Truth Behind the Lies
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
23,647
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
23,647
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 Nineteen
Yes! Another update is done! There have been SO MANY reviews since last chapter and I am so very appreciative to every one. SO here I go...
Review Responses:
Anon: Well good, I'm glad you'd like to see one.
sinheart: I'm glad you would enjoy reading a sequel. Thank you for your name suggestions!
Lychee: Thank you! You'll get to see what Richie wants in this chapter.
Anon: You'd like a sequel too? Great then! Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Lucas!
y-u-luv-me: Thank you for liking the idea of a sequel. I sent you an email by the way. My eternal worshiper? How sweet.
cinque: I don't quite know how I will brings things out for James and Richie....I'm thinking though. ;-)
Blushing: That would be interesting to see Shay and Richie as friends, wouldn't it? Hmmmm. Could you have Randy? I'll FedEx him to you when the story's over, how's that? I'll even slap a big bow on him. You feel like a druggie? I guess I'm your dealer then, huh? ;-)
cfweber1b: Thank you, I'm trying my best with the Jack character. I'm just remembering how my two little cousins were when they were little and I'm modeling Jack after them, so...Thank you so much for your name suggestions.
coyo: I certainly hope you're feeling better now. Thank you for your MANY name suggestions. I used Derek and Lucas!
impressionata: Thank you for the kind review.
Zamia Alkizar: Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Laya and Luke! Well, I had seen Luke/Lucas a few times in reviews, so I figured that must be a good name to use.
Civako: You're curiosity can finally end, Richie's talk with Shay is this chapter. Thank you for your review.
MikiyuSado: You get to see what takes place between Richie and Shay this chapter. Yea, Bryant IS doing alot better, but I won't make any promises that it will stay that way. Thank you for the name suggestions. I used Karris! I like Going to Camp too, and I'll get it up and going again...sometime.
Coke: HAHAHA!! Thanks. Thank you for the name suggestions. I used Kaylie and Jeremy!
Brody Brooks: Had you already figured out that James was Jack's father? Well good for you! Shay and Richie being friends WOUlD be awesome times a bajillion plus a cupcake. LOL. Thank you for your name suggestions.
bambi4real: Well believe it cause James really would. There's really no need to hide the fact that James' intentions for getting close to the boy are false. Thank you for your name suggestions. I really like how you spelled Kaela. That's cute.
womo: Thanks for the sweet review and the name suggestions. Those names were quite creative. Don't worry, I know you meant to say James.
Sasurto: I'm thinking on a sequel for this but it won't be something that'll be my next story. I have another story already in mind. Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Jasmine! And you were trying to say Delilah, right? LOL.
Jen: Thank you for your review and your name suggestions. I used Jayden! I always thought that was a cute name.
Bookworm51485: Hahahaha! Next go round, you'll be the 300th reviewer, I just know it! I will tell you, James intentions with Jack are not good, sorry to say. Yes, Larry didnt know he had a good thing with Bryant til he hooked up with a whorish ex-stripper. LOL. Yes, I caught the hint, hint, and I've updated Gender Dysphoria and I'm working on Our Humble Little Dwelling. Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Jaden! Not spelled exactly the same but hey...
dedmun: Yes, I'm a tease. My bad! :-P
Crinsomsin: Thanks for the review.
Michiru Loves Haruka: Thank you for the review. James IS an ASSHOLE and he will definitely show his true colors as the chapters go on. :-)
Whew! I think I got everybody. Thanks again for the reviews everyone.
Chapter Nineteen
Same early afternoon
“Hi, um come in.” Shay said to Richie then shut the door behind him. An uncomfortable silence surrounded them and Shay touched his stomach simply out of reflex since his belly blocked access to his pockets, and Richie folded his arms, looking to the floor. “Could I get you somethin’? A drink or—“
“No. I just came to speak with you is all.”
