Leopard Spots - 21. Chapter 21

As soon as the police had finished questioning Karen, she went looking for Ty. He found her first, and she was quickly wrapped in his warm, comforting arms.

“It’s okay, Karen. You did what you could,” Ty murmured.

“I should’ve insisted he go back to the doctor. I should’ve–”

Ty silenced her with a light kiss. When she tried to speak again, he gently shushed her and held her head to his chest, letting her tears stain his shirt.

Karen didn’t know how long it was, but she eventually eased herself out of Ty’s embrace. She looked up at her boyfriend as she wiped a hand across her eyes. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “No. Thank you. Thank you for doing what you did. It was more than anyone else could do.”

“If I’d–”

Ty put a finger to her lips while a soft smile continued to play on his lips. “It’s done. No second-guessing. If there’s anyone at fault, it’s the psychologist that Dave was seeing. He should’ve spotted the problem before now.”

“This isn’t the way I wanted the night to go.” Karen grimaced. “It was going to be a romantic dinner, just the two of us. I wanted it to be perfect.”

“Shhh.” Ty pulled her back into an embrace. “Just being with you is enough. I don’t need anything fancy.”

“Ty...” Karen stopped, unsure if she wanted to continue.

“Yes?”

“Can I stay at your place? I don’t want to be alone tonight.” Karen relaxed into Ty’s arms. She didn’t want him to let go.

Ty gave a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Anytime.”

* * *

“You didn’t need to invite us, Karen,” Stacey said as they ambled towards the Olinda Creek Hotel in Lilydale.

Karen sighed. Her arm was still wrapped around Ty, as it had been since they’d exited the car, and it didn’t look like she was ever going to let go. “I want friends with me tonight.” She rested her head on Ty’s upper arm for a moment but stopped when it was obvious she couldn’t do that and still walk. “It was going to be just Ty and me, but at the moment a romantic dinner for two just feels...wrong. So, I cancelled the booking we had at the Indian in Ringwood and decided we should all come here.”

“I’m with Karen on this one. This is a time for friends,” Ty said. He glanced past the two girls to the fourth person in the group. “Isn’t that right, Charlie?”

Charlie didn’t respond. He had been quiet since the four had left the football club, and it didn’t look like he heard the question.

“Charlie?” Stacey squeezed Charlie’s hand. “Charlie?”

Charlie shook himself. “Er...what?”

“Ty was saying that this is a time to be with friends.” Stacey stared up into Charlie’s face and felt a quiver of fear. He was still being distant.

“Er...yeah...I suppose so.”

Stacey gave Karen a pleading look. Karen grimaced and reluctantly untangled herself from Ty. She stepped across and stood in front of Charlie. It was only when Charlie almost knocked her down that he noticed her and stopped. “Shit! Sorry, Karen.”

“Charlie, you did the best you could! You can’t blame yourself for what happened. All we saw was the aftermath of something that happened twelve years ago!”

Charlie sighed and dropped his head. “I know.” His voice was soft and weak.

Ty joined Karen in front of Charlie. “I watched you, and you did everything you could to get Dave to listen to you. You even took a few hits from him. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have some bruises tomorrow morning.” Ty put his hands on Charlie’s shoulders. “You did what you had to do, mate. Don’t beat yourself up over it!”

Charlie grimaced. “I’m not. It’s just...” He shook his head.

“What, Charlie? What is it?” Ty gently shook his teammate. “Talk about it. Don’t bottle it up!”

Charlie sighed and nodded his head. “Okay, but not here. Later...please?”

Ty let go and then wrapped an arm around Karen. He kept his focus on Charlie. “Okay, but I’m going to hold you to that.”

Stacey slipped an arm around Charlie’s waist. “We’re going to hold you to that.”

Charlie gave her a tentative half-smile. “I love you.”

She blinked. The declaration had caught her by surprise. “Er...thanks” She realised that she should tell him the same, but by the time she worked that out, it no longer felt like the right time to say it.

“Come on, you two. Let’s get something to eat.” Ty had an almost-smile on his face.

Charlie winced. “I’m not hungry.”

Ty sighed. “I know. Neither am I, but we both worked hard in the game today. We need to eat something.”

Charlie grunted his agreement, and the four resumed their walk to the hotel. Five minutes later they were seated in the bistro, the menus lying unopened on the table. No one was interested in picking them up.

“Fuck it!” Ty growled and snatched up a menu and spent five seconds looking for something to eat. He slammed the menu shut and tossed it back onto the table. “Roast of the day. That way I don’t have to think.”

“Make it two.”

“Three.” Stacey frowned and gave her boyfriend a nudge. “Charlie?”

Charlie turned to look at her. “Yes?”

“We’re all having the roast. What do you want for dinner?”

“What’s tonight’s roast?” Charlie asked, though it was clear to Stacey that the question was more an automatic response.

“Who fucking cares?” Ty glared at his teammate. “Do you want it, or are you going to pick up the fucking menu and pick something yourself?”

