Chapter 24
A
pair of baby blue eyes timidly opened, totally revealing the beautiful color
that was hidden under red rimmed eyelids. When did the cold hard floor he
remembered the small space in the basement had got replaced by a soft warm
cushiony floor? He blinked a couple of times, his gaze blurry from the tears
he’d shed the night before and as he glanced around him he saw he was in his
bedroom. A warm blanket tightly wrapped around him a soft warm glow coming
through the window. He sighed, wondering how he’d gotten here.
Was
the letter he got from Josh explaining what had happened just been a dream?
The
things he’d said to his father just wishful thinking?
The
hard slap on his cheek and him being dragged to the coldest and darkest place
in the house just a nightmare?
He
sat up slowly, his body sore but from what?
Maybe
it actually happened, he crawled out of bed still wearing the T-shirt he’d wore
the day before but his pants hung over his desk chair. He really wasn’t sure
anymore what had been a dream and what had been real. His head was spinning
with confusion as he walked towards the big mirror on his wall. One thing
confirmed that it had in fact all been real and it weren’t the red rimmed
eyelids or the bloodshot eyes that told him that. It was the red somewhat blue
handprint on his left cheek. His left hand went up to touch his cheek, gently
probing it to make sure it was real, that it wouldn’t vanish when he touched
it. When it didn’t he knew for sure that it had all really happened.
But
then how did he get back here?
Had
his father taking pity on him and had come back, laying him down in his own
bed?
He
shook his head; that couldn’t be it, his father had never been as angry with
him as he had been yesterday evening. No it couldn’t have been him but then
who? It probably had been Louise he figured, hearing about the argument and
where Howard had put him and he went in search of him and brought him back to
safety. Why couldn’t his mother or father care enough about him to do that, why
did it have to be a stranger he thought miserably. Well Louise wasn’t a
stranger and Justin considered him family but he just wished he wouldn’t have
needed Louise because then his parents would love him the way Louise did.
Justin
walked towards his bedroom door, afraid to open it but he wanted to find
Louise, ask him what had happened and wanted his friend to comfort him. His
hand slowly stretched towards the doorknob, fisting it in his hand for a couple
of seconds before he turned the knob. But till his surprise the door didn’t
open, he thought it might be stuck. Although his mind told him it couldn’t be
stuck he still tried again to get the door to open. But the door once again
didn’t open, it didn’t even budge and now Justin knew the door was locked. His hand
fell back to his side as he shuffled back towards the bed. He plumped down on
the soft mattress as he relived the memories of the previous night. Justin was
scared and angry. He rubbed his hands over his face and winced when he touched
the mark on his face. The pain suddenly sprung him into action. He didn’t want
to live here anymore, he was sure his father wouldn’t let Josh and him be
together and now that was the only thing he wanted.
How
dared his father threaten Josh?
How
dare he tear them apart?
How
dared he to interfere in their relationship?
Justin
wanted no more, he quickly went to his desk chair and pulled on his pants. He
didn’t waste a minute as he grabbed a bag and stuffed in a few clothes, just
enough. He didn’t need anything else from the room; valuable things he had
plenty but nothing that was valuable to him, nothing was really worth taking
except his journal that rested in his usual hiding space; under his mattress.
One more thing he needed; the letter from Josh. It lay on the night stand where
he’d placed it the night before, before he flew down the stairs to confront his
father with what he’d just learned. Except for that; the only thing he really
needed was Josh himself. As he finished packing, he glanced once around the
room. His eye fell on his wallet; knowing it held a lot of cash at least for a
fifteen year old, he snatched it up and put it in his back pocket. His dad at
least owed him that much he thought as he walked back towards his desk, setting
the bag on his bed; ready to go. Justin quickly scribbled down a message for
Louise. His father didn’t disserve a message after what he’d done to him. He
disserved to worry about him but his gut told him he wouldn’t be worried, at
least not all that much.
Dear Louise,
Thanks for everything you’ve done for me. I’m sorry I can’t say
goodbye to you in person but I really have to go. I can’t stay here any longer.
Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Take care and I will do the same,
Love Justin
He
surveyed the room once more, silently saying goodbye before he opened the doors
to the balcony. The rain pipe that he thought would come in handy when he
wanted to sneak out to go clubbing at 18 was more useful at 15 when he wanted
to sneak out completely. He hit the floor moments later and picked up his bag,
which already landed a couple minutes earlier. He fisted the bag as he spurted
towards the main road, leaving everything behind for Josh; his Josh.
***
A
hard knock on the door interrupted Josh’s exhausted sleep. It was only 7am, he’d
gone to bed only 4 hours ago. He groaned and rolled over hoping the person
would go away but when a soft voice desperately calling his name drifted into
his ears he was wide awake. He bolted upright and practically ran towards the
door, almost falling over clothes he’d discarded on the floor when he came home
tired after work.
“Justin?”
Josh squeaked surprised once he opened the door. It could have been his mind
playing mean tricks on him but it wasn’t; Justin was really there.
“Can
I stay with you?” he asked timidly, gripping the strap of his overnight bag
from nerves.
