Truth Behind the Lies

A/N: This chapter is 5% present time and 95% flashback....just so you know.


Chapter Twenty Two


Same Sunday afternoon

“Dad?” Katie said as she watched her father walk in a crying blonde child in his arms. “Who is that?”

“This is your brother.”

Katie’s face scrunched up. “My what?”

“This is your brother, Jack.” James walked into the family room of his apartment and set the child down on the couch. “Watch him for a second. I’m gonna go fix him somethin’ to drink and try to calm him down.” When James walked away, Tristan came in.

“What in the world is goin’ on? I can’t play my video game cause of all this cryin’.” He came around the couch and saw Jack. “Who is he?” He asked his sister.

“Jack. Our brother.”

“What?” Katie shrugged. “Well what’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know.” Katie walked to the tiny, red faced, blonde. “What’s wrong, Jack?”

Jack rubbed at his eyes as he began to hiccup. “I wa Mama.” I said sadly.

“Ohhhh. You miss your mommy?” Jack nodded. “I miss my mommy too.”

Tristan rolled his eyes. “Mommy’s aren’t all their cracked up to be, kid.”

Gasping, Katie shoved her brother. “Shut up!”

When Tristan saw Jack start to whimper again, the nine year old wrapped his arms around the child and lifted him. “Come on, kid, we’ll give you some toys to play with. You’ll have fun here. You’ll see.”

Holding a juice cup full of Welch’s Grape, James passed his two children as the eldest carried the blonde toddler down the hallway. “Where are you goin’ with him?”

“To our room.” Katie said as she followed behind her older brother. “Jack’s gonna play with us.”

“…..Oh. Okay. Well be careful with him.”

“We will.” Tristan replied as he kept walking. "That was daddy, Jack."

Though the nine year old couldn't see it, Jack glanced back at James and shook his head. Sure the man's hair was yellow, he had a relatively large frame, and he carried a deep voice, but that was most certainly NOT his daddy.

***

Same time, different place

Larry couldn’t sleep. He’d gotten home that morning after pulling a 12 hour shift at the mine, showered, and laid in bed, perfectly willing to fall under the Sandman’s spell….but he couldn’t. Dennis was gone, which was fine. It was what he’d wanted after all. The house was just unusually quiet. Because he jumped from one relationship with Bryant to another with Dennis so quickly, Larry never realized how much he hated total silence until now.

Dennis’ ramblings weren’t all that entertaining. He’d either hear him on the phone or yelling at the tv when some dumb character on All My Children revealed some dark secret or whatever. It was a noisy noise. Larry wasn’t quite sure he missed that.

Pans and dishes clanging in the kitchen, two gentle males laughing at one’s horrible jokes, the aromas of the best home-cooking he’d ever tasted in Plumsfield, Virginia………Larry was missing something..........well someone rather. Though he tried to deny it, he couldn’t fool his heart.

Bryant was a stickler for clean dishes. He washed every dirty dish daily. ”I refuse to wake up to a dirty kitchen.” Larry remembered him saying. Bryant told the worst jokes the tall brunette had ever heard, but they would always make him and Shay laugh because of how ridiculous it sounded. Bryant’s cooking was out of this world. Learning his craft after watching his grandmother Ella cook as a child and teen, he made the best dishes Larry had ever put in his mouth. Every dish carried an explosion of flavors. Oooooo and the cinnamon rolls! Both he and Bryant shared a love for cinnamon rolls. The sweet pastries were what actually brought them two together…


“Bryant, sweetheart, did you bring the fried chicken with you?” Ella Moore asked her only grandson as they both walked to a picnic table in Plumsfield’s park. It was the third Saturday of the month and Ella and her three other friends would always meet at the park, have lunch, and play Go Fish. One of the women would take turns playing chef—this Saturday was Ella’s turn.

“Yes, grandma, I got it. I have the potato salad too.” An eighteen year old Bryant said as he followed the slow walking woman with the salt and pepper hair. There with her as her brawn for the afternoon, the young brunette in shorts and a t-shirt helped set up the picnic table with fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, rolls, cinnamon rolls, and sweet tea. He had made the sweet tea, rolls, green beans, and cinnamon rolls and was quite proud of all of it.

After the table was set up, Ella’s friends showed up and they began their afternoon of food and card games. Snagging two hot cinnamon rolls for himself, Bryant sat a couple yards away under a tree that overlooked a duck filled pond. Sitting Indian-style, he pulled out his journal and began to write.

After a few minutes of writing, Bryant heard, “Hey, nice buns.” He looked up and saw a tall brunette with shoulder-length hair pulled back into a ponytail, green eyes, and fitted jeans and a t-shirt to cover his strapping swimmer’s physique. Bryant was intrigued by his bright smile but immediately turned off by his statement.

He frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Your cinnamon buns. They look great. I smelled them a mile away.”

Bryant relaxed and smiled. “Oh. Yeah. Thanks. I made them myself.”

“Ohhhhh. A true cinnamon bun whiz, huh?”

He shrugged. “Could be. But I’m good at other stuff too. I can cook anythin’.”

Interest peaked, the young man cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah? I like to hear that.”

“Would you like one?” Bryant asked, holding up the paper plate his two glazed desserts were sitting on.

“Sure. You mind if I eat it here with you?” When he saw Bryant move over a couple inches, the young brunette sat down. He grabbed a cinnamon roll and immediately started munching on it. “Wow! You really cooked this?”

Bryant laughed. “Yeah.”

“Mm, mmm,” He moaned, stuffing more of it into his mouth. “It’s delicious.”

“Why thank you.” Bryant watched him practically inhale it down then smiled at him sucking on his fingers. “You need a napkin?”

“Wha for?” He asked, his thumb in his mouth.

“Nevermind.”

“Say, what’s your name, Pastry Maker?”

“Bryant Moore. My friends call me, Bry.”

“Your friends call you, Bry. Is that a hint?” He smirked.

Bryant shrugged. “Maybe.”

The boy smiled, spellbound by the shape of Bryant’s almond eyes and long lashes. “I’m Larry Gibson. My friends call me, Larry.”

Bryant laughed. “You sure it’s not, Jokester?”

Larry shook his head. “You just bring out the goofy side in me. You come here alone?”

“No. I came to help out my grandmother. She meets up with her friends here at the park and they eat and play cards til sundown practically.”

“Ohhh. Sounds………borin’.”

Bryant smiled. “It is.”

“Maybe you ought to invite your boyfriend with you sometime.” Larry stated, trying to see what type of answer his new friend would give him.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“You’re not talkin’ to anyone?” He shook his head ‘no’. “Would you like to have a boyfriend?”

“Depends on who’s askin’.”

“Hell, I am.” Bryant laughed. “So what do you say? Can I call you sometime?”

“Ehhhhhhh….” Larry gave his best puppy dog face and Bryant couldn’t help but smile. “Okay.”

“Great.” Larry pulled out a pen and handed it to Bryant. Holding his palm out he added, “You can write it here.”

Leaning in, the curly haired brunette slowly began to write his number in the large hand. However, just as he was half finished, he felt fingers close in on his own momentarily. Looking up, he saw Larry stare him squarely in the eyes. He blushed.

“Anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?”

“Not since I was five.”

“Well, you are. You’re very beautiful.”

Bryant finished writing his number and Larry finally stood to his feet. “I’m gonna call you tonight, so this better be your real number and not some fake one just so you could get rid of me.”

The smaller brunette laughed. “No, it’s really my number. I’ll be lookin’ forward to hearin’ from you again, Larry.” When Larry nodded and walked away, Bryant spoke again. “Nice buns.”

“I know!” Larry said as he kept walking.


Larry turned over on his side in bed and sighed as he thought about how sweet it was the night he took Bryant’s virginity. Sex was always good with the small brunette but nothing beat looking into those innocent eyes just as he penetrated him for the first time...


They were both 20 years old and were long done with high school. Larry worked 8-hour days at a furniture factory in the next town and Bryant was a bank teller. Dating for two years straight, the couple was inseparable ever since meeting in the park.

It was early morning Thursday—Bryant’s birthday. So early, even the Sun was still asleep. Bryant was in bed asleep on the second floor of his grandmother’s house when he heard a faint tapping on his window. When he realized it was small pebbles being thrown, he walked to the window and opened it.

“Larry?” He said rubbing his eyes.

The tall young man smiled at his love. “Hi, sweetheart. Happy Birthday.” He whispered.

“Thank you, but it’s four o’clock in the mornin’, baby, don’t you think you could’ve waited until later to tell me?”

“I could’ve. But I thought this was a bit more romantic.” Hopping up on the white washed wood railing that wrapped around the porch, Larry jumped to grab and pull himself up on one part of the roof then to a higher part, so he could reach Bryant’s window. Kissing the other young man’s cheek, he pulled a bouquet of red roses out his back pocket and handed them to him. “This is for you.”

“Thank you. I love them.” Bryant said as he gently rubbed the soft petals.

“This is only the first present. Your second and third presents are somewhere else, so get dressed. Sweatpants preferably, cause it’s kinda cool outside.”

“Larry. What a—“

Larry put his finger to Bryant’s lips, shushing him. “Just get dressed.”

Bryant sighed. “Okay. Give me a minute.”

After a few minutes of waiting, Larry took Bryant down to the pond Ella owned near the woods. He surprised his boyfriend with a spread laid out next to the water. One large blanket was on the grass and another was folded up neatly to the side. Two wrapped gifts were sitting in the center—one much larger than the other.

