The Cockney Canuck - 144. Chapter 144 Looking After My Interests

I had never held another boy's penis while he peed before, so I was having fun directing Nathan's steady stream around the toilet bowl, much to his annoyance.

For the first time since I was a young boy, a monotonous and uninspiring task that I performed half-a-dozen or so times a day for my own necessity suddenly became interesting again, but it was a recipe for disaster. I got carried away attempting a figure of eight, overstepped my artistic licence, and created a small puddle on his bathroom floor.

"How can you miss?"

"It's not easy pissing with someone else's dick, you know."

"But you're not pissing, I am. All you have to do is aim for the bowl; it's big enough. And wipe that silly grin off your face."

I couldn't help it. It was such a bizarre situation and something that could only happen with Nathan. I thought I had every right to feel smug. Less than forty-eight hours after proclaiming my unconditional love for my former ex-boyfriend, and I already had my hands on his willy, although it wasn't quite how I imagined.

Somehow, he managed to keep his penis limp for the duration of the pee, but it didn't stay flaccid for very long. He was starting to grow even before I began shaking off the final drips, and he was soon filling my hand.

"Oops."

"This is why I didn't want you to help me in the bathroom. You can stop shaking it now." In truth, it was more of a rub than a shake, and the results were predictable. "Robbie, please!"

"I'm not doing anything." I let go of him like a hot potato and watched as his manhood extended to its full glory. "I prefer it like this, don't you?"

"It was much easier with Karen," he sighed.

"But not as much fun, I bet."

I had his wacky sister to thank for my hasty promotion to bathroom duties. She needed a day off, so Nathan had to swallow his pride and allow me to help.

"Using the bathroom doesn't need to be fun. Can you pull up my pants, please and stop staring at me like you've never seen a penis before? You're not making things any easier."

It seemed like such a waste. My boyfriend was practically naked with only his usual jogging pants puddled around his ankles and a red Toronto Raptors basketball vest that his mom forced him to wear. To keep the latter out of the way while he peed, I had it rolled up to his chest and tucked under his arms.

His boner would be more of an issue and showed no signs of abating as I carefully but reluctantly covered it with his pants, creating an all too familiar problem.

"Hmmm, it's a little noticeable, don't you think?"

"And who's fault is that?"

"Don’t blame me for your lack of self-control.” I prodded his manhood through the faded fabric and tried pushing it to one side, but without underwear, it kept springing back to centre stage.

“Leave it; you're only making things worse.”

There was an easy solution, and I was more than happy to assist if he allowed me. I cupped my hand and whispered in his ear. “I can fix it for you if you want.”

Nathan sighed, and for a moment, I thought he would take me up on my offer, but he kept to his game plan, even though it looked like it was hurting him. “It’s okay. I can manage.”

“Yeah, I heard, but it might be more fun if you let me do it.”

He leaned against the door, looking disconsolate. “I know it will, and I really want that too, but it has to be right, Robbie. I wanna do this properly. You told me you love me, so our first time together again should be more than a quick hand job in the bathroom, don’t you think?”

“We could go downstairs.”

“No! You don’t get it, do you?”

I thought he was too fussy, especially after everything we had already done together. The kid was in dire need of a little relief, and I would have done whatever he wanted without expecting anything in return.

“I understand. We can take it slowly. Just remember I’m here whenever you need me.”

I must have looked a little dejected as I knelt on the floor to mop up his spill. “We don’t have to take it too slowly,” he said. “I just want some time to get used to you again. You're not mad at me, are you?”

“Mad? Yes. I’m completely bonkers, why else would I be on my knees wiping up your pee? But seriously, I can wait. I didn’t come here today for sex; I came to look after you. I’m here for you, Nathan. That’s what boyfriends are for.”

He chuckled. “Wow, you're really getting into the role, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I am. I wanna be the best boyfriend ever, so you won't wanna look anywhere else, and then maybe one day, you’ll fall in love with me.” It was so mushy; even I was cringing. I never imagined myself ever saying stuff like that, and judging by his expression, neither did Nathan.