“Ty, be nice!” Karen smiled across the table at Charlie. “What you do want, Charlie?”

Charlie shrugged. “Whatever you guys are having.”

Ty narrowed his eyes and then stood up. “I’ll order the meals and then get a jug of beer. We can catch a taxi home.”

Karen smiled up at him. “We could walk from here. We don’t need a cab.”

Ty grinned and headed off. Karen cocked her head at Stacey. “We’ll put in some money so you can get a cab home unless you want to catch the train.”

Stacey found the words coming out of her mouth before she thought about them. “No. I’d prefer to walk home with Charlie.” She glanced at her boyfriend, who didn’t react. He was staring into the distance, apparently not sensing anything around him.

Karen frowned. “Charlie...” She looked at Stacey. “I don’t think this can wait. He needs to tell us what’s going on. He’s not hearing what we’re saying.”

“Do we wait for Ty?” Stacey shuffled her chair so she was right next to her boyfriend.

“I think so.” Karen grimaced. “I fucking hate this! Why did I go into psychology in the first place?”

“Because you like helping people.” Stacey smiled across the table. “And you’re good at it. You’re just a bit out of your depth at the moment.” Her smile slipped away as she put her hand on top of Charlie’s.

Charlie jerked and then smiled at her. “Sorry. I zoned out for a bit.”

“You’ve been zoning out since we let the footy club. What’s wrong, Charlie?” Stacey squeezed his hand and tried to give him an encouraging smile.

Charlie flinched. “Please, not here.”

Karen narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, Charlie, but I think you need to get whatever it is off your chest. We’re getting worried.”

Ty arrived and placed a jug of beer in the middle of the table. He used his now free hand to move the four glasses he had cradled in his other arm to the table. Before he sat down, he poured everyone a drink.

“Drink up, Charlie,” Stacey said. She took a sip of her beer.

Charlie pulled a face and then sighed. He picked up his beer, stared at it for a moment, and then proceeded to consume half of it without stopping.

Ty blinked. “We might need a second jug.” He took a big swig of his own but nowhere as much as Charlie had just swallowed.

“What’s going on, Charlie?” Stacey asked, making sure their bodies had contact. She wanted Charlie to know that he wasn’t alone.

Charlie sighed. “I’ve been thinking about Dave...”

“We all have,” Ty said. We–” He stopped suddenly and frowned at Karen.

Karen smiled an apology and then turned her attention back to Charlie. “What have you been thinking?”

“That it could’ve been anyone. Dave didn’t do anything to deserve what happened to him. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s all. It could’ve been one of us instead of him.”

Karen narrowed her eyes. “Yes, it could’ve, but why have you been zoning out.”

Charlie’s face went through a variety of expressions. His shoulders slumped and his head dropped. “I was fifteen...”

Stacey gasped. “Not you, too?”

Charlie shook his head. “He only stared, with a hungry look on his face. I got out of there as quickly as I could. But if he had followed me...” He looked at Stacey, swallowing once. “If he had, it could’ve been me in that clubroom tonight.”

Ty rose from his seat and moved around to give Charlie a one-arm hug. “It’s okay, mate. Nothing happened, and if he’d tried something, you would’ve probably kicked his arse.” Ty slipped back onto his chair. “Where was this?”

Charlie grimaced. “A public-toilet block out by a country road. I’d been riding my bike and needed a break. I never went back there.”

Stacey wrapped herself around Charlie’s arm. “It didn’t happen. Don’t let it get to you.”

Charlie sighed. “I won’t. I haven’t thought about it since then...until tonight. It was seeing Dave on the floor, curled up in a ball...” Charlie shook his head.

Stacey kissed him on the cheek. “You need something to distract you, so I’m going to repeat something I said while you were zoned out.” When Charlie gave her a quizzical look, she smiled. “I want you to walk me home tonight.”

“I can do that.” Charlie smiled. “We’ll catch the train to Ringwood and walk from there.”

Stacey chuckled and gave him another kiss. “Nope. We’ll walk from here. I want to stay with you, tonight. I don’t want you to be alone.”

The blood drained from Charlie’s face. “Umm...Stacey...I...”

Stacey leant over so she could whisper. “I just want to be with you. Nothing more. I don’t want to be by myself tonight, either.”

Charlie stared at her, his expression still one of mild fear. Slowly, a smile appeared. He gave her a kiss. “I love you.”

This time she was ready. “I love you, too.”

* * *

Deon raised a slice of pizza in salute. “Thanks, Marcus.” He took a bite. Pamela, Deon, Sam, and Marcus were in the lounge room of the Tenterfield Street house.

Marcus smiled as he took his own slice from the box between him and Sam. “I only collected them. Your father’s the one who suggested pizza at home might be a good idea.”

Deon frowned at Sam and then lifted his pizza a second time. “Thanks, Dad.”

