Crashing Hearts- The Complete Series

by Zane Menzy

  Jenna leant back in her chair. Damon could see her mind at work trying to connect invisible dots to try and work out where this was going. He knew damn well she wouldn’t get the correct answer. “Go on,” she said lightly.

  Damon clasped his hands together. He felt like he was going to burst open. Any notions Jenna may have had of him being a good person were about to be dismantled. He looked at his mother as her mouth gaped open, urging him to hurry up. “I had sex with Keegan while I was down visiting him and Marie for Christmas.”

  Jenna blinked. She looked like a mime stuck in a glass box. She blinked again. “You what!” Her voice came out far too loud. “You had sex with little Keegan!”

  Damon groaned in embarrassment when a table of women next to them all looked over at him and his mother. He waved his hand at the nosey table and said, “Sorry my mother is a bit doolally and just misheard a story.” He circled a finger at his temple to try and lighten the mood.

  “Sorry my son is just embarrassed by you all listening to our private conversation, so if you wouldn’t mind,” Jenna said, casting a venomous glare at the nosy patrons.

  The table of women soon turned away and resumed their own conversation.

  “Now you were saying,” Jenna said warmly, luring him into a false sense of security.

  “I had sex with Keegan while I was visiting for Christmas.”

  Jenna muttered something indecipherable under her breath.

  “And it wasn’t the first time. We spent a night together when I was visiting for his birthday.”

  “Dear god, Damon. This just keeps getting better.” She rubbed her face like it was about to fall off. “Please tell me there isn’t anything else.” Jenna narrowed her eyes. “There is, isn’t there?” She shook her head ruefully.

  “It turns out that when we were… together this last time, it was accidentally recorded on someone’s computer and has somehow wound up online.”

  Jenna’s forehead creased with shock. “You’re saying there is a sex tape of you having sex with a young boy on the internet.”

  “He’s eighteen, Jenna. Not a young boy. You’re making it sound really bad.”

  “It is really bad, Damon!”

  “Gee, says the woman who pashed my best friend Todd Jenkins when he was the same age.”

  Jenna looked like smoke was about to float out her nostrils. She lowered her voice to its most ruthless and scorching tone. “That is quite a different story and you know it. That Todd Jenkins was crazy and took advantage of me in a moment of weakness and then wouldn’t leave me alone. What happened with him was one kiss that went too far… not… not whatever it is that you have done.”

  “Sorry, okay.” Damon heaved out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. “I am only telling you this because I need your help. Keegan rang me in tears last night telling me all about it and now I am worried that he might tell his parents. He is talking about coming up to stay with me to try and get away from the drama down there.”

  “Drama?” Jenna asked. “Does his mum already know?”

  “No. But all his friends do and you can imagine the kind of crap their giving him.”

  Jenna nodded sympathetically. “Poor boy.” She tapped Damon on the arm. “The first thing you have to do is tell that kid everything will be alright. Tell him that it isn’t a big deal.” She saw the way Damon looked at her. “Lie if you have to. The main thing is to keep him calm so he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

  “I know. I did all that on the phone. I told him that we can sort it out. That it isn’t the end of the world.”

  “Now. Did you tell him he can come stay?”

  Damon shook his head. “I told him that you were staying with me so if he came up he would have to stay with Matty.” Damon felt his mother’s disapproving look. “I can’t have him stay with me. What if it happens again. He’s a great kid—I mean man—and I care for him lots but not in a romantic way. It was just a stupid thing I did. Really fucking stupid.”

  “Yes. You were doing what all men do. Thinking with the wrong brain.”

  “I know, Jenna. I know. But what do I do?” Damon bit down on his tongue. “I-I am so fucking scared that he will tell Marie or Matty about what we did. Matty would never forgive me if he found out.”

  “Yes. I don’t imagine he would be too thrilled to find out you slept with his son.”

  “So please. I’m asking you. Tell me how do I fix this?”

