She loved him; she knew it in her heart.
The doorbell rang and Isabelle opened the door to the spectacular sight of Jacob in a suit.
“Hi.”
“Hi. Wow, you look so handsome.”
“Why, thank you. And you look as beautiful as ever. You ready?” He held his hand out.
“Yes.”
They drove in silence to the hotel and Jacob thought about his conversation with his mother.
“Jacob, we don’t know when you have to go back. I know you only have eight months left on your contract but at some point, you will leave again. You can’t put Izzy through that.”
“Mom, I’m going to talk to her about it tonight. I’ll leave it up to Izzy, okay?”
“I can’t watch her go through that again, Jacob. The pain she endured, the crying — I can’t.” Bethany wiped tears away.
“Mom, I thought I did what was best for her, I really did.” Jacob hugged his mother.
“Just, be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
Jacob came back to the present. They got to their room and Jacob closed the door and stared at the woman before him. Isabelle was so beautiful.
“I thought about you every day that I was away, Izzy. I thought I had done what was best for you, and I wanted you to be happy. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be in town before I have to go back, so I’m leaving this up to you.”
Isabelle walked to him slowly. She took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. She slid it off, letting her hands run down his biceps. Her hands caressed his chest as she brought her fingers to his belt. She looked into his eyes as she undid his belt and took off his pants. As Jacob wore only his boxers, Isabelle took in his full height and muscular body — he was stunningly good-looking.
“Do you want me, Jacob?”
“Of course I do.”
They moved to the bed and Jacob set Isabelle down gently, moving over her.
“Isabelle, I love you,” Jacob whispered.
“I love you, too. But maybe I’m not ready to do this just yet.” Isabelle pulled him down and snuggled into Jacob.
“I understand. I’m not sure if I am, either.” Jacob kissed her.” Maybe we can have sexless sex.”
“How would that work exactly?” Isabelle raised an eyebrow.
Jacob laughed and kissed her. “We’ll figure it out. Happy New Year, Izzy.”
“Happy New Year, Jacob.”
*~~~*
The kids went to the bowling alley the following weekend. They met Lisa’s brother, Jared. He was about five-foot-seven, and he had the same dark hair and green eyes as his sister. Heath liked him immediately. He was kind and loving with Lisa and he had a great sense of humor.
“So, my sister tells me you two are dating.” Jared seemed to be enjoying the role of vigilant brother.
“Yes, we are. She’s so sweet, but watch out when the protectiveness comes out!”
“Oh, I know! Trust me. She laid into my parents when I came out.”
“They didn’t take it well?” Heath asked.
“My dad was okay, which surprised me. It was my mother who went ballistic.”
Heath laughed. “Sounds like my dad’s story.”
“Lisa told me you have two fathers. That must be cool.”
“It is. You know, I never felt cheated that I didn’t have a mom. They just make everything okay.”
The kids joked around and played a few more frames. Jared had gone to the bathroom and Damon and Heath were talking with Tyler when Damon noticed a group of guys messing with Jared near the restroom. They were taller than he was, and much bigger. Damon could hear them razzing him about being gay.
“Excuse me, will ya?” Damon put on a wicked smile.
Heath looked in the direction Damon had gone. “Oh shit, come on.” Heath grabbed Steve, Tyler and Jacob.
“Heath, where are you going?” Lisa called after him.
“To watch my brother kick someone’s ass.”
Isabelle, Charlie and Lisa watched them go. Charlie gasped.
“Oh no! I know that look. We better get up there!”
Damon walked up to the tallest bully — who was still shorter than Damon was. He heard them calling Jared a little pansy and a fag.
“Hey, fucktard. Why don’t you mess with someone your own size?” Damon pulled himself up to his full height and crossed his arms. Which just happened to make his biceps bulge impressively.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m Jared’s friend, that’s who I am. I don’t appreciate you harassing him.”
“What, are you his fag boyfriend?”
