by Rowe, Nicki
Chapter One
Lorenzo
Hospitals freaked Lorenzo out. Ever since he had lost his mother to cancer he hated the danged places. The lights were too bright, and they always smelled too clean. Which he guessed that was the point.
Why had he come here?
August had told Daniel, their boss, that he wouldn't be to work all week because his brother was in the hospital, and always helpful Lorenzo had dropped what he was doing, drove the hour to Seattle, and checked in on August. Not that August needed the extra support, August's boyfriend and his kid were there. Their mother was sitting in a chair inside Gabriel's room. Lorenzo felt like he was just taking up space. He wasn't even really good friends with August.
Lorenzo didn't even know Gabriel Marks well, but he had seen him around the town they lived in: Glensville, Washington. He had a cocky air about him, and looked like a troublemaker. That had always been Lorenzo's type.
Lorenzo was the opposite of Gabriel Marks. His mom had always tried to instill good manners and kindness into Lorenzo, and it had worked. He was kind—maybe he was too kind. If there was such a thing. He was always polite and he never said a bad word. He tried to be a good neighbor, a good friend. A good son and grandson. He had gotten good grades in high school, but he coudn't hack it through college. He tried to be a well rounded twenty-one-year-old.
Lorenzo was internally freaking out, the smell of the hospital was getting to him. He should leave, it's not like he was needed, but he couldn't. Something was keeping him glued to the chair that he was occupying. He wish he knew what.
God, he hated hospitals.
His mother had died when Lorenzo was thirteen, she had been sick for awhile, Lorenzo suspected it was from inhaling all those cleaning chemicals from working as a maid at a hotel in California. She had worked her butt off to keep a roof over Lorenzo's head and food on the table. As a single parent she had to work twice as hard to make up for his absent father.
“Lorenzo?” August Marks asked. He had come over while Lorenzo was struggling with the memories of his mother's death. He hadn't even heard August approach. August's boyfriend's kid was hanging from August's arm; he was a cute child with brown-red hair and lots of freckles. August's blue eyes looked blood shot and his black hair was unkempt. It was the least put together Lorenzo had ever seen him. August usually projected perfection and professionalism. In fact Lorenzo had never seen him out of suit until that moment. August was wearing jeans and a plaid button up that seemed to be more Jayson's style than August's.
“Hmm?” Lorenzo asked.
“Can you sit with Gabe? He's asleep, so you don't need to talk to him or anything. I need to get my mom back to the hotel, and Jayson has to take Billy home. I don't want to leave my brother alone.”
Lorenzo nodded.
It had been six days since Gabriel had his accident not too far from Hope and Mercy hospital. Some jerk had T-boned him when he was leaving the community college in Seattle. Gabriel had been in and out of conscienceness since Wedsneday morning. Lorenzo had never spoken to Gabriel Marks; he hadn't even been back to see him. Again he asked himself why he was there.
August led Lorenzo into the room. Gabriel was bruised from head to toe. His left eye was swollen and his arm was in a cast. He had tubes and wires hooked to him, and he looked fragile despite his large frame. Lorenzo's heart clenched. His mother had looked so small on her hospital bed too.
“Mom?” August said, placing a hand on his mother's shoulder.
The Marks brothers' mother was one of those women who still held on to their beauty from their youth even though she was in her sixties. She had black hair and kind brown eyes. Lorenzo knew she had battled cancer a decade ago, and she had won. He wished his mother had survived her own battle.
“I'm going to take you back to the hotel,” August said, he knelt down in front of his mother. He looked helplessly to the doorframe where his boyfriend was standing. “Then we have to get some food in you. You haven't eaten since yesterday.”
“No. I can't leave him.” She reached for her youngest son's hand.
August sighed. “Mom, Lorenzo's going to sit with Gabe. We'll only be gone for a moment.”
Their mother looked up at Lorenzo. “You're going to sit with him?”
Lorezno nodded, “Yes, ma'am. I won't leave his side.”