Sam gave a nod of acknowledgement and then sighed. “Do you know what happened back there?”

“Only broadly.” Deon grimaced. “Dave’s had anger problems for several weeks, and tonight he snapped. From what Owen said to me, Dave had been getting worse, and Charlie was the only one who could get through to him.”

“I heard...” Marcus made a face and then shook his head. “It’s only a rumour. It’s probably not true.”

“What was it?” Pamela asked. She reached over to the pizza she was sharing with Deon and took a slice. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“I’m not sure if it’s right to say anything.”

Deon sighed. “If it makes sense of what’s happened, I’d like to know. All I’ve got at the moment is the text that Peter sent from the hospital saying they’re waiting for Dave to wake up. I haven’t got the faintest idea why he cracked in the first place.”

Marcus grimaced. “I overheard Roger telling someone that Dave had been molested as a child. Roger was angry. I had the impression he knew who did it.” Marcus dropped his head. “I might have misunderstood.”

Deon winced. “I hope you did, because if it’s true...” He shuddered.

Pamela rested a hand on Deon’s thigh. “We don’t know, and we may never know. All we can do is hope that Dave gets better.”

Deon transferred his pizza to his other hand so he could give Pamela a one-arm hug. “You’re right. That’s the only thing that matters at the moment.” He looked across at his father. “Other things pale in comparison.”

“Yeah, they do.” Sam sighed as he continued to meet Deon’s gaze. “Whatever happened, hopefully Dave will recover.”

Thirty minutes later, the pizzas all consumed, they were still there talking quietly when Jim and Tony arrived home.

“Guys, Pamela.” Jim gave them a half-hearted smile.

“G’day, everyone.” Tony lifted a hand and then let it fall to his side. “Sorry, but I’m buggered. Jim and I are going to get a bite to eat and then collapse. We don’t mean to be rude.”

Pamela jumped up. “Sit down, both of you, and tell me what you want. I’ll get it.”

Jim smiled, a bit stronger this time. “Thanks, Pamela. There should be some leftover fried rice at the back of the fridge. I was just going to reheat it.”

“I can do that.” She pointed at the spot on the couch next to Deon. “Sit.”

Deon shuffled over to make room for the two guys, but Tony sat on Jim’s lap, leaving space for Pamela when she returned. “Where have you guys been?” Deon asked.

Tony grimaced. “Writing a press release. Colin and I wanted to get something out quickly before too many rumours get started.” He looked up as Marcus handed him a can. “Thanks, but I can’t drink beer. It’s not gluten-free.” He gave the drink to Jim. “You have it.”

Jim lifted the can as a thank you to Marcus. “There’s some cans of mixed drinks in the fridge. Tony can drink those.”

Marcus smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

“What’s the official story, then?” Deon asked. “Marcus overheard Roger saying Dave had been molested.”

Tony winced. “The press release is already up on the club’s website, but it says that Dave has been admitted to hospital after a breakdown that is a consequence of a traumatic incident during his childhood. I didn’t want to say even that much, but Colin pointed out that the incident with Dave was too public to deny the breakdown, and the rest is vague enough that it could mean multiple things. We’re still waiting to hear the official diagnosis from the hospital, but Colin’s guessing it’ll come back as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

“So he was molested?” Deon asked.

Tony sighed. “This is why we wanted a press release out. We don’t want rumours out there with all sorts of allegations.”

“What you said doesn’t explain why the police were there and questioned a number of people.” Sam held up a hand. “I accept that you don’t want to say what happened. I’m just pointing out that the police presence is going to drive speculation.”

Tony grimaced. “Yeah, I know. It’s one of the things Colin and I argued about when we were drafting the statement.” He looked up and smiled momentarily as he accepted a can of scotch and cola. “Thanks, Marcus.”

“Who won the argument?” Sam asked. “About the police, I mean.”

“Colin. He’s my boss, after all.” Tony took a sip of his drink. “He said it’s up to the police to decide if they want to say anything. We don’t want to interfere with an ongoing investigation by mentioning that the police are involved.”

Deon stiffened. “So, there’s more to it than just a breakdown.”

Tony turned to Jim, a helpless expression on his face. Jim smiled, gave Tony a quick peck, and then turned to Deon. “Yes, there’s more to it. Someone hurt Dave, hurt him badly. We want to see that person brought to justice, so we have to stay out of it and not say things that could jeopardise that result. That means ending this conversation and not talking about it anymore. Understood?”

Deon nodded. “Understood.”

* * *

Neil wouldn’t look Todd in the eye. “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.” Oliver and Helena had already disappeared into Oliver’s room for the night, and Paul had dressed up and gone out.

Todd put a hand on Neil’s shoulder, but withdrew it when Neil flinched. “You don’t have to do that, mate.”

“I’d prefer it.”

“Neil...” Todd grimaced. “We’re all pretty shaken up by what happened tonight. I understand. But I think you should take the bed. I’ll call Lorraine and see if I can sleep there. If not, I’ll take the couch.”

