Reece was glad to finally be released from the hospital after four days. It would have been sooner but he gotten an infection in one of his wounds. After giving his statement to the two detectives, he was done talking to people. He wanted to forget about Chris Hobbs and his house of hell. He had asked his family to give him time, not wanting to deal with them. His parents felt guilty, his brothers felt murderous and Marie was trying to make up time with her long-lost son. He didn’t begrudge her for that, he never felt like her son but it looked like Shorty did. Reece only met the boy for a moment, the kid wouldn’t even look at him. He just kept apologizing for his dad. Reece didn’t want or need anyone’s fucking pity.

“Need a ride?”

He had been expecting Alex to come get him because he had told his family not to bother. There was yelling and anger but he didn’t care, he didn’t want to see any of them. But he had hoped Alex would be there for him when he got released…he wasn’t. Instead it was the sour looking police lieutenant.

“I can call a cab,” he said, turning away for Lt. Martinez.

“I heard you were being stubborn. Your family is going crazy because you won’t let them be here for you.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant, but I’m fine.”

He tried to make it look like he wasn’t terrified of walking outside. That the fact he was so stupidly naïve it almost got him violated and killed didn’t upset him.

“Where are you going? Home?”

That was completely out of the question, they would never leave him alone. He didn’t want to talk about any of it anymore. He just wanted to forget about the whole thing. And fuck his parents, the doctors and stupid nosy cops.

“No,” he said curtly. He hoped Alex got there soon.

“I get it, you don’t want to talk anymore. So, we’ll just sit here together and stare at the wall.”

“How about you go home to your wife and fuck off.” Why did he talk about the infuriating man’s wife?

Against his will, he looked at the man when he spoke. “I’m not married,” he said. Reece tried to ignore the stupid, idiotic flutter in his stomach at that.

“Go away,” he said again. Thankfully, that was when Alex showed up to get him…finally.

“So?” Justin asked, as he folded Avery’s clothes. He was the only one that still got his clothes washed for him.

“Carl said that Alex picked him up, he refused to tell anyone where they were going,” Brian said. He was on his computer researching the case against Hobbs.

“He should be home with his family,” Justin snapped.

“Watch it, Sunshine, or you’re going to sound a whole lot like your mother.”

“Shut up. This is completely different.”

“I agree, but that’s because I’m smart enough to know that there are similarities. Like for instance. You want Reece here, where we can protect him, he wants to be where he feels safe. That’s with Alex.”

“I was in love with you, Alex is just his best friend.”

“Just his best friend? I don’t know about you but I always went to Mikey before you…sometimes after. I seem to remember you running to Daphne a time or two.”

“Fine. I see your point. I just want him home though. Where I can look at him and make sure he’s alright.”

Brian stood up and crossed the room, pulling the towel out of his hand that he was folding. “He’s not alright. He won’t be alright for a while. His injuries may not be as life altering as yours but they are no less damaging. Unlike you, he was sexuality assaulted. If the cops would have been a second later, he would have been raped. There is no fixing that. There is only being there for him when he wants us to be. We must follow his lead. He’s too much like both of us, if we push all we are doing is pushing him away.”

Brian was impressed at how much his husband looked like a pissed off twink at the age of forty-two. He was a little old for it, not that he didn’t still look young. In fact, most people thought Justin and Reece were brothers.

It killed him that he couldn’t be there for Reece, but forcing him home wasn’t the answer. That would only drive him away. Jennifer had done it to Justin and she never got another chance.

“We have another problem though,” Justin said quietly, wrapping his arms around Brian’s waist.

“Yeah, who’s going to tell Anna.”

“Not it,” they both yelled at the same time.

“I vote Matthew, twins you know,” Justin said.

“That’s pretty cowardly, Mr. Taylor.”

“That’s because I remember when she broke Michael’s nose.”

“That’s a low blow. She didn’t mean to do that.”

“Like hell she didn’t, just because she’s your little girl and can’t see the anger behind her green eyes doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

“Michael apologized to Jenny,” Brian weakly defended his best friend.