Sitting down on the blanket, Larry opened the other and wrapped it around both he and Bryant once he sat down between his legs—his back against the much larger chest. Obvious, Bryant reached for the largest gift first. Opening it, he laughed at the boxed gift.

“An Atari! I’ve been dyin’ to get one of these, but they were so expensive!”

“Yeah, I remember how much you wanted one so I saved up some money. I even bought PacMan to play on it.” He tapped the videogame he taped to the Atari box. “Open the other one.”

Bryant grabbed the small gift and opened it………then gasped……his heart melted. “You got me a ring?”

Larry kissed Bryant’s temple then reached around him to pull out the gold ring with the words “I Love You” engraved all around it. “It’s a promise ring. It’s a promise that I’ll only belong to you. It’s also a promise that someday we’ll be married. I’d love to marry you right now, but I’m not stable enough in my life to take care of you. With the factory about to close it’s doors soon, I need to find a good job and build up a better savings for us first…” He slipped the ring on the right hand of his boyfriend’s ring finger. “But I swear, just as soon as I do, I’m comin’ for you.” He kissed first the right hand then the left.

Bryant turned his head back and kissed Larry. “I love you, Larry.”

“I love you too.” Caressing his cheek, Larry leaned in and the two lovers kissed again. Turning around in the warmth of strong arms and thick blankets, Bryant faced Larry.

“Make love to me.”

Larry froze. “But you’ve never………Are you sure?”

He nodded, pressing his forehead against his boyfriend’s. “I trust you.”

Naked and back under the blanket, Larry took his time in preparing Bryant. Kissing his body, stroking his erection, stretching his entrance…He couldn’t think of a better moment than seeing his love’s trembling, wanton reactions to his touches.

He sat on his knees between the young man’s legs and rubbed the thighs that were currently closing around him. Bryant ran his hands slowly up Larry’s strong abdomen and pectorals, feeling every dip and curve of his muscles under his fingertips.

“Anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” He asked, remembering Larry had asked him the same thing when they first met. Larry shook his head. “Just me?”

“Yeah. And that’s all that matters.” Laying his hot body flat against Bryant’s, he aligned himself at his love’s entrance and watched him close his eyes. “Open your eyes.” Complying, Bryant opened his eyes but nearly shut them again when Larry pushed into him and immediately started pumping.

“Oh God.” He moaned.

“You okay?” When he saw Bryant nod, his kissed his lover then started to suck on his neck.

Bryant proved to be a very noisy lover, which suited Larry fine. He despised silent sex. The soft hands massaging up and down his back, the tightening of thighs around his waist, the sucking kisses on his neck and shoulders, and the guttural moans and cries of pleasure drove Larry crazy. The cool morning air did nothing to drown the extreme heat the two lovers were creating—damp hair framed both their heads. Watching his love’s body jerk up and down with the force of his thrusts, he leaned down and licked the sweat from Bryant’s neck then kissed him fervently.

While mid-kiss, Bryant’s moans went two octaves higher and his entire body stiffened. Knowing his lover had peaked, Larry kept moving, sending Bryant over the edge. He came only moments later.

Larry collapsed into Bryant’s arms as they both tried to collect their breathing. He turned his head to look into the other’s eyes when he heard—a felt—him chuckling. “What are you laughin’ at?”

Bryant kissed him. “Nothin’. It’s just……..you were absolutely amazin’ tonight.”

“Thanks. Considerin’ there hasn’t been anyone else to measure me up with.”

He smiled. “It don’t matter. I say you’re amazin’ in the sack and my opinion is the only one that counts.”

Larry kissed him. “Yes, sir.”

The walk back to Grandma Ella’s house was too short in their opinion, cause there they stood at the back door that led to the kitchen. Day had just began to break over the horizon and the once black sky was now a dark blue.

The two lovebirds were wrapped up in each other’s arms kissing like they hadn’t seen each other in years. “Baby, I need to get back inside.” Bryant said between kisses. “You know my grandma gets up early and she’ll skin me alive if she finds out I’m not in my room.” He giggled when Larry’s lips moved to his neck and his hand went to his butt. “Larry!” He gasped, playfully pushing his boyfriend off. “Go home, baby.”

“Okay, okay.” He handed Bryant the Atari. “Have a good birthday today and I’ll call you sometime this afternoon………After I get some sleep.”

“Alright.” He grabbed Larry by the chin and kissed him. “Thank you for the birthday gifts. All four of them. Love you, baby.”

“Love you too.”

“What have I done? I love him.” Kicking back the bedsheets, Larry got dressed and hopped in his truck.


Yes, Larry's cold heart is softening. For the next chapter, the mending begins but not before.....well, something happens and that's all I'll say.