Neil opened his mouth, but then closed it and nodded. Hesitantly he peered up at Todd. “The guy who did that...do you think that I could become...”

Todd scowled. “Never!” He pulled Neil into a hug, an embrace that Neil initially resisted before giving in. “Neil, there’s a world of difference between being gay and being a paedophile. Or being a rapist, for that matter. Have faith in yourself; you’re a good guy with a heart in the right place. The animal that did that to Dave all those years ago...that’s not, and never will be, you.”

Neil swallowed. His body shook. “But it’s always guys...”

Todd held Neil against his body. “No, it’s not. If you’re talking about victims, young girls are molested, too. If you’re talking bastards, yeah, most of them are guys, but most guys aren’t rapists.” Todd gave Neil a squeeze. “Buck up, mate. You’re going to be okay. It’s a shock for all of us, but it’s something that happened over ten years ago. The fact that it’s coming to light now might be a good thing. It’s hopefully going to give Dave a chance to heal.”

“This morning, when you woke me up and stood there in just your boxers, I wanted to...”

Todd slowly let go of Neil, giving the young guy a gentle smile in the process. “Mate, I trust you. If you don’t trust yourself, tell me, but I think you’re selling yourself short. Yeah, parading around half-naked might be a temptation, but I’m not worried. I believe in you, Neil. You’ll be good; that’s what I believe.”

Neil bowed his head. “I just hope you’re right.”

“I’m right. I’m sure of it.” Todd put a hand under Neil’s chin and lifted his head. “Now, if you’re tired, go to bed. If you’re not, watch TV or put a movie on. I’ll ring Lorraine and see if I can sleep there tonight.” Todd sighed. “I need someone tonight. I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Neil grimaced. “I don’t want to be with anyone. I want to curl up and disappear.”

Todd smiled. “Then go. I’ll see you in the morning. Sean’s still going to want to play footy with his favourite opponent.”

Neil couldn’t help himself. He laughed. “That’s because I’m the only one he can beat.”

Todd grinned and pointed to the bedroom. “Go.”

Neil smiled and headed off. The moment of happiness disappeared as soon as he closed the door behind him. He knew how close he’d come to wanting the wrong thing that morning. It had been so tempting. Todd had been there, right next to him. Within reach. Almost naked, with only a pair of boxer shorts for modesty. Neil had had to make himself turn away. He didn’t want to betray Todd’s trust. Todd’s friendship meant too much to him.

Suppressing a sob, Neil undressed and crawled into a bed. A glance at the clock showed that it was before nine, but Neil felt emotionally exhausted. A little voice inside his head repeated what Todd had said, trying to be reassuring, but another voice reminded him that it wasn’t that big a stretch for him to cross the line and become a monster.

* * *

Dave’s eyes flickered open. The strange surroundings disoriented him, but the familiar face that loomed into view moments later was reassuring. There was a sharp odour in the air that Dave had smelled before, but at that moment he couldn’t recall from where.

“Dave! How are you feeling?”

“Peter.” Dave took in the room beyond his coach and realised he was in a hospital bed. He levered himself up into a sitting position, taking note of the fact that he was topless but was still wearing his pants. “What happened?”

“Wait here, and I’ll get a nurse.” Before Dave could respond, Peter pushed past the curtain that enclosed one end of the cubicle and disappeared.

Dave had had enough sporting injuries over the years to know he was in the emergency department at the Maroondah Hospital, but he felt no pain or soreness. It wasn’t a sporting injury that put him there.

The curtain was moved, and two women entered, followed by Peter. The older of the two smiled as she approached. “Hello, Dave, I’m Dr. Ernstile. I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Dave frowned. “Sure, but why am I here?”

“That’s why I want to ask you some questions. What’s the last thing you remember? What were you doing, and where were you?”

“I...” Dave swallowed and his body shook as some scattered images flashed through his mind. Images that he’d been struggling to forget.

“Dave?”

“I was in the clubroom...”

“What were you doing there?” Dr. Ernstile’s tone was soft and gentle.

“I was with some of my teammates. We were talking about having a party. A party for...” Dave’s voice drifted off as another memory snapped into focus. The memory of him as a young boy.

“Dave?”

Dave focused his eyes. He saw the two women and Peter staring at him. Peter was concerned, while the medical staff had professional sympathy in their gazes. “What’s wrong with me? What’s going on?”

Dr. Ernstile smiled. “That’s what we’re trying to find out.” She turned to Peter. “I think it’ll be best if you left us alone for awhile. I’ll send one of the nurses to find you when we’re done.”

Peter frowned but he did as he was told. The second and unnamed woman closed the curtain, giving them the illusion of privacy, though the cry of a young child in pain could be heard above the hum of activity from the busy emergency-department staff.

“Now, Dave, I know it may be difficult, but I want you to tell me as much as you can. I’ve had the report of what you said while you were at the club, but I need to know how much you remember.”