“I wouldn’t call myself a fag, but I am gay. You know what they say, don’t you? That guys who are extremely homophobic are secretly gay.” Damon winked conspiratorially.
The guy just looked at him with his mouth hanging open.
“Got nothing? Now you have nothing to say? It’s because you know I’ll fucking wipe the floor with you, isn’t it?”
Damon saw the fist coming, caught it and smiled.
“My turn.”
It only took one punch to put the guy on the floor, his lip split wide open. Damon was on him in a flash. The bigot’s friends tried to jump in but Damon took care of them, too, until Heath, Steve, Tyler and Jacob leapt in and pulled them away for their own good.
“Wow, talk about wimps!” Heath doubled over with laughter.
“I know! Now that was an ass kicking! Run along, boys, before we let Damon loose on you again,” Steve guffawed.
Tyler examined Damon’s face and noticed a bruise forming.
“Hey, are you okay?” Tyler tilted his face gently.
“Yeah, I think I can still stop traffic with my stunning good looks.” Damon grinned.
“Wow, I’ve never seen you in action. The look on those guys’ faces…”
“Yeah well, I have a temper sometimes.”
“I like you all tough; it’s sexy.” Tyler wiggled his eyebrows.
Jared approached gratefully. “Hey thanks, Damon. I really appreciate you standing up for me.”
Damon hugged him. “Not a problem!”
The owner of the bowling alley came up to them. “Hey, Youngbloods — next time take it outside, will ya?”
“What? I didn’t break anything.” Damon smiled his most charming ‘get out of trouble free’ smile.
“No property, maybe. Not so sure about them.” He gestured in the general vicinity of the boys Damon had just fought.
“Okay, next time I’ll take it out back.”
They bowled a few more games and then decided to head home. They talked and laughed on their way out.
Isabelle noticed the group in the parking lot immediately. She hit 911 on her phone and held it behind her back. They grabbed Charlie first.
“What the fuck?!” Charlie felt an arm around her neck as she was pulled backwards into the group of guys, which was much bigger now than it had been inside.
“Let’s see you take us now, assholes!” the ringleader was shouting.
“Let. Her. Go.” Steve’s voice came out as a low growl and even Heath and Damon jumped.
“Oh, dude, you so fucked up. You have no idea what you just did.” Heath was actually laughing. “By the way — you’re real tough guys grabbing a girl.” He knew Charlie would get away before any fighting started.
She brought her foot down hard on the goon’s instep and bit his arm; when he let her go, she ran. That was the cue Damon, Heath, Steve, Tyler, Jacob and Jared needed to charge into the group, fists flying. It was six against twelve and when the police finally arrived, they had to drag them off the boys who had started the trouble.
“Back off!” one cop was shouting. “What the hell happened here?” They had heard most of it on Izzy’s 911 call but wanted to double-check things.
Lisa had gone inside with one of the officers. She was back out and the policemen all huddled together.
Steve was watching the guy who had taken Charl
ie. He was looking at her and smiling.
“Do it, asshole. I fucking dare you,” Steve hissed at him.
“Okay, all of you go home. I’m not arresting anyone tonight. The next time, you won’t be so lucky.”
They waited until the first group of guys had cleared out and then the cop headed to Damon.
“Look, Youngblood, I know you didn’t start it but this didn’t have to happen.”
“Oh, but it did.” Damon glared.
“Go home, guys. Your parents are going to have your heads.”
*~~~*
When they all walked in, Stefan and Jordan looked up and did a double take.
“Christ! What the fuck happened?” Jordan shouted.
“Wow, Dad, you dropped the F-bomb!” Isabelle gasped.
“This is not funny!” He took in the scene before him — the boys were all bloodied and black-eyed. “Jesus, I don’t even know where to start!”
“I’ll go get your medical bag, Dad.” Charlie appeared relieved to leave the room.
Stefan looked at his boys and crossed his arms. “I trust the other guys look worse.”
“Are you condoning this, Stefan?” Jordan eyed Stefan incredulously.