She nodded. “Call me Elizabeth.” She looked up at August. “Okay. Only twenty minutes.”
August promised they would be back in twenty minutes.
After a few words to the nurse, the entire Marks clan left and Lorenzo was left alone with Gabriel.
Gabe
Everything hurt. That was the first thought that ran through Gabe's head when he woke up. He was still in the hospital. Fuck. He had hoped he would be out by now. He hated hospitals, they reminded him of all the dumb shit he had done as a teen.
Gabe opened his eyes and looked around for his family. He could have sworn he had heard August's voice and Billy's laughter. However, the only person in the room was the Latin man Gabe had seen in town: Lorenzo Diaz.
Lorenzo was adorable, Gabe had always thought so. He had light brown skin, short brown-black hair and brown eyes that were partially hidden by glasses. He had facial hair, but not a full grown beard; just a few days worth of scruff. He was fit, but not broad. He was only a year older than Gabe, but there was an innocence about Lorenzo that made him seem younger. Like he hadn't experienced the world yet or something.
“Where is everyone?” Gabe asked. His voice was hoarse. He could only open one eye which meant the other was still swollen shut. “Did they leave?”
“Yeah,” Lorenzo replied, he was wringing his hands.
Was he nervous? Gabe wanted to laugh, but he didn't. He didn't want to offend Lorenzo, which he thought was strange; he usually didn't care whether he offended people or not.
“They went to go change, and Jayson had to take Billy home.”
“And you? Why are you here?” Gabe asked, there had never been a filter to his mouth. He always said what he was thinking which made people think he was brash, and foul-mouthed. And he was. And he liked it.
Lorenzo shrugged. “I don't know.”
Gabe didn't have time to ask him anymore questions. His mother and brother had returned. They had brought food and his mother had changed into another outfit. August looked more relaxed since Gabe last saw him.
“I guess I better go,” Lorenzo said, standing. “I have to get back to my boyfriend.”
Boyfriend? Shit. Gabe nodded. “Thanks for sitting with me.”
Lorenzo nodded and stood. Gabe watched him walk out the door before he turned his attention to his family.
“Did you bring Kung Pao chicken?”
Five Months Later
Chapter Two
Lorenzo
“I'm leaving,” Max said.
Lorenzo felt like all the blood was rushing to his ears. His body felt disoriented, and he felt like he was going to fall over. Max was just staring at him, waiting for him to say something.
Max had been Lorenzo's boyfriend of two years. They had met in Seattle when Lorenzo had gone up there to go to a party at a friend's house. Max had been staying with his friend until he found a place in Seattle, and he and Lorenzo had hit it off. Max was hot, tall and shallow, he wasn't really Lorenzo's type, but Lorenzo had liked him enough to give him a chance. Max cared more about his looks than anything, but he tried to be a better person. It just didn't stick.
Lorenzo had thought he and Max were going to be together forever. That's what they had talked about not only two weeks before. They had even talked about getting married, and not Max was leaving. Lorenzo didn't
know what to think.
“Did you hear me, Enzo?” Max asked. He had always called him Enzo, but Lorenzo found in that moment he didn't like the nickname as much as he used to. “I'm leaving.”
“I heard you.”
Max had told him four times that he was moving back to Michigan. At first Lorenzo thought Max was asking him to move with him, but when Lorenzo had asked if that's what he had meant Max had told him it would be better if they were apart.
“Why?” Lorenzo asked. Why was he leaving? Why was Max abandoning him? Why did he tell Lorenzo that he loved him last night if he knew he was leaving?
“I'm sick of it here,” Max said, running a hand trough his chin length blond hair. “I'm stuck.”
“Stuck here in this town or stuck with me?”
Max didn't answer, but that was the only answer Lorenzo needed. Max felt stuck with him.
