Chapter Sixteen
Ru returned to the empty condo after the whirlwind weekend feeling energized. He thought about that morning and Adam’s spill. Ru feared he’d caused Adam to break his neck and reprimanded himself a million times.
At least his discussion with Adam’s dad had gone smoothly. The questions were basic, just about his family and how he ended up taking care of himself. Ru had been relieved when the man didn’t dig too deeply, but also disappointed because that would have been an easy way to tell Adam about his fame. Though the conversation had been somewhat terrifying.
He had sat across from Adam’s dad, who told him to call him Josiah. “Thank you, sir. Josiah, I mean,” Ru said.
“I know you and Adam have just met, but I wanted to have a chance to talk with you privately. Tell you a little about Adam,” the man said.
“I really like Adam.” Ru worried Adam’s father would say they couldn’t see each other anymore.
“He has matured a little slower than a lot of other boys. Slower than I did myself. He’s still very innocent.”
Ru nodded, knowing all too well what Mr. Corbin meant. “I understand. I have no intention of pushing him into anything he’s not ready for. Adam means a lot to me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before...”
“But you are also very young,” Josiah pointed out.
Not really, but Ru didn’t protest. “I had a boyfriend before Adam.”
“And were you safe with this other boy?”
Was he asking about protection? “Yes, mostly. And when the relationship ended, I got tested. Have been tested twice since, actually. I found out he was cheating on me. It made me pretty paranoid for a while.”
Josiah grabbed Ru’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry that happened to you. And I’m sure you can understand that I want to avoid the same thing from happening to Adam. He’s got a very big heart, and I don’t want to see it broken.”
Ru nodded, agreeing completely. “I can’t make promises, but I am really hopeful that this thing between us is something that’s going to last. I mean, it feels amazing. Just holding his hand makes me feel like I can conquer the world. I never felt that before. Not even with Kris. He was my ex.” Ru sighed and looked away as one of the staff brought over their smoothies. No one had recognized him, or if they had, they were being very quiet about it, but the place was filling up fast.
“World domination aside, I can tell you’re pretty in tune to Adam. And him to you. He says you’re not close with your family, wants to show you his because he’s happy and feels like he’s loved. I understand that. I just want you to take it slow. Give him space to grow. You both are young. Life is a marathon, not a race. That includes love.”
“I won’t push him. I want him to be whoever he is growing up to be. I don’t know if you’ve read some of his journals, but he’s an amazing writer. His take on the world is so subtle, sweet, and yet cynical. I’ve learned more from him the past week about living than I think I have in the last seventeen years of actual life.” Ru took a sip of his smoothie. Not bad for something under 200 calories. He wished they were upstairs watching Adam run. “It’s probably too soon to say it, but I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him.”
Josiah smiled, patted Ru’s hand, and let the topic go. “Tell me how you ended up on your own?”
“Hard questions first, right?” Ru sighed. “My dad really pushed me when I was young. I learned all about music, piano and guitar, was writing and performing by the time I was six. When I started earning money, he got pushier. I thought I could trust him. I mean, he was my dad, you know?”
Mr. Corbin just nodded.
“I knew I was different. Not just because I was so focused, but because I never noticed girls the way the other boys did. What little time I had that wasn’t devoted to schoolwork or practice, I thought about what it meant to be so different. It really scared me. I thought sharing it with him would help.”
“You told him you’re gay?”
Ru nodded. “I was eleven. On the verge of great things but struggling to grasp some sense of self. I thought my dad would be proud I was doing so much, and that I knew who I was. Only he wasn’t. To this day, I don’t remember much other than the disgust on his face. I know he yelled at me, called me things, demanded I hide this part of me, even tried to convince me that I was confused. I can still hear bits and pieces of his words, but it was that look that did it for me. I knew he’d never accept me. No matter how hard I worked, how much money or fame I had, he would never love me. Probably never did love me.” Ru felt the hot burning of tears in his eyes. He sniffed and ground his teeth together, trying to hold them back. “He and my mom had divorced two years before because he was laser-focused on my career, and she just wanted to be some rich man’s wife. Then he walked out.”
“The two of you haven’t talked since?”
“No.” Ru looked up into the light, hating that talking about his dad had made him feel so weak. “I thought maybe he’d call or something. Two months later, he sent me documentation that made me independent.” Ru waved his hand. “It’s all about money anyway. I can hire people to take care of me. I guess that means I don’t need parents. My mom shows up when she wants money. My dad got a big settlement when he left.”
“You do need parents. Parents aren’t there just to provide monetary support. They are there to hold you when you’re sad, tell you when you’re doing something stupid to try to keep you from getting hurt, and love you even when you think no one else will.” Mr. Corbin wrapped his arms around Ru. Despite trying so hard not to cry, Ru let it all go, sobbing like he hadn’t since the day his father left. This was what having a dad was supposed to feel like.
When Ru finally pulled away, he rubbed his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt. “Sorry. I guess I know why Adam thinks so highly of you guys.”
Mr. Corbin patted Ru’s hand. “You need anything, you call me, okay? People shouldn’t abandon their children just because things didn’t turn out the way they want. Nothing in life works that way. Heck, Clara and I got married thinking we’d have a dozen kids, only to find out her body is too frail for that. We thought about adopting for a while, but Adam has always been our focus.”
“He’s pretty amazing,” Ru agreed.
“But not perfect. Not even Adam.”
Ru thought Adam might be perfect for him, but understood what Mr. Corbin was saying. “Yeah, life kind of disappoints a lot, right?”
