What the fuck just happened? One minute I was sitting at the table and the next we were kissing.Dammit.
His only excuse was he was weak, and he knew it, but he couldn’t resist touching Stephen; especially the way his ass looked so fucking good in those tight blue jeans and the scent of freshly showered skin. Also, the sweater he was wearing was Brenden’s old university sweater he thought he’d lost a long time ago. He must have forgotten to pack it when they ended their relationship. Brenden discreetly wiped his lips with the back of his hand, then walked over to the table and picked up the dishes putting them in the sink.
“So, I packed a little snack for you guys to take with you,” Julian said to him. “Please do me a favor, don’t let Nicholas eat too many sweets…” He handed the small bag to Brenden who reached out and took it.
“Dad, you do realize I know how to take care of my kid, right?” Stephen said to Julian.
“Of course I know that. But you must admit, Stevie, you let him get away with anything.”
Brenden chuckled as he watched and listened to both men talk back and forth.
“I’m pretty sure you will do the same thing when the…”
“Dad!” Stephen yelled stopping Julian’s words which drew his attention. He looked between both men who were staring at each other as if conveying a conversation with their eyes.
Julian sighed and shook his head, looking away from Stephen. He felt a slight tension enter the room, and it made Brenden very uncomfortable.
** ** ** ** **
“Um… shouldn’t we be going?” Brenden asked. Stephen looked away from his father and watched as Brenden looked at his watch.
“Yeah, do you mind taking Nicholas to the car and make sure he’s buckled in correctly? I forgot to get my wallet and cell phone,” he said, hoping Brenden would not see through the lie.
“Sure,” he answered. “Hey, little man, let’s go wait in the car for your dad,” he called out to Nicholas who was in the next room.
“Okay.” Nicholas ran into the kitchen and went over to Brenden, grabbing his hand and pulling him out to the garage.
Stephen waited until he heard the garage door close before he spoke. “What is wrong with you?”
“Me?!” his father asked incredulously. “I will not censor myself,” Julian spat, then took a deep breath. “Stephen, I love you, but you cannot keep hiding this from him; he has to know what’s going on with you. It will affect him just as much as it’s affecting you now. Nicholas would have told him last night if I didn’t walk into his room.”
The last part caught his attention and tempered his anger. “What are you talking about?”
“Nicholas is worried about you, and it seems he felt comfortable enough to tell Brenden that much.”
Shit!
“You can’t hide it forever; you have to tell them soon,” his father reprimanded.
Stephen sighed, “I know, it’s just I’m not sure how he will take it.” He sat down in the chair beside him and placed the cold tea on the table. “I’ve already lost his trust. You weren’t there when I told him about Nicholas. The look of hate on his face took me by surprise.”
“And you think he won’t hate you when he finds out?” Julian asked.
Stephen sighed. “I will tell him, I’m just... I’m just scared,” he whispered. “I just need him to trust me again. I don’t want to be hurt again, not by him. I can’t go through another heartbreak.”
Julian walked over to him, placing a finger under his chin and lifting his face. “You are not alone, no matter what happens, I will be here for you, just as I was the first time.” His father wiped away the tears he did not realize he was crying. “I have never been in your situation, I can only guess what you’re going through. But you cannot keep shouldering this on your own. Brenden needs to know, and so does Nicholas.”
Stephen could not argue; he shook his head and got up, putting his cup in the sink. “He’s been hurt, Dad.”
“So have you,” Julian countered. “I hate seeing you hurting like this, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it.”
Stephen hugged his dad, resting his head on his chest. “Just be there for me when everything goes to shit. Because it will.”
“I will always be here for you,” Julian told him, kissing him on the crown of his head.
He nodded and pulled out of his dad’s arms. Stephen had a lot to think about, turning and walking to the door, he stopped when he heard his father’s voice. “I figured you wouldn’t have time to eat, so I fixed you a tomato and goat cheese sandwich.”
“Did you…” No matter how angry he would like to be with his dad, the man always found a way to soften his heart.
