Unforgivable - 3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Corey watched the highway signs pass by as he approached his hometown. The day had been bright and sunny… perfect for an afternoon road trip. Even with the beautiful surroundings, Corey felt uneasy. It was a familiar feeling every time he returned. During each visit there was a risk of seeing his father, and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Truthfully, he wouldn’t care if he never saw the man again.

Pulling up to his hotel, he made himself relax. This weekend was supposed to be about seeing his friends and having a good time, not worrying about his parents. The wedding reception would take place here on Saturday, so it was the perfect place to stay. Pierre was booked in here as well since his family had moved from the area a few years back. Andrew and his fiancée were meeting them for dinner later, and Corey was looking forward to seeing his friends again. After checking in, he texted Perri and Drew to let him know he’d arrived, before hopping into the shower. He’d left straight from his office after his morning appointments, and was still in work clothes. The phone buzzed on the nightstand as he left the steamy bathroom.

Can’t wait to see ya. I need a drink bad. Andrew had texted him.

You just want to get me drunk. Corey chuckled as he hit ‘send’.

Nah, that’s Lizzie. She said she wants to see your fine ass up on the bar.

Corey laughed out loud. If she can get Pierre up there too, tell her she’s on.

He had barely put down his phone when there was a knock at his door. Adjusting his towel he looked through the peephole and spied a familiar red head standing on the other side. Forgetting his state of undress he flung open the door. “Pierre! When the hell did you get here?”

The air left his lungs in a rush as the shorter man threw himself into Corey’s arms, almost knocking him over. Corey pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. Pierre had actually grown a little since he was 18, but at around 5’10” he was still several inches shorter than Corey. “God, I’ve missed you.” The smaller man’s voice was muffled as he spoke against Corey’s bare chest. “Hey, why are you naked?” Amused grey eyes peered up at him. “What would David say?”

“That you have a damned good looking friend, and why can’t he fondle me too?”

Pierre laughed and gave Corey a playful shove. “Shut up and put some pants on.”

“Where is your hot construction worker anyways?” Corey asked, grabbing a pair of his jeans from his open suitcase.

“He can’t make it until early Saturday morning.” Pierre sighed. “The job he was on ran into some issues so he had to stay behind. He promised to be here in time for the ceremony though.” He walked over to the bed and flopped down, resting on his elbow. “How about Zach? Is he coming?”

Corey suppressed a grimace at the mention of his boyfriend’s name. “Yeah… he can’t make it until Saturday either.” Corey didn’t mention that Zach chose a fishing trip with his roommates over coming with him to the bachelor party.

“Okay….” Pierre drew out the word, sitting up and eyeing him curiously. “What’s going on? Trouble in paradise?”

Corey snorted and sank onto a chair by the bed. “Paradise….” He gave his friend a small smile. “I think it’s time for me to end it.”

The redhead’s expression turned sad as he reached out for Corey’s hand. “I’m so sorry, Cor.”

The brunette shrugged, pulling his hand away as he stood. “Eh, it’s all right. We were never going to last. I’ve been putting it off too long.” He grinned down at his friend, throwing off his melancholy. “Not everyone can get as lucky as you.” The soft smile that graced his sweet friend’s face made Corey’s chest ache… with happiness and maybe a little envy. The man was obviously thinking of David, his boyfriend of almost four years.

Pierre had gotten a job as a policy analyst straight out of University, and met David when he moved into the apartment next door. At the time, the man, who was five years older than Pierre, worked for his father’s construction company… which he now ran. It took several months of flirting, and frustrated phone calls to Corey before Pierre finally drew the shy, quiet man out of his shell. Corey liked the gentle giant on first meeting. The fact David was clearly devoted to his best friend only elevated the man in his eyes.

The two friends reminisced as Corey finished getting dressed. They were going out to a nice, but casual restaurant for dinner, so they were dressed similarly, in jeans and button down shirts. Since both men planned to have a few drinks, they decided to take a cab to the restaurant. Not wanting to hang around the hotel, they decided to head over now, and wait at the bar for their dinner companions. Liz had offered to stay back, telling Andrew he should catch up with his friends alone, but Corey and Pierre insisted she come. They were looking forward to getting to know the woman their best friend loved… and maybe tell some embarrassing stories about him.

They were laughing about the last time the three of them had been together, when Corey heard a familiar voice behind him. “Got the party started without me again? Damn, I’m crushed.” He turned to face a grinning Andrew. Drew had always been tall and muscular, but he seemed even bigger now. Corey hopped off his stool, and saw Pierre do the same beside him. As he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug he noticed a tall, beautiful brunette standing behind his friend. She was smiling and shaking her head as Drew let him go, and pulled a protesting Pierre into a hug, lifting him off the ground.

“Damn, it’s been too long,” Andrew said as he put an arm around the woman, pulling her to stand beside him. “Perri, Cor… this is my Lizzie.” His friend’s expression softened as he kissed the side of his fiancée’s head.

