Sweetheart, West Virginia - 1. Chapter One

I stopped the rental car halfway through the paved driveway, and after some doubts, I parked the car and turned off the ignition. The lights of the car died out, and I looked at the mansion where I was raised in for most of my young life. This place, my former home, felt like it was trying to welcome me back in with the outdoor lights glowing on either side of the driveway, leading to the front porch of the mansion where the door with glass panels was. It was slightly open like it was an invitation, only making me more tempted to exit my car and carry what I brought with me from my life in the city.

Regret suddenly surged through me, not because I didn’t want to be back home, but because I knew that I didn’t belong her. Not anymore. So much had happened in the past five years, and the last thing I wanted to do was to reopen old wounds, on my body and everyone else, especially the people I supposedly cared about. And after being stopped by police as soon as I entered the town for a traffic violation, I knew that coming back here was a mistake.

Grabbing the key that was still in the ignition, I was about to turn it when the front door opened completely. I paused and looked to see a tall figure standing at the threshold, and I knew that I couldn’t just drive away now without disappointing them further. So, taking a deep breath, I pulled the key out of the ignition and exited the vehicle that I rented for a month with a backpack that I placed on the front passenger’s seat. Slinging it on one shoulder, I walked along the driveway with my head down and my hands in the pocket of jeans. I walked up the porch stairs, making those same damn creaks that got me into trouble after sneaking back from a late party all those years ago. Then I looked up to see a man in his sixties looking at me ridges on his forehead and a frown bent on his face.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Hi, Uncle Jack… Sorry again for the short notice. I just… Something happened back in the city, and let’s just say that I need a vacation.”

“And?” Uncle Jack said with arms crossed.

“And…I missed you both,” I said sincerely.

Unexpectedly, a smile stretched across Uncle Jack’s face, and he approached me before giving me one of his bone-crushing hugs, which hurt even more by the surprise. “I missed you too, Benny Boy!”

“And Tita Jane?” I asked as hugged back.

“Of course, she’s missed you too.” Finally releasing his hold on me, Uncle Jack motioned his hand and said, “Come inside! Do you have any other stuff with you?”

“Oh, yeah. There in the trunk of the car, but I’ll get them out tomorrow.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Come on! Your tita cooked a grand meal just for your arrival back home, and I’ve been starving just waiting for you.”

I walked inside and closed the door behind me. “But I only called that I was coming back here six hours ago. How did she…?”

“You know your tita? She always manages somehow.”

Entering the kitchen, I was quickly invited by the amazing aromas that were wafting into my nose, making my stomach grumble almost painfully. Then on cue, a small, slightly chubby woman appeared from behind a tall steamer on the stove. Her big eyes were wide with surprise, and then she smiled before quickly walking towards me and embracing me warmly. I smiled and hugged her back. Her hug was not crushing at all like Uncle Jack’s, and though I was taller than her by at least a foot, she hugged me like I was the small child again who had no problem expressing her unconditional love to me in public. Though, I was embarrassed when she hugged me after every football game in high school, at this moment I didn’t mind at all.

“Oh, Benny! I’m so happy you’re back home!” Tita Jane said with the same Filipino accent that sounded stronger because I was gone so long.

“Me too, Tita Jane.”

“Well, now that you’re here, we can finally eat. I just finished steaming the puto, and I know that’s your favorite.”

“Everything you make is my favorite,” I complimented.

Tita Jane giggled, pinching my cheek before walking back to the steamer. “You two go to the dinner table, while I take out the puto.”

“Thank goodness! Ten more minutes and I was going to eat a horse,” Uncle Jack said as he placed a hand on my shoulder and led me to the dining room.

The table was completely covered with different plates of Filipino food; there was at least ten plates filled to the edge with food. I knew three people alone couldn’t finish even a quarter of it, but, hey, that was what leftovers were for. I quickly took an empty plate and began filling it with a serving from each dish before I sat down at one side of the table, while Uncle Jack sat at the other. Tita Jane returned with plate filled with puto, which was basically steamed rice cakes that were a delicacy back at her home in the Philippines.

Squeezing the plate between the pancit and chicken adobo, she then looked at me and said, “Go on. Start eating!”

