Last Chance - 2. Chapter 2

Jamie moved down another dark alley that was lit only by a few bonfires. Several poor and homeless people littered the alleyways; some were talking, some were passed out, while others just appeared to be in deep thought and drinking their lives away. By now, the rain had stopped; it was only a quick shower but Jamie found himself shivering, soaked in water as he approached a bonfire, and tried to warm up.

"How was work?" Joe asked as he leaned against the wall next to the bonfire and took a sip from his bottle of beer.

"It was..." Jamie began to speak then looked down at the fire as he began to warm up. "Eventful."

"Oh really what happened?" Joe asked as he dug through his duffle bag.

"I've seen someone who I haven't seen in three years." Jamie spoke and hugged his arms around his thin femme-like figure.

"Oh so it was good eventful then?" Joe asked and retrieved two sandwiches and held one out. "You hungry? I managed to swipe them from the sandwich stop down the road."

"Yeah good eventful." Jamie spoke with sarcasm and a grin. He reached out and took a sandwich. "You're gonna get busted one day." He and Joe shared a small laugh before digging into their small amount of food.

Matthew had arrived home to his high-rise apartment with an excellent view of the city skyline. He moved over to his couch and sat down as he just stared out the window in deep thought. He was literally amazed and shocked at the drastic change in Jamie. He had changed his appearance, personality and everything; and though Matthew found Jamie's appearance to be attractive, he didn't like his cold and sarcastic persona. Matthew believed Jamie was dead inside.

He sighed and shook his head figuring it was pointless to sleep. He and Jamie needed to talk about things. They had never gotten a chance to do that since Jamie disappeared after Matthew's girlfriend's murder the same night three years ago. He stood back up and grabbed his keys before heading out the door.

"Jamie you know I find you attractive, right?" Joe spoke as he and Jamie continued to stand beside the bonfire.

"Who doesn't." Jamie spoke flatly, as his face returned to that frozen and emotionless state.

"I...I just.." Joe sighed and moved closer to Jamie. "I want you to let me in. You're always building these walls around yourself and putting boundaries between you and everyone else."

Jamie turned to look Joe in the eyes and sighed. "Just because of my profession doesn't mean I'm gonna let every guy in the world bed me." Jamie shook his head and looked down. "It's an art and I enjoy it. Dancing is the only thing that keeps me going."

"Jamie, I'm not talking about that. I just want to know you...know you more then I already do which isn't very much." Joe looked down as well then glanced at the dancing flames of the bonfire.

"Maybe one day." Jamie looked up at Joe and a soft smile came to his face. He leaned in and his dark blue lips softly connected with Joe's only briefly however as he pulled away. "For now you'll have to make that memory last."

Joe smiled and nodded in understanding before wrapping his muscular arms around Jamie's small and delicate frame in a gentle hug. "I'm gonna head to bed." Joe then turned around and headed behind the dumpsters where their small tent was built.

Matthew continued driving down the road, his eyes frantically darting in every direction before he came upon a lit alleyway and saw several figures casting shadows on the walls. He pulled to a stop beside the sidewalk and slowly got out. He moved down the sidewalk a little ways until he reached the entrance of the alley. His eyes then fell on Jamie and he quickly made his way down the alley in a walk at first but then went off into a run. Several people gave him strange looks but then when he approached Jamie they went back to whatever they were doing. It was a normal thing when strange men ran to Jamie and they knew that.

"Jamie..." Matthew spoke as his running soon came to a halt and he breathed deeply.

"Great you found my home." Jamie turned to look at Matthew and grinned. "Very detective like."

"Your home?" Matthew's face grew a look of confusion.

Jamie's grin faded and the blank and emotionless face returned. "Yes my home. What do you think dancers make in this city? Literally nothing but I don't do it for the money, so don't ask." Jamie retrieved another cigarette and leaned down to use the bonfire to light it. He then stood up and turned back to Matthew.

Matthew frowned obviously saddened by learning this bit of news then he shook his head. "We need to talk."

"Thought we did that already? Yeah and we went real far in the conversation department." Jamie's words were literally bleeding with sarcasm and soon that amused grin returned.

"Please?" Matthew simply spoke and his face took on an expression of small hope.

"Where to? I got people here that I don't want to know some things." Jamie spoke and stepped forward before blowing some smoke in Matthew's face.

Matthew grimaced and coughed. "We can go get some coffee." He spoke as his coughing continued. Jamie agreed with a nod and the pair headed out of the alley and towards Matthew's black BMW.