It had been a shitshow. Jenny’s eighteenth birthday, she had never been popular like Gus so she only had a few friends. The best was Anna, who was only a few years younger than her. While even at fifteen Anna was on her way to looking like a model, Jenny’s beauty was a little more hidden. She was a little rounder than Anna, shorter and plainer. That didn’t mean she wasn’t beautiful, she just didn’t have Anna’s bubbly personality to go with it. Jenny took after Michael in the personality department.

Well, on her eighteenth birthday she just wanted fifteen-year-old Anna to come over and watch movies. Anna months earlier had a very loud, big party but it was a joint one with Matt. Brian had only heard about the incident second-hand but he believed Justin. Justin was there dropping off Anna for their sleepover. It was at Mel’s house because her and Lindsay divorced a few years earlier. Mel was going to stay at her girlfriend’s house so the girls could have free reign. As Justin was there, Michael showed up to give Jenny her gift. Some first edition book she had been looking all over for. It was really a win for Michael, he should have left on a good note.

But that had been too much to ask for. The story goes, Michael and Justin were talking a bit before Justin went to leave. The girls came back downstairs and asked for pizza money, Mel had forgot to give it to them.

Michael said that Jenny didn’t really need pizza because he thought she was starting a diet. Jenny hadn’t been, it was Michael telling his daughter she was getting heavy. She wasn’t, not really. She just wasn’t as thin as Anna. It seemed she took after her grandmother. Michael would never dare say something to Deb about her weight but he figured it was his right with his daughter.

Anyway, Justin said that Jenny started to look devastated by Michael’s words and agreed that she didn’t need pizza. After she went upstairs crying, Anna ‘tripped’ over a shoe and broke Michael’s nose. Michael said that it had to be an accident because she would never hit him, Justin disagreed.

Anna had never been scared to take on anyone. He really didn’t want to be the one to tell her about what happened to Reece. They would let Reece tell her everything he wanted, just like the other kids but she needed to know about the trial.

“I need you tonight,” Justin said, running his hands up Brian’s chest.

Brian understood. They hadn’t had sex since everything happened, one long week. He needed to feel Justin as much as Justin needed to feel him. He still had a lot to make up to Reece, but the boy needed to be ready to hear him before that happened. He called his phone multiple times a day, but wouldn’t force his presence on him. Not until he knew that Reece at least wanted him to even say his name. When he had called him Brian, it killed him. Maybe he was being cowardly but it was what it was.

Matt waited for Shorty to answer his phone. Matt had wanted Shorty to come home with him but he wanted to spend time with his mother. Shorty was much more forgiving than he would have been.

“Hello,” Shorty’s sleepy voice answered.

“Did I wake you?” He looked at the clock, it was just past midnight.

“Ummm….yeah.”

“Sorry, I’ll let you go.”

“No, it’s alright. What are you doing?” He could hear a shuffling sound, like Shorty was sitting up.

“Nothing, was just thinking about you.”

“I’m fine. How’s your brother? I guess I mean our brother.”

“Don’t know, he won’t let any of us see him. I don’t even know where he went when he left the hospital. Probably at Alex’s house.”

“Who is Alex?”

“Reece’s best friend. They’ve been friends forever.”

“Wow, I’ve never had a best friend. Of course, I’ve never really had a friend.”

“Really?” Even Maurice has friends and he’s a weirdo.

“I think I was too needy when I was little. Kind of a put off, I became a target for bullies. Then when I got older, I didn’t want anyone to meet my dad. I did have a pen-pal in Sweden though.”

“That must have been fun.” Boring.

“Not really, he just talked about himself all the time. I wanted to know about life there, you know. We stopped writing after a year.” Great, he didn’t like self-absorbed people. Matthew didn’t stand a chance…not that he wanted one.   

“I was wondering, did you maybe want to hang out tomorrow night. I was thinking we’d go to Popperz. I’d take you to Babylon but my father owns it, and it’s a bitch to get served. Did you know he used to buy my dad alcohol when he was seventeen but nineteen apparently is too young?”

“You’re his son, he just wants to protect you. I’m sure if you wanted to hang out with him at Babylon he would let you drink, that’s probably the only reason he bought your dad drinks.”

“Whatever. So, how about it?”

“A club? I’ve never been to one before. My dad will kill me if he finds out.”