  Jenna stroked her long dyed brown hair. “Okay. As your mother, I am obliged to tell you that honesty is the best policy and that you can’t be sure that Matthew wont forgive you. Maybe he will forgive you. He is a sweet man and he does treat you like a part of his family.”

  Damon saw a glint in her eye that told him she wasn’t believing her own spiel. He asked, “So that is the mother response out of the way. What about the Jenna response?”

  She smiled. “I am glad you know there is a difference.” She bowed her head, leaning in closer to tell him quietly. “You don’t say a word. You pray to god that no one finds out. If there is a way to get rid of the video then do it. In the meantime, you need to think long and hard about anything—and I mean anything—that you have on Matthew. Anything that can be used as some sort of leverage.”

  “That sounds intense.”

  “It is. But you don’t have much choice Damon. You need Matt to be in a position so that if he does find out that he will never ever in a million years want to speak of it to anyone. You both move in similar circles. If he breathes a word of this then you could find your career and reputation in tatters.” Jenna looked almost sad at what she was telling him. “Now I like Matthew, I really do. He is a lovely, lovely man but he’s not my son, Damon. You are. So, you need to have his heart in your hand and be ready to squeeze it if you have to.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Keegan lay on his bed, staring at the pale ceiling as he pondered how the end of the world never happened how he had imagined it. End times was meant to be ushered in with fiery meteors crashing into the earth, a nuclear holocaust, or maybe even flesh-eating zombies rising from graves. No such gory catastrophe brought about the end. Instead, the end of Keegan’s world had come in the form of a fuck caught on film. A film hovering about on the internet, exposing Keegan for what he was. Gay.

  Since he had stormed off from Tony’s house—three days earlier—Keegan had endless amounts of text messages. All of them asking about this mystery video of him fucking another man. He didn’t respond to most of them. He didn’t want to encourage people to go looking for the video. The few he did respond to, he just replied. Yes. It’s true. It wasn’t like he could deny it.

  Skippy had text a couple times, sending images of nude men, asking Keegan if he found them hot. Keegan’s sexuality was just a big fucking joke to the retard. It was infuriating.

  Tony had been to visit him, wanting to make sure he was okay. Keegan hated what felt like pity being spoon fed to him. He put on a brave face and told Tony he was fine, he cut his friend’s visit short when he lied and said he had to go out.

  Keegan felt bad for pushing Tony away but it was all so fucking embarrassing. They didn’t just know he was gay. They had seen him naked… and fucking. They had witnessed his most private of moments. It was hideous. He hated knowing that from now on whenever he walked into a room where his mates were, they could look at him and know exactly what he looked like under his clothes. Even his heart’s secrets had been undressed. They all knew he was head over feet for Liam—his best bloody mate.

  Liam, however, was the one friend who hadn’t messaged or tried to see him. He had remained hidden from the drama. Probably worried Keegan would hit on him or try grabbing his cock or something stupid. Keegan knew he should be upset by the very real fear of losing his best mate but with the horror of the whole situation, his sad heart didn’t have the energy to break. He was too consumed with fear to think about love or any lack of it.

  Keegan couldn’t bring himself to try a
nd find the video to watch it. He didn’t want to see how bad it was. He had been there. He knew exactly what him and Damon had done together. How bizarre, filthy and scandalous it all was. He had deleted all his social media accounts. He didn’t want anybody posting clips to his profiles where his mum or grandparents could see. They didn’t deserve to find out about him like that. Still, he wasn’t brave enough yet to tell them.

  It felt like every hour a text would roll in from someone new finding out about the scandal. Even Tess had called saying that she had heard about it. “I don’t want to pry but there’s a rumour going around that you’re gay and that there’s a video of you online having sex with a guy.”

  He wanted to hang up. Ignore it all. But he worried if he did that then she would try and seek the video out herself and discover who was in the video with him.

  “Yep. It’s true,” he had mumbled in a soft laugh. “I’m gay.”

  “And the video?”

  “Yeah. Apparently so.”