“No, but I’ve gotten into a few fights in my day.” He looked at Jacob and Steve’s faces. “Did you call your mothers?”
Jacob laughed. “I did. She knows where I am.”
“Mine does, too.” Steve ducked his head.
“I called my mom, too, Mr. Youngblood.” Tyler was wiping his nose; fresh blood was coming out.
Stefan handed him a napkin. “Okay, all of you — take a seat around the breakfast bar. We’ll start with the worst.”
It took an hour and a half to clean them all up and put in a few stitches. Lisa and Jared had gone home and the rest of them were sitting around the bar. Stefan was on the phone with Tyler’s parents.
Jordan stared at his sons. Part of him wanted to strangle them; the other part was proud they had stuck up for Jared.
“Can you two please refrain from fighting?” He put up his hand when Damon opened his mouth. “I know you never start it — well, at least physically. But I also know you can’t keep your traps shut,” Jordan sighed.
“Hey, I take Dad’s advice. I always let them hit me first.” Damon smirked.
Jordan shot a look at Stefan and Stefan hid a smile and turned around. “Well, it’s late. I want you guys to go to bed. Jacob, Tyler, and Steve will sleep in the guest bedroom.” Jordan ushered them out.
Heath and Damon were brushing their teeth when Heath suddenly put his toothbrush down.
“Dude, do you realize you outed yourself at the bowling alley?”
“Yeah, I guess I did. Well, this should be fun.”
“Hey, I got your back, lil bro. Nobody fucks with me and mine.” He smiled and mussed Damon’s hair.
Damon crawled into bed; his jaw hurt. He knew he’d have a black eye but he didn’t care; it was worth it. He woke up a few hours later when Tyler came in.
“Hey, you awake?” he whispered.
“Yeah. What are you doing in here?” Tyler looked hot with a black eye. Damon quietly laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Tyler whispered.
“You look seriously sexy with a black eye.”
Tyler laughed. “I’m not staying, I just wanted to tell you that I respect what you did tonight.”
“You couldn’t tell me that in the morning?” Damon teased.
“Okay, maybe I wanted to kiss you, too.” Tyler stared at Damon’s lips.
“Come here,” Damon whispered.
They kissed slowly as Tyler ran his hands up Damon’s back and into his hair. They were bare chested, and the skin on skin made Damon hard. He pulled Tyler into him more firmly and the kiss became much more passionate.
“I think you’d better go,” Damon whispered. “I want you really bad right now.”
“Yeah, me too.” Tyler panted. “See you in the morning, Damon.”
*~~~*
In the morning, Jordan looked at the assembled children and laughed. His boys looked like they had been hit by a truck and, Tyler, Jacob and Steve didn’t look any better. He had made a big breakfast and was putting all the plates on the breakfast bar.
“Okay eat up, then I want to recheck your…” he looked at all of them and laughed. “Faces.”
They all laughed and dug in. The girls just stared when they finally showed up for breakfast.
Damon looked up, mouth full of food. “What?”
“Wow, look at you guys.” Charlie laughed.
Steve laughed. “Hey, at least you did your part. I can’t believe you bit that guy.”
Charlie laughed and kissed his cheek. “I’m tough.”
*~~~*
School had resumed and Damon braced himself for the onslaught of comments. Just as he expected, the rumor had spread that he was gay. The boys from their rival school had made quick work of spreading the information. Damon decided to get his team together in the locker room during P.E.
“Okay, I’m pretty sure you’ve all heard the rumor, so I’m setting you straight. So to speak,” he laughed. “Yes, I’m gay.”
It was quiet for a few seconds, and then one of his teammates spoke up.
“So, did you ever check any of us out in the shower?”
“Seriously, that’s your first question? No, I never checked any of you out — in the shower or anywhere else.”
“Really? How come?”
There was some laughter in the back and Damon smiled.
“None of you are my type.”
“None of us?” It came from his running back, Tony.
“Nope, sorry guys. None of you do it for me.”
“So, do you, like, have a boyfriend or something?”