“Okay.” Shay escorted Richie into the living room and they both sat down on the same couch. Shay checked out the other man. He had only seen him once and that was when he and Randy were invited to his house for a ‘get together’ and that was briefly, but he for sure noticed a drastic change in Richie’s appearance. His eyes were red, he had a few more extra lines along his face, and his posture slouched. The man was tired and due to the circumstances he had every right to be. To find out your husband of umpteen years cheated on you with another man, got him pregnant, denied it to your face, AND have your own son hate you for kicking the adulterer out…….not an easy burden to bear. So Shay wasn’t too surprised by Richie’s frustrated attitude.
“Did you know he was married?” The mentioning of whom he was talking about was unnecessary.
“N-No. No I didn’t.”
Richie sighed. “Please, don’t lie to me. I’ve been lied to enough already…”
“I’m not lying to you. I had no idea he was married. He never mentioned a husband OR children. He never even wore a wedding ring.”
That son of a bitch! Richie bent over, his elbows at his knees, and rubbed his eyes wearily. “And you’re sure he never told you?”
“Yes. I—I had fallen in love with James during our relationship. I mean, I had slept with a few married men before but they were ‘one-time’ things and definitely had no strings attached. With him though, it was different. He’d tell me all these loving things and I’d believe him. That’s why when I found out I was pregnant, I thought he’d be happy. I thought we were goin’ to have a life together. I was wrong of course.”
“What kind of ‘loving things’ did he say to you?”
Shay shrugged. “Does it matter? They were all lies anyway.”
Richie sighed again. Seemed like he had been doing a lot of that lately. “I was pregnant with my last baby durin’ that time. It wasn’t a bad pregnancy but I did sleep a lot. James always told me to rest myself. Stay off my feet. Don’t do too much moving. He often volunteered to take the kids off to my mother’s house so he could take care of me in peace. But when I’d wake up, he’d never be there and there’d always be some lame excuse as to why not……I threw him out, now my oldest son hates me for it. He says I’m bein’ unfair.” Richie could feel the now very familiar tightening in his throat. The oncoming tears were approaching and he had to whisper the last comment just to make sure he got it out. “I—I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Both Shay and Richie heard light bare feet coming down the hardwood hallway and they watched as Jack came to his mother, a small plastic car clutched in one hand. Shay had grown a great deal around the belly area in his first trimester with having two babies and all, so he didn’t have much of a lap to sit on already. But his son didn’t care. Jack climbed on what lap Shay had left and sat there quietly. Richie stared at the child.
“Is that Jack?” Shay nodded, running his fingers through the baby soft honey blonde tresses. “Could I—“ he held out his hands.
“Sure.” Shay lifted Jack and handed him to Richie. Richie sat the boy on his lap, facing him. “Hi.” He said to the boy sweetly. Jack smiled, showing top and bottom teeth that weren’t even two centimeters long. “He’s a beautiful child.”
The curly headed brunette smiled slightly. “Thank you.” And he was gonna leave it at that. What else was he gonna say, “Thanks, me and James make pretty babies, don’t we?” Ummmm no.
“I see so much of James in him……the hair of course, his mouth, that smile……..” Richie paused when the tears he’d tried to hold back overcame him. He placed a hand over his mouth as he sobbed. Unsure what to do, Shay placed a comforting hand on his back and rubbed him.
***
Late afternoon
Angry, Larry slammed cabinets in the kitchen, searching for Tupperware containers to bag his dinner with for work. Dennis stood looking at him from a distance. “Are you still mad?”
“…….”
“Larry, Buggy is full of shit. I’m not seein’ him.”
Larry stopped his packing and looked at the red head. “Right. There’s no relationship, you just fuck a little every now and then.” He went back to his food. “Looks like Buggy isn’t the only one that’s full of shit.”
Dennis frowned. “Lar, I’m tellin’ the truth.”
Larry finished packing his lunch and set it on the kitchen table before he turned to his lover. “And you might be……But that doesn’t explain the late night phone calls you get every night.”
“What?”
“You sneak off and talk to some fucker all night behind my back. What’s his name again? Chris?” He grabbed his lunchbag and made his way down the hall towards the front door.