Dave swallowed again. He didn’t want to say anything, but he had promised Charlie. He needed to talk to a professional about his nightmare. A nightmare that Dave now knew was also reality.

“I can remember being in a shower block. It was after training one night. I was only a kid at the time and it was just me and my coach...”

* * *

Neil kept tossing and turning. When he heard what sounded like the television in the lounge room, he decided to get up. Having worked out the dress code of the house, he didn’t bother putting on any clothes, but padded out of the room in just his briefs and a loose T-shirt. He found Paul stretched out on the couch, watching a late movie. Paul was dressed in a smart shirt and pants, and there was a bottle of cheap scotch next to him.

Neil was about to leave when Paul looked up. “G’day, mate. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“I couldn’t sleep. What time is it, anyway?”

Paul swung his legs off the couch and waved a hand, inviting Neil to sit down. “About one-thirty. I just got back from work.”

“Work?” Neil sat down next to Paul.

Paul chuckled, though it sounded tired and not particularly amused. “I’ve got a second job. Only Todd, Ollie, and a handful of other people know. I fucked up last year and got myself into financial trouble. I need the second job to help pay off my debts, even though it means breaking curfew at times.”

“You didn’t need to tell me.”

Paul smiled. “I know, but I thought I should. You’d find out sooner or later.” He picked up the bottle and took a swig. He shivered. “I shouldn’t drink this straight. In fact, I shouldn’t drink it at all, but tonight I just needed it.”

Neil stared for a moment and then held out a hand. “May I?”

Paul frowned and then handed over the whisky. “I promised I wouldn’t let you get drunk.”

Neil took in a mouthful and almost spat it out again. It wasn’t a taste he found appealing. He made himself swallow and handed back the bottle. He shuddered as the sharp liquid went down his throat.

Paul chuckled. “It’s probably not the best thing to start with if you haven’t had much alcohol before.”

Neil nodded. After a moment, he found his voice. “I know what you said to Mum and Dad, but I think what’s happened warrants a broken promise. I’ve got all day tomorrow to recover.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Paul pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll get some beers. They’ll be easier for you.”

“Thanks, Paul.”

“There’s nothing to thank, Neil. I just wish neither one of us had a reason to get drunk.”

* * *

Charlie snapped out of his half-doze when he heard the noise. After a moment, he realised it was the sound of someone coming in through the front door of the house. He glanced at where Stacey was sleeping next to him and then carefully slipped out of the bed. Pulling on a pair of shorts over his underwear, he quietly left the room.

“Dave!” Charlie immediately lowered his voice. “Are you okay?”

Dave stood in the hallway, shoulders slumped. “No, but you knew that already. I’m sorry, Charlie.”

“Sorry for what?” Charlie took two steps towards his housemate and then stopped. He remembered Dave hitting him, and he wasn’t sure if it would happen again.

“For what I’ve put you through. I should’ve listened to you. If I had, I might’ve...” Dave grimaced. “I mightn’t’ve...”

Charlie took the final steps needed to reach Dave and cautiously pulled his friend into an embrace. “You weren’t yourself.”

Dave’s body shook. “I’m still not. I’m...I’m remembering things, now. Things I wish I didn’t.”

“I know.” Charlie let go and smiled. “But you’ve got friends. We’ll help you in any way we can.”

“Charlie, you don’t know what’s been done to me!” Dave started to look frantic.

“It’s okay, Dave.” Charlie tried to make that statement as soothing as possible. “I’ll admit I’m surprised you’re here. I thought they would’ve kept you in hospital overnight, at least.”

Dave grimaced. “They gave me some drugs to hopefully stop what occurred at the club from happening again and told me they’d send a letter to Andrew. I need him to get me a referral to a psychologist who specialises in treating trauma. They said I probably have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but they need a clinical psychologist to do a full assessment to be sure.”

Charlie frowned. “Why couldn’t they do that at the hospital?”

Dave shrugged. “It’s an emergency department. Once they determined I wasn’t at immediate risk, they said I was best off being at home and getting treated in the community.” He grunted. “They did say that it would take months, and I may never get completely better. The PTSD has been untreated for too long.”

Charlie gave Dave another hug, this time with no hesitation or reservation. He could feel Dave shaking, and Charlie knew that his friend was close to breaking into tears.

“It’s okay, Dave. It’s going to be okay.”

“No, it’s not. It’s never going to be okay again.” Dave pulled back from Charlie. “You don’t know what was done to me, Charlie. What that bastard did to me. It’s...” Dave’s whole body slumped. Charlie quickly moved in to give him support.

“Dave, it happened a long time ago. We’ll get you to the right psychologist this time, and we’ll make sure you get better. For now, though, I think you need to get some sleep.”

Dave nodded and stepped back. His posture was subdued. “Thanks, Charlie, for everything. You’re my one true friend.”

Charlie shook his head. “You’ve got lots of true friends, Dave. You’ve been pushing them away, but they’re still here for you.”

