazed down at the tiny bundle in his arms. The first thing he saw was curls. The boy had large brown curls all over his little head….much like Bryant’s own hair. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think he’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” Bryant smiled and handed the baby carefully to Larry. The boy slowly blinked his murky blue eyes and popped out a tiny hand from under the white blanket he was wrapped in. Larry stuck out a finger and let the baby latch his hand around it. “He has quite a grip. I want 10 more of these.”
Bryant’s eyes widened as big as lemons. “10?! Oh no, no, no. I had enough trouble with him alone. Maybe one more……later down the road.” Larry laughed. “So what should we name him?”
“I ah…I kinda like Anthony. Maybe as a middle name.”
Bryant nodded. “How about we call him Shay? Shay Anthony Gibson.”
“Sounds perfect.”
***
Four year old Shay heard the front door open then shut, signaling his daddy had come home that morning from work. He slipped out the chair in the kitchen where Bryant was fixing him breakfast before sending him off to daycare, and ran down the hall to meet him. “Daddy, daddy, daddy!”
“Hey, kiddo.” Larry picked up his son and walked with him into the kitchen. “How ya doin’?”
“Fine. I told Mama what I want Santa to bring me for Christmas.”
“Oh yeah?” He glanced at Bryant and he gave him a look that said, ‘Wait until you hear what he wants’. “What do you want Santa to bring you?”
“I want a truck, a kitchen, a chair, a…….soda…”
“Tell him the last gift you told me you wanted, Shay.”
“Oh! I want eight brothers and eight sisters.”
“Whooooooaaaa!” Larry exclaimed, shocked. “That many?” Shay nodded. “Shay, I don’t think Santa has enough room in his sleigh for 16 babies—“
“Or energy.” Bryant added, knowing where those 16 babies would really come from.
“You know what, I’ll let you handle that, babe. I’m goin’ to shower and go to bed.” He set Shay back down in his chair and kissed Bryant before heading upstairs.
“Is the food ready yet?” Shay whined.
Bryant smiled as he faced the eggs he was currently stirring. “Give me two minutes, my little impatient one.” Once the eggs were done, he reached towards the cabinet next to him to grab a plate, but in his peripheral vision he saw a dark shadow pass by somewhere behind where Shay was sitting. Bryant quickly looked turned around to look but saw no one. He knew it wasn’t Larry, cause he heard the shower running from upstairs. “Shay, did you see anyone just now?”
The boy shook his head. “No.”
“Oh. Ok.” Bryant grabbed the plate and placed a small portion of eggs, sausage, toast and jelly on it and gave it to Shay.
“Can I have some juice?”
“Please.”
“Please?”
“Sure. What kind do you want? Orange juice or grape juice?”
“Orange juice.”
Bryant turned back to the cabinet to grab a small plastic cup. Going into the fridge, he poured orange juice into it. “Here you…….” Bryant paused, frozen in place when he saw a dark figure, cloaked in all black with a hood covering his face, standing directly behind his son. Bryant dropped the cup, spilling juice on the floor. Shay looked and covered his mouth.
“Oooooo. You made a mess, Mama.”
Bryant didn’t hear him. His eyes were focused on the figure. “No.” He whispered. “Leave him alone.”
“Mama, you spilled the juice. Mama?”
The black figure flashed bright red eyes as he lifted his hands up like he was about to scoop up Shay. “No! Get away from him!” Bryant quickly grabbed Shay into his arms and looked back…..but the figure was gone…….
Bryant was still dreaming when a female nurse came into his room and gave him yet another dose of “Slo-Mo”.
***
Monday afternoon
*knock, knock* “Oh, hey I gotta go, James, my friend is here.”
"Oh, right........Um, so what did you say his name was again? I forgot."
Randy smiled at the trick his cousin was trying to make him fall into. "You couldn't have forgotten cause I never told you. You're trying to trick me, you smart ass."
James laughed. “Ok, ok. Call me and let me know how it went.”
“Alright. I’ll call ya.”
“I’ll be waitin'. Oh and Randy...”
“What?”
“Just in case you need to know, doggy-style always gives the most pleasure.”
Randy blushed. “That’s not whats going to happen, you pervert.” James was hysterical with laughter. “I’m hanging up now.” Randy put the phone down.
*knock, knock*
“Coming!” Randy raced to the door and opened it. There stood Shay with Jack in his arms. “Hi.”
“Hey.”
