I'll Runaway for the Holidays

by Stephani Hecht

  “Well, if there’s a sudden blizzard at least we’ll be able to find you if we all get separated,” he snarked as he looked her up and down.

  She glanced at her clothes. “What’s wrong with this?”

  “If you’re a construction barrel, nothing at all.”

  “I happen to like orange.”

  “You don’t say?” He smiled to let her know he was teasing.

  “Why do I put up with you?” She sighed.

  “Because I’m cute and you love me?” he tried.

  “You’re twenty-one now, so you’re long past the cute and cuddly stage.” She belied her sentence by giving his cheek a painful pinch.

  He batted her hand away and rubbed away the hurt. “Okay, give us a few minutes and we’ll be out.”

  As soon as those words popped from his pie-hole, he wanted them back. Madison’s mouth parted as her eyebrows shot up. “Us? Who in the hell do you have in there with you?”

  Not giving him a chance to answer, she shoved him out of the way, so she could look inside the room. Immediately her gaze homed in and locked onto the bed. Madison’s lips parted in a silent O while her eyes grew so large she resembled a cartoon character on crack. Anson tensed, waiting for an angry outburst or something, but all he got was stone-cold silence.

  “You did say you wanted us to get along better,” Anson tried, feebly when she continued to stand there.

  “I didn’t mean like this,” she screeched.

  Anson winced as he put a finger in his ear. He’d forgotten how loud his sister could get when riled. At the same moment, Scott jerked awake. No doubt thinking they were under attack by a flock of pterodactyls or something.

  “What’s wrong?” Scott asked, as he ran a hand through his bed-mussed hair.

  “You mean, besides the fact that you had sex with my baby brother?” Madison asked, her voiced laced with sarcasm.

  Scott squinted at her. Almost as if her outfit offended him as much as it had Anson. “Good morning, Madison. You looked very…orange this morning.”

  “And you look very naked,” she countered, hands on hips.

  Anson rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to make a big deal about this are you? While I may be younger than you that still doesn’t make me an infant. I’m twenty-one now and completely capable of making my own decisions.”

  “He’s too old for you,” Madison seethed.

  “No, he’s not. Besides I’ve slept with guys way older than Scott.”

  “You have?” Madison and Scott asked at the same time.

  Anson shrugged. “Yeah, one was even in his forties.”

  Madison let out a gasp of horror. “You slut!”

  “Why? Because I had a couple lovers? As I seem to recall you’ve had plenty yourself.”

  “Not some forty-year old geezer.”

  “What about Adam?” Anson pointed out, feeling slightly low for bringing up yet another man who’d broken Madison’s heart. Still, he wasn’t about to stand there and let her judge him either. Not when he already got enough of that from his father.

  “Adam was thirty-nine.”

  “Close enough. Plus, I only slept with the forty-year old once. You were with Adam for two years.”

  She moved in close and thumped her finger on his bare chest. “Only because I actually know how to commit to something. You haven’t taken anything in your life seriously. Frankly, I’m shocked you’ve stayed in college this long.”

  Hurt sliced through Anson. While that may have been true in the past, he’d worked hard the previous couple years to change that flaw. The only reason his relationships had always been so brief had been because he’d still been so hung up over Scott.

  “You sound just like Dad,” he accused, his voice cracking a bit from emotion. Of anybody in the family she’d been the last one he thought would turn on him like this.

  “That’s because he’s been right. I’m sick of making excuses for you, Anson. You’ve always been a fuck up and that’s never going to change.”

  Without giving him a chance to respond, she spun around and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Anson winced at the loud noise, feeling it almost like a physical blow. An uneasy silence filled the room. Since he couldn’t face any more conflict at the moment, Anson took the coward’s way out. He turned to the window and stared at it, even though the heavy, brown curtains were drawn.

  He took in a shuddering breath as he fought to get a grip on his emotions. It proved hard, though. Madison had never attacked him like that. She’d always done the opposite. Whenever somebody had thrown hurtful words his way, she’d always been his shield. When he’d come out to their parents, Madison had literally stood by his side and held his hand.