“Too right.” Owen stepped out of his bedroom door and moved up. He hesitated for a moment and then embraced Dave. “Welcome home.”

“Yeah, welcome.” Jarrod joined them in the hallway. “It’s good to have you back, mate.”

Dave stared, wide-eyed, at his three housemates. “I....” He shook his head. “Thank you.”

Charlie smiled. “Now, how about you get some sleep? We’ll sit down in the morning, and we’ll work out where we go from here.”

After a final hug from each of his teammates, Dave retreated to his bedroom. Seconds later, as Charlie was about to go back to his room, Dave returned. “Here, take these. I don’t know if I should be taking them, so they’re better off with you.” He handed Charlie the bottle of sleeping pills that had caused so much drama at the start of the week and then headed back to his bed.

Charlie gave the bottle a wry smile and then returned to his room. He paused in the doorway as he saw Stacey busy with her phone. He stepped in and closed the door. “What’s wrong?”

Stacey looked up and smiled. “Nothing. Just sending a text to Karen to say that Dave’s home. She’d want to know.”

“I should do the same for Roger.” Charlie put the sleeping pills on his bedside table, took off the shorts, and slipped back into bed next to Stacey. He picked up his phone and prepared a simple text message. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said as he typed.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t sleeping particularly well, anyway. Maybe now we’ll both be able to get some rest.” Stacey put her phone away and then put a hand on Charlie’s arm. “Can I ask for a favour?”

“Sure!” Charlie sent the message to Roger and then put his phone back on his bedside table. “What is it?”

“Can you hold me?” Stacey’s voice was soft.

Charlie tensed for a moment and then told himself that he needed to get over his fears. He reached over and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. She rested her head on his chest. “Goodnight, Charlie.”

Charlie kissed the top of her head. “Night.” He knew he wasn’t going to get to sleep with her lying on him, but he wasn’t going to say anything.

* * *

Oliver frowned as he watched Helena dressing. He loved the sight; it was the fact that she was leaving that he hated. “Do you really have to go?”

Helena smiled. “My family don’t put a lot of demands on me, but being Greek Orthodox, Easter, and Easter Sunday in particular, is a special time. They want the family together, and that includes me.” She grinned. “The invitation is still open if you want to come, too.”

Oliver held up both hands. “Me and church? Sorry, we don’t get along. My parents gave up on that one a long time ago.”

Helena leant over the bed and gave Oliver a slow kiss. She pulled back before he could grab her. “I’ll see you tonight, Ollie. Once my family duties are out of the way, I’ll be back.”

Oliver smiled and sighed. “I can’t wait.”

Helena grinned, grabbed the doona cover, and yanked it off the bed. She chuckled. “I can see that. But it’s time for me to go.”

Oliver put his hands behind his head, leaving his body on display for her. “You know, if you wanted to move in with me, I wouldn’t object.”

Helena froze, her hand on the doorknob. She looked back, biting her lower lip. “Ollie...”

He knew he had pushed too hard, so he did what he normally did when he’d overstepped a boundary. He grinned and changed the subject. “I’ll see you tonight.”

She moved back and gave him a quick kiss. “Cover up. I’d hate for you to catch a cold. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Oliver watched her leave and then, with a heavy sigh, rolled out of bed. He collected some clean clothes and headed to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, clean, refreshed, and dressed, he headed to the kitchen for some breakfast. He didn’t make it, though, as the mess in the lounge room caught his eye.

There were five beer cans and what looked like a scattering of crushed potato chips on the floor. More cans were lying on a couple of the side tables. There was also the distinct odour of stale beer in the air. Oliver took one step into the room, but when he felt something gritty on the soles of his bare feet, he retreated.

“Todd!” Oliver glared at the mess and then in the direction of the bedrooms. “Todd, get your lazy arse out here!”

Oliver knew that Paul would’ve come home late from his job as a waiter, and he assumed that Paul would’ve gone straight to bed, as was his usual practise. That left Todd as the one responsible for the mess.

When there was no reaction, Oliver stomped down to Todd’s room and started to bash his fist against the door. “Wake up, you lazy bastard! I’m not cleaning up that mess.”

The door opened, but it was Neil, not Todd, who was standing there. “Sorry, Neil, but I want Todd. He needs his arse kicked.”

Neil, bleary-eyed and not looking the healthiest, rubbed his head. “Todd’s not here. He spent the night at Lorraine’s.” Neil yawned. “What’s wrong?”

Oliver opened his mouth and then closed it. He leant closer...and encountered the smell of stale beer. “Did you leave the beer cans in the lounge last night?”

Neil grimaced. “Sorry. I’ll clean it up now.” He started to push past Oliver, though it was apparent that he was still barely awake.

“Wait.” Oliver narrowed his eyes as he finally took in Neil’s appearance. “Did you drink all those beers by yourself?”