The red head glared angrily at the tall brunette. “Wait a minute! Don’t you get all ‘holier than thou’ on me Larry Gibson! You’re not a saint either!” Larry stopped walking. “Our very relationship started when you began to cheat on Bryant, okay? Let’s not forget that. Weren’t you the one who didn’t want to be bothered with your husband so you pitched him off on Shay? Weren’t you the one who soon got tired of that and had Bryant sent to an institution? Are you or are you not the son of a bitch who has an estranged relationship with his son and omits his grandson’s very existence?” Larry slowly turned around and faced Dennis, an irritated expression on his face. “You see, your problem is you run from troubles. Every ordeal in your life, you’ve ran from it. So don’t get all huffy when our relationship isn’t all it’s cracked up to be……you haven’t deserved the privilege of a good relationship, Larry, cause you ain’t shit.”
Dennis jumped when Larry rushed over to him and slammed his back against a wall, pinning him there. He wanted to yell, “Fuck you! You don’t know anythin’!” or “Oh yeah?! What do you know about it?!”…….had Dennis’ words not been true. Because of Larry’s tumultuous past growing up, he’d chosen to run from every conflict that would come his way. Either that or shut himself off from it, which was what he did with Bryant’s illness and Shay’s promiscuity, thinking it would be a quick fix for him—it solved nothing. It only left things at a standstill. If anything, the problems only festered.
“Get out of my house.” Larry said finally.
Dennis frowned. “Do what?”
“You heard me. I want you gone.” He pushed away from him and made his way back towards the front door.
“You can’t just throw me out like this!”
“I just did! You and your shit had better be gone when I get back home! I don’t care how you do it, and I don’t care how long it takes you! Just do it! Have Chris help you!” Then he left, slamming the door behind him.
***
Same time, different place
With a bowl of butter pecan ice-cream, Randy walked into the bedroom to the sound of Shay groaning. Inside, their sat his lover on the edge of the bed, hunched over, as his mother sat behind him massaging his aching lower back. Jack sat on the other side of the bed, playing with toys.
“Hey, how you feeling?” He asked as he walked inside.
“Fat…..is that my ice-cream?” Shay snapped. Shay’s pregnancy left his emotions all over the place. He’d be fine one minute, then mad the next. Or mad one minute then crying the next. Or crying one minute then fine the next. No one ever knew what he’d be feeling and after months and months of putting up with it, Randy, Bryant, and even little Jack had gotten used to the mood swings.
Randy chuckled. “Yes, I’ve got your ice-cream. Here.” He handed the bowl to his brunette lover and he began to dig in.
“I guess this probably isn’t helpin’ my weight, is it?”
Randy sat next to Shay and touched his leg. “Mothers have gained weight from pregnancy since the beginning of time. Even some fathers gain weight too. It’s to be expected and it’s healthy for the babies. If you weren’t gaining any weight, we’d have a problem.”
“Well then these babies will be very healthy cause I think I’ve packed on around 25 lbs. in 3 months. I’m startin’ to look like a cow.”
Randy leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I think you’ve never looked more beautiful.”
Shay smirked. Mood change. “Oh shut up.” Bryant laughed.
They all heard Jack make this whiney noise and crawl over to where Shay was. “Mama, I wa some a dat.” He said, pointing to the ice-cream bowl.
“What’s the magic word?”
“Peeeeeeaaaase?”
“Okay. Come’ere.” Jack sat up on his knees and waited as Shay fed him a spoon of ice-cream.
“Mm!” The boy exclaimed and earned a light laugh out the family.
“You like it, pookie?” Shay asked.
“Yea. I wa more ice-ki.”
Bryant removed his healing hands from behind Shay’s back and stood up. “I’ll get you your own bowl, how’s that?” When the blonde tike nodded, he grabbed up the child and walked downstairs towards the kitchen.
“Put any cream on today?” Randy asked Shay.
He shook his head behind a mouthful of butter pecan. “I was waitin’ for you.”
Randy stood up and made his way to the top of the dresser where the lotions, deodorants, and creams sat. “Lie back then.”