“Ambie!” Jack reached out his little arms towards Randy and the blonde grabbed him. Jack hugged the man’s neck like he hadn’t seen him in 30 years. Randy laughed.
“Hey Jack.” He moved out the doorway so Shay could come inside. “I have dinner made in the kitchen. I don’t know if you’ve eaten or not.”
“No, I haven’t. I didn’t know you cook.”
“I don’t. It’s a boxed lasagna from Stouffers. Just take it out the box, heat it, then eat it.” Shay smiled.
Together, they all went into the kitchen and sat at the table to eat. The room was silent as they ate, neither not knowing what to say to the other to get the ball rolling on what they were really meeting for.
Shay had set Jack down on the floor in the living room and let him play with some toys he had packed in the diaper bag. He and Randy sat on the couch, the tv was on but neither of them were watching it. How stupid could I have been? To just up and leave him early that morning without a word……Randy’s a nice man, he deserved better than that. At least an explanation for why I left. Just tell him the truth, Shay.
“Randy listen, I need to tell you somethin’…”
“Wait. Let me go first, okay?” Shay nodded. “I’d been doing a lot of thinking these past two weeks. I um, I came at you too strong that night, with all the talks of ‘love’ and whatnot. I realized I scared you. I don’t want to scare you. But I do want to be with you. If you want to talk to me to tell me that you just want to stay friends, I’ll respect your wishes. But if you agree and would like something more between us, I’m all for it and I’ll take it as slow as you want.”
“I’d like for there to be somethin' more between us. Have for a long time. But…….I know that if I give in and allow this to happen, then we’ll end up just like my parents.”
Randy frowned. “What?”
“My mother became unstable and so will I and just like my father, you wont want to have to deal with that anymore and get rid of me…..and just like myself, Jack will feel neglected and unloved. The whole story will unfold all over again.”
“Wait a minute. That’s the problem? Shay, I told you before that you’re fine. You’re not your mother.”
“You don’t know that I’m not.”
“And you don’t know that you are. True enough, we don’t know for sure about that, but I CAN tell you this, I’d never leave you because of it. You or Jack.”
Believe him, Shay. BELIEVE him! “You promise?”
“I promise.”
Shay smiled. “....Ok.” He reached out a hand and ran it through Randy’s short honey blonde hair. Randy leaned in and their lips met in a soft kiss.
Authors Note:
Ok, when Bryant went back through Memory Lane, you got to witness a softer side of Larry. Did I write that to make you feel sorry for him? Nope. However, I did do it so you could answer the, “What did Bryant see in Larry in the beginning anyway?” question you were all probably thinking and also to give you some insight on Larry’s reasoning for why he is what he is now. Larry had a shitty home life—the details about it aren’t very important, but just so that you know his life was crappy—and because of that, he developed an interest in having his own ‘perfect life’. Anything less than perfect (i.e. a mentally unstable spouse, an adulterous son, and a ‘bastard’ for a grandson) he didn’t want and preferred to get rid of. Also, I finally gave you a picture of what it is that Bryant sees when he has his spells. Now you know who "They" are. So there you have it. Part II of Monday’s events will be next chapter.
P.S.
Little Shay's Christmas list actually came from my 4 year old cousin's Christmas list for this year. He doesnt want a toy kitchen, he wants a real kitchen. *shrugs*
madlodger: Thank you. Did you? Then I wonder what you'll think of this chapter then. No, no I can say that he wont always be in that home. Did you like the love scene? Really? I didn't think it was my best but it was okay. Thank you though. Will he get pregnant? It's definitely possible. ;)
Anon: Yes he is, haha.
Bookworm51485: Will the divorce put Shay in charge of his mother? I'm not good on too much legal stuff, so I dont know, however, this IS my story, isnt it? You just gave me an idea, thank you. You see, you guys help prevent me from getting stuck on this story. "Cooperation", dont you just love it? Thank you for your review and Larry will get his eventually and karma will be a bitch.
Inoku: Thank you, thank you.
bambi4real: Larry will get his soon although I can't tell you how as of yet. Shay doesn't find out what's waiting on him at home in this chapter (next one)however, this situation will be brushed over once I let loose a shocker which will be coming up very soon. VERY soon. Hope you did well on your exams.
obeliskbeliever: Hey, there's nothing wrong with taking a holiday...I love holidays. I'm glad you like it.
Kyo-nezumi: Haha, thanks and I use no beta, aren't you proud?! Don't you write "Rain"? If so, then I'm waiting on your update. ;)
Shelly: Haha, how about all seven? Although, I'm seeing the fiery hail as being on the top of my list.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY KWANZAA, FELIZ NAVIDAD, etc. TO EVERYBODY!!
