Unbeaten - 9. Chapter 9

“Troy, I’ll always love you. Surely you know that? I don’t think there is anything that could stop me loving you – not even if we were apart.”

“Don’t say that!” he responded. “I can’t imagine being without you now, but…..”

He tailed off and started to sob slightly once more. I ran my hands gently down his back, trying to soothe and calm him. The trouble was I was getting more and more concerned about what it was that he was so afraid to confide to me. A sudden thought flashed into my mind and I almost cringed as it did. Had I landed him in trouble?

“Troy, you didn’t have any photos on your cell, did you?”

“Of course I had photos,” he replied. “That’s why you took the cell to the police.”

“I know that – sorry - I didn’t explain what I meant. Did you have any photos that you shouldn’t have, like ones that shouldn’t be seen in public?”

It took a few seconds for what I was saying to register with him, but when it did he managed a little chuckle.

“You mean like dirty pictures?”

That was indeed what I meant. I could never recall him taking any of me in the nude, let alone pictures of us together in that state or even half undressed, but I thought he could perhaps have taken pictures of me while I was asleep.

“Nah, there’s a few selfies I’ve taken in my speedo or my briefs and I think I took some of a couple of the other guys in the swim team at a meet last year, but there’s nothing naked.”

That was a relief, although only what I’d hoped he’d say. I had wondered if when he and Daubney were together there might have been pictures taken then.

“None of Mike?”

“Jeeze, no! I deleted any pics I had of him when I split with him.”

“And you’ve never sent any selfies of you half undressed to anyone?”

He pulled me closer and managed a light kiss with his bruised lips. “If you’d had a cell with a camera I’d have sent some to you.”

I had to chuckle. So maybe it was a good thing that until now I’d only had a basic cell phone. This little conversation seemed to have lightened the mood a bit, but if pictures on his phone weren’t the problem what was?

“Okay, so that’s not what you’re so upset, so friggin’ tell me what is. What’s that old saying about a trouble shared?”

He started to tear up again so I held him tight until he’d regained control.

“You know there were four of them yesterday?”

I nodded. “Yes, Mike, Carl and two others I sort of recognised but aren’t sure of their names.”

“Brian Ryan and Tyler Smith.”

“Not sure I’d want to be called Brian Ryan” I said trying to lighten the mood.

He managed a half chuckle in response, saying “I don’t think his parents had much imagination.”

By now I had a horrible feeling starting to grow inside me. If the problem Troy had wasn’t pictures on his cell it left very little in the way of alternatives. I felt though it was important he tell me what it was, rather than me say what I thought.

“Four against one is about their mark, Troy. Whatever it is that’s bothering you so much, you need to tell me. I’m not going anywhere; we’ll face it together.”

I hugged him a little closer as I was talking and then gave him a few more soft kisses to try and prove to him that I did indeed mean what I was saying.

There was a pause as if he was steeling himself and a couple of little sobs before he spoke.

“I think they’d planned to attack us both on the way back from the park. They seemed to have it organised. When they came at me on the track I found Mike and Carl coming towards me and when I turned round to run away – yeah I was gonna run…..” He stopped talking to let out some more small sobs.

“I don’t blame you. I’d have run too.”

“That’s one thing I’m glad about Adam. That it was me not you – or both of us.”

His fingers stroked my face as he spoke and I could feel tears starting to well in my eyes.

“So when I turned round there were Brian and Tyler coming up behind me. I knew I had no chance against four of them, but I suddenly thought of getting out my cell, taking some pictures, and then tossing it into the undergrowth before they jumped me. In some ways it seemed pointless as they’d almost certainly find it after they’d finished with me, but at least I was doing something.”

There was another pause. I sensed he was about to relive what had happened and I was worried what effect that might have on him.

“Troy, you don’t have to tell me – not right now, anyway.”

“Yes, I do Adam. I can’t lie in this bed with you again until I do.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say that would make it easier for him.

“Once they’d got hold of me, landing a few punches as they did, Mike and Carl pinned my arms behind me and forced me to my knees.”

I could picture this just as I knew Troy was about to live through it again. I also sensed what was coming next.

“The fuckers made me suck off Brian and Tyler. That’s what they did Adam! That’s why you’ll never want me to kiss you properly again, let alone put your dick in my mouth!”

I’d virtually worked out this must have been what had happened, but even so I could feel revulsion swelling inside me. Not at my Troy, but at those fuckers who had made him do that.

“I tried not to Adam; I really did. Brian was the first and when he stuck his dick in my mouth I bit it. That was when Mike broke the fingers on my hand and told me Carl would break a couple on my other hand unless I did it properly. I had no choice Adam; I knew they would, so I sucked him off and then had to swallow it. After that I had to do the same with Tyler.”

Those words had been interspersed with breaks for tears and sobs. I tried hard to think of the right thing to say. I knew Troy had been forced to do something he considered undermined the basis of our relationship. An act we used to express our love for each other had been turned into something he considered degrading.