Liz grinned at both of them, reaching out to shake their hands. “Pierre… Corey… It’s great to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about the both of you.” Pierre glared at Andrew, grumbling about the Perri nickname, but smiled warmly at the friendly brunette.

The group made small talk by the bar until being led to a table by their waiter. Andrew ordered a round of drinks, and they caught up on their lives since they’d last spoken, a couple of weeks before. The nice thing about their friendship was, while living far from each they made a point of talking to each other regularly.

Corey really liked Liz. She was warm and funny and kept his friend on his toes. The dreamy look Andrew got when he looked at his future wife would also make for some great fodder for jokes at the bachelor party. The blond hunk had come a long way from the ‘no serious relationships’ teen he knew in high school. Thinking about high school, his mind conjured up an image of Andrew’s brother, Jason. The siblings were very similar in many ways. They looked alike, and even seemed to have the same aversion to commitment. The major difference, in Corey’s eyes, was Andrew never lied to the women he was with. Each one knew from the start the most the handsome blonde was offering was a fling. The younger Sedor was adamant he didn’t want to string anyone along, and didn’t want any misunderstandings… especially after what happened between Pierre and Jason.

Corey shook his head, trying to clear the memories. He didn’t want to think about that guy. It would only irritate him, and he wanted to have fun tonight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pierre looking at him with concern. Trying to alleviate the redhead’s worry, he threw himself back into the conversation about the bachelor party.

“I swear to God, Drew,” Pierre said with a pained groan. “If your straight buddies plan on dragging us to a strip club, I’ll lose my shit.”

Andrew howled with laughter, drawing the attention of a few nearby diners. “Fuck that, I’m not saying a word. You can take it up with Chris.”

Liz giggled beside him, wrapping her slender arm around the big man’s shoulders. “It’s all right… I already told him that if he does that to you, then they all need to go to a gay strip show after. It’s only fair, right? I think he’d be very popular.” The evil glint in her eyes made Corey laugh so hard he sloshed his beer. Andrew’s eyes grew wide as he started to choke.

“Jesus, babe,” he said, coughing. “Don’t do that.”

The stories and laughter continued for hours, including several embarrassing tales of Andrew in his younger days, before they reluctantly called it a night. The couple had a few last minute appointments early the next day, and Corey had a lunch date with his mother. Corey and Pierre gave their new friend a hug, telling her how much they’d enjoyed getting to know her, and told Drew they would see him at the bachelor party, before taking a cab back to their hotel.

It was a little after noon the next day when he walked into the café down the street from the hotel. His mother was already inside, and broke into a wide grin when she spotted him. She stood and enveloped him in a vanilla and mint scented hug.

“You look wonderful, Mom,” Corey said as they sat. She really did look good in a dress that complimented her slender figure.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, blushing. “Did you have a good drive yesterday?”

“Yes,” he answered, sipping the water the waitress set on the table. “The weather was great, the traffic was light, and I had a good playlist. You can’t really ask for more.” He grinned at her.

They spent a pleasant hour, talking as they ate. Although his mom was smiling, she seemed more subdued than she’d been on the phone the week before. “How are things with you, Mom, really?” he asked finally, reaching for her hand over the table. “Are you okay?” A look of profound sadness passed over her features before her expression cleared.

“I’m okay,” she answered, softly fiddling with her napkin. She met his gaze and Corey knew… his father was at it again. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. This was why they didn’t discuss Ian Smyth…. Corey had the urge to track down the man and beat him to a slimy pulp. Instead, he did what he always did… he pretended he didn’t know what was going on, and pasted on a smile for the woman he loved most in the world. When they parted on the street, he hugged her tightly, and silently hoped she would have the strength to leave her bastard husband someday.

Later that evening, Corey and Pierre sat in the lobby waiting for the vehicle arranged to shuttle them around for the night. When the large SUV style limo pulled up, they could already hear the music blaring from the back. As they approached the vehicle, the door swung open, and Drew almost fell out. Apparently, the party had already started for him. Chuckling, they hurried over to help their drunk friend back inside when another blonde head popped out of the opening.

“Careful, Drew,” someone said, as strong arms stopped him from falling on his face. “Liz’ll kill us if you mess up your pretty face for the wedding photos.”

Jason. Corey stopped dead. For some reason, it never occurred to him he would see Andrew’s older brother tonight. Blue eyes met his, and widened slightly in shock. If possible, Jason was even more handsome than he’d been at 20. Concerned for his friend, Corey turned to Pierre. The man stiffened slightly, but gave no other outward sign that the appearance of his ex-boyfriend affected him.

“Cor! Perri!” Andrew flopped back on the leather seat beside his brother. His voice was loud now that someone had turned the music down. “I love you guys!”

