by M J Giani
***
Byron left the bus in the city where his family lived. He wasn’t sure why he had gone there, but on the other hand, he didn’t really want to go home – he wasn’t ready to see his wife yet, and since he knew she would have left Jason with her parents, he knew his son would be fine.
He knew that Anna would try to talk him out of the divorce, but things couldn’t go on like this anymore: she was unfaithful to him, she did drugs and she had a tight control on Jason. It was a miracle that Jason was actually his son, but it only took one look at him to know the baby was his. All of these things made him think twice about getting a divorce, and with this in mind, he also found himself thinking a lot about Cole recently.
He was so sweet, nice and sensitive, he always made him laugh, and God, his kisses! Even today, after so many years had passed, he still remembered his kisses. He tried to look at other men, and once, he even tried to get intimate with another guy. By doing this, he wanted to understand who he was, that exact moment he finally realized he was gay, but there was only one person in the world who touched him so deeply in his body, heart and soul, and that person was Cole. The uncertainty of not knowing if Cole would take him back made him hurt, but he knew he couldn’t continue like this anymore: he had spent all his life living a lie with someone who didn’t love him and, above all, that did not make him happy. If Anna hadn’t gotten pregnant with Jason, he would have left long ago.
He took his suitcase and headed for the mansion’s door, wondering if he would still be welcome at his in-laws. Anna must’ve told them about what he told her and they might’ve think it was his fault –and maybe it was. He couldn’t love her, or even care about her as a true husband, though at some point, he really thought he could, that the attraction he felt for her beauty could turn into more than that, but it wasn’t the case.
When he reached the mansion’s front door, he saw a car he didn’t recognize, which was strange, as it wasn’t a weekend – the time that the De Vere’s received guests. He knocked on the door, waiting to be greeted by Mrs. Parker, but when she opened the door, he only saw the person standing behind her, the only person he had never stopped thinking about- and loving.
“Cole!” Byron didn’t realize he had dropped his backpack and had taken three steps into the interior, stopping in front of Cole. Cole stepped back and Byron realized that he had raised his hand so as to touch his face.
“Sorry, I didn’t want...”
“Yes, it doesn’t hurt.” Cole cleared his throat, but his voice was still as hoarse and sexy as ever. “I didn’t know you were coming.” Byron blushed. God, he was beautiful: his hair was as blond and volumous as he remembered, his body was still slender with smooth muscles, and his enormous eyes were of a rare blue, with a purplish glow. His lips were fleshy, looking more fit in a girl than a boy. He saw the scar that crossed his face and for a brief moment, he wondered about licking his face. Byron just wanted to kiss him then and there.
“No problem. I am here as a doctor; it seems my father needs my talents.” Cole laughed, but Byron could tell he was embarrassed.
“Yes, I heard you're the best...”
“Darling!” Byron stopped his speech. Anna was at the top of the stairs, with one hand lying on her waist, as if she was preparing for a great entrance. Byron sighed, as he didn’t think that he would find there, but alas!
“What are you doing here? I thought you were at home.”
“I thought you were going there, too. I came here to check my father’s health, he’s benn very sick.
“Where's Jason?” Byron should have guessed that when Anna got the chance, she would leave the boy alone, and would run home to be spoiled and sustained by her mother.
“I left him with my sister, she’ll be coming here tomorrow.” When he reached the top step and when he realized that she was going to try to kiss him, he stepped back and looked at her face. Like he guessed, she was under the influence of something. Thank God, that child had been born with very little health problems!
“I'll leave you two alone.” Cole said, leaving for the front door. Byron wanted to prevent him from leaving, as he wanted to know more about his life, what he had been doing all these years he had been away. Looking at him now, Byron knew he was hoping for another miracle. He just wanted Cole to forgive him and give him one more chance.
***
Not liking the tension between her husband and her foolish brother, Anna tried to draw attention to herself by seducing him.
“Darling! I missed you so much, you should stop traveling so often!” Anna complained with a pout. Many said she was drop-dead gorgeous and that her pout was very sexy. She had always been a little jealous of Cole’s beauty, but now with the scar on his face, he was just a cripple. She wondered how he got it since he looked normal the last time she had seen him. However, she didn’t care about it right now, she had to make sure that Byron and Cole wouldn’t spend time together while Cole was there.
“Cut with the drama!” Byron said, turning away from her grip.” What did you take?”
“What are you talking about, stop it! I don’t want my mom to hear you. I didn’t take anything, you know that this is part of the past, I’m clean now.”
“Do you think you can fool me? I told you, I want a divorce and I will take Jason with me. You can’t even take care of yourself, let alone a child.”
“The child is mine and I'll take him with me!” Anna didn’t care about the child, but he was quite mistaken, if he thought he would get there while she was away, take the child and live happily ever after with him, leaving her behind.”
“If I have to take you to court and show the evidence that you're not a good mother, I’ll do it! I am quite capable of doing that.” Byron threatened Anna, since it was all that was necessary to prevent her from seeing his son. While she remained still, he wouldn’t stop seeing his son, but if he had to choose between her and the boy's protection, he wouldn’t hesitate.