“Troy, it doesn’t matter as far as I’m concerned. I’d ask you to give me a bj right now if I thought you were up to doing so. We love each other and that’s all that matters.”

We held each other tight and exchanged some more kisses. Then Troy started to sob again. Was there something else he hadn’t told me? I feared there might be as only Brian and Tyler had used him at that point.

“Was there more, Troy?” I sensed him nod and heard a whispered ‘Yes’.

“Those two took over from Mike and Carl in holding my arms, but they pulled them in front of me. Then Mike said,

“You wouldn’t let me fuck you a couple of years back, but I’m gonna do it now.”

“And when he’s finished, I’m gonna have sloppy seconds.” Carl added.

“I’d felt sick before but now I actually was. Guess that was a good thing as I probably brought up their jizz. I heard Mike unzip his jeans and I started to beg and plead for him not to. I thought back to when you and I made love and how wonderful and beautiful that had been to feel you inside me. Now though I was going to have both him and Carl fuck me. Shit, I’d never want to let you make love to me after that and you sure as hell wouldn’t want to either! My life would be ended before it had really begun.” Troy broke off there once again and cried some more, before he was able to continue. “He started to try and pull down my skinnies and then I remember hearing a dog bark and suddenly they were gone.”

Oh, jeeze I thought to myself. Thank god that dog walker came along when he did, otherwise………

“Troy, you can’t think about what might have happened because it never did.”

I wasn’t sure those words would be of much use. When I’d run off that Sunday my pa had never caught me, but it hadn’t stopped me having nightmares about what might have happened had he done so. This wasn’t going to be easy for Troy to deal with. We were both now psychologically damaged. At least though we could fully understand what the other was suffering and perhaps in that lay our salvation.

“I know that, Adam, but……”

“Yes. I know exactly how you feel. It was a different thing with me, but I have horrid thoughts at times about what might have happened to me if you and your pa hadn’t rescued me. We can help each other when the bad thoughts strike.”

We lay there for some time without speaking each with our own thoughts. Finally I broke the silence.

“You’ve got to tell your parents about this, Troy, and then you’re gonna have to tell the police.”

He started crying again. “I can’t Adam. It’s too awful to talk to even my parents about, let alone the police. You know how hard I found it to even tell you.”

All that was said through sobs.

“But this takes what happened from simple assault to sexual assault. Those fuckers deserve to go away for years for what they did to you – and to make sure they don’t do the same to anyone else.”

“Why would they do it to anyone else?”

“Seems to me they've become the self-appointed gay bashers for the town – that’s why. I think they’ve got a taste for it.”

Troy thought about this for a while.

“I know I really ought to, but it’d be hard to tell my folks even, let alone anyone else and the thought of having to stand up and tell the world at large in a court…. Eugh, that sucks.”

He realized immediately what he’d said and we both lay there laughing. We both knew this wasn’t a comic situation, but somehow that absent minded comment had relieved the tension that had built up.

“Look, your parents have totally accepted us and I’m sure they know what we do together even though we’ve not spelled it out for them. They are going to be horrified at what was done to you, but they won’t be horrified at you because you were forced to do it – you had no choice. You were violated.”

We again lapsed into silence, eventually broken by Troy.

“You’re right, Adam. I’ve got to be brave enough to tell and if necessary stand up in court. They’ve got to be stopped. Who knows, if they did attack another kid he might not be lucky enough to have a loving family and boyfriend to support him.”

He kissed me and even managed to let our tongues exchange greetings for the first time since he was attacked.

“Okay,” I said, “It’s late now but we tell your parents in the morning – first thing, right?”

“Right” he replied. “I’m gonna turn over Adam. Will you cuddle me, please?”

“Too right, I’ll cuddle you.” He turned on his side; I nestled myself into his back and his butt and that was how we both drifted off to sleep.

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I awoke the next morning to a series of light raps on the bedroom door, followed by the appearance of Mrs C. She crept into the room, probably hoping not to disturb us. Seeing that I was awake she said,

“I think it would be an idea if you stayed home today, Adam. Would you be happy to do so or is there anything important you have to do at school today – any tests or such?”

I hadn’t considered staying home until she asked the question, but in the light of Troy’s revelations last night I thought it was a good idea.

“I’ve got nothing I can’t quickly catch up on. Has Mr C gone to work yet?”

“No, he’s just getting ready. Why?” she answered, looking puzzled.

“Troy has something to tell you both and I don’t think it should wait until this evening.”

Mrs C’s expression changed to one of concern, almost alarm.

“Will you go and stop him, please? Give me five minutes to put some clothes on and I’ll wake Troy in the meantime.”

“Oh, Adam – are you naked under there?” she asked with an amused expression.

“I should plead the 5^th I guess, but we both are. I think Troy’ll have to stay that way for now, but I’d prefer to have this chat wearing some clothes.”

She smiled and saying she’d be back in five went back out of the bedroom. I quickly roused Troy, told him what was about to happen and dashed off to my bedroom. I out on a white t-shirt and my blue skinnies over the pair of white CK boxer briefs I’d got out the previous night, before going back to join Troy.