Shay followed instructions, placing the now empty bowl by the nightstand and leaning back against the headboard of the bed, he lifted his t-shirt to reveal his steady growing stomach. Randy returned with a bottle of cocoa butter lotion and sat down on the bed. Pouring a portion of it in his hands, he rubbed them together for a moment, then placed his large hands on the pregnant belly and began to rub slowly. Randy had been rubbing lotion on Shay’s stomach since he first started to show in the pregnancy. It was mainly so Shay wouldn’t end up with stretch marks all over the place, but it also was just intimate time between the two. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would be silent and let Randy work the lotion into Shay’s skin so sensuously the brunette would fall asleep. Today, however, they felt like talking.
“Thank you for helping me with the flowers earlier.” Randy said.
Shay shrugged. “It was fun. Although, I could’ve enjoyed it more if I didn’t keep gettin’ up to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes.” They laughed. “Um, Richie came by today.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. He’s not doin’ too well……..and I can’t help but feel guilty about it.”
Randy frowned. “Why? You didn’t cause this problem, James did.”
“I know, but I’m still that one that his husband was runnin’ to go see every night. I’m that one James knocked up while he was at home pregnant as well. I knew he had to be thinkin’ the same thing when he came by today and saw my face. He probably came over with intentions to hit me.”
“What? I’m sure he didn’t.”
“Well I wouldn’t blame him if he did. His family is in shambles and I had somethin’ to do with that.”
Randy stopped, put more lotion in his hands, and returned to the massage. “You had no idea that James was married, Shay. You didn’t know.”
Shay sighed. “I know. But I can’t help but think, would I have still stopped seein’ him if I DID find out he was married? I mean, I’ve had relationships with married men before.”
“Those were one-night stands. What you had going on with Randy was a relationship. You wouldn’t have gotten yourself that involved with a man if you knew he was married. Especially if you knew that the relationship might not last and he’d up and leave you to go back to his spouse at the drop of a hat.”
The younger man tilted his head back against the headboard and looked to the ceiling. Mood change “It’s just…..I mean, I hear what you’re sayin’ but….” He sighed again as tears gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision. He felt his throat tighten. “If you could’ve just seen how torn Richie looked today. He was so sad and depressed and tired……I couldn’t stand it. To know that me bein’ in the picture was causin’ his pain…” Shay broke down in tears.
Randy stopped rubbing Shay’s stomach and wiped his hands off. Pulling his lover’s shirt back down, he wrapped his arms around him and held him close. “Hey baby, don’t beat yourself up over this. It’s not good for you or the babies to keep worrying about it. Things will eventually fall back in place—whether it will be back to normal or some changes will be made, I’m not sure. But I DO know James was the root of all this trouble. His lying to you and Richie caused all this. You were just pulled into it.”
Shay pressed his face against the strong blonde’s chest and tightened his grip around his waist. “I feel so stupid.” He whispered.
“Why?”
“For believin’ his words. For listenin’ to him tell me how we’d have a future together and how he wanted to be with me forever.”
“Don’t’ feel stupid. That could’ve been anybody, Shay. Anybody would’ve fallen for that.” He turned Shay’s face upward so he could wipe his tears away then kiss him softly. “Now, I have to take your mother back to his house to pick up a few things. I want you to lay back and rest yourself. And so you do, I’m going to take Jack with me.” Randy pushed Shay back to lie on the bed, helping to turn him on his side to make him more comfortable. “Don’t think about anything. Just sleep, okay?”
“Okay.”
Randy smiled and leaned down to kiss Shay again. “We’ll be back.”
Based on your input, these are the baby names I've narrowed it down to:
Boy: Lucas, Derek, Jeremy, Jayden
Girl: Karris, Kaylie, Jasmine, Laya
I'd like to narrow these down from four each to two each, so please vote in your review as to which names you like the most for both children. And if you like more than one then say so. Kay?
Oh! I also started a Update List on my email. Called Scribbles Update List. If you would like to be informed of when this story or any of my other stories will be updated--and don't mind getting news of You Hear It First plot summaries to new stories I may create--please let me know by leaving your email addy in your review and tell me which stories you'd like to keep track of. Or you can just email ME and tell me so. I already have two on my list.