“I can’t promise about the love bit, because I don’t know how that works or how you're even supposed to know, but you don’t have to worry about me looking anywhere else. I’m happy with what I’ve got.”

It was music to my ears, and as I stood up, he leaned forward to press his lips into mine. His kisses were becoming more natural, more frequent and a lot more intimate. A quick swipe of his tongue left me with a craving for more, but his plaster casts were always between us like a barrier.

After three weeks, they were starting to look shabby and worn, and so was Nathan. He wasn’t dirty, but he wasn’t his usual squeaky clean either, and he was developing a distinct odour. A familiar stale, musky smell reminiscent of the boy’s locker room. Nathan must have hated it, but I found it irresistible.

After tying the cords on his waistband, I turned him around to face the door. “Okay, sexy. You're good to go.” Then as we left the bathroom, I surprised him by grabbing a handful of his ample buttocks. It made him squirm, but it was a necessary evil. I couldn’t go any longer without feeling them again, even if it were only for a couple of seconds.

*     *     *

He was more relaxed in the basement. This was now his space where no one else ventured without permission. It was a noticeable change from the way things were before we split up when we rarely had time alone. I got the feeling we could do anything we wanted down there without being disturbed, even with his family upstairs. This was the new order his sister had mentioned. A look-the-other-way policy from his parents designed to keep their son happy and more importantly, safe and away from drugs.

According to Karen, he could have as much sex as he wanted without leaving the house providing, of course, it was with me. I was pivotal to their hopes of saving their son, and that I suppose, was my reward, but it was a big responsibility to place on my shoulders, and failure wasn’t an option.

So far, it had been plain sailing. Nathan was enjoying me fussing over him, and the constant company kept his mind off other things. There was no talk of drugs that day, and he didn’t seem to be over-concerned by Ginny being barred from the house either. I was starting to think that it wasn’t such a big problem after all.

‘Maybe his family are overreacting.’

Of course, Nathan had already confessed to using illegal drugs, although he refused to say how often, or where he got them. What I knew about drugs you could write on the back of a postage stamp, but he wasn’t acting like someone who was dependant on them, and I was convinced he was never a dealer.

“Come and sit with me. We can watch a movie together.” Nathan took his usual position near the centre of the couch and invited me to squeeze in beside him.

He had to wiggle his bum a little to make room, but that was part of his plan. I pulled a blanket over us and instinctively put my arm around him while he leaned his head against my shoulder. Then he looked at me and smiled. “Thank you.”

“What for? I haven’t done anything.”

“You’ve done loads for me, and you helped me pee. That was cool.”

“I suppose it was fun in a weird kind of way. You're not into that kind of thing, are you?”

“No! Of course not!”

“Pity.” I shrugged. “Neither am I.”

Nathan burst into a fit of giggles. “Oh, my God. Is this another one of your fantasies? Do you want me to pee on you, Robbie?”

“No way. Yuk, that would be totally disgusting.”

He studied my face trying not to laugh. “Are you sure?”

“Well, I suppose we can try it if you insist.” I rolled my eyes. “Anything to keep you happy.”

Nathan looked shocked until he realised I was joking but I got to his lips before he could say anything more. It was fun kissing him again and I followed it up with another, and then one more, this time with passion.

Conner wasn’t really into that kind of thing. We kissed, but never made out in quite the same spit-swapping, tongue-sucking, lip-chewing style that I did with Nathan. It was another thing I didn’t realise I missed until I got it back.

That afternoon we went on a date together without leaving the house. We turned off the lights and watched a movie; a drab chick-flick from Netflix that Nicola had raved about all week. His mom made us popcorn, most of which ended up on the floor, and his dad even allowed us a bottle of pop, which we drank through a giant straw that we shared. It was probably the most fun I had ever had on a date, and although there was no sex involved, we didn’t see much of the movie either.