“He won’t. You’ll be an old man by the time he gets out.”

Matt heard him sigh. Shit, he fucked up again. “Can we just go out to eat?”

“Like a date?” he asked, even to him he sounded horrified by the idea. He’d never been on a date before, truthfully it sounded awful.

“Oh, nevermind. I got to go. Bye.”

“Shit!” he yelled. What a fucking mess. Why couldn’t he just accept the fucking date. God, he was such a loser.

“Thanks for the ride,” Reece said to Alex. They were waiting for rain to let up.

He had been released from the hospital just before the doctor went home. After that he went to Alex’s to shower and put on some clothes that covered his injuries. Alex helped clean his wounds and bandage then back up.

“Why don’t you just come back to my place. We can watch Loki and Freemont.”

Reece smiled weakly at this friend. He remembered just a week ago, he was so excited to do just that. “No. Thanks though.”

He stepped out of the car and walked up the long driveway. The sound of Alex’s car backing out of the gravel drive filled the quiet night. He had told Alex this was where his mother was staying, if Alex knew he was lying he didn’t let on.

After he had woken up in the hospital. Then reliving the night to the cops, his parents. He didn’t want to care anymore. The thought of anyone touching him made him sick. But as long as he had this ‘thing’ it could be stolen from him. He wanted to be in control of this.

Gravel crunched under his boots as he made his way to the mansion. His parents’ house was huge but it as tiny compared to this place.

There were cars everywhere. Finally, he was standing at the door. He rang the doorbell. A man wearing just leather pants answered the door.

“If it isn’t Reece Taylor. What brings you here?”

“Does the offer still stand?”

The man smiled wickedly. “It does.”

“I guess you have your new novice then.”

Reece just hoped the drugs he was promised would make him not feel or care.

“You are going to be a star. The question is, are you still a virgin?”

“Yes,” he said, feeling a bit sick again.

“That’s good. You’re first movie will make a fortune. Deflowering the virgin, maybe I should star in it with you.”

Reece forced himself not to back down. Hobbs hadn’t gotten to him, he’d never have that. He was taking control over his own life, not his parents or Chris Hobbs or that bossy cop. Not only could he chose who he lost his virginity to, but he could make good money for it. He had been stupid waiting for love.

“I think we’ll have to wait,” he said a little worriedly.

“Why?”

“I got attacked, my back is in pretty bad shape.” Not the mention his arms, legs and chest.”

“Maybe that’s for the best, we need your hair to grow out, you look like a fucking skinhead.

“Can I stay until I’m ready to film?”

“Here? Hell no. You’re too much temptation to me and my guys here. I got a place in the city you can use. Wait one second.”

He left the door open and went further inside the mansion. A moment later he walked back holding two sets of keys. He held up a set of keys with a gold Q on it. “These are the keys to my apartment.” Then he lifted another set with a Ford emblem on it. “This is to that truck. I would let you drive something nicer but until you earn it, I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I understand. I don’t have a phone anymore but as soon as I do.”

“Hold on.” He left again, coming back with a brand-new phone. “I just got this today. Consider it a signing bonus. It’s on my account, don’t worry about it.”

Reece drove the old Ford back into Pittsburgh. When he had meet Kade, whose real name was Edward, he was eighteen and stupid.

It was his freshman year at Carnegie Mellon. A friend asked if he wanted to go to a party with her. There were people doing drugs everywhere, and not just pot. He wanted to leave right away. Not only was it not his scene most everyone was older.

Soon the girl he went with, the one he hoped to date, was having sex with two guys while another guy filmed. Reece got out his phone ready to call his brother Maurice to come get him. Maurice was the one least likely to judge him, mostly because he didn’t understand most of social interactions. An orgy would be just as uncomfortable to be around as a football party.

He had been stopped by an older man calling him over.

“Hey, kid,” a tall, lean man said.

“Hi,” he said uncomfortably.

There were people all around him having sex, not caring about the others around them.

“I’m Kade,” the man introduced himself, he looked around forty.

“That’s an interesting name.”

“My real name is Eddie. Kade is my professional name. I don’t do much videos myself anymore.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I started as assistant to the owner of a pornsite eons ago. The guy was a total uptight loser. After he had a run in