  “I’m so sorry, Keegan,” she had sounded genuine. She assured him she had no intention of trying to find the video and that whoever had uploaded it was a disgusting human being. Keegan wished he knew who had been so menacing to record Liam’s live feed and then repost the video. If he ever found the person he would throttle them. But then it could have been anyone anywhere in the bloody world.

  The past four days, Keegan had stayed in his room trying to get lost in his online gaming but even that was a struggle when in the middle of a battle he would remember he was on the internet and using a technology that had betrayed him. As a last-ditch attempt to keep his mind busy he had started to read books instead. Trying to get lost in fictitious worlds. Safe worlds where no one knew him.

  “Keegan,” his mother called out, breaking his ceiling-staring pity party.

  He sat up. “Yeah?”

  “You have a visitor, darling.”

  Keegan wanted to tell her to pass on to whoever it was to just piss right off. He didn’t want to see anyone.

  His mother came into his room. “Did you not hear me?” His mother pointed towards the front of the house. “There’s someone here to see you.”

  “Is it Liam?”

  “No. Some boy whose name I don’t know.

  Keegan wondered who the hell it could be. He scraped himself begrudgingly from the bed to go find out who it was. As he got closer he saw the whoever it was had their back turned, wearing raggedy jeans and a baggy black shirt.

  “Hello,” Keegan said, causing the boy to spin ‘round and reveal their identity.

  “Hey, bro,” Garth greeted, smiling. “You’re a hard man to track down, Keegan Plummer-Butt.”

  “That’s my Mum’s last name. My surname’s Andrews.” Keegan hated his mother’s maiden name that he had carried around with him till he turned thirteen and demanded he change it to his fathers. “How do you even know that name?”

  “Your grandparents told me.” Garth chuckled.

  “My grandparents told you?” The look on Keegan’s face must have given away his confusion.

  “Yeah. I went by their place to see if you were there. That’s where your birthday party was, so I figured that’s where you lived.” Garth nodded along as he spoke. “Turned out I was wrong but your grandmother invited me in for a cup of tea and we had a nice chat about you.”

  “Oh god. You had tea with my grandmother and talked about me.”

  “Nothing bad, bro. Only nice stuff. I told her I was an old school friend and was trying to get hold of you so she invited me in.”

  “Umm you’re like six years older than me. How did she buy that?”

  “Guess I must still have a baby face, aye?” Garth waggled his eyebrows. He didn’t have what Keegan would call a baby face but then he probably didn’t look 24 either. “Anyway, I wanted to come by and see how you are and apologise for the other night.”

  Keegan looked over his shoulder to make sure his mother wasn’t nearby. He stepped forward onto the front steps and closed the door behind him. “You didn’t have to come say sorry, Garth. It’s okay. I’m sorry for being creepy and making you uncomfortable.”

  “You weren’t creepy at all. Horny and awkward maybe. But not creepy.”

  “Thanks.” Keegan smiled. “So yeah. No need for apologies and thanks for stopping by.”

  “Hold up, blondie,” Garth blurted. “Are you trying to get rid of me already? After I spent all day looking for you and telling your grandmother imaginary stories about our school days.”

  “You told her imaginary stories?”

  “Yeah, man. Like the time you got jealous of me when I beat you in the school cross country race and how much of a big crush you used to have on Suzie Macdonald.”

  “Who the heck is Suzie Macdonald?”

  “Not a clue. Like I said; imaginary tales.”

  Keegan laughed. His first laughter in days. It felt good.

  “So can I come in and hang out?” Garth pouted his lips, trying to look adorable.

  “Why are you so determined to hang out with me?”

  “Dunno,” Garth said casually. “You seem a cool sort and I like the vibe I get from you. You’re really chilled and polite. I like that.”

  “Really? A cool sort so chilled that he tried to kiss you then ran off crying?”

  “Okay. The crying and running off was a bit dramatic but the way you pulled your smooth moves was pretty chilled.” Garth smiled, giving him a wink. “I told you I would have kissed you. It was just a bloody kiss. It wasn’t like you asked to fuck me.” Garth pointed with both hands to his hips. “Anything above the waist is fine by me.”