Afterwards, I cleaned him up and tidied the basement while he sat cross-legged on his battered armchair and watched me. He was more relaxed about me looking after him than he was in the morning, and more comfortable asking me for help. The acid test came later that afternoon.

I knew something was bothering him, but he wouldn’t tell me what it was until he no longer had a choice.

“Robbie, I need you to do something for me, but I don’t know how to ask.”

I smiled. “It’s simple. First, you have to open your mouth, then words come out, and depending on what mood I’m in, I either say yes or tell you to fuck off.”

“I need to go to the bathroom again.”

“Fuck off!” The poor boy looked mortified, and it had me in fits. “Sorry. I was only joking. Geez, you must have a weak bladder, you only just went ten minutes ago.” I beamed a smile at him, but he just stared. “It’s not a pee, is it?”

“No. It’s okay though; I can manage on my own. If you pull down my pants.”

“Really? You can do that with no hands?” I stifled a laugh as he frowned at me, “Come on, Nathan. I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure? It’s embarrassing.”

“No, it isn’t. Don’t worry about it. We can both go at the same time. Save on flushing.”

“You're disgusting. That better be a joke.”

“Yeah, sorry. I went this morning. Maybe next time.”

My boyfriend was super embarrassed, but it wasn’t a problem. I had used that entrance enough times in the past for my own pleasure that I felt almost obliged to participate in its upkeep. After all, I was destined to be the sole beneficiary when things returned to normal, so it was in my interest to make sure he was spruce and clean. ‘You have to take the rough with the smooth’, as my mom used to say and Nathan’s bottom was a smooth as they come.

“I’m gonna have to hypnotise you to get you to forget about all this.”

“No need,” I mumbled. “My memory is already fucked, and so will you be when you're better.”

“I heard that.”

“Sorry.”

“It's okay. How else am I going to pay you back?”

“This isn’t a favour, Nathan. You don’t owe me anything. I’m doing this because I want to do it, and I’m here because I want to be here. There’s nowhere in the world I would rather be at this moment and nothing I’d rather be doing.” It was a bold statement from someone who had only just finished wiping another boy’s backside, but Nathan never forgot those words or the context in which they were spoken.

“Did you just make that up or are you reading from some kind of prompt?”

“I was inspired.” I flushed the toilet and washed my hands. “Okay, I could think of a few things that would be more fun than cleaning your ass, but you get the drift and the way I see it; I’m just looking after my interests.” I smacked his bare cheek and laughed as he squealed.

“It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. Do you mind letting me in on your plans?”

“My only plan was to get you back. I didn’t make any more because I wasn’t sure if you would say yes, and I didn’t want to tempt fate. But now, I’m definitely thinking long term, so you’d better get used to having me around.”

“Well, I suppose you do come in useful, occasionally. Perhaps one day you can help me take a shower. I need a wash.”

My eyes must have lit up like a row of lemons. “I don’t mind. I can get in with you if you want. That way, I can reach into all the hard-to-get places.” I winked at him and squeezed his side, making him jolt.

“It’ll be a bit of a tight fit. My shower’s not as big as yours.” His statement invited a predictable response.

“The tighter, the better, Nathan. I’m sure I can make it fit, even if it is bigger than yours. I’ll be here in the morning with some of my man soap.”

He looked a little hesitant. “Haven’t you gotta be at school?”

“Not tomorrow, I don’t. It’s a long weekend. Family Day, whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

“It means you should be with your family.”

“Well, I haven’t got one, so I may as well be with you.”

“You have got a family, Robbie. You were adopted, remember? By a homophobic, white supremacist, but it still counts.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m gonna cancel that.”

Nathan found it amusing. “You can’t just cancel an adoption. It’s not a book club, you know. It’s for life. You made your bed; now you have to lie in it.”

“I’d rather lie in yours.” I put my hands on his slender hips and leaned forward to kiss him, before sliding them under his vest to feel his chest.

