Summer Ended with a Storm - 4. Chapter 4

I walked slowly around the lake looking for Nick. Then, I hard him whisper.

“Hey, Dylan.” he came out and handed me the bottle. “Take a sip.”

I unscrewed the top and took a sip. It burned my throat as it went down. I handed it back to him and he took a big gulp.

“So, how are things going with you and grandfather? Do you guys get a long or is he like a hard ass?” asked Nick, handing me back the bottle after he took another gulp.

“My grampa can be kinda hard sometimes, but he’s cool. We get along.” I took another gulp and sat down.

Nick sat down next to me. Before I knew it, that big bottle of vodka was less than halfway gone, I could barely keep still. I wanted o go crazy, and Nick was getting more and more irresistible by the minute.

Nick’s t-shirt was off. He wanted to go into the lake, but I talked him out of it. I didn’t think it was the best idea to go swimming while he was drunk. He agreed and laughed about it, but never put his t-shirt.

I couldn’t help but stare at his unbelievably toned abs and before I knew it, I had my hand on them as we were laying on the ground. I expected Nick to take my hand off, but…he didn’t. He put his hand on top of mine.

He looked me straight in the eye. His bright blue eyes looking dark blue in the moonlight. He licked his lips and I leaned towards him. Our lips met and…fireworks. It was like the Fourth of July and New Years all wrapped into one. Then, he pushed me away.

“What the fuck was that?!”

“Nick…I-I’m so sorry”

“Get the fuck away from me!”

I tried to calm him down, but I made the mistake of putting my hands on him. He lifted his fist and started to pound on me harder than I’ve ever been pounded on before.

Afterward, Nick ran away. I just lay there, not really being able to move. I got up, still leaning forward, holding my ribs. I could feel my lip bleeding and I tasted the blood. I walked to the nearest house to the lake, which was luckily Andy’s place. I walked to the side of the house to Andy’s window.

I tapped on it gently. Andy came to the window wiping the sleep out of his eyes. I don’t think he saw how bad I saw until I climbed in and he turned on his light because once he did, he almost had a heart attack.

“What the fuck? What happened to you?” he asked, helping me to sit on his bed.

“It doesn’t matter. I just…I just need a place to rest for a while. I can’t go back to my grampa’s like this.”

“You’re gonna have to go sooner or later. He’s gonna worry about you.”

“No, I just had to come somewhere where no one was gonna fuss over me or ask a lot of questions.” I said.

“Well then you came to the wrong place because I am going out of my mind. I want to know who did this to you right now so I kick their ass!”

“Just, just calm down it was only Nick.”

“Nick, I don’t believe you. Why would Nick do this?”

I waited a while and I adjust my position, grunting a little but from the pain. “I kissed him.”

“You….kissed Nick.”

“Yeah…I’ve had this, like, monster crush on him and we were drunk and…I lost my better judgment.”

“I’m gonna go get some ice and a first aid kit. You lay back and I’ll be right back.”

I laid back on Andy’s bed closing my eyes when my head hit the pillow. I felt safe. Safer than ever before.

Andy came back in quietly. Not only did he have ice and a first aid kit, but he brought a glass of water.

“Here, drink this.” he said as I got up. I took a sip. The water mixed with my blood didn’t taste very good. I put the glass down on his nightstand.

Andy opened the first aid kit. He grabbed the gauze and put some alcohol with it. He touched the gauze to my lip. It stung really, really badly so I winced a little.

“Stop being a big baby.” said Andy.

“It hurts.” I said.

“Andrew, what do you have your light on…Oh my goodness! Dylan. What on earth happened to you.”

“It’s no big deal Ms. Roark.”

“No big deal? You’ve got a shiner the size of Texas.”

“Here, put some ice on it.” said Andy, handing me an ice pack. “I’ve got it under control, mom.”

I put the ice on my eye.

“Andrew, I’m gonna call the sheriff.”

“No!…Ow,” It hurt to yell. “You can’t call cops. Cops and I…we don’t usually get along.”

“Dylan, you’ve got report this.”

“But I don’t want to. It’s no big deal. A few more days and I’ll have healed. There’s no real damage.”

“Dylan, were you holding your ribs when you got here?” asked Andy.

“Yeah why?” I asked.

“Lift up your shirt.” said Andy.

I did. It hurt, but I did, revealing purple-yellowish bruises.”

“Mom?” Andy’s little sister came into the doorway. Her name is Susan and she’s five years younger than Andy which makes her eleven.

“Dylan what happened to you?” asked Susan.

“Go back to bed Susan.” said Ms. Roark.

Susan turned around and went back to her room.

“I’ve got to tape those bruises.” said Andy.

“Where did you learn all of this?” I asked.

“That’s what I’d like to know?”