To Queenie 4666:
Thanks for catching the slip up I made. I usually read these chapters over and over to check for mistakes and it never seems to fail that I'll miss something anyway.
Chapter Eleven
Monday—early afternoon
“So,” James started as he put down his now half empty bottle of Samuel Adams. Both he and Randy met at Roman’s Pizza during their lunch breaks and ordered a round of beers and a steak and cheese sub a piece. “You ran into your little lover at the store, huh?” Randy nodded as he took a bite of his food. “He have a shocked look on his face?”
“Oddly enough, yes. It was almost as if he had hoped not to run into me. Should I have been offended?”
James finished chewing his food and wiped his greasy fingers off on his napkin. “I don’t think so. He said he wanted to talk to you, right?”
“Yeah, but you don’t know what that means. He could tell me he never wanted to see me again.”
“Or not.”
“I doubt it.”
Randy’s blonde cousin rolled his green eyes. “You’re quite the pessimist, you know that?” Randy smiled. “Look, you two will find some middle ground in…..whatever you call this thing between the both of you. So, when you guys kiss and make up, you need to let him meet your family.”
Randy frowned at James, confused. “My family?”
“Me, dumb ass. Me, Rich, and the kids. You know the rules, family always has to give their seal of approval on a family member’s new love interest. And I hope this guy is charmin', cause let me tell you, little Katie can be quite critical of people.”
Randy laughed. “Sure. If all goes well with our little talk this afternoon, I’ll mention it to him and see if he will.”
“Good. Well, what’s his name anyway? Every time I ask, you always dodge the question.”
“That’s because it’s a surprise.”
“What?” James asked. “Why? Do I know him?”
“You’ve probably heard of him.”
His cousin frowned. “What the hell? Who are you seein', Rand? Brad Pitt?”
“No. No. I just don’t want to tell you now and let your head build up all these assessments of him before you meet him first.”
James sat back in his chair, mouth gaped open. “Cuz, I’m shocked you’d think that of me.”
“It’s not that I think of you in that way, James. It’s just because of his rep, that’s normally how people take him in initially.”
“Well, alright then. I’ll accept that. So how’s this Sunday for you and him to come over?”
“That’s cool with me.”
***
Same time, different place
Bryant laid in the bed of his room, brown eyes—blinking occasionally—looking towards the ceiling but they weren’t focused on anything. Ever since his tirade after Larry had left the day before, the hospital kept Bryant under constant sedation. The male nurses had strapped his wrists and ankles to the bed, but it was really a waste of time. The curly headed brunette’s limbs felt like they weighed 1,000lbs a piece. Bryant was so out of it, he didn’t even know what day it was. He was totally unaware of what was going on around him.
His mind was only focused on the past…
20 years ago…
*sigh* “This is much better, isn’t it?” A 21 year old Bryant asked his new husband of equal age. Together, they walked under the night stars, hand-in-hand, along the small pond his grandmother Ella had at her house. The woman was up in age but once she found out her grandson was getting married, she made it a point that she would fix a feast for the young couple and did she ever! After the wedding was over, family and friends came in large numbers to give happy wishes to the newlyweds and to get a taste of Ella’s down-home cookin’.
“Yes. Much better. It was startin' to get too crowded in that house with all those people in there. I rather like this…..just us, you know?” Larry lifted the hand he had interlaced with Bryant’s and kissed his love’s hand. “I love you.”
The slightly smaller brunette smiled. “I love you too. Today was absolutely perfect. The only thing I wish differently would be if my parents could’ve been here.” Bryant’s parents died in a car crash when he was 10 years old. Since then, he’d been living at Ella’s house and she became just as much of a mom to him as his real mother. He valued his relationship with his grandmother.
“Yeah. I know you miss them.”
“I do. But I know they’re watchin’ over me….somewhere.” Bryant smiled.
Larry smirked. “Maybe we could get them some grandchildren to watch over too.”
Bryant smiled, blushing. “Larry!”
“What? I’m ready for some kids, Bry.”
“Me too. But we just got married TODAY. We have the rest of our lives together to start thinking about children.”
“Yeah, I know. But I don’t want to wait for that perfect family. I want it all, Bry. I want the kids, the nice house, the good job, the healthy sex life…”
Bryant laughed. “You want all that, huh?”