“You're gonna pinch my nipples now, aren’t you? Ouch! I knew you would do that.”

“Sorry I couldn’t help it.”

*     *     *

It was late when I left his house and raining. I had spent most of the day in a heated basement, so it was easy to forget that it was still only February. After putting Nathan to bed, I let myself out and waited under his porch for my cab. I left it as late as possible hoping Sue would be in bed when I got home, but the usually reliable Cobourg Taxi Service was having problems with the bad weather.

The controller was new and sounded stressed. She said ten minutes, but it was already double that, and I was starting to worry. I didn’t want to be grounded and have to let Nathan down after promising to help him shower in the morning.

‘At least it’s warmed up a little.’

The thought brought a smile to my face. I was starting to think like a Canadian. It was barely above freezing, and I thought it was warm.

With fifteen minutes to go before my curfew and no sign of my taxi, I reached for my phone to let Sue know I would be a little late. It was a valuable lesson learned from previous mistakes, and I felt proud of myself for being so responsible.

That’s when I noticed a man sitting in a parked car on the opposite side of the road. The rain on the driver’s window made it difficult to see his face, but he was staring at me. At first, I thought he was one of Nathan’s neighbours, but they all had driveways, and his car was the only one parked on the road. Then I thought he had to be waiting for somebody, but surely he would have had the engine running and the heat on to keep warm. He was sitting in the dark as if he didn’t want to be seen, and I probably wouldn't have noticed him if my cab had been on time.

I stared back to let him know I was onto him, and it seemed to work because he looked away, but not for long. A few minutes later, I caught him staring again.

‘Am I that interesting? What’s his problem?’

He was making me nervous. I started pacing the porch weaving around old garden furniture as if attempting to shake him off, but he was still there; lighting a cigarette and no longer even bothering to hide.

“What do you want, Mister?” He couldn’t hear me over the rain, but maybe he could lip read. He didn’t reply, and his head didn’t move. It was me who lost my nerve first, looking along the street for a cab that wasn’t there.

‘Shit; I’m gonna get grounded for sure.’

I forgot to call Sue, and now I didn’t want to. I was too scared, and she would have noticed something was wrong.

My mind ran riot. This man was a burglar waiting for his accomplice. A sex fiend who would follow me home and try to abduct me. A serial killer, or even the lunatic who attacked Nathan. I felt my heart rate quicken when I realised I couldn’t get back into the house and had no way of contacting them to open the door. Nathan's phone was switched off because he couldn’t use it and Karen wasn’t at home. His bedroom window was directly above where I was standing, but he couldn’t see me standing under the porch, and he probably wouldn’t hear me above the rain, even if I shouted. I started to panic and thought about smashing a window, then chuckled when I saw the doorbell.

‘Okay, I could always ring the bell.'

In the car opposite the man was taking pictures, using a proper camera—the type with the zoom lens. I wondered if he was some kind of pervert.

‘Why else would he be taking pictures of me?’

He looked like a paedophile, even though I could barely see his face.

“What is it, Mister? Do you like me or something? Are you jerking off in there?” He smiled when I said that, so maybe he could lip-read, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. It was a smile that conveyed all manners of evil and villainy and made me shiver.

I called the taxi company for an update as I scanned the cluttered porch for a possible weapon. The controller told me my cab was on the other side of town and would be another twenty minutes. When I looked at my watch, it was ten minutes past my curfew.

“But I needed to be back home by eleven. It’s really important.”

“I’m sorry. That’s the best we can do.”

I ended the call and resisted the temptation to throw the phone across Nathan’s lawn. Then narrowed my eyes at the man in the car.

‘Maybe he’s from the church. Spying on me for Don.’

It didn’t make sense. Don had no reason to think I was at Nathan’s house and even if he did, I couldn’t imagine him paying someone to spy on me. It was a little extreme, even for him.