“Justin?
What happened?” Josh asked concerned as he took in the bag Justin was carrying
and the mark on his soft skin. Josh cupped his face gently but when Justin
hissed he pulled back quickly.
“I
ran away” he told his lover softly. Justin dropped the bag in a heap and lunged
himself at the older man falling into his much needed embrace. It had been too
long.
“I’m
so sorry Josh, I love you, please, I love you” he whispered against his chest.
Josh pulled him tight, his strong arms firmly wrapped around him, he closed his
eyes to savor the smell of his guppy back in his arms.
“I
love you Guppy” Josh whispered back, kissing his curls. Justin pulled back so
their lips could meet, crushing them together in a heat of passion. They’d
missed each other so much; the supposedly break up long forgotten. They’d never
parted, they never broke up, they loved each other so dearly that it would
forever connect them.
“We
can’t stay here Justin” Josh said all of a sudden, bursting the comforting and
happy bubble they both lived in for a total time of five minutes. Not nearly
enough for Justin as he asked confused,
“What
do you mean?”
“We
can’t stay in New York. You’re father will find us and I don’t want him to
follow through on his…”
“His
what?”
“His
promises” Josh finished safely.
“What?”
“He
threatened me,” he sighed, dropping his head,
“And
he will follow through on them if we stay here. We have to leave New York” Josh
informed him. Justin wanted to yell, his father had threatened his lover!
Although Justin knew, hearing it come out of his lover’s mouth made him so
angry. The hurt in his lover’s eyes hurt him twice as much but Josh got him out
of his thoughts before he could do anything about the anger that he was
feeling.
“Come
on” Josh urged him as he started packing a few belongings.
The
last thing they got before they left Josh’s little apartment behind was the
fish.
Josh’s
fish; his guppy.
***
Five
hours later they were driving down the highway towards Los Angeles. It was a
long way away from New York but that was the good part about it. Not only that,
it had over 3.5 million people, a good place to be if you didn’t want to be
found. They’d agreed about that only 4 hours ago, right after they’d bought a
car on the verge of the city lines. Justin’s wallet contained money that got
them quite a good car. They just wanted a normal one, which would get them to
Los Angeles and who wouldn’t get noticed. They’d dumped their stuff in the
backseat as they headed out of New York for good, taking the highway to start
their live together in LA.
Once
every 5 minutes Josh cast a glance towards his guppy sleeping peacefully next
to him in the passenger seat. Everything had happened so fast; he’d given
Louise the letter only the night before and now here he was taking Justin and
himself to a new future which hopefully didn’t involve Howard Timberlake.
Josh’s
mind wondered towards his mother; would she be ok? He knew that as soon as they
got in LA he would find a job and he would send the money to her to make sure
she could keep staying there. That they would continue to take care of her he
would make sure that happened. He felt guilty for leaving her there but it
wasn’t like he could have loaded her up and start driving. She would understand
and once they got to LA he would call her and explain everything. Then there
were his jobs; he hadn’t even gotten the chance to say he’d quit. He’d wished
he could have seen the look on Mr. Johnson’s face as he told him to stuff it.
Too bad he didn’t have the chance to do so but just thinking about it made him
smile. Besides he would freak when he didn’t show up this afternoon and the
image of that broadened his smile.
Justin
stirred next to him, his hands functioning as a pillow against the hard glass.
Josh hoped he’d made the right decision; this was not going to be easy and
Justin was only fifteen years old. Still a kid, but so was he actually he had
just been forced to grow up fast when his mom got sick. If he doubted for a
second all he had to do was look at his lover, his boyfriend, his everything
and he knew he’d made the right decision. They could have never been happy back
in New York. They’d never be able to have a real relationship with Justin’s dad
so close. No LA was going to be different in that way he thought determined. He
turned his gaze back towards the road ahead of him. At the end, LA would be
waiting for them. He enjoyed the silence as he pushed the gas pedal further
down, eager to get to LA, to start his life with his guppy.
***
Back
in New York, the Timberlake house was anything but peaceful. Howard was angrily
talking to the police after searching the whole house and coming up empty. He
couldn’t find Justin anywhere and when he saw the missing clothes and the note
he knew his son had ran away. He demanded the police would start looking right
away, a few extra bucks to speed up the process and to bring his son back home.
He instructed to also look out for a certain Joshua Chasez, knowing they’d
probably gone off together but he didn’t let the police know that. He told them
he might have kidnapped his son instead and the policemen nodded before
starting their search.
***
Howard stirred his
drink when the policemen left. He stared out blankly in front of him. He knew
Josh and his son had run away together and no way was he going to let Josh get
away with that. He was going to make him pay for this. He’d turned his son
against him. Everything had been fine till Josh Chasez came into his son’s
life. Justin was a good kid, obedient, a good student, hardly ever got in any
trouble until Josh changed him. All of a sudden he liked men, or at least he
thought he liked them, how could a child know this anyway? How could he know
what love was? No Howard was certain Josh had forced him to be this way and
made him this way. Everything was Josh’s fault and he promised he was going to
make him pay.