“All of it. My home life was a disaster. I’m tired of dealin' with foolishness. I’m ready for a better life. And this family will give that to me. Startin’ with you.”
“Well, I guess we should get started on that perfect family then, huh?”
Larry smiled. “As soon as all the guests leave.” They both laughed.
“Bryant! Larry! Come inside and see some of your guests off!” Ella yelled from the back door of her house.
***
“So? Well, are you or aren’t you?” Larry asked eager once Bryant and Buggy came home. It was the day of his doctor’s appointment to see if he was pregnant or not and Larry was dying to go. But Bryant remembered he had just gotten off working night shift at his new job at the coal mine and he wanted him to stay home and get some sleep. Larry hadn’t been able to sleep a wink since Bryant had left.
Too full of smiles to speak, Bryant bit his lip and nodded. Covered in coal dust and smelling of it too, Larry laughed and lifted the smaller brunette off his feet and twirled him in the air.
“Oh wow! I’m gonna be a daddy!”
“Larry, Larry, you’re forgettin’ I still have mornin’ sickness.”
“Oh!” Larry quickly put Bryant down. “Sorry.”
***
Bryant smiled once he saw Larry come inside the hospital room. “Say hello to your son, Larry.” The new father walked to Bryant’s bed and gazed down at the tiny bundle in his arms. The first thing he saw was curls. The boy had large brown curls all over his little head….much like Bryant’s own hair. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think he’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” Bryant smiled and handed the baby carefully to Larry. The boy slowly blinked his murky blue eyes and popped out a tiny hand from under the white blanket he was wrapped in. Larry stuck out a finger and let the baby latch his hand around it. “He has quite a grip. I want 10 more of these.”
Bryant’s eyes widened as big as lemons. “10?! Oh no, no, no. I had enough trouble with him alone. Maybe one more……later down the road.” Larry laughed. “So what should we name him?”
“I ah…I kinda like Anthony. Maybe as a middle name.”
Bryant nodded. “How about we call him Shay? Shay Anthony Gibson.”
“Sounds perfect.”
***
Four year old Shay heard the front door open then shut, signaling his daddy had come home that morning from work. He slipped out the chair in the kitchen where Bryant was fixing him breakfast before sending him off to daycare, and ran down the hall to meet him. “Daddy, daddy, daddy!”
“Hey, kiddo.” Larry picked up his son and walked with him into the kitchen. “How ya doin’?”
“Fine. I told Mama what I want Santa to bring me for Christmas.”
“Oh yeah?” He glanced at Bryant and he gave him a look that said, ‘Wait until you hear what he wants’. “What do you want Santa to bring you?”
“I want a truck, a kitchen, a chair, a…….soda…”
“Tell him the last gift you told me you wanted, Shay.”
“Oh! I want eight brothers and eight sisters.”
“Whooooooaaaa!” Larry exclaimed, shocked. “That many?” Shay nodded. “Shay, I don’t think Santa has enough room in his sleigh for 16 babies—“
“Or energy.” Bryant added, knowing where those 16 babies would really come from.
“You know what, I’ll let you handle that, babe. I’m goin’ to shower and go to bed.” He set Shay back down in his chair and kissed Bryant before heading upstairs.
“Is the food ready yet?” Shay whined.
Bryant smiled as he faced the eggs he was currently stirring. “Give me two minutes, my little impatient one.” Once the eggs were done, he reached towards the cabinet next to him to grab a plate, but in his peripheral vision he saw a dark shadow pass by somewhere behind where Shay was sitting. Bryant quickly looked turned around to look but saw no one. He knew it wasn’t Larry, cause he heard the shower running from upstairs. “Shay, did you see anyone just now?”
The boy shook his head. “No.”
“Oh. Ok.” Bryant grabbed the plate and placed a small portion of eggs, sausage, toast and jelly on it and gave it to Shay.
“Can I have some juice?”
“Please.”
“Please?”
“Sure. What kind do you want? Orange juice or grape juice?”
“Orange juice.”
Bryant turned back to the cabinet to grab a small plastic cup. Going into the fridge, he poured orange juice into it. “Here you…….” Bryant paused, frozen in place when he saw a dark figure, cloaked in all black with a hood covering his face, standing directly behind his son. Bryant dropped the cup, spilling juice on the floor. Shay looked and covered his mouth.
“Oooooo. You made a mess, Mama.”
Bryant didn’t hear him. His eyes were focused on the figure. “No.” He whispered. “Leave him alone.”
“Mama, you spilled the juice. Mama?”