A voice behind him answered. “No, I helped him.” Paul yawned as he stretched his arms above his head. “Most of them are mine. Neil was pretty good about not having too many.” Paul looked past Oliver. “Neil, go back to bed. I’ll clean things up.”

Neil shook his head. “I’m up now,” he wrinkled his nose, “and I need a shower. I stink. I’ll do it.”

Oliver’s eyes darted from left to right as he couldn’t decide which one to look at. “Can you tell me what the fuck has been going on?”

Paul shrugged. “I decided I needed a drink when I got home last night...this morning...whatever. Neil couldn’t sleep, so he asked to join me. We got a little drunk, and then when Roger’s text came in, we decided to celebrate before turning in. Some time around four, I think.”

“What text?”

Paul frowned. “Haven’t you checked your phone? Dave came home last night. They didn’t keep him at the hospital.”

Oliver grinned. “Fucking ace!”

Paul grinned. “That’s what we thought, too. Hence the chips and a few extra cans.” Paul winced. “I hope Dave’s feeling better than the way I am at the moment.”

Neil snorted and gave Paul a sheepish smile. “Me, too.”

Paul chuckled and waved a hand. “Go have a shower, and I’ll start cleaning up.”

“I’ll help. Wait for me, please?” Neil gave Paul a pleading look.

Paul frowned. “Okay. I’ll wait.” He smiled. “Now, go.”

While Neil went back into Todd’s room to get some clothes, Oliver and Paul wandered back to the lounge room. Paul winced when he saw the mess. “I don’t remember it being this bad.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “You had beer-goggles on. They always make things look better than they really are.”

“True.” Paul sighed and glanced back towards the bathroom. “Neil took what happened to Dave pretty hard. He ended up opening up about a lot of things after a few drinks.”

“What do you mean?” Oliver led Paul to the kitchen and proceeded to make some coffee.

Paul sat down at the kitchen table. “He was afraid he’ll do what the bastard did to Dave. I think I got him to realise he won’t, but I’m not sure if it sunk in.”

Oliver knew Paul had seen and heard most of what had happened with Dave, but he didn’t ask for details. The small amount he’d learnt was more than he wanted to know. “Why do you say that?”

“I asked him who he found attractive. I then pointed out that they were all guys older than him. He’s not attracted to little kids.” Paul grimaced. “He had this idea he was going to turn into a paedophile.”

“He’s fragile. Todd told us that, but I hadn’t seen it. I still haven’t, but you saw it last night.” Oliver made the last sentence a statement, rather than a question, but he gave Paul the option to contradict him.

“Yeah...” Paul pulled a face. “He’s more fragile than I thought. He’s been doing well, but last night has set him back. We’re going to have to be careful with him today. Someone needs to text Todd to let him know.”

“I’ll do that.” Oliver pulled out his phone and started typing. “I’m willing to be lenient, but I’m saying now that I’m not going to clean up that mess in the lounge room. You and Neil are going to have to do that.”

Paul laughed and then winced. “Fuck you, Ollie. You shouldn’t do that to me while I’m hung over.”

Oliver grinned. “Too fucking bad. Say...who did Neil say he found attractive?”

Paul chuckled. “Are you wondering if you made the list? Sorry, Ollie, Neil’s got taste.”

“He doesn’t like you, then, either.” Oliver sent the message to Todd and put away his phone. “Who does he like?”

“Jim, naturally, was number one. Todd was number two, and Ty number three. After that he had trouble coming up with any more names, but he was also half-drunk. The task did get him out of his funk for a short time.”

Oliver frowned. “Do you think those guys know?”

“Not sure, but I don’t think it matters.” Paul glanced back to where Neil was in the shower. “He said he wants to hate Tony, but it’s getting hard, and that he doesn’t want to hurt either Lorraine or Karen. He knows he has to look elsewhere.”

Oliver grinned. “I wish him all the best. It sounds like he knows to be realistic.” He flexed his bicep in a traditional bodybuilder pose. “Sadly, he can’t have me, but it sounds like he’s already worked that out.”

Paul rolled his eyes. “As I said, Ollie, he’s got taste.”

* * *

Deon scowled as yet another kick went off to the side. “I bloody well hope these videos show something wrong, because otherwise the only explanation is I’m a shit football player.”

Sam put down Deon’s phone. “Did you kick like this last year?”

“No, and that’s what so fucking annoying. I did a lot better than this when I was playing in the TAC Cup.” Deon picked up another football. “Ready?”

Sam moved around to the other side of Deon. The idea was to get shots of Deon’s kicking action from as many different angles as possible. “Ready.”

Deon lined up and tried again. This time the football went right through the middle of the two goal posts. “Yes!”

“Did anything happen near the end of the cup – or since then?” Sam asked.

“What do you mean? Lots has happened since then.” Deon waited as Marcus gathered up the footballs that had been kicked. Marcus’s job was to collect the balls and bring them back. He would do so every four kicks, using the bag that Deon had supplied to carry the footballs.