I smiled and dipped my spoon into the dinuguan and the into the white rice before shoving it into my mouth. I relished the amazing flavors, not knowing that I missed the taste of traditional Filipino food and especially the way that my tita made it. Back in the city, my food palette was mostly takeout food from the fast food restaurant that was below my apartment, and it made me really miss home. But now I was back, and the second thoughts I was having quickly drained away as I helped myself to the food in front of me.

Tita Jane patted my head affectionally. “Remember when you first tried dinuguan, and right after you finished I told you what one of the main ingredients was?”

I chuckled. “Yeah…pig’s blood. And then I asked if I could have seconds.”

Tita Jane placed her forehead on my shoulder and ruffled my hair. “I’m so happy that you’re back.”

“Me too,” I said with meaning.

“You look great since the last time we saw you,” Uncle Jack said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “City life must’ve treated you well. And that car of yours looks really good as well.”

“Oh, thanks…but it’s just a rental. My other car is…under repair right now.” More like it’s in the junkyard and pressed into metal cube, but they didn’t need to know that.

“How was your car ride here?” Tita Jane asked.

“It was fine mostly.”

“Mostly?” Uncle Jack said with raised eyebrow. “What happened?”

I sighed and placed my fork down. “I, uh…got stopped by the police as soon as I drove through the main street of the town because I drove pass a red light.”

“Oh, goodness,” Tita Jane said.

“It’s okay. I only got a warning.” I took a drink of my water, and then I said, “I didn’t know Cash Monroe was a cop.”

“Oh, yes. He became part of the town’s police department for almost four years now,” Tita Jane explained as she wiped the corner of my mouth with a napkin. “He’s a good boy.”

“That’s…surprising.”

Ever since my middle school years, I heard enough about Cassius Monroe that I could assume that he was not the most upstanding of citizens of the town. I heard many things, from him being addicted to hardcore drugs to living off other people’s bank accounts. No one talked positively about him… so, it was surprising to know that he was a police officer now, the same police officer who blared his sirens as soon as I drove pass a red light.

I thought back at the moment when Cash knocked his knuckles on the side window, prompting me to roll it down, not knowing yet who the particular officer was. “Yes, Officer?”

“Sir, did you know that you just drove pass a red light?”

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t know! I was just—”

“Talking on your phone?”

“No! Of course not. I’m just… Look. I’m sorry. I drove for three hours straight to get here, and I have a lot on my mind your right,” I said truthfully, knowing that my mind was completely preoccupied with seeing my uncle and tita again after so long that I didn’t see the red light until it was too late. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

“License and registration, please.”

I sighed, knowing I was going to get a ticket as I pulled out my driver’s license and handed it to the officer. I then searched for the registration form. I looked inside the glove compartment, but I couldn’t find it. I didn’t think about where the vehicle registration was since I didn’t think I would get into an accident or get pulled over by a cop. The man cleared his throat, most likely losing his patience as continued to search.

“I’m sorry, Officer. This car is a rental and—”

“You’re Benjamin Bratt, aren’t you?”

I turned to face the officer again, and I saw him looking at my driver’s license. “Yeah... that’s me.”

The officer pointed his flashlight directly at me, causing me to wince. “You were Claudia’s fiancé, correct?”

I turned my face away from the light and from the knowledge that I was already recognized, not as Benjamin Bratt, but as the man who was going to marry Claudia Monroe before that tragic event five years ago. “Yeah…I was.”

The officer then dropped the light, and I looked back to see the man narrowing his eyes at me, most likely thinking that I was the one responsible for what happened to Claudia during prom night. I was then worried what this town still thought of me as based on the reaction of this random police officer, and it made my thoughts about not coming back here grow rapidly. I came to my hometown to try to escape from my current problems back in the city only to revisit old ones.

I’ll be back. Don’t. Go. Anywhere.”

I cursed mentally and nodded before the cop walked back to his police cruiser. So, I waited with my hands clenched on steering wheel and my eyes on the rearview mirror. I was scared to know what this police officer was doing. Was he calling for reinforcement with his radio, thinking I was this crazed psycho ready to start a rampage in the town? Or was he planning to plant some drugs on me, knowing that possession of an illegal substance would prove that I was bad person after all as they lock me up for an incident that I did not cause. The town’s police department didn’t have the best reputation and accusations of planting evidence was one of the reasons why.

After what felt like forever, I saw the police officer exit his cruiser and when he handed me back my driver’s license, he said, “I’m only going to give you warning this time, so your promise that you won’t do this again better be sincere.”