“There was a class given by the school nurse a few months ago. It was mandatory for all students.”

“Oh,” said Ms. Roark.

“Listen, mom, can Dylan stay here tonight?” asked Andy.

“I don’t know if his grandfather will like that.”

“Please Ms. Roark. Just for tonight. I can’t deal with him right now. But I’ll have more energy in the morning.”

“Well, okay, but don’t go to bed too late.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m exhausted.”

Ms. Roark left the room and closed the door.

“Take off your shirt.” said Andy, softly. His tone changed from worried to, caring in a flash.

I took it off, painfully.

“Lay back.” He said in the same caring tone.

I lay back with my head against Andy’s pillow. Andy tightly taped my ribs, which wasn’t painless, but he did it as carefully as he could.

“Alright. Is that it or are you hiding any more bruises from me?”

“No, that’s it.” I said. “Thanks.” I said.

“We should get some sleep. It’s passed midnight.” said Andy.

Andy got into the bed. I was sitting up.

“Where do I sleep?” I asked.

“In the bed. Unless you wanna sleep on the floor.” said Andy. “But I don’t think that’s best.”

I got up, took off my pants and then got back into the bed. Andy reached over and turned off his lamp. It wasn’t completely dark in the room, the moon shone in through the window. I felt helpless and wanted to feel safe.

“Andy…?”

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Will you hold me?”

He stayed silent. I didn’t know what that meant, but it couldn’t be good.

“If you don’t want to. I understand.”

Andy put his arm around me and I scooted in closer to him. I rested my head on his shoulder. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

When I opened them, I was alone in the bed. Andy was in his underwear looking through his clothes drawers. He hair was all messy and wet and less wavy than usual. He must’ve just had a shower.

“Hey,” I said softly.

“Hey, breakfast is in ten if you’re staying.” said Andy, not looking my way.

“I should really get back home. My grampa is probably worried sick.”

“Okay,” said Andy, picking out a pair of jeans. I liked the pair he picked. He’s worn them before. He looks good in them.

“Listen, I really appreciate what you’ve done for me. I know that it wasn’t easy for you.”

“Damn right it wasn’t easy, Dylan. Someone hurts you to the point where you can barely move and I’m just supposed to do nothing. I can’t handle this so…if you’re gonna leave then you should do it fast because I can’t look at you like this anymore.”

I got up. I tried to bend over to get my clothes, but I couldn’t.

“Let me do it.” said Andy. He picked up my t-shirt and jeans and handed them to me. “Where are your shoes?”

“I must’ve left them at the lake.” I said.

I painfully put my t-shirt on and tried to put my jeans on, but couldn’t. Andy bent down and slid my jeans on and I pulled them up.

I got up and embraced him. He didn’t hug back at first, but then, he hugged me tighter than he ever has before.

“Stop being so stupid.” he whispered. “I can’t handle being this scared.”

I stepped away from him and smiled. “I’ll try.”

“You better do more than try buddy.”

Ms. Roark knocked and came in. Andy put a t-shirt on.

“Breakfast,” she said.

“Actually, I should go see my grandfather. But…thank you so much for letting me stay here.”

“Are you sure? There’s plenty for you.” said Ms. Roark.

“That’s very kind of you, but I really do have to go.” I said.

“Well, how will you get there?” asked Ms. Roark.

“I’m gonna walk.”

“What? No, Andrew, take the car. Give him a ride home.”

“Okay.” said Andy.

“I’ll get the keys.” Ms. Roark left and came back quickly with the car keys.

* * *

“Where in the hell have you been? I was ready to call the sheriff…What the? Sit down.”

Grampa quickly pulled a chair up for me.

“What in the hell happened to you? Who did this?”

“I don’t know. It was late last night. It was dark. I didn’t see them.”

“It was more than one?”

“No, just one person.”

“What were doing out so late?”

“I just went for a walk. I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t think I would be gone long so I didn’t wake you.”

“Where have you been all night?”

“I slept at Andy’s. He took care of me.”

“I’m calling the sheriff.”

“No grampa. No cops. I don’t even know who it was.”

“Maybe he can catch the guy. Maybe there’s evidence.”

“Just drop it.”

“Well, at least let me take you to Doc Freidman.”

“Okay, I’ll see the doctor, but no police, no sheriff.”

“Let me get you some ice for that eye.”

Grampa came back with ice wrapped in a kitchen towel. He handed it to me.

“It must’ve been that Blake kid getting back at you for what you did your first day here.”

“Grampa, no one knows that. You can’t jump to conclusions.”

“I can when my grandson’s been hurt.”

“Grampa don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s just some bruises.”

“Bruises, you can’t even stand up straight.”

“I just, I just want to go lay down.”

“Okay.”