  “You okay?” Scott asked, softly.

  Anson nodded, still not turning around. He didn’t speak because he couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t break down into tears. The sounds of clothes rustling let him know that Scott had gotten up and was getting dressed. No doubt so he could get the hell out before things became more awkward.

  When he felt strong arms wrapping around his chest, Anson jumped in shock. The last thing he’d expected was for Scott to actually be comforting him. That still didn’t stop him from sinking back into the embrace.

  “I’m sorry I dragged you into this,” Anson finally dared to talk past the burning lump in his throat.

  Scott placed a warm kiss on Anson’s shoulder. “You didn’t exactly have to twist my arm last night.”

  “I’m not really a slut, honest.” Anson wanted to make that point perfectly clear. The last thing he wanted was for Scott to believe that previous night had just been a fling as far as Anson was concerned.

  “I never thought you were.” Scott gave him another kiss, this time on his neck.

  Anson had to resist the urge to close his eyes and tilt his head to the side, so Scott could really go at it. It would be so easy to go over to the bed and get lost in Scott’s touches again, but Madison was waiting, plus Anson had to clear something else up.

  “Where does this leave us?” he asked, still not having the courage to turn around and face Scott’s gaze.

  Scott rested his forehead on the nape of Anson’s neck, the man’s breaths leaving behind warm, feathery touches. “I don’t know.”

  “This was more than a one-night fuck for me,” Anson confessed, the fear of rejection making his gut clench. If Scott pushed him away like before, Anson didn’t know if he’d ever recover from the hurt.

  “Me, too.”

  Upon hearing Scott’s words, Anson let out a pent up breath. He turned around in Scott’s arms so they were facing each other. When he saw the tenderness in the other man’s gaze, Anson finally allowed himself a small glimmer of hope.

  “Do you really mean that?’ Anson asked as he twined his arms around Scott’s neck.

  “Yes, although for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.” The glimmer in Scott’s eyes let Anson know the comment was intended to be light and teasing.

  “Easy, I’m adorable,” Anson kidded back.

  “You’re a brat.”

  “I just know what I want,” Anson countered as their lips slowly moved in closer.

  “No, you’re spoiled.”

  “I’m not afraid to speak my mind.”

  “You’re a smart-mouthed punk.” Scott’s hands slid down to cup Anson’s ass.

  “You have the smart part right,” Anson retorted right before Scott shut him up with a hot open-mouthed kiss.

  Anson instantly got lost in the warm taste and feel of the man he’d grown to care for so much. Being with Scott had proven to be everything that Anson had hoped for and then some. He knew that even if he lived to be a hundred, no other would ever be able to compare. While Anson wanted the kiss to go on forever, Scott broke it off.

  “This is crazy. We’ve only been together once. That’s not time to form any real connection,” Scott said, as he ran the back of his knuckles along Anson’s jaw.

  “That’s not
true. We’ve known each other forever and I’ve loved you for five years,” Anson argued.

  “I knew you as my best friend’s bratty kid brother. Not as someone I’d like to spend some real time with.”

  All the pain from his argument evaporated at Scott’s words. A rush of warmth went through Anson making him smile. He knew he probably looked like some love-sick dope, but he didn’t give a damn.

  A pounding on the door made them jump apart. Even without opening it, Anson knew it would be Madison. He let out a sigh of regret. “We should probably jump in the shower and get dressed.”

  “Yeah, I’ll go back to my room. Otherwise, we’ll end up in the shower together and we’ll never get out of here,” Scott said as he started to backtrack toward the door.

  It wasn’t until Scott had left and Anson stood under the warm spray of the shower that it occurred to him that at no time in their conversation did Scott fess up to actually feeling the same deep connection that Anson did. All he’d said is that he’d liked them to get to know each other better. While Anson felt certain that he already loved Scott, the other man obviously didn’t feel the same. At least not yet. Anson realized he had the rest of the Christmas holiday to convince Scott that they belonged together. Or else he could risk losing Scott just when the man was finally within his grasp.