“I’m not ready to do this and besides that I’m nekkid under here! I can’t talk to my folks like this.”

“You’ll have to. Now move into the middle of the bed so I can sit on one side and your mom on the other.”

“Hasn’t pa gone to work?”

“No, not yet.”

“So, where’s he gonna sit?”

I laughed. “Good to see your brain wasn’t injured the other day. He can sit on one of the desk chairs.”

“Come here” he said as he shuffled into the middle of the bed on his back. I knelt on the bed and leaned towards him. Our lips met and then opened to allow our tongues to say ‘hello’ to each other. We were still kissing when the bedroom door opened.

“Mom!” exclaimed Troy as he pulled away from me.

“Adam didn’t say we had to knock,” said Mrs C. “anyway, we’ve seen you kiss before.”

They had indeed, but what I knew, and hoped they hadn’t realised, was that Troy had an erection under the sheet that covered him. Come to that I had one in my skinnies that was probably even more visible. Endeavoring to hide that, I walked round to the far side of the bed, and sat down on it next to Troy, taking hold of his hand as I did so. I knew he was going to need some encouragement from me to help him through the next few minutes. Telling me had been hard for him; I was sure telling his parents would be harder.

Adam asked his mom to sit on the other side of him on the bed and directed his father to one of the desk chairs, which he pulled close to the same side of the bed as Mrs C.

“So what is it you have to say Troy that is so important Alicia stops me going off to work?” said Mr C.

I saw Troy take a deep breath to prepare himself and I moved my hand to squeeze his arm rather than his fingers. He looked at me, half smiled, mouthed ‘It’s okay – thanks’ and then started to talk.

What he said, unsurprisingly, came out in fits and starts and was interrupted from time to time by expressions of shock and disgust from his parents. By the time he’d finished Mrs C was crying and stroking his hair while Mr C was simply seething with rage, but when he’d calmed down a little he said,

“I can understand why you didn’t want to say anything about this immediately afterwards, but you’ve got to tell the police now. I shouldn’t have let you two persuade me not to report the first incident and I’m feeling very guilty that I didn’t overrule you. I’m sure if we’d done something then, this would never have occurred. They have to be punished for what they did to you.”

“I know,” Troy replied. “Adam’s already convinced me of that. I need to make sure nobody else ever gets hurt by them. But, just after it happened I simply wanted to try and forget – I felt so dirty.”

He started to tear up again.

“We know it will be difficult for you, Troy,” said his mom, “but we’ll be there with you every step.”

“Too right!” I added.

Just then the house phone rang. Mr C stood up and went off into their bedroom to answer it. I’d expected he’d get rid of whoever called quickly so he could re-join us, but he seemed to be gone for quite some time. When he eventually came back into the room his face had an expression of anger that I’d never seen before.

“What’s happened, dear?” asked Mrs C.

“It was the police - that Detective Diamond who Troy saw yesterday. He called to inform us that somehow they have managed to delete all of the photos from Troy’s phone.”

“What!” exclaimed three voices simultaneously.

“He said he had no idea how it happened, but of course they now have no real evidence of who attacked Troy.”

“Did you tell him what Troy’s just told us?” asked Mrs C.

“I did. He said he was very sorry to hear about it and that it was a pity Troy hadn’t mentioned it before.”

“I told him I couldn’t see what difference that made to anything and he sort of implied had they known they would probably have treated the case more seriously and that we’d just have to pray the case would stand up in court.”

I’d been sitting there seething and cursing inwardly at that man when suddenly it hit me.

“Shit!” I exclaimed.

“Adam, please don’t swear in front of Alicia.”

“I’m truly sorry about that Mrs C – and to you Mr C. I learned long ago not to swear in front of my parents.”

Troy let out a little giggle. “I suppose you got spanked if you did.”

I punched him lightly on his arm before messing with his hair.

“Being spanked when I was little was part of life. I accepted that as it was soon over and didn’t hurt for that long. But if my ma caught me swearing she’d wash my mouth out with soap.”

“Eugh, gross” said Troy.

“Not gross, Troy. I’d call that barbaric” added his mom.

“Yeah, the taste of that soap stayed in my mouth for hours, long after a spanking stopped hurting, but it stopped me.”

“There are other ways of achieving that” said Mrs C, “but anyway I’ve never heard you swear before, so why now?”

“Because I thought when I met him yesterday that I knew Diamond from somewhere but I couldn’t work out where. It was you saying the word ‘pray’ that did it – he used to attend the church I went to.”

Cries of ‘What?’ were heard again.

“Yeah. I didn’t recognise him because he looked different. When I’d seen him at church he was always wearing glasses and had hair, so I guess he was wearing a wig. We never had much to do with him and his family and he wasn’t there every Sunday either.”

“I’ve heard enough, Adam. I’m going to call my lawyer right now. We’re going to see exactly what we have to do to get justice and those things – I won’t call them animals as that would be unfair to animals – put behind bars. Work can wait.

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