I sighed with relief and said, “It is. And thank you, Officer…”

“Monroe.”

At first, I thought it was a coincidence that his surname was the same as Claudia’s, but when I looked at him more closely, my mind registered that he wasn’t only related to Claudia, he was also her older brother. I couldn’t believe that Claudia’s brother was the first person I met on my trip back to this town, especially since following the law was not something that he did five years ago, before that incident that involved my former fiancé and his sister.

“Stay out of trouble, Benny the Bratt.”

Officer Monroe walked back to his police cruiser before I could open my mouth; though, I didn’t have anything to say to him. What could I say? Hey, I’m sorry for what happened to your sister, ignoring the fact that I was her former fiancé who broke off the engagement without any explanation just a week before that bloody incident. Forget that I was a prime suspect to what happened to her during prom night, and that I ran away from this town right after the police department released me because they had no substantial evidence other than town gossip, making me look even more guilty. And I know that it looks strange that I’m returning close to the five-year anniversary of when Claudia was found walking on the town’s main street during the night with her prom dress drenched in blood while holding the hand of her prom date that was severed at the wrist. She’ll be in my thoughts and prayers. I knew in my gut that he also accused me for what happened to Claudia, the good Christian girl who was led astray by the boy who came from a broken family before moving into his uncle’s house. And the worst thing was…I didn’t blame him.

“You okay, honey?”

I returned from my thoughts of that encounter with Cash Monroe and looked at my tita before smiling, trying to assure that I was all right even though I was far from that. “I am. It just feels strange being back after all these years.”

Uncle Jack chuckled. “Don’t worry. Nothing much has changed since you left. Other than building that new addition to that mental institution at the outskirts of the town, everything else has remained the same.”

“Oh,” I said, forgetting that facility still existed.

“Yes, many of your friends from the football are still here. Oh, and that one woman who was a cheerleader when you were in high school. What was her name? Oh, Stacy! She’s single again. So, maybe you might to reconnect with her when you get the chance, huh? You’ve gotten only more handsome since you left, and I’m sure the ladies here would only appreciate that.”

I couldn’t prevent myself from laughing. “Tita!”

“Come on, Jane. No one wants a person’s sloppy seconds,” Uncle Jack said before taking a gulp of his drink. “Anyways, I don’t think Benny Boy will be staying here for too, too long. You said for one month, right?”

“Yeah, at the most,” I replied.

“Can’t you stay longer than just a month?” Tita Jane as she moved a strand of hair from my forehead.

“I wish, but I can’t. One month is the longest I can be away from my job,” I explained.

“What job is that again?” Uncle Jack asked, and I knew that I was going to have to elaborate on my chosen profession back in the city.

“Oh, enough talking! Benny, eat your food! I didn’t cook this whole dinner just to give it away to the neighbors later,” Tita Jane insisted, and I silently thanked her for that.

So, I continued eating, and an hour passed with my stomach aching again, not from hunger, but from all the food that consumed, which I thought would satisfy me for at least a couple days. I was in my old bedroom and was ready to sleep with the clothes and bathroom supplies that I packed in my backpack. I would’ve helped Tita Jane with cleaning up the table, but she insisted that I was the guest during my stay here before shooing me away. So, I lied on my bed, reading a book on my tablet, hoping that I would soon fall asleep.

However, an hour passed, and I didn’t feel sleepy or even a little drowsy, which was funny since eating a huge meal usually eased me to sleep. I assumed it was because I just got here, and I was really itching to explore the town again despite it being close to midnight. But after more tossing and turning, I gave up on the idea of getting my beauty sleep and decided that I was going to go to the only place still open in a small town like this…the bar.

So, after quickly dressing into a new outfit, I grabbed the keys to my rental car and walked down the stairs. I noticed the kitchen light was still on, and I thought it was a good idea to let Tita Jane know that I was going out. I didn’t want a repeat of the night when I tried to enter the house again after attending a party. The creaking of the porch stairs alerted my uncle who fell asleep at the living room, and just as I opened the front door, I was welcomed with a baseball bat to the face that earned me a visit to the hospital for a minor concussion and a few brazen words from my uncle and tita about not going out so late.

Entering the kitchen, I saw Tita Jane pouring a can of fruit cocktails into a plastic colander. “You’re still making food, Tita Jane?”