“Let's see if they will give Jason’s custody to a sodomite, who spends more time away from home than taking care of a child.” It was true: as a SEAL, he spent much time away from home and he rarely saw his son, but on the other hand, he could see that Anna didn’t intend to quit drugs or finish her affairs that he knew she still had. If Byron had to stay at home to be able to stay with the child, and have it safely, he was ready for it. Everything he could think of at that moment was in his son. And Cole. Cole was back.
***
I'll kill him! Cole thought. The moment he saw Byron, he thought he was going to faint right there in the hallway, it was awful! This was without a doubt, the worst day of his life. Well that was a lie. It was the worst week of his life, and he had only arrived two days ago, though it seemed longer than that. What were the odds that they were in the same city, in the same house, at the same time? Yes, it was true that he was married to his half-sister, but Cole thought that Byron was abroad and he could stay there without ever meeting him.
He had to do whatever he could help his father – despite Walter’s resistance to his help – and get away from that city as soon as possible. After speaking to Dr. Marcus, he arrived to the conclusion that the best option for his father was surgery, but he didn’t want to be the person giving his father the bad news, though he knew he was the best person to do it.
Cole was currently was in the kitchen, hidden from his family’s sight, waiting for Dr. Marcus, who should arrive shortly before lunchtime, so both of them could talk to his father. Walter wasn’t going to be pleased, and honestly, with all the stuff that had been coming out of his mouth, Cole himself didn’t want to be there to hear it.
Suddenly, John walked in, heading straight for the refrigerator. He took a bottle of water and leaned against the table. Cole looked at him and his heart started beating faster, as if he had a butterfly was trapped inside him and tried to free himself. Finally, when Cole started to worry about his brother’s intense gaze, John began removing his t-shirt. Startled, Cole jumped a
nd ran for the door. John quickly got behind him and prevented him from leaving by placing a hand on the door. Cole was frightened and couldn’t look at his half-brother’s face, as memories of what had happened in the past came to his mind. Sweat ran down his face and his back, and he didn’t dare looking up.
“You know, don’t you?” John whispered. “I don’t know how you found out, but you shouldn’t have told your dear watchdog.” John turned around and showed his back, where a big, wrinkled and ugly scar ran from his shoulder to his waist.
“This is a gift from him and his friends.” Cole was shocked at this, but then he found his voice.
“I’ve always known it was you.” He walked away from him, feeling repulsed and disgusted by his mere presence. “No, you’re a very good villain! When you and your friends finished with me, I heard your voice.”
“You’re gonna call your watchdog and you'll say you were wrong, that it was a mistake and it wasn’t me.”
“No, I won’t say such a thing, because you did that to me. And if you come close to me again, I’ll tell Byron, and I'm sure he won’t be as forgiving in the future. And stay away from my friend.” It was no use mentioning Byron, but he was afraid of John.
“You can be out of my reach, but it won’t be so, in your friend’s case. You'll see what I can do” John shouted, banging his hand on the table and then he left. Byron never thought he could do such a thing, but he felt a little comfort, knowing that he was protected. He would have to tell Kelly he had never said that his brother was part of the group that had attacked him. He was ashamed that his own brother was capable of doing such an atrocity, but he had to do it, for her sake. He took a deep breath, he needed to calm down. The knock on the kitchen door caught him offguard, and he didn’t know how, but Cole knew it was Byron on the other side. He leaned over the table, the knot in his gut loosening up, and he kept breathing in and out, until he got calmer. He didn’t speak, because he was afraid that his voice would came out hoarse, and simply waited, knowing that, nevertheless, he would come in. Byron finally walked into the kitchen, looking at him with pity, which made Cole feel really upset.
“What do you want?” Byron was taken aback by his tone and stepped back. Perfect. Cole didn’t intend to play the role of the poor victim.
“So? Mrs. Parker should be up there, if you need anything, but I think I can serve you. After all, this is your family’s house.” Cole knew he was acting like a petulant child, but in reality, he didn’t care. Everyone was reacting badly to his presence there, and therefore, he thought he had the right to behave as he wanted to. He wasn’t going to walk around the place as if he were the one who had done them wrong. They needed him, and not vice versa.
“I actually came to see you, I wanted to know how you were. After all, we’ve been friends for a long time and we haven’t seen each other for a long time.” Poker face. Friends? Cole couldn’t help himself, and he laughed, feeling his scar stretching as he did so. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t try to hide his face, on the contrary. Cole laid his head back and laughed heartily until he was wiping the tears falling down his cheeks, and he almost had another fit of laughter, when he saw the look of astonishment on his «friends» face.
“Excuse me!” he said without really meaning it. “Stop it, «friend»” He said sarcastically. “If you're gonna stay here, I would appreciate it if you stayed away from me.” Cole was about to leave the kitchen, but he was stopped when Byron grabbed his arm.
“Wait, please.” Confusion was all over Byron’s face. “I don’t understand all this anger, and why you’re not enjoying this moment with me.”