The rain was now torrential. It was belting down, hitting the roof like machine-gun fire, creating a cacophony of noise that attacked my eardrums from every direction. There were several leaks where water was pouring through, and the wind made it impossible to stay dry.

It was too loud for me to hear my phone. I felt it vibrate, but by the time I retrieved it, the call had been diverted to my voicemail. The display told me I had a missed call from home. Probably Sue. If I didn’t call her back, I was in big trouble, but if I did, she would want to know where I was. Either way, I was going to be grounded for sure.

I cursed my luck.

‘Why does it always happen to me?’

The thought of having to let Nathan down was too much. My temper boiled over, and I lashed out, kicking the plastic recycling container in a fit of anger. It was the closest inanimate object at the time and not strong enough to withstand my boot. The plastic cracked, and the container upended spilling its contents across the decking.

The phone was ringing again, and I stared at it, unsure whether I should answer. This time it wasn’t Sue, but a number I didn’t recognise.

I pressed the phone to my damp face. “Hello.”

“Hello, Robbie.” The man’s voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

“Who is this?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already. It’s Mr Symmonds from the church.”

“Mr Symmonds? What, er, why are you calling me at this time, it’s gone eleven?”

“I know, and you should have been home nearly half-an-hour ago. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” I sniffed and wiped the rain from my face. “I’m on my way home now.”

“You sound like you're outside, are you walking?”

“No, I’m waiting for a cab.” I locked eyes with the man in the car, hoping he would think I was calling the police. “It’ll be here in a minute.”

“Tell me where you are, and I’ll come and get you.”

“No! I mean there’s no need. I told you, I’m getting a cab. I’ve already ordered it.” My voice was quivering, and I must have sounded agitated.

“Robbie, listen to me. Are you in trouble? Tell me the truth, you sound scared and it’s worrying me.”

“I told you I’m fine!” I snapped.

“Are you sure? Sue’s worried. She tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. If you're in trouble, I can come and get you and bring you home.”

“I’m not in trouble. How do you know all this?”

“I’m at your house, Robbie. Sue’s in the other room. Do you want to talk to her?”

“NO! … Is she angry at me?”

“She’s worried, that’s all. Look, if that’s what’s bothering you, I’m pretty sure you're not gonna be in trouble if I come and get you. But I can’t guarantee that’ll be the case if you stay out any later and stroll back in the middle of the night.”

‘Bastard!’

It was an offer he somehow knew I couldn’t refuse. It was almost like he could read my mind. I couldn’t risk being grounded again. Not at such a critical stage of my relationship with Nathan. I was on the cusp of capturing his heart and sweeping him off his feet. If I were grounded now, it would cancel out all my good work.

The spooky man in the car was still there watching my every move, so I turned my back on him to contemplate the offer from Symmonds. I didn’t trust him any more than I trusted the man in the car, but it was still tempting. I was cold, wet, and being stalked by a possible lunatic. Symmonds could get me home without being grounded. I was about to agree and give him Nathan’s address when I realised that was precisely what he wanted.

Mr Symmonds wasn’t Sue’s friend. She disagreed with many of his so-called principles and was deeply suspicious of his counselling methods. In the past, she had refused to let him in the house, so if he was there, so was Don, and it was obvious who was pulling the strings. By allowing Symmonds to pick me up, I would be leading Don directly to Nathan’s door.

I decided to wait for the cab and take my chances with the stalker, but when I glanced across at his car, he wasn’t there. The vehicle was empty with no sign of him nearby. I looked both ways along the puddled street, but couldn’t see him.

“Are you still there, Robbie?”

“What? Yes, of course, but I have to go. Tell Sue, I’m okay and not to worry; I’ll be back soon. I promise.” I ended the call while Mr Symmonds was still talking and switched off the phone. Both actions were guaranteed to get me grounded, but if Don found out I was with Nathan, it would be worse.

The rain started to ease off, but water still poured from the roof as I glared at every shadow and jumped at every noise around me. I was sure he was watching me from somewhere, maybe even creeping up on me. I decided to forget about the cab and wake up Nathan to get in the house.