The ride to the coffee shop was awkward to Matthew to say the least. The silence was honestly bothering him where as Jamie didn't seem affected at all. He just held that emotionless face which seemed to be a normal thing for him now. Matthew sighed with relief as they parked at the local coffee shop and both boys got out. They moved inside and once sitting at a table, they both ordered two coffees with cream and extra sugar from the waitress.

"Lets make this fast. I need sleep to work tomorrow you know," Jamie said and allowed a bit of irritation to show.

Matthew studied Jamie for a moment and then sighed. "As I said before I'm working on Tiffani West's case and you disappeared the same night. I need to know any information you have." This wasn't exactly what Matthew wanted to talk about but he felt strangely nervous around Jamie now. The two of them use to be so close like the sand and the ocean but now they seemed as if they were in two different worlds.

"I didn't do it and I'm gonna tell you why." Jamie began to defend himself then after a quick moment of thought he added. "Not that you'll believe me anyway. Cops never do believe their suspects." The last word spoken with a real icy coldness.

"Jamie I..." Matthew began to speak but was interrupted as the waitress brought their orders, then moved off.

"Where's your confidence at? You use to be the jock that held his head up high. Now you just act like a blubbering airhead. I swear you're worst than Tiffani now." Jamie spoke with an amused grin.

Matthew looked up at Jamie with a flare of anger in his eyes but thought better of it and his face expression softened. "Tell me everything that happened to you that night."

"You said there was a kidnap victim that night, right? Well I wouldn't call it kidnapping as I was willing to go." Jamie took a sip of his coffee and left a dark blue lipstick smudge on the glass. "You pissed me off you know? Being twofaced and loving me in the dark, but hating me in the crowds. So, after a miserable graduation I started hunting guys online. I was looking for a guy that would appreciate me."

Matthew couldn't help but grin. "You're so cute when you're angry." He spoke then remembered the situation and frowned sadly. "Go on." He tried to keep a calm and professional tone.

"Better watch the compliments. People might hear," Jamie shot back, and then rolled his eyes. "I met a man named Jimmy that offered me something I couldn't refuse. He offered me my dreams. He came to town that night and brought me here to New York. He made me beautiful he made me feel loved and to this day tells me that I am his only one. His only love. He introduced me to the world of meditative dancing with a little spice of sexuality. He told me that he thought I was the most beautiful boy in the world and wanted to share my beauty with the world through dance which I have become to love." Jamie took a deep breath and sipped his coffee again.

Matthew listened intently to every word Jamie spoke, and then looked down at the table in thought. His eyes then shifted to his untouched coffee and he pushed it to the side as he looked up at Jamie. "If he really loves you then why does he make you live on the streets?"

For the first time since Matthew had found Jamie again, he saw emotion. A look of anger as Jamie abruptly stood up. "He said he wasn't ready to give up his privacy. Now if you're through I want you to leave me alone."

Matthew stared at Jamie and from the sound of his voice he wasn't so sure of himself. Matthew could have sworn he was in denial. As Jamie turned to walk out Matthew spoke. "I need to know about Tiffani."

"She wasn't there!" Jamie screamed and moved out the door and down the street.

Matthew stood up and ran out the door with the waitress hot on his tail. Once getting outside he turned to hear the waitress screaming about how she didn't get paid. Matthew pulled out five one-dollar bills and literally threw them at her. As the waitress ushered to gather the money angrily Matthew ran after Jamie.

"I'm sorry okay! I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I hurt you." Matthew spoke as he stopped in his tracks and breathed heavily.

Jamie turned around to face Matthew and his eyes were fixed on the ground. He hugged his arms around himself before his eyes turned up to look at Matthew with black eyeliner streaked down his face from tears. "You mean that?"

Matthew walked up to Jamie with tears in his eyes and nodded. "I'm really sorry. I made some stupid mistakes. I mean, you were the best thing that happened to me and instead of being scared of our love, I should have embraced it. I should have held you up high like the shiniest trophy I'd ever won. I should have been proud of you." Matthew stared into Jamie's eyes as tears ran down his own face. "We use to be so happy and I...I ruined it by being scared."

Jamie stared at Matthew for a moment a look of sadness and distrust on his face. After a few moments, Jamie fell into Matthew's arms and cried softly. He felt so warm and safe and protected. As many times as Jimmy held him he never felt as safe and loved as he did in Matthews arms and no matter how many walls and how thick of walls he built around himself he couldn't deny Matthew. The two just held each other as it began to rain again and Matthew ushered Jamie into his car.