Lorenzo looked around their small apartment. Max had already cleaned out all of his stuff. How come Lorenzo hadn't noticed before? The kitchen was missing the microwave and the coffee maker that Max had brought with him when he moved in. The picture of Max's family was no longer on the wall beside the Television. Lorenzo knew if he walked into the bedroom he would find half of the closet cleaned out.
Tears burned Lorenzo's eyes. He sank to the floor in the hall.
“Don't do this, Enzo,” Max said, sounding more irritated than compassionate. “Shit.”
He hadn't heard the door open and close, and it took him a few minutes to realize that Max had left him alone on the floor crying.
~ ~ ~
His cart was full of new stuff that he had to replace in apartment since Max left. It had been two weeks since Max had left him crying on the apartment floor. For two weeks Lorenzo didn't leave his house except to go to work. He had refused to buy new appliances and towels. He even realized that Max had taken half of the movie collection, even though all of the movies had belonged to Lorenzo before they even got together. Max didn't even like movies. That should have been a red flag, Lorenzo had decided as he sat in front of the tower of Blu-rays and DVD's two days ago, anyone who didn't like movies was probably a secret serial killer.
He was thinking about how he needed a new wok when his basket slammed into another basket.
“Fuck!” the other person said out loud.
Lorenzo looked over to see Gabriel Marks and another man with dark skin and curly hair. He looked amused, while Gabriel looked mildly irritated.
Gabriel had healed nicely since Lorenzo had last seen him. He was no longer bruised, and his skin was nice and tan. His brown eyes were wide and big, and he looked a little devilish. He looked like he knew he could talk you into anything. His black hair was a little bit longer, so the tips fell against his forehead. He was still mouthwateringly broad and delicious. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed off his bulging biceps and the tattoos that wrapped around his left arm from shoulder to wrist.
Noticing that it was Lorenzo that had ran into them Gabriel had lost all sense of annoyance and he smiled. His teeth were so perfectly white and straight Lorenzo couldn't help but to look at them.
“Oh, shit, Lorenzo!” Gabriel said. His voice was loud and still held that excitement that kid's voices held. Lorenzo couldn't help but smile. “I didn't see you!”
“Hi, Gabriel.”
“Gabe, please. Only my mother calls me Gabriel.”
From his left the other man chuckled.
“Gabe. It was my fault I wasn't paying attention.”
Gabe waved his apology off. “This is Dustin. My other brother.”
Lorenzo had heard about the third Marks brother; the man that the Marks had taken in as a child and fell in love with. They were never able to formally adopt him, but they still loved him all the same.
“I'm not really related to this fool,” Dustin said. “I pit those who are.”
Lorenzo chuckled. He loved the camaraderie between them; Lorenzo had never had a best friend, but he had always wanted someone to share inside jokes with, the closest thing he had was Max. But that was over now. Lorenzo looked back to Gabe. He couldn't keep his eyes off of him. He was just so attractive. There was something wild about him that Lorenzo found intriguing.
“You moving?” Gabe asked, looking in Lorenzo's cart.
“No,” Lorenzo replied. “Replacing stuff my ex took with him when we broke up.”
Why did he just reveal his life to these two complete strangers? Something about Gabe made him want to bear his soul. He wanted to tell Gabe everything about him, and he wanted to learn everything about Gabe.
Slow down. You just got out of a relationship, his brain reminded him.
“Fuck, dude. I'm sorry.”
Lorenzo shrugged. He did not want to start crying in the middle of Clip and Save.
“Hey,” Gabe said in an excited way that startled Mrs. Aberny down the aisle. “Jay and August are having a party at their house. You should come.”
Lorenzo shrugged again. “Why are they having a party?”
Gabe shrugged this time. “Jay says it's a surprise. Come, please. I can't bear Jay and my brother alone. They are like stupid in love. It's sickening. I'm going to be all alone.”
Lorenzo looked at Dustin. “You're not going to the party?”
“I am.” Dustin hit Gabe in the shoulder. “Dick.”