I walked back towards the front door, scanning the open road from left to right and back again. Then snapped my head to the side when I thought I heard footsteps.

“Leave me alone. I’m warning you; I’m a black belt at karate.”

It was an empty food can from the recycling that I scattered around the porch earlier. I watched it roll across the decking in front of me.

'There’s no one here; it’s just the rain.'

After waiting a few seconds to calm my nerves, I took another step back, and someone grabbed my shoulder.

I jumped—I was surprised I didn’t hit the roof. My ears popped, and my heart missed a beat, but I was too scared to scream.

“ROBBIE! WHAT THE HELL?”

My mouth was open, but there was a delay before any sound came out, and when it did, it was a jumbled and indiscernible mess. I managed to squeeze three sentences into a few seconds, before Nathan’s dad was able to calm me down.

“Slow down. It’s okay. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He stood me in the doorway and picked up a flashlight to take a quick look outside. Then closed the door, shutting out the weather and most of the noise. “Are you okay?”

I wiped the rainwater from my face with my palms. “No, you scared me.” I sniffed and coughed.

“What were you doing out there?”

The lights came on in the hall, and we were joined by Liz. She was tying a bright pink, sequinned dressing gown that I would never have imagined her wearing and I wondered if Nathan bought it. She covered her mouth in shock when she saw me and spoke in a hushed voice, presumably to avoid waking her son. “What happened to you? I thought you went home ages ago.”

“There’s someone out there,” I said. “He's been watching me from his car.”

“Is he still there?”

“No, but his car is.”

Liz looked concerned. She put a hand on my shoulder and stared at her husband. Then nodded in the direction of the door. Morgan sighed and reluctantly pulled a coat over his pyjamas, before grabbing a baseball bat from the cupboard. It was totally out of character but a sign of how much their lives had been affected by recent events. I couldn’t imagine the jovial dentist using a baseball bat, either as a weapon or to hit a ball.

I stood behind him on the porch and pointed at the still empty car opposite.

“I don’t know where he’s gone.”

“Did he threaten you?”

“No, he was just looking at me; really staring.”

“Okay. Did he proposition you?”

“Did he what?”

“Was he trying to pick you up?”

“Oh, no. I don’t think so, but he definitely looked like a pervert and he took some pictures.”

Morgan dropped the bat by the door and ushered me back inside, looking tired and stressed. “That's not good, are you sure?"

“I think so.”

Nathan’s parents shared a look that was easy to read, and I felt a little stupid.

“It’s okay dear,” said Liz. “We’ve all been a little jumpy around here lately. I understand why you were scared after what happened to Nathan. I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate? It’ll warm you up.”

Liz took my coat and led me into the kitchen where she looked me up and down and shook her head. She seemed more concerned about my wet clothes than a potential killer lurking outside.

When Nathan appeared at the bottom of the stairs a few minutes later, I was sitting at the kitchen table barefoot and shirtless with a giant bath towel wrapped around my shoulders.

“What happened to you and where are your clothes?”

“I got a little wet waiting for a taxi that still hasn’t arrived.”

Nathan yawned and glanced at the clock. “But you left over an hour ago.”

“I know, he’s not getting a tip from me.”

He looked understandably, confused and groggy as his mom handed me a mug of hot chocolate.

“He had a bit of a scare, didn’t you, Robbie. Someone was watching him.”

“Watching him?” My boyfriend looked worried as he sat down opposite ignoring his mom’s pleas for him to go back to bed. “Who was watching you?”

I told him about the man in the car and about Mr Symmonds offering to take me home.

“That’s really creepy. Did you get a look at his face?”

“No.”

“It’s probably nothing,” said Liz. “It’s not worth getting uptight.”

Morgan agreed. I got the feeling they were trying to play it down to stop Nathan from worrying. “Your mother’s right. No one likes being watched, but even if he was watching Robbie, he didn’t actually do anything wrong.”