Turning around, Tita Jane chuckled and said, “I just want to drain the fruits over the night, so I can make the fruit salad by tomorrow. Are you okay, Benny? You look like you’re about to go out.”

“Oh, um…I am. I just want to head to the town bar.”

“Are you hungry again? Because we have a lot of leftovers and—”

“Oh, no. I’m not hungry. I just plan on getting a drink or two. Maybe catch up with a few friends who might be there.”

“All right, but don’t drink too much and be back here by two.”

“Tita Jane, I’m an adult.”

“I know that. But you never know what kind of crazy people will be out there, and after what happened…”

I nodded. “Don’t worry. I will.”

Tita Jane smiled and returned to her work. I turned to the front door, but then I walked back to my tita and kissed her on the forehead before finally exiting the house.

I knew what she was referring to, and after five years I still felt guilty for putting my tita and uncle through that even though I wasn’t responsible for what happened to Claudia during that horrible night. It still didn’t stop most of the town from labeling me as the person responsible, and my uncle and tita defended me and claimed that I was innocent the entire time without question. And what did I do to repay them other than run away as soon as I graduated high school and leaving them with so many questions? They did so much for me since they first welcomed me into their home after what happened to my parents, and I made a note to myself that I was going to make it up to them even though they didn’t hold it against me. They truly loved me, and I was going to return that favor with every hug and kiss on the forehead.

***

“Hey, Cash. Are you listening? Police Officer Cassius Monroe are you still there?”

I returned from my thoughts and saw Zoe looking at me with a raised eyebrow before taking a gulp of my beer. “Don’t call me that.”

Zoe, also known as Police Officer Zoe Jensen, rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry. You’ve just been quiet since we left the police station, and I’m a little worried.”

I sighed. “Everything’s fine. I’m just a little distracted is all.” I took another drink of my beer when someone new entered the bar, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring.

“Why? Has someone in this bar got your attention?” Zoe said teasingly as she turned her head to look at the patrons in the bar.

“No, of course not!” I said before returning my crosshairs onto the man who looked around nervously before taking a seat at the bar.

I couldn’t believe it. Benjamin Bratt, also known as the Benny the Bratt, was not only back in town after five long years, but he was also in the same bar as I was. Then again, this was the only place that remained opened during the night. It still disturbed me, though, that he was back in the flesh, especially since it was close to the fifth anniversary of what happened to my sister, Claudia. I had so many questions for him, but I didn’t plan on taking him out to dinner to ask him those question. If I could get away with it, I would’ve tied that bastard to a chair with chains and interrogated him until he confessed about he did to my sister. I still regretted that I let him off with just a warning after driving pass a red light, but I didn’t want my anger to overtake me. I didn’t want to give him that satisfaction.

“I don’t think I know that person,” Zoe noted, turning her body around to get a better look. “Is he part of this town?”

I sighed heavily. “Yeah, unfortunately.” After draining the rest of my beer, I then said, “He’s actually quite famous here, and that was why he left five years ago from our little town of Sweetheart, West Virginia.”

“Oh, really? Is he a pro football player or something?”

I chuckled humorlessly as I raised my empty beer until the waitress noticed. “Well, he was in the high school football team…but that’s not why he’s famous.”

“Well…who is he then? Come on. You know that I’m not from around here. Tell me everything about that sexy stranger.”

I scoffed. “Aren’t you married?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t mean I can’t look. Now, tell me.”

I sighed again, and I wished I had that new beer already, so I had an excuse to not tell Zoe the truth as I drank my sorrows away. “He’s…He’s Benjamin Bratt. He’s twenty-three years old, used to live with his uncle and aunt at the ritzier part of the town, and he was considered a prime suspect to what happened to my sister, Claudia, almost five years ago. Satisfied.”

The waitress finally arrived with another cold beer, which I gladly accepted. I could’ve gone into more detail about who Benjamin Bratt was before the incident with Claudia, but I didn’t want to come off as someone who was obsessed with him. And that was only because for five years I have been investigating what happened, doing so much research and following every possible lead, regardless of how small or insignificant they seemed, and they all led me back to Benjamin himself. He, after all, was engaged to my sister before suddenly breaking it off for no reason. I never seen my sister so devastated, and the only way she could begin to recover was to celebrate her senior prom with someone else. And I had no doubt that Benjamin hated the idea of Claudia moving on so quickly, and what happened at the night of prom proved that.