“I like someone, but I’m not telling you who it is.”
“Aw come on, Damon.” Tony smiled. “Is he afraid to come out with you?”
“No, he’s not.” Tyler stepped forward. He moved to Damon’s side and took his hand.
“Wow. Seriously, Tyler? I would have never guessed; I mean, not even about Damon.” Tony stammered.
“Is there a gay look I’m not aware of?” Damon cocked an eyebrow.
Tony blushed. “No, it’s just that I never even thought…I mean — shit, this is coming out all wrong.”
“Look, I just wanted to be honest with you guys. We’re a team and we work great as one. I just don’t want that to change, okay? So if anyone has a problem with my sexuality, I need to know so we can work things out.”
Nobody said anything and Damon smiled.
“Just so we’re clear — I don’t find any of you attractive. Besides, I have my guy.” He smiled at Tyler.
“Awwww.” It came from the whole team.
“Oh, shut up,” Damon laughed.
“Look, Youngblood, we’ve known you since pre-school. So if you thought any of us would have a problem with this, then you have lost your fucking mind. We love you and your whole family. The Youngbloods have done a lot for this town, for this school, and some of us wouldn’t be going to college if it weren’t for your dad. So chill. Nothing has changed,” Tony finished his speech.
The rest of the team nodded in agreement. “We got your back, Youngblood, on the field and off.”
“Thanks, guys, you have no idea what this means to me.” He cleared his throat. “FYI, having some of you have my back would have been helpful at the bowling alley.”
“Um, from what we heard you guys didn’t need any help. Nice shiners, by the way.” Tony gestured to their black eyes.
“Yeah, well — I fucking hate bullies.”
*~~~*
After school, they all met up by Damon’s car. Jared and Lisa had shown up to get Heath.
“So, I heard you had a little meeting, Damon.” Heath mussed his younger brother’s hair. It was a habit he’d gotten into when they were still kids and neither ever thought anything about it.
“Yeah, just cleared the
air.”
“I heard someone else came out, too.” Heath grinned slyly at Tyler.
“Hey, I didn’t want any of those guys to think Damon was single!”
“Hey, Damon?” Mark walked over slowly. He had no idea if he would be welcome.
“Hey, Mark. Charlie said you guys talked.”
“Yeah, I kinda begged for forgiveness, from Steve as well.”
“Well, I’m glad. Oh, don’t know if you’ve met Jared, Lisa’s brother?”
Mark and Jared shook hands. Damon could see there was an instant attraction and he smiled. He would be happy to see Mark move on.
“So listen, lil bro — Lisa, Jared, and I are going out tonight. You and Tyler want to come?”
Damon took Tyler’s hand. “No, I think we’re going to do our own thing tonight.”
“Hey, Heath, you mind if Mark comes?” Jared smiled shyly.
“Sure, not a problem. I’ll see you guys later!” Heath jumped in Lisa’s car.
Damon sat on the hood of his car and gazed with pride at Tyler.
“You didn’t have to, you know. I wouldn’t have outed you.”
“Are you kidding? I don’t want anyone thinking you’re available. You’re mine, Youngblood.”
“Really?” Damon ducked his head.
Tyler came closer, running his hands up Damon’s thighs. “Oh. Yeah.”
“So, where do you want to go?” Damon asked.
“I don’t care, as long as we’re alone.” Tyler lowered his voice.
Damon’s cock sprang to life. “Let’s get the fuck out of here!”
Chapter 9
Heath had gone over to Lisa’s house after she called him crying. He had no idea what was wrong. The last time they’d been together, everything was great.
“Lisa, what is it?” Heath held her.
“We’re moving!”
“What? When? Where?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow. My parents just sprung it on us at the last minute!” Lisa sobbed.
“What?” Heath ran his hand through his hair. “Where? To another state?”
“No, to Japan! My dad got a job offer and he took it!”
An Eye for an Eye (The Santorno Stories 2): The Santorno Stories Page 11