  § § §

  By the time they finally reached the house, Scott felt ready to climb through the window of the car, just to escape the tension. While Anson and Madison didn’t fight again, the cool, clipped way they communicated with each other was almost worse.

  Scott occupied himself during the long stretches of silence by working over the problem that was Anson. While he was ready to admit he had surprisingly strong feelings for the younger man, Scott didn’t know if that meant he was ready to make a commitment yet.

  When he forced himself to be truthful, he realized that might have to do with his fear that Anson would grow tired of him, just like he had with so many other things in his past. What if he gave his heart to Anson, only to have it thrown away like all of Anson’s other past fads? The last thing Scott wanted was to find his affections tossed in the Dumpster along with Anson’s previous six college majors.

  Anson sat in the front passenger seat and kept darting brief glances in Scott’s direction. He could tell by the way Anson nibbled on his bottom lip and fiddled with his fingers that he was worried. If it was due to Madison’s reaction or because of what had gone down the previous night, Scott didn’t know.

  Shit, who was he kidding? He wasn’t sure how he felt about them hooking up the one night, let alone what he thought about them taking things further. All he felt certain of was that at some point his feelings toward Anson had changed. When Scott had first started things up, he’d only done it to prove he could be spontaneous. He’d fully expected to pull back before things had gone too far.

  Instead, he’d gotten caught up in the moment and had allowed himself to get carried away. Once he’d tasted Anson, heard the man’s soft moans of pleasure, Scott had been a goner. Now he no longer looked at Anson like some annoyance he couldn’t wait to get rid of. Just the opposite; Scott yearned to touch, hold, and caress him.

  All day he’d been fighting a raging hard-on as he recalled how tight Anson’s ass had been, the way he’d groaned so perfectly when he came and the look of pure bliss on his face when he’d shot off.

  “If I were you two, I wouldn’t broadcast to the rest of the family what happened last night,” Madison warned as she parked the car, then turned off the engine.

  “Yeah, because I always start conversations with Mom and Dad by going through the lows and highs of my sex life.” Anson snorted as he took off his seat belt.

  “You know what I mean,” she stressed, as if she were trying to hold back her temper. “They tend to be overprotective of you. Plus, I don’t know if they would like it that you were with someone so…old.”

  “Ouch,” Scott said. “You do realize we’re the same age.”

  She ignored his statement and got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. It seemed to be a new habit she’d developed. Anson turned around and gave Scott a weak smile. “If it’s any consolation, I think she’s angriest at me.”

  “How do you figure?” Scott asked as he took off his seat belt and zipped up his coat. It already had grown cold in the car so he could only imagine how frigid it was on the outside. Damn Michigan and its cold weather.

  “Madison has never been good at sharing her possessions.”

  Scott paused, not quite certain he’d hear that right. “Are you calling me a possession?”

  Anson shrugged. “Well, yeah. You’ve been her best friend for years and the last thing she wants is to lose you to a boyfriend. Even if it’s me.”

  “That’s not true,” Scott denied, even as his mind did a fast rewind of all his prior relationships. Come to think of it, Madison had never liked any of his boyfriends.

  “I guess we better get in there. It looks like we’re the last ones to arrive.” Anson sighed as he directed his gaze at the house.

  Scott looked in the same direction. The two-story house had to have been decked out with at least ten thousand sparkling, multi-colored Christmas lights. A six-foot inflatable snowman took up position in the center of the front yard, while a troop of reindeer occupied the snow covered roof.

  A few cars filled the driveway and Scott couldn’t help but glance at the spot where Myrtle had made his last stand. He didn’t know what he expected; it’s not like there would still be a bloodstain or a shattered shell there. His heart still gave a stutter of regret.