“Stalking people is against the law,” Nathan snapped. “He shouldn’t be looking at my boyfriend, or taking photos.”

His dad sighed, but I thought it was a cool thing to say, especially the boyfriend bit. I flashed him a smile to show my appreciation and was rewarded under the table with a quick tap of his foot.

Nathan’s presence was the perfect tonic, but I knew I had to get home. “I think the taxi company forgot about me. I should give them another call.”

Nathan’s looked at me as if I was mad. “You can’t go home after what happened.”

“I can’t stay. They’ll go crazy.”

“He could be waiting somewhere to ambush you. Dad, tell him he can’t go home.”

“Robbie knows he’s welcome to stay if he wants to, but I can’t stop him from going home.”

Liz was more forceful. “I would prefer it if you stayed here tonight, rather than take a cab. I’m worried about this man. He must have known he was frightening you and that alone is a reason to treat him as a threat. We need to learn from our mistakes.” She tapped her son on the head as she got up and turned to her husband. "Maybe you should write down his licence plate."

Morgan groaned and headed back outside.

“She’s right,” added Nathan. “Look what happened to me.”

My boyfriend wasn’t thinking straight. He failed to understand how important it was that I got home. If I stayed over, I would have to tell Sue where I was, and that would open a can of worms that would inevitably lead to Don finding out about us.

My eyes pleaded with him. “I have to go home, Nathan. I’ll be fine, honest.”

“Did you call Sue?” asked Liz.

“No, I don’t want to talk to her. I left a message with Mr Symmonds, but they don’t know where I am, and I don’t want them to know either, that’s why I have to go home.” I dropped my head, feeling shame that I had to keep our relationship from my adopted parents. “I’m sorry; it’s nothing to do with you.”

Morgan put a cold wet hand on my shoulder to comfort me. It was something Don never did.

“You don’t have to apologise. You’ve done nothing wrong.” Nathan agreed with his dad; sinking low in his chair to rub my leg with his foot.

“We understand,” said Liz. “But if you go home now, they’ll still want to know where you were. Unless you have someone to cover for you.”

I shook my head. She was right. Don would ask questions, especially after turning down Symmonds. I was sure that wouldn’t have gone down well.

“If you want, I can call Sue for you and tell her you're here. I’ll explain what happened and why I’ve asked you to stay, but I won't mention anything else. As far as I'm concerned you two are only friends. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

'I doubt it.'

“Sounds like a good deal to me,” said Morgan. He patted my back while his son played footsie with me under the table.

It was nearly one o’clock in the morning when Liz called, but Sue was still awake and answered immediately. She must have been worried, and I felt terrible for not having the courage to talk to her. Liz told her I was in bed and she would make sure I called her in the morning. Then she waved us away and talked for a few minutes on her own. After what happened to Nathan, I got the impression Sue was just relieved I was safe.

Despite everything Karen had told me, I was still expecting to sleep in the basement, but Nathan had other ideas. “Where are you going? Don’t you want to sleep with me?”

I was confused about what he was offering. It seemed at odds with everything he had said. “Maybe it’s best if I didn’t.”

“Don’t be silly. Can’t we sleep together without having sex? It’ll be fun. Come on; I wanna sleep with you.”

He made it sound so logical and I couldn't refuse. The desire to spend the night with him—something we had been denied in the past—was overpowering. It was almost worth being grounded for eternity.

It was a while since I last set foot in Nathan’s bedroom, but it hadn’t changed.

“Excuse the mess, I’ve got no hands,” he said as he brushed aside items of clothing with his feet to make a path across the floor. I walked straight over them and leapt on his bed to bury my face in his sheets.

“Hmmm, it’s still warm.”

“Of course, it is. I was asleep until you woke the whole house up with your antics. What side do you want to sleep on?”

“Both.”

“Well, you can’t have both, and you can’t go to bed with your clothes on either.”