Review Responses:
Anon: Well good, I'm glad you'd like to see one.
sinheart: I'm glad you would enjoy reading a sequel. Thank you for your name suggestions!
Lychee: Thank you! You'll get to see what Richie wants in this chapter.
Anon: You'd like a sequel too? Great then! Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Lucas!
y-u-luv-me: Thank you for liking the idea of a sequel. I sent you an email by the way. My eternal worshiper? How sweet.
cinque: I don't quite know how I will brings things out for James and Richie....I'm thinking though. ;-)
Blushing: That would be interesting to see Shay and Richie as friends, wouldn't it? Hmmmm. Could you have Randy? I'll FedEx him to you when the story's over, how's that? I'll even slap a big bow on him. You feel like a druggie? I guess I'm your dealer then, huh? ;-)
cfweber1b: Thank you, I'm trying my best with the Jack character. I'm just remembering how my two little cousins were when they were little and I'm modeling Jack after them, so...Thank you so much for your name suggestions.
coyo: I certainly hope you're feeling better now. Thank you for your MANY name suggestions. I used Derek and Lucas!
impressionata: Thank you for the kind review.
Zamia Alkizar: Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Laya and Luke! Well, I had seen Luke/Lucas a few times in reviews, so I figured that must be a good name to use.
Civako: You're curiosity can finally end, Richie's talk with Shay is this chapter. Thank you for your review.
MikiyuSado: You get to see what takes place between Richie and Shay this chapter. Yea, Bryant IS doing alot better, but I won't make any promises that it will stay that way. Thank you for the name suggestions. I used Karris! I like Going to Camp too, and I'll get it up and going again...sometime.
Coke: HAHAHA!! Thanks. Thank you for the name suggestions. I used Kaylie and Jeremy!
Brody Brooks: Had you already figured out that James was Jack's father? Well good for you! Shay and Richie being friends WOUlD be awesome times a bajillion plus a cupcake. LOL. Thank you for your name suggestions.
bambi4real: Well believe it cause James really would. There's really no need to hide the fact that James' intentions for getting close to the boy are false. Thank you for your name suggestions. I really like how you spelled Kaela. That's cute.
womo: Thanks for the sweet review and the name suggestions. Those names were quite creative. Don't worry, I know you meant to say James.
Sasurto: I'm thinking on a sequel for this but it won't be something that'll be my next story. I have another story already in mind. Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Jasmine! And you were trying to say Delilah, right? LOL.
Jen: Thank you for your review and your name suggestions. I used Jayden! I always thought that was a cute name.
Bookworm51485: Hahahaha! Next go round, you'll be the 300th reviewer, I just know it! I will tell you, James intentions with Jack are not good, sorry to say. Yes, Larry didnt know he had a good thing with Bryant til he hooked up with a whorish ex-stripper. LOL. Yes, I caught the hint, hint, and I've updated Gender Dysphoria and I'm working on Our Humble Little Dwelling. Thank you for your name suggestions. I used Jaden! Not spelled exactly the same but hey...
dedmun: Yes, I'm a tease. My bad! :-P
Crinsomsin: Thanks for the review.
Michiru Loves Haruka: Thank you for the review. James IS an ASSHOLE and he will definitely show his true colors as the chapters go on. :-)
Whew! I think I got everybody. Thanks again for the reviews everyone.
Chapter Nineteen
Same early afternoon
“Hi, um come in.” Shay said to Richie then shut the door behind him. An uncomfortable silence surrounded them and Shay touched his stomach simply out of reflex since his belly blocked access to his pockets, and Richie folded his arms, looking to the floor. “Could I get you somethin’? A drink or—“
“No. I just came to speak with you is all.”