“Oh, God…I’m so sorry, Cash,” Zoe said, turning her head back to Benjamin with what looked like disdain in her expression, which I appreciated.

“It’s all right, Zoe. There was no substantial evidence that proves that he was the one directly responsible for the incident.”

“Yeah, but something tells that you’re not entirely convinced that he’s innocent,” Zoe inferred.

I looked down at the table where several names were roughly etched into the rough wood. “Benjamin always rubbed me the wrong way. Before that night, everyone in this town thought so highly of him. He was this good-looking, well-mannered, boy-next-door type who played in the high school’s football team and lived in a mansion. The people he lived with were also highly respected, with an uncle who was a former high-ranked member of the Navy and his wife who came from the Philippines and regularly gave food to many of the town’s events, which were all hit. However, it’s always the people who seemed the most put together who committed the most heinous of acts. He was too perfect, but my sister didn’t see it that way, and she fell for him…and you know the rest.”

“I can’t imagine having to deal with that,” Zoe said sympathetically.

I just nodded and took drink of my beer, my eyes drifting back to the man who ruined my sister. He was watching a game on the mounted television and laughed at something the female bartender just said, looking so calm while anger was slowing brewing inside me. How could he return to this town after five years and act like nothing had happened while he enjoyed his beer and the game. I wasn’t a person who let his anger control him, but if I could just walk up to Benny the Bratt and punched him once in that pretty boy face of his, I could go home happy and not drinking myself into a stupor.

“You okay there, Cash?” Zoe asked warily.

I shut my eyes closed and took a few deep breaths to keep my emotions from pouring over. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just needed to forget about him.”

“Hey. How about we each order a greasy, triple cheeseburger with all the toppings?” Zoe offered. “It’s on me.”

I smiled, the first one I probably made since encountering Benjamin, and said, “That sounds great.”

Zoe smiled back and waved her hand to the waitress who quickly came to our table and wrote down our orders. I exercised four to five times a week with the muscles to prove it, and I was very watchful about what I put into my body, but eating one cheeseburger wasn’t going to kill me. And I’d rather jog away the extra calories I’d ingested in the following morning rather be completely drunk and puking in the toilet in the morning instead. I wasn’t like my father. Never.

After the waitress left, I noticed that Benjamin was looking at me, probably surprised to see me again in this bar, and I simply raised my beer bottle to him. He raised his as well before quickly turning his face away from me. I wondered what he thought about me. Not that I cared, but it was a long time since he last saw or heard of me. With long hair that was reached to my shoulders and an attitude that would cause even the most law-abiding of cops take out their baton on me, he must’ve been shocked to see me as a cop, which was funny since he didn’t look like he changed at all. His body did look more fuller though, and the light stubble on his face made him look more mature…manlier…more…

I mentally slapped myself, not believing where my mind was trying to go to. So, I decided to talk to Zoe instead. Out cheeseburger took a while to reach our table, but it was well worth the wait as I took a huge bite of the greasy monstrosity when it finally arrived. Zoe and I continued to talk as we ate, enjoying each other’s company and completely forgetting about Benjamin Bratt. And after we finished the rest of our beer and paid the waitress with a very generous tip, we left the bar with smiles on our faces and our stomachs completely full.

“You know, you don’t have to walk me to my car,” Zoe said. “Chivalry is dead, you know.”

“Nothing chivalrous about it. Just trying to be a good friend.”

Zoe giggled as they stopped by her car. “And who said all the good men are taken.” She then turned to me and said, “It’s such a shame that you don’t swing that way. I have plenty of friends back in the city who would be perfect for you.”

I chuckled. “Even if I did swing that way, I couldn’t never leave this town. It’s my home. Always will be.”

She smiled. “Hopefully one day you’ll meet that person who will make your every day a dream come true.” We hugged, and I watched her as she got into car and drive away.

Zoe’s words stuck with me even when she was long gone. Sweetheart was my home since I was born and leaving would be like amputating a limb. And even though this town was like one huge family, it wasn’t the best marketplace for finding love, and being a gay man definitely narrowed my options to such a degree that I knew there was no chance I was ever going to meet the person that Zoe described. And even if I did stumble upon the person who could make my dreams come true, I was too preoccupied with my career and finding the truth about the incident with Claudia that I wouldn’t have the time for anything or anyone else. I was destined to be forever alone with the only semblance of love coming from the small gay club that was an hour drive from this town, and I accepted that as my fate.