I jumped up and eagerly pushed my jeans and briefs down to my knees while he watched and giggled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Thanks for the show, but you can keep your underwear on, Romeo; it’s not gonna be that kind of night. If you're a good boy, then maybe I’ll let you shower with me tomorrow.”

“Maybe?”

“Yes, maybe. But no sex.”

“Booooo!”

“Patience is a virtue, Robbie. I won't have sex with you until you’ve had a test. Especially after all the disgusting things you allowed that farm boy to do to you. If you pass the test, then I’ll reconsider your application.”

“Yippeee!”

The test was supposed to be for his peace of mind, but I was beginning to see it as more of a penance for my stupidity—Nathan’s way of punishing me for overstepping the mark.

Besides trying to arrange a threesome and agreeing to meet a homophobic, homicidal, maniac for drug-induced sex, Nathan wasn’t the free-loving type his reputation suggested. Underneath his self-perpetuated image of sleaze was a hardened romantic and a proponent of safe sex who always insisted on condoms.

“If I ever get married, I’ll drop that requirement,” he said. “But he’ll be the only one to ever get in unwrapped.” He teased me with a flirtatious smile and walked away. It wasn’t the first time he had mentioned this, and I always wondered if my name was pencilled in as a possible future hubby.

Considering I was now serving my second term as his current boyfriend, I had to be the bookie’s favourite, and I got a warm feeling just thinking about it. We were way too young even to consider marriage, but if I could have sealed my future then and there, with a legally binding contract, I would have bitten his hand off to get it.

“He’s a lucky man,” I said.

“Who is?”

“Your future husband, of course. Have I met him?”

He laughed as he switched off the light with his nose, but he didn’t answer my question.

“This is always the worst bit,” he said. “I never know what to do with my arms.” I felt the bed move and scrambled across to help him, but my eyes hadn’t adjusted to the dark. I hit my head on the wall and fell on top of him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m no good in the dark, remember? Are you okay?”

“No, you're lying on top of me.”

“I know. It was an accident.” I lifted my head, and for a few seconds, he was right in front of me. Wide-eyed and confused. “There you are.” I smiled as I shifted to his left, but it was the wrong direction to go. I ran out of bed and fell off the side, taking his duvet and everything on his nightstand with me. His parents must have wondered what we were doing.

I kept still for a few seconds before pushing the duvet off my face. Then a pair of eyes appeared over the side of the bed, piercing the darkness with their colour and we both started laughing.

*     *     *

All we did that night was hug and kiss, although I’m pretty sure we both wanted to do more. It didn’t matter; we had plenty of time to indulge in that kind of fun. I got to sleep with him, and that alone made it a memorable night.

Nathan was still asleep when I crawled out of bed and watched him roll onto his side to occupy my space with his arms. I remembered being hit several times in the night by them, but it was unintentional. Conner used to hurt me more whenever we had sex, and that was deliberate. The verdict was a win for Nathan. Sharing a bed with him was exciting, even without sex. It could only get better.

With that thought in mind, I walked over to the window and peeked around the curtains. The car had gone, and so had the rain—replaced by bright sunshine and a clear blue sky.

“Have you any idea how sexy you look in your underwear?”

“Of course. Everyone says that. It’s common knowledge.”

Nathan stood behind me and rested his chin on my shoulder. He was still half-asleep when he wrapped his plastered arms around my chest. It was nice that he could hug me. I missed that.

He looked sweet in the morning with messed up hair and sleep in his eyes, but I was more focused on his arms. He had a lot more flexibility without the slings to impede him; I didn’t even know he was allowed to take them off.

So far, our second relationship was exceeding all expectations. I was trying hard, and Nathan was responding. I even had the backing of his family. The odds were stacked in my favour, and I had to admit the future looked promising. At last, it seemed, the cards had fallen for me, but Don was always lurking at the back of my mind like a big, dark, ominous raincloud waiting to burst.