“Okay.” Shay escorted Richie into the living room and they both sat down on the same couch. Shay checked out the other man. He had only seen him once and that was when he and Randy were invited to his house for a ‘get together’ and that was briefly, but he for sure noticed a drastic change in Richie’s appearance. His eyes were red, he had a few more extra lines along his face, and his posture slouched. The man was tired and due to the circumstances he had every right to be. To find out your husband of umpteen years cheated on you with another man, got him pregnant, denied it to your face, AND have your own son hate you for kicking the adulterer out…….not an easy burden to bear. So Shay wasn’t too surprised by Richie’s frustrated attitude.
“Did you know he was married?” The mentioning of whom he was talking about was unnecessary.
“N-No. No I didn’t.”
Richie sighed. “Please, don’t lie to me. I’ve been lied to enough already…”
“I’m not lying to you. I had no idea he was married. He never mentioned a husband OR children. He never even wore a wedding ring.”
That son of a bitch! Richie bent over, his elbows at his knees, and rubbed his eyes wearily. “And you’re sure he never told you?”
“Yes. I—I had fallen in love with James during our relationship. I mean, I had slept with a few married men before but they were ‘one-time’ things and definitely had no strings attached. With him though, it was different. He’d tell me all these loving things and I’d believe him. That’s why when I found out I was pregnant, I thought he’d be happy. I thought we were goin’ to have a life together. I was wrong of course.”
“What kind of ‘loving things’ did he say to you?”
Shay shrugged. “Does it matter? They were all lies anyway.”
Richie sighed again. Seemed like he had been doing a lot of that lately. “I was pregnant with my last baby durin’ that time. It wasn’t a bad pregnancy but I did sleep a lot. James always told me to rest myself. Stay off my feet. Don’t do too much moving. He often volunteered to take the kids off to my mother’s house so he could take care of me in peace. But when I’d wake up, he’d never be there and there’d always be some lame excuse as to why not……I threw him out, now my oldest son hates me for it. He says I’m bein’ unfair.” Richie could feel the now very familiar tightening in his throat. The oncoming tears were approaching and he had to whisper the last comment just to make sure he got it out. “I—I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Both Shay and Richie heard light bare feet coming down the hardwood hallway and they watched as Jack came to his mother, a small plastic car clutched in one hand. Shay had grown a great deal around the belly area in his first trimester with having two babies and all, so he didn’t have much of a lap to sit on already. But his son didn’t care. Jack climbed on what lap Shay had left and sat there quietly. Richie stared at the child.
“Is that Jack?” Shay nodded, running his fingers through the baby soft honey blonde tresses. “Could I—“ he held out his hands.
“Sure.” Shay lifted Jack and handed him to Richie. Richie sat the boy on his lap, facing him. “Hi.” He said to the boy sweetly. Jack smiled, showing top and bottom teeth that weren’t even two centimeters long. “He’s a beautiful child.”
The curly headed brunette smiled slightly. “Thank you.” And he was gonna leave it at that. What else was he gonna say, “Thanks, me and James make pretty babies, don’t we?” Ummmm no.
“I see so much of James in him……the hair of course, his mouth, that smile……..” Richie paused when the tears he’d tried to hold back overcame him. He placed a hand over his mouth as he sobbed. Unsure what to do, Shay placed a comforting hand on his back and rubbed him.
***
Late afternoon
Angry, Larry slammed cabinets in the kitchen, searching for Tupperware containers to bag his dinner with for work. Dennis stood looking at him from a distance. “Are you still mad?”
“…….”
“Larry, Buggy is full of shit. I’m not seein’ him.”
Larry stopped his packing and looked at the red head. “Right. There’s no relationship, you just fuck a little every now and then.” He went back to his food. “Looks like Buggy isn’t the only one that’s full of shit.”
Dennis frowned. “Lar, I’m tellin’ the truth.”
Larry finished packing his lunch and set it on the kitchen table before he turned to his lover. “And you might be……But that doesn’t explain the late night phone calls you get every night.”
“What?”
“You sneak off and talk to some fucker all night behind my back. What’s his name again? Chris?” He grabbed his lunchbag and made his way down the hall towards the front door.