  Anson got out and Scott followed, bracing himself against the hard blast of cold wind that slammed into his face. He tried to speak, but the gust literally took his breath away. So he crammed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and hurried after Anson.

  By the time they reached the porch, Anson’s mother opened the front door. A blonde woman who looked way younger than her age, she had on a simple black dress and red apron that had dancing elves on it. Her red lips parted into a dazzling smile as she gazed at her children.

  “Madison, you’re finally here. Anson, I swear you’ve lost five more pounds since I last saw you. I’m going to have to feed you extra helpings to get you back up to a normal size.” Her gaze locked in on Scott and the smile fled her face. “Hello, Turtle Killer.”

  Surprisingly Madison came to his defense. “Mom, that was three years ago. Would you give it a rest already?”

  Mom pursed her lips together for a moment as she studied Scott. Much like a cop would size up a serial murderer or something. “Fine, but I’m counting the fish in the aquarium after he leaves.”

  Anson let out a short bark of laugher that he quickly covered up with a cough. He shot Scott an apologetic look. They filed inside, the smells of cooking giving them a much warmer greeting.

  The interior of the house was just as Scott remembered. The thick, shag carpet remained the same shade of blue, while everything looked like it had been bitch slapped by a country theme. Everywhere he looked he saw roosters, cows, water cans, farmhouses, picket fences, and apples. As he took off his coat and hung it in the closet, Scott couldn’t help but wonder if she did all her interior decorating from Cracker Barrel.

  “Well, look at who it is…the Turtle Assassin,” Anson’s father declared as he came into the living room. Unlike his wife, he had a huge, friendly smile for Scott.

  A tall man with a round stomach and nearly bald head, he dressed more casual in a red flannel shirt and jeans. After he hugged his children he gave Scott one as well. Scott embraced him, realizing just how much he’d missed the man. While his own father had never spent any time with Scott, because he’d never related to a soft-spoken, meek son, Madison and Anson’s dad had filled that void.

  “It’s good to see you back here,” Dad said as he patted Scott’s shoulder.

  Scott had to fight back the wave of emotion. “It’s good to be here, sir.”

/>   For the first time, too, he meant it.

  CHAPTER 5

  As Anson watched his father and Scott together, happiness came over him. He recalled how close the two had been and it was good to see them together again. When Scott had stayed away for so many years, Anson had always battled guilt that he’d caused a rift between the men.

  Then a cloud of booze-laced air hit him and the good feeling fled. Without even turning around he said, “Hello, Aunt Nora.”

  Great, a small part of Anson had hoped that she’d already holed herself up in one of the guest bedrooms with a couple bottles of booze. She worked under the delusion that by doing so, the rest of the family wouldn’t realize how much alcohol she’d downed. Although she usually didn’t hide away until after dinner. She’d never been one to pass up a free meal, after all. She lived by that motto so diligently that the only time she ever showed up for church was when there was a luncheon after the service.

  “How is my baby boy?” Aunt Nora asked, her voice already slurred.

  Anson braced himself before turning around. He never knew what to expect when it came to Nora. One year she’d worn a red sheer blouse with a black lace bra underneath. He still had PTSD from that incident.

  Thankfully, this year, she’d opted for a bright pink fuzzy sweater and leopard print, stretch pants. While the color of the top clashed with her wildly, curly red hair and the slacks only emphasized her stick thin legs, Anson still considered the outfit a win.

  “I’m fine and how are you, Auntie?” Anson gave her a brief hug as he steeled himself for the answer.

  Just as he expected, she spent the next several minutes going into great deal about her various medical ailments. It wasn’t until he’d heard way more than he ever wanted to know about hot flashes and inner ear infections that Madison finally had mercy on him and took his hand.

  “Come on, guys, let’s go get cleaned up for dinner,” Madison said as she grabbed Scott’s hand, too.

  They rushed upstairs and all took refuge in the small half bath. Madison shut the door and leaned against it as she let out a long breath. “Is it too late to drive back to Florida?”