Gabe chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.” He looked back at Lorenzo. “The party starts at eight.”
Lorenzo promised he would be there. Somehow he had gone from wanting to say no to saying yes with just a wink from Gabe. Like he had thought earlier, Gabe had a power to make people do anything he wanted.
Gabe
“God, you're a shit,” Dustin said when they were checking out.
Gabe hoisted the box of frozen hamburgers onto the checkout counter. “Why?”
“That dude just broke up with his boyfriend, and you are already hitting on him.”
Gabe just smirked. When Gabe saw something he liked he went after it. Six months ago he had decided to finally tell everyone close to him that he was gay. He had known his entire life that he had been more into dudes than chicks, but when August had come out and their father had treated him like shit, Gabe decided to hide his idenity. It wasn't until he spent a three week spirtitual quest in Dubai that he realized he needed to get his life on track. He had gone to Philly to pay off the man he owed money to, and then he returned to Glensville and started taking steps in a postive direction. He got a job at Danika's daycare, enrolled in classes at the community college in Seattle and he came clean about who he truly was. He stopped partying, stopped drinking. He wanted to prove to his mother, brother and himself that he was worth something. He had wanted to prove to his father that there was more to Gabe than just booze and regrets, but after what Victor had said about Gabe to August in the diner so many months ago, Gabe decided he didn't give a rat's ass about his father's opinon.
“He is pretty hot,” Dustin said.
“Dude, I am not going to stand here in front of Betsy and talk dick with you,” Gabe said, making Betsy blush.
He really should work on filtering what he said. The only time Gabe watched what he said was in front of the kid's at work. He was not trying to fuck up the next generation of doctors and lawyers.
Dustin chuckled. “Just hurry up, asshole. You're holding up the line.”
~ ~ ~
“Gabe!” Billy, Gabe's favorite kid in the whole world, ran forward when he saw Gabe and Dustin approach. He hugged Gabe around the legs. “Did you bring hotdogs?”
“I did, bud.” Gabe said, placing the bags of party stuff on the table in the kitchen.
Jayson was looking for shot glasses in the cupboards while August mixed a salad. It had been four months since August had moved out of his condo in the middle of town and moved in with Jayson and Billy. Gabe could see little touches of his brother throughout the house. The blanket that August had since high school was thrown over the back of the couch, there were classic movies mixed
in with Jayson's action flicks and Billy's cartoons. There were pictures of the three of them hanging on the walls. Rex and Shelby, their dog and cat were sleeping on the couch.
Gabe had always been jealous of his brother for various reasons, but in that moment he was jealous that August seemed over-the-moon happy and grossly in love. He never realized he wanted something like that until he saw how happy August was.
“Gabe invited Lorenzo Diaz,” Dustin said with a chuckle. “He batted his long eyelashes to get Lorenzo to say yes.”
August's head snapped to the left so hard to look at Gabe, he was surprised his brother didn't get whiplash. August looked around to make sure Billy was out of the room. “You better not dick him around, Gabe. He just had his heart broken.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “I wasn't planning on it, Gus.”
Gabe knew August hated his childhood nickname. Gabe only called him Gus when August was irritating him and he wanted to get a rise out of his older brother. He knew August was trying to look out for Lorenzo; they were friends—well, acquaintances—but Gabe wasn't a kid anymore, he didn't need August to keep him from making mistakes.
August was seven years older than him, which their father and former teachers never let Gabe forget. At twenty, Gabe was used to being treated like a child. He expected it after all the dumb shit in high school, but he was an adult now. He needed them to see he wasn't that kid anymore.
August looked at him for a few moments longer before he went back to making his salad. Gabe shook his head at his brother and headed to the living room where Billy was engrossed in his cartoons.
~ ~ ~
The party was in full swing by the time Lorenzo arrived. Gabe saw him through the crowd of people the moment he stepped in the door. Gabe was talking to Viola about a new organic scrub she had made that was doing wonders for her teenage sister's acne.