“I mean, any injuries, or anything that might have changed your kicking style.” Sam scratched his head. “Just thinking aloud, trying to work out what’s changed.”

Deon frowned. “I did pull my left hamstring near the end of the year, but I do most of my set shots with my right foot, so that shouldn’t make any difference.”

“Maybe it’s altered your stride. Not a lot, but just enough to put you off.” Sam shrugged. “Just throwing ideas out there.”

Marcus arrived and emptied the bag of footballs. “Here you are, Deon. Any idea of how much longer we’ll be doing this?”

Deon grinned. “Why? Are you getting tired?”

Marcus gave him a dirty look. “I’m not as young as you, mate. Cut the cheek or you can chase your own footballs.”

“Sorry.” Deon smiled at his father’s partner. “Not too much longer. Dad may’ve come up with something to check.” He turned to Sam. “If you’re right, some video from directly in front or behind may show it up.”

Sam nodded. “We did a few of those earlier, but let’s get some more. It may not be every time, so the more we take, the better chance of seeing if that’s the problem.”

Deon picked up one of the footballs. Marcus sighed. “Is that my cue to get back into position?”

“You can take a breather, if you like. Better still, if you can take videos using your phone from behind me while Dad uses my phone from the front, that’ll give me two viewpoints for each kick. Four times should be enough to see if Dad’s right.”

“I can do that. And then Sam can go collect the footballs while I take a well-deserved break.”

Deon chuckled. He spun the ovoid ball between his hands once and then settled himself into football mode. “Ready guys?”

“Ready,” Sam and Marcus chorused.

Deon took a deep breath and started another run-up. Eight strides in, he released the ball and swung his right leg forward. The ball collided with Deon’s boot at just the right point for it to sail effortlessly towards and between the goal posts. “Okay, that’s a good one. That’s what I need to do every time.”

He walked back and picked up another football. Three more to go.

* * *

“Feeling better?” Todd asked as he leant back against the low metal railing that surrounded the community football oval near Lorraine’s house.

“A little.” A wry smile appeared for a moment on Neil’s face. “It’s not too bad, but I don’t feel like doing much today.” Neil didn’t have a hangover, but the lack of sleep combined with a little too much alcohol had left him feeling drained.

“Sorry, mate, but that’s not going to happen. Once Sean’s finished with Ty, he’s going to want to play kick-to-kick with you.” Todd grinned as he watched Ty and Karen playing against Sean and Lorraine. Todd had been on Sean’s team until Ty had pretended to complain that it wasn’t fair that there were two expert players on the opposing side. That’s when Todd dropped out and Lorraine took over. Becky, as usual, was sitting some distance away, keeping herself amused.

“I know.” Neil frowned. “Don’t you worry about Sean? I mean, after what Dave went through.”

Todd sighed. “I do, and Lorraine does, too. She always has. But that’s the exception, not the rule. Most people can be trusted. Most people don’t molest kids. And it’s not just Sean I worry about. Becky needs protecting, too. She’s vulnerable to more people, since it’s not only paedophiles but also boys who are a bit older and able to put pressure on her to ‛put out’. She’s the one I’m more concerned about.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.” Neil glanced at where Becky was sitting. “What can you do about it?”

Todd chuckled. “Helena thinks I’ll keep the boys under control by just being there. She calls it the ‛scary father’ effect. But that’s a two-edged sword. Becky will hate me if I scare off all the boys. I need to make sure I only scare them enough so they’re careful to treat her right.”

Neil sighed. “I just want a boyfriend. I’m not fussy.”

Todd frowned. He put an arm across Neil’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “You’ll find yourself a guy one day. Don’t settle for just anyone, though. Be a little fussy, because, like Becky, like Lorraine, you deserve to be treated right.”

“I don’t need a lot. Just someone to love me. Someone I feel safe with. Someone I can love.” Neil grimaced. “Someone like you.”

Todd pulled Neil into a full bear hug. Neil stiffened but Todd held on, knowing his young friend would relax in time. “I know, mate. There’s someone out there like that. You’ll find him. Just be patient. He might be just around the next corner.”

* * *

Liam lay in bed, waiting for the rest of the family to return from the Easter Sunday church service. He had told them that he didn’t feel like going, and they had left him alone at home.

His night had been filled with dreams. One person had dominated all of them, but the results had been mixed. In some, Neil had forgiven Liam for the years of abuse. In others, the tables had been turned, and Liam had experienced the pain of humiliation and rejection.

Liam told himself that he had no chance, that he’d burnt his bridges and couldn’t rebuild them. He told himself that Doug was right and that there was someone else out there waiting for him.

Logic dictated that Neil would never agree to be his boyfriend. That there was nothing he would be able to do to persuade Neil to forgive five years of torment.

Logic doesn’t rule the heart. Liam rolled over and buried his head in his pillow to hide the tears of frustration. He vowed to try to find a way to prove logic wrong.