  Keegan shook his head, smiling. “You’re a bit different aren’t you.”

  “I am wrong in all the right ways my mother tells me.” Garth’s long brown fringe fell across his eyes, blocking his vision, he quickly huffed back into place. “She also tells me I need a haircut and a job.”

  “Your mother’s right.” Keegan saw the way Garth was looking at him. Waiting to be invited in. “Come on then. You can come in. But I am warning you I’m boring as hell and just sitting in my room.”

  “Fine by me. We can be bored in your room together.” Garth grinned excitedly and followed Keegan inside.

  ∞

  For the next hour, they sat on Keegan’s bed talking mindless drivel. It was surprisingly nice to have Garth with him. Someone to help break the monotony of his self-imposed social exile. Garth spoke about his passion for music, cars and girls—generic things most guys Keegan knew talked about. Yet, the shaggy-haired lover of ripped jeans seemed anything but generic, he had a coolness that Keegan couldn’t quite put his finger on. A sort of I don’t give a shit attitude that gave him a rebel streak, Keegan admired.

  Garth flitted from one topic to the next like a bird jumping branches, his voice and body language always lively. While he was excited to share his own stories, he seemed even more interested in Keegan’s. He sat listening while his face oozed a warmness, giving up his full concentration.

  After Keegan had finished telling him about his failed plans for university, the room fell quiet for just a moment. Garth looked at him with concern in his hazel eyes.

  “Is there something on my face,” Keegan joked.

  “No.” Garth kept staring.

  “Then why are you looking at me all weird?”

  “Trying to see if you’re okay.”

  “Umm, that’s random. Of course I’m okay.”

  “Glad to hear that.” Garth nodded. “So you’re definitely okay?”

  Keegan knew something was up. “You didn’t come here about me hitting on you, did you?”

  “No,” he mumbled. “I heard some stuff about you and I wanted to see you’re alright.”

  “You know about the video, huh?” Keegan shook his head. “Fuck sake.”

  “Joel told me about it.” Garth gave him a sad smile. “I’m really sorry, blondie.”

  Keegan felt his stomach squirm. He swallowed and in a fl
aky voice asked, “Have you seen it?”

  “Nar, man. I would never watch that.” His body twitched like he had done something wrong. “Not ‘cos its two guys or nothing but out of respect for you, ya know.”

  Keegan stared at the floor. “Cheers.”

  Garth leaned over and rubbed his arm. “Now tell me. Are you okay?”

  The touch of Garth’s warm fingers made Keegan crumble. His eyes stung and he choked on a sob. He shook his head. “Not really.” He sucked in a breath to stop himself from blubbering. “I- I am so scared to go out anywhere in case I see anyone I know. Like what if they’ve seen it?”

  Garth scooted closer, wrapping an arm around Keegan’s back, rubbing affectionately. “Don’t worry about what they think. It’s none of their business.”

  “Easy for you to say. It’s not you in the video.” He scrunched his face up, wringing tears from his eyes. “It’s not fucking fair.”

  Garth squeezed him tight. “Hey. Hey. I’m telling you. It isn’t the end of the world. And yes, you’re right, I’m not the one in the video. But I’ll tell you this. You’re a good-looking dude. Who cares who sees you naked. They’re all just gonna be jealous they don’t look as hot as you.”

  Keegan sniffled on a laugh. “Thanks, but I know you’re just talking shit.”

  “I’m being serious. I might be straight but I know a handsome bloke when I see one. I wish I looked half as good as you. I’d be dripping in sex.”

  Keegan rubbed his wet cheeks, smiling. He appreciated the effort Garth was making. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  “Don’t thank me. Thank your mother for passing her genes on.” He cocked an eyebrow. “And if it makes you feel better; word on the street is you’re packing some major d in your pants.”

  “Oh god. That’s embarrassing.”

  Garth removed his arm and bounced on the bed excitedly. “How is that embarrassing? If I had a monster cock like people are saying you do then I’d be whipping it out all the time to show it off.” He stood up and pretended to unzip his pants and swing his dick about.