The black figure flashed bright red eyes as he lifted his hands up like he was about to scoop up Shay. “No! Get away from him!” Bryant quickly grabbed Shay into his arms and looked back…..but the figure was gone…….
Bryant was still dreaming when a female nurse came into his room and gave him yet another dose of “Slo-Mo”.
***
Monday afternoon
*knock, knock* “Oh, hey I gotta go, James, my friend is here.”
"Oh, right........Um, so what did you say his name was again? I forgot."
Randy smiled at the trick his cousin was trying to make him fall into. "You couldn't have forgotten cause I never told you. You're trying to trick me, you smart ass."
James laughed. “Ok, ok. Call me and let me know how it went.”
“Alright. I’ll call ya.”
“I’ll be waitin'. Oh and Randy...”
“What?”
“Just in case you need to know, doggy-style always gives the most pleasure.”
Randy blushed. “That’s not whats going to happen, you pervert.” James was hysterical with laughter. “I’m hanging up now.” Randy put the phone down.
*knock, knock*
“Coming!” Randy raced to the door and opened it. There stood Shay with Jack in his arms. “Hi.”
“Hey.”
“Ambie!” Jack reached out his little arms towards Randy and the blonde grabbed him. Jack hugged the man’s neck like he hadn’t seen him in 30 years. Randy laughed.
“Hey Jack.” He moved out the doorway so Shay could come inside. “I have dinner made in the kitchen. I don’t know if you’ve eaten or not.”
“No, I haven’t. I didn’t know you cook.”
“I don’t. It’s a boxed lasagna from Stouffers. Just take it out the box, heat it, then eat it.” Shay smiled.
Together, they all went into the kitchen and sat at the table to eat. The room was silent as they ate, neither not knowing what to say to the other to get the ball rolling on what they were really meeting for.
Shay had set Jack down on the floor in the living room and let him play with some toys he had packed in the diaper bag. He and Randy sat on the couch, the tv was on but neither of them were watching it. How stupid could I have been? To just up and leave him early that morning without a word……Randy’s a nice man, he deserved better than that. At least an explanation for why I left. Just tell him the truth, Shay.
“Randy listen, I need to tell you somethin’…”
“Wait. Let me go first, okay?” Shay nodded. “I’d been doing a lot of thinking these past two weeks. I um, I came at you too strong that night, with all the talks of ‘love’ and whatnot. I realized I scared you. I don’t want to scare you. But I do want to be with you. If you want to talk to me to tell me that you just want to stay friends, I’ll respect your wishes. But if you agree and would like something more between us, I’m all for it and I’ll take it as slow as you want.”
“I’d like for there to be somethin' more between us. Have for a long time. But…….I know that if I give in and allow this to happen, then we’ll end up just like my parents.”
Randy frowned. “What?”
“My mother became unstable and so will I and just like my father, you wont want to have to deal with that anymore and get rid of me…..and just like myself, Jack will feel neglected and unloved. The whole story will unfold all over again.”
“Wait a minute. That’s the problem? Shay, I told you before that you’re fine. You’re not your mother.”
“You don’t know that I’m not.”
“And you don’t know that you are. True enough, we don’t know for sure about that, but I CAN tell you this, I’d never leave you because of it. You or Jack.”
Believe him, Shay. BELIEVE him! “You promise?”
“I promise.”
Shay smiled. “....Ok.” He reached out a hand and ran it through Randy’s short honey blonde hair. Randy leaned in and their lips met in a soft kiss.
Authors Note:
Ok, when Bryant went back through Memory Lane, you got to witness a softer side of Larry. Did I write that to make you feel sorry for him? Nope. However, I did do it so you could answer the, “What did Bryant see in Larry in the beginning anyway?” question you were all probably thinking and also to give you some insight on Larry’s reasoning for why he is what he is now. Larry had a shitty home life—the details about it aren’t very important, but just so that you know his life was crappy—and because of that, he developed an interest in having his own ‘perfect life’. Anything less than perfect (i.e. a mentally unstable spouse, an adulterous son, and a ‘bastard’ for a grandson) he didn’t want and preferred to get rid of. Also, I finally gave you a picture of what it is that Bryant sees when he has his spells. Now you know who "They" are. So there you have it. Part II of Monday’s events will be next chapter.
P.S.
Little Shay's Christmas list actually came from my 4 year old cousin's Christmas list for this year. He doesnt want a toy kitchen, he wants a real kitchen. *shrugs*