“We love you too, Drew.” Pierre chuckled and climbed into the vehicle, sitting between two mutual friends from high school, Joe and Chris. There were two other men in the limo who they were introduced to as friends of Andrew’s from Alberta. “This is Gerry and Mark.” Andrew waved a hand vaguely at the men, who smiled and raised their beers in greeting.

Due to the seating arrangements, Corey ended up sitting directly across from Jason. The older blond smiled tentatively at him. “Hey, Corey. It’s been a long time.”

Corey debated if he should ignore the man, but decided it would be childish. He didn’t want to spoil Andrew’s night with pettiness. “Jason,” he acknowledged with a nod. “It has been a while.”

“How’ve you been?” Jason’s gaze met his again. There was a look there Corey didn’t quite know how to interpret. Regret? Sadness maybe? Before he could answer, someone cranked the volume on the music, cutting off any opportunity for conversation, much to Corey’s relief.

Their first stop was a popular bar in downtown Toronto. It was loud and crowded. They had a great time getting to know Andrew’s other friends. Mark, who was a few years older than Jason, was married with a young daughter. Gerry was younger, and single. Corey even got ribbed by the other men for dancing with a pretty blonde girl who’d invited him. They spent a couple of hours at the first bar before heading off to another hot spot. Much to Pierre’s horror, it was in fact, a strip club. Luckily, Chris, who’d arranged the bachelor party, had reserved a table in the back, so they could avoid facing the stage.

It was after 1 am, and Corey needed to find a restroom. Andrew was sloppy drunk, and sprawled on the cushioned bench seat. The rest of their group were only slightly more sober. Corey looked around the table, and realized both Pierre and Jason were missing. Pierre had gone to find a bathroom quite some time ago… how long had he been gone? He’d been so engrossed in a conversation with Gerry about sports injuries he didn’t notice his friend hadn’t come back.

The redhead still hadn’t returned by the time he came back from the restroom. Thinking the man was sitting out in the limo, pouting over his exposure to naked breasts, he decided to go out and tease him. The door swung shut behind him, cutting off the music, and left him in blessed quiet. He never had been a fan of the bar scene. The limo was still parked in the back of the lot so he walked in that direction. Before he reached the vehicle, movement to his left caught his eye. He turned and saw Pierre and Jason, sitting in the shadows on a wooden railing surrounding the property.

Jason had his arms around Pierre, holding him close. Something inside of Corey snapped as he watched his friend’s arms move up to return the big blonde’s hug. “What the fuck is going on here?” he snapped, storming over to the two men. They looked up at him, startled. The tears in Pierre’s eyes made Corey even angrier. “Get the fuck away from him. He has a boyfriend, you jackass.” Corey pulled Jason away from his smaller friend.

“Cor….” Pierre grabbed his arm, trying to turn him. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Corey’s fury couldn’t seem to be contained. He pointed an accusing finger at Jason. “He can’t be trusted, Pierre. You, of all people, should know that.”

“Corey, please listen to me….” Pierre’s breathe hitched behind him.

“I’ll leave you two alone to talk,” Jason said quietly.

“Yes, leave…” Corey glared at tall man’s retreating back. “Cheating bastard,” he muttered before turning back to the redhead. “What were you thinking, Perri? I don’t trust him.”

“But do you trust me?”

The question gave Corey pause… he did trust Pierre. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep, calming breath. “I’m sorry for jumping down your throat. Why were you two talking out here?”

“Jason wanted to apologize to me.” Pierre gave him a sad smile. Corey knew he looked skeptical. “Seriously… he actually sounded like he meant it.” Perri wiped a stray tear. “It doesn’t make what happened right, but the apology was good to hear.”

“I don’t know….” Corey was hesitant to believe anything out of the older man’s mouth.

Pierre sighed and stood up, hugging his friend. “Cor,” he said quietly, pulling back to look him in the eye. “I know you ended your friendship with Jason because of me, and I love you, and Drew, for the support you gave me, but you have to let this anger go. Jason cheated on me, not you, and I’ve forgiven him. From what I saw back then, he cared a lot about you.” The redhead raised his hand, stopping Corey’s objection. “Whether it was as a friend, a brother, or something more, I don’t know, but he was always good to you. Carrying around this kind of bitterness isn’t good. If you can’t rebuild the friendship, that’s ok, but maybe give the guy a chance to prove he’s capable of change?”

“It could all just be lip service,” Corey said, knowing he sounded like a petulant child.

Pierre chuckled. “The point, my sweet, overprotective friend, is that you will never know, because you’ve shut down any attempts he’s made to talk to you.”

Corey hated to admit his friend was right, but the truth was he had cut Jason out of his life since that awful night. Even tonight he’d been polite, but made sure he was never close enough to the man to encourage conversation. He sighed, bumping Pierre’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter anyways,” he said as they walked back to the bar. “It’s not like I’m going to see him again after the wedding.”

A big thank you goes out to my editor, Gary.  I couldn't do this without your support and advice.     Thank you to all of you who read and support this story.