“So, don’t give me a reason. We’re not friends, and we’ll never be, so if you can stop grabbing my arm, I’d be grateful!” Pulling his arm, Byron had no choice, but to put him down and let him go. Cole would’ve liked a graceful exit, but unfortunately, this was not possible. Yet, he straightened his back, and looked over his shoulder.
“Thank you.” Byron still looked confused, so he added “For what you did to John, I saw the scar.” Byron understood, and nodded. And then, Cole left.
***
Oblivious to everything, Byron stood there watching Cole walking out of the kitchen. He was upset by his reaction, since he didn’t like being mocked, let alone being treated like he was stupid. He was also surprised by the fact that seeing Cole's joyful face, his laughter, his rosy cheeks and his beautiful, bright eyes, made him react in a way that years of living with the same woman did not.
But how much longer would Cole stay? It was very hard for him. Suddenly, he felt that he needed a cold shower badly. He sighed, agonized with what he was feeling and walked to the hallway to get his military suitcase that he had left there, and then he went to the room where he always stayed in at the De Vere’s. When he got there and saw his almost ex-wife’s things, he knew he really had to get to the root of the problem.
He laughed dully. Anna was definitely the best anti-libido pill he knew. He could say that he was sorry to end his marriage, but he knew he was also at fault, he shouldn’t have married at all. He was afraid that he would never have what his brothers had, but when Cole left, he just felt so alone. However, he would never abandon his child, and Anna knew it: once, on Cole’s birthday, Byron was feeling very depressed, since all he wanted to do was to call him. He tried not to think about it and so, he decided to go out with his friends, and ended up getting drunk, though it didn’t take his mind of Cole. When he got home, Anna took advantage of his drunken state and lied in bed with him. She had stopped taking the pill for some time, and saw her chance. When she became pregnant, she had no problem exposing her entire plan in his face, telling him how stupid he had been. That was the day he stopped drinking, for his son and himself. He tried not to think about Cole, and lived his life as best as he could, and when it was too much for him to deal with Anna, he simply started accepting missions abroad.
He regretted it now: his son was five and he had barely seen him. But now, he had handed his resignation letter and opened his own security company with his savings. He was on the way to get everything he ever wanted, all he had to do now was to convince Cole to give him a new chance. How? He didn’t know, but he had to work fast.
11
“If you think I'm going to let you open me up with those disgusting hands inside me, you’re very wrong!” Cole guessed that it wouldn’t be easy talking to his father, since he didn’t want to know his opinion, but he thought that, maybe with his own doctor and friend there confirming that Cole knew what he was doing, it would help, but apparently it didn’t, on the contrary. It had left him quite enraged, especially knowing that his least-loved son that he had rejected was doing better off than all his other children, was frustrating for him. It wasn’t Cole’s fault that his sisters felt that marrying for money was the equivalent to a successful career.
As for his brother Rob, he had gotten divorced, having no permission to visit his two children, and was living at his father's expense, with his career as a divorce lawyer completely stalled. Perhaps if he hadn’t slept with most of his customers, he wouldn’t be in the precarious situation he was in now – in fact, he was lucky he didn’t lose his license to practice at all.
Then, there was John, who was still living in his father's house, without any interest in practising Law or even considering the costly law degree that his father had paid. It turned out that he was thinking about taking a course in agriculture, which he said during the family’s breakfast, being only interrupted when Kelly overheard the conversation, saying she thought it was the best for him! Her words, not his.
Cole was saddened by his friend’s reaction, but he still thought he could talk to her, so that they could clear everything up. After all, they’d been friends for five years and that should count for something, but after seeing them together in the morning, he was even more upset. And of course, the cherry on the top of the cake was that Byron was back! Yay.
“I think it's time for Cole to ge
t out of my house!” Cole was brought to reality with his father’s cry. Cole was already used to being mistreated by his father, and he wasn’t upset anymore – “sticks and stones can’t break your bones”, right? – but Dr. Marcus felt embarrassed and, even ashamed. Unlike his father, Dr. Marcus had welcomed him with professionalism, and even warmth. Doctors were often self-centered with a God complex, and often, they didn’t tolerate that another doctor, especially one with so few years of experience, would step on their toes, but Dr. Marcus had been nothing but friendly to Cole.
“If I remember correctly, I didn’t come here for a visit! I came because I was called and, willy-nilly, I am the best in the field. But you know what? This is your home, and I will not impose my opinion. If you don’t want my professional help, there is a list of patients waiting for months to have an appointment with me, and who will be more than glad to have me back so soon.” He rose, furious with the time he was wasting with this.
“Cole, wait!” Dr. Marcus said “Let me see what I can do.” Dr. Marcus grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaving his father's office.
“What's going on here?” Cole sighed. When he looked at the door, he saw that he had an audience: Byron, Anna – she just had to be there, didn’t she – John, and his new date, Kelly. This was just what he needed.
“Perfect!” Cole said. “Yes, gather around, as “the more, the merrier”, isn’t that what they say?”
“Cole, you know that your father can’t lose his temper! As a doctor, I expected more from you.” Byron said. And the blows kept coming.
“Yes thank you, Byron for pointing out the obvious.”
“Let's all calm down.” Dr. Marcus said, raising his hands, as if he was afraid they started fighting each other.