I walked to my car and was about to enter inside when I saw Benjamin exiting the bar. I tried to ignore him, but then someone else exited the bar and that person was walking clumsily right behind Benjamin, clearly drunk. He was Leroy King, and I watched as he called out to Benjamin who turned around, and that was when he was punched on the side face before falling to the ground. I immediately reacted, running to Benjamin and shouting at Leroy to stop what he was doing. The man looked at me, his face a mixture of anger and alcohol, before clenching his fist again for another punch. He wasn’t quick enough though, and I managed to pull him off of Benjamin who looked completely stunned as he backed away.

“Let go of me! Let me kill him! Let me kill him for what he did to poor Claudia!” Leroy shouted as he struggled to release myself.

“That’s enough, Leroy! Walk away now or I’ll be forced to arrest you!” I threatened. “Do you want to put your family through that?”

Leroy continued to struggle, but he then became less resistant and soon he was pliant. I understood where he was coming from since he was a drug addict who was released from jail five years ago, and when he came to the town’s church for help, Claudia was the only person who was willing to help him without hesitation. Claudia was a saint to many people in this town, and what happened to her during prom night affected everyone who knew her dearly, including Leroy. I was relieved when his friends came out of the bar, and I told them that he needed a ride home since he was clearly too incapacitated to even walk one foot without stumbling.

After they all left, I walked to Benjamin who had a hand on his cheek and asked, “Are you okay, Benjamin?”

Benjamin looked at me, and he then dropped his hand and said, “Why didn’t you arrest him? You’re a cop, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry, but arresting him again wouldn’t have been a good idea since one more offense and he would’ve been sent back to jail with a harsher sentence,” I explained. “He has a wife and a baby on the way. They don’t need him to be incarcerated.”

“What about me, huh? I just got punched in the face for something that I didn’t do! And who knows what else might happen when this entire town finds out that I’m back!”

“Look. Benjamin—”

“Forget it! I’m…I’m going back home!”

Benjamin turned around and began walking away. However, he didn’t get far when he tripped over a small pothole and fell to the ground once again. I should’ve been amused by the entire situation, but as the man tried unsuccessfully to get back up, clearly too drunk as well, I knew that I had to put aside my negative feelings about him and act like a police officer and decent human being. So, I approached him and extended my hand out. He looked at my hand hesitantly before accepting it and pulling himself up. He pulled too hard though, and he ended up bumping his face onto my chest since he was a few inches shorter than me.

He hummed pleasantly and said, “You smell really good.”

First, I thought he was flirting with me, but it must’ve been the alcohol talking and made I him take a step back with my hands on his shoulders. “Get in my car, Benjamin. You’re obviously too drunk to drive yourself home.”

“Oh. Are you going to take me to your place then?” Benjamin said, biting his lower lip with what looked like flirtation in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes, and I pulled Benjamin’s arm around my shoulder and dragged him to my car. I opened the door to the front passenger seat and hauled the man’s limp body inside before buckling him up as well. I soon exited the bar’s parking lot and was driving Benjamin back to his uncle’s home. I turned a dial to a radio station that was playing an American folk song, and I just mouthed the lyrics. Benjamin was making a few moans as I continued driving, causing me to sneak glances at him before looking away with guilt. And when he moaned again, I looked at him and noticed that the hem of his shirt was lifted up slightly, revealing a thin slab of taut skin with a light happy trail that led to the exposed waistband of his underwear that had a designer brand’s label on it.

I was looking forward for a few seconds too long, and when I looked forward again, a red light appeared in my view, and I immediately slammed my foot on the brake pedal. I cursed, and even though there was no one crossing the intersection, I still couldn’t believe I let some exposed skin distract me from keeping my eyes on the road. I seriously needed to get laid again for two months of no action was already causing me to have negative side effects.

After cooling my nerves with a couple of deep breaths, I looked back at Benjamin who was rubbing his eyes, and I was about to ask if he was okay when he started to make guttural noises. Before I could say anything, he bent his body forward and started vomiting. I groaned heavily, not believing the night I was having. But when the light turned green, I instead placed the car in park and rubbed his back as he continued to heave, hoping the car mat caught most of the mess.

Welcome to Sweetheart, West Virginia.