The red head glared angrily at the tall brunette. “Wait a minute! Don’t you get all ‘holier than thou’ on me Larry Gibson! You’re not a saint either!” Larry stopped walking. “Our very relationship started when you began to cheat on Bryant, okay? Let’s not forget that. Weren’t you the one who didn’t want to be bothered with your husband so you pitched him off on Shay? Weren’t you the one who soon got tired of that and had Bryant sent to an institution? Are you or are you not the son of a bitch who has an estranged relationship with his son and omits his grandson’s very existence?” Larry slowly turned around and faced Dennis, an irritated expression on his face. “You see, your problem is you run from troubles. Every ordeal in your life, you’ve ran from it. So don’t get all huffy when our relationship isn’t all it’s cracked up to be……you haven’t deserved the privilege of a good relationship, Larry, cause you ain’t shit.”
Dennis jumped when Larry rushed over to him and slammed his back against a wall, pinning him there. He wanted to yell, “Fuck you! You don’t know anythin’!” or “Oh yeah?! What do you know about it?!”…….had Dennis’ words not been true. Because of Larry’s tumultuous past growing up, he’d chosen to run from every conflict that would come his way. Either that or shut himself off from it, which was what he did with Bryant’s illness and Shay’s promiscuity, thinking it would be a quick fix for him—it solved nothing. It only left things at a standstill. If anything, the problems only festered.
“Get out of my house.” Larry said finally.
Dennis frowned. “Do what?”
“You heard me. I want you gone.” He pushed away from him and made his way back towards the front door.
“You can’t just throw me out like this!”
“I just did! You and your shit had better be gone when I get back home! I don’t care how you do it, and I don’t care how long it takes you! Just do it! Have Chris help you!” Then he left, slamming the door behind him.
***
Same time, different place
With a bowl of butter pecan ice-cream, Randy walked into the bedroom to the sound of Shay groaning. Inside, their sat his lover on the edge of the bed, hunched over, as his mother sat behind him massaging his aching lower back. Jack sat on the other side of the bed, playing with toys.
“Hey, how you feeling?” He asked as he walked inside.
“Fat…..is that my ice-cream?” Shay snapped. Shay’s pregnancy left his emotions all over the place. He’d be fine one minute, then mad the next. Or mad one minute then crying the next. Or crying one minute then fine the next. No one ever knew what he’d be feeling and after months and months of putting up with it, Randy, Bryant, and even little Jack had gotten used to the mood swings.
Randy chuckled. “Yes, I’ve got your ice-cream. Here.” He handed the bowl to his brunette lover and he began to dig in.
“I guess this probably isn’t helpin’ my weight, is it?”
Randy sat next to Shay and touched his leg. “Mothers have gained weight from pregnancy since the beginning of time. Even some fathers gain weight too. It’s to be expected and it’s healthy for the babies. If you weren’t gaining any weight, we’d have a problem.”
“Well then these babies will be very healthy cause I think I’ve packed on around 25 lbs. in 3 months. I’m startin’ to look like a cow.”
Randy leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I think you’ve never looked more beautiful.”
Shay smirked. Mood change. “Oh shut up.” Bryant laughed.
They all heard Jack make this whiney noise and crawl over to where Shay was. “Mama, I wa some a dat.” He said, pointing to the ice-cream bowl.
“What’s the magic word?”
“Peeeeeeaaaase?”
“Okay. Come’ere.” Jack sat up on his knees and waited as Shay fed him a spoon of ice-cream.
“Mm!” The boy exclaimed and earned a light laugh out the family.
“You like it, pookie?” Shay asked.
“Yea. I wa more ice-ki.”
Bryant removed his healing hands from behind Shay’s back and stood up. “I’ll get you your own bowl, how’s that?” When the blonde tike nodded, he grabbed up the child and walked downstairs towards the kitchen.
“Put any cream on today?” Randy asked Shay.
He shook his head behind a mouthful of butter pecan. “I was waitin’ for you.”
Randy stood up and made his way to the top of the dresser where the lotions, deodorants, and creams sat. “Lie back then.”
