Confounded: Part II - 17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17 --==Taylan’s POV==--

“Tay, can I talk to you?” Kit asked, later that night, after dinner.
He whispered it, so that Mitchell and Tom, both in the living room, couldn’t overhear.

“Sure, what’s up?” I answered.

“Not here,” he said, whispering again.
He motioned me to the door leading to the bedrooms, and I followed, frowning. Why was he being so secretive?

He didn’t say a word until he reached his room and closed the door behind him. I sat down on his desk chair, giving him a questioning look while he leaned against the door, his eyes closed.

“I think I’m going nuts,” he then said.

“You know; I love puzzles, but this one is too cryptic. Care to tell me what’s going on?” I said, leaning forward.
Looking sideways, he bit on his lip and sighed deeply.

“Promise me you won’t fly of the handle, whatever I say next.”

“Unless it’s robbery or homicide, I promise,” I said, getting curious.
This had to be something big, for him to ask me that before he’d actually said anything.

Going over to his bed, he sat down and rubbed his face with his hands; then he faced me in the same way I was sitting, with his elbows on his knees. He looked downright lost then, and I began to get worried.

“I think I’m beginning to like Tom.”
Staring at him, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Wha…that’s it? That’s causing you to act like you’re some sort of secret agent? God, I thought it was something bad. Fine, so you’re starting to like Tom. At the core, he’s a good kid. Always was until this thing started, whatever it is. He’s changing back to that, getting back on track. That’s good. In fact; it’s great!”
Sighing again, he shook his head.

“You don’t understand. I like him.”

“Yeah, I heard you the first t…”
And suddenly I understood; maybe it was because of the pained expression he used.
“Oh-ho wowow….wait a second. You like him? Like as in like-like?”

“Yeah…as in the way I liked Jack.”

“Oh…”

I didn’t know what else to say; I couldn’t think of anything, because this one threw me for a loop. As far as I knew, they didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye on much, if anything. They’d spent more time together in the past few days, sure, but...

“That’s all you have to say? Oh?”
His voice startled me and I shook out of that train of thought.

“I’m sorry, it’s just me trying to get my head around this one. You guys were ready to go for blood, not all that long ago, and now it’s completely reversed?”

“I know! One minute we’re going over the contracts I brought from work; the next I’m …” He halted there and chewed his lip, “…the next I’m going all goo-goo eyed, my heart starts racing, butterflies, the works!”

“Okay…” I said, leaning forward to catch his eye. “Sounds to me that you’re right about the ‘like’ part but…did Tom give you any indication, or signs or… I mean, is he interested in you, in that way?”

“No. He doesn’t know, thank god. If he did, I’d never live it down.”
I smirked at that.

“Maybe…maybe not. You know; Tom’s always been a bit of an outsider. He kicks and screams, but you know; he’s really just like me. Loud bark, no bite. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I think he’s changed a lot, these past few weeks.”

“Yeah…”

“And that’s also, perhaps, the reason that you’re developing these feelings?” I suggested. “You’re seeing a guy who’s always been there, but you just never saw.”

“He lets no one see that. He doesn’t let anyone close enough.”

“True. So ask yourself; why does he let you see it?”
Kit frowned at that.

“Because I know what happened to make him this way….”

“I think so, yes. He’s beginning to trust you.”
He stared at me.

“You think so?”

“I do, yes. So, knowing that; how does that make you feel?”
A corner of his sharp mouth turned up.

“Kinda nice. Honored…”

“Kit; any sort of relationship has to have trust first. Giving that to someone is sometimes very hard. In Tom’s case, I’d even go as far as next to impossible.”
That provoked a nod of agreement.
“So what is it that you do, when you’re around him?”

“Nothing?”
It sounded a little defensive.

“Exactly. You do nothing. You don’t ask awkward questions, even though you know the truth. You don’t do anything different, you’re just…”
I let that one sink in, to see if he got it.

“I’m just myself…”

“And what does that tell you?”

“I don’t…”

“He feels that you trust him too, Kit. You’re not as defensive around him as you used to be. You know something about him that we don’t and haven’t told on him. You’re allowing him into your room, letting him help you…you’re becoming friends, building a relationship, if you will, with him.”
During that explanation, I saw his expression change to understanding and he nodded.

“Yeah…I guess I see what you mean.”

“Good. But having said all that; Kit, I don’t like you setting yourself up to fail. I don’t think Tom has a girlfriend, but he might not exactly be receptive to…”

“Tom’s gay, Tay…” Kit interrupted my train of thought.

“Come again?” I echoed.
Kit looked somewhat sour then.

“That’s one of the things that wasn’t mine to divulge. So please, don’t let him know that you know. He’ll hate my guts if he finds out…”

“I’m not saying a word,” I replied, still recovering from that little bomb.

My gaydar was completely disabled then, if I’d never picked up on Tom; not that I knew my nephew all that well, I hadn’t really been as close to him in the past three years as I had been before that, but still…and Roman hadn’t told me, so he probably didn’t know either. This explained a few things…

“Kit, has this got anything to do with what happened to him? I know you feel it’s not yours to tell, and I get that, but at least tell me that much…”
Closing his eyes, he sighed deeply.

“Yes,” he then said, softly. “It does. The day he ran away from here; it was the anniversary of something very, very sad.”

“That bad, huh?”
He nodded.

“Yeah. But please don’t ask me more because that’s no…”

“Go ahead. Tell him,” Tom’s voice suddenly spoke up from the doorway.
Both Kit and I jumped; I hadn’t even heard the door open.