Shay followed instructions, placing the now empty bowl by the nightstand and leaning back against the headboard of the bed, he lifted his t-shirt to reveal his steady growing stomach. Randy returned with a bottle of cocoa butter lotion and sat down on the bed. Pouring a portion of it in his hands, he rubbed them together for a moment, then placed his large hands on the pregnant belly and began to rub slowly. Randy had been rubbing lotion on Shay’s stomach since he first started to show in the pregnancy. It was mainly so Shay wouldn’t end up with stretch marks all over the place, but it also was just intimate time between the two. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would be silent and let Randy work the lotion into Shay’s skin so sensuously the brunette would fall asleep. Today, however, they felt like talking.
“Thank you for helping me with the flowers earlier.” Randy said.
Shay shrugged. “It was fun. Although, I could’ve enjoyed it more if I didn’t keep gettin’ up to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes.” They laughed. “Um, Richie came by today.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. He’s not doin’ too well……..and I can’t help but feel guilty about it.”
Randy frowned. “Why? You didn’t cause this problem, James did.”
“I know, but I’m still that one that his husband was runnin’ to go see every night. I’m that one James knocked up while he was at home pregnant as well. I knew he had to be thinkin’ the same thing when he came by today and saw my face. He probably came over with intentions to hit me.”
“What? I’m sure he didn’t.”
“Well I wouldn’t blame him if he did. His family is in shambles and I had somethin’ to do with that.”
Randy stopped, put more lotion in his hands, and returned to the massage. “You had no idea that James was married, Shay. You didn’t know.”
Shay sighed. “I know. But I can’t help but think, would I have still stopped seein’ him if I DID find out he was married? I mean, I’ve had relationships with married men before.”
“Those were one-night stands. What you had going on with Randy was a relationship. You wouldn’t have gotten yourself that involved with a man if you knew he was married. Especially if you knew that the relationship might not last and he’d up and leave you to go back to his spouse at the drop of a hat.”
The younger man tilted his head back against the headboard and looked to the ceiling. Mood change “It’s just…..I mean, I hear what you’re sayin’ but….” He sighed again as tears gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision. He felt his throat tighten. “If you could’ve just seen how torn Richie looked today. He was so sad and depressed and tired……I couldn’t stand it. To know that me bein’ in the picture was causin’ his pain…” Shay broke down in tears.
Randy stopped rubbing Shay’s stomach and wiped his hands off. Pulling his lover’s shirt back down, he wrapped his arms around him and held him close. “Hey baby, don’t beat yourself up over this. It’s not good for you or the babies to keep worrying about it. Things will eventually fall back in place—whether it will be back to normal or some changes will be made, I’m not sure. But I DO know James was the root of all this trouble. His lying to you and Richie caused all this. You were just pulled into it.”
Shay pressed his face against the strong blonde’s chest and tightened his grip around his waist. “I feel so stupid.” He whispered.
“Why?”
“For believin’ his words. For listenin’ to him tell me how we’d have a future together and how he wanted to be with me forever.”
“Don’t’ feel stupid. That could’ve been anybody, Shay. Anybody would’ve fallen for that.” He turned Shay’s face upward so he could wipe his tears away then kiss him softly. “Now, I have to take your mother back to his house to pick up a few things. I want you to lay back and rest yourself. And so you do, I’m going to take Jack with me.” Randy pushed Shay back to lie on the bed, helping to turn him on his side to make him more comfortable. “Don’t think about anything. Just sleep, okay?”
“Okay.”
Randy smiled and leaned down to kiss Shay again. “We’ll be back.”
Based on your input, these are the baby names I've narrowed it down to:
Boy: Lucas, Derek, Jeremy, Jayden
Girl: Karris, Kaylie, Jasmine, Laya
I'd like to narrow these down from four each to two each, so please vote in your review as to which names you like the most for both children. And if you like more than one then say so. Kay?
Oh! I also started a Update List on my email. Called Scribbles Update List. If you would like to be informed of when this story or any of my other stories will be updated--and don't mind getting news of You Hear It First plot summaries to new stories I may create--please let me know by leaving your email addy in your review and tell me which stories you'd like to keep track of. Or you can just email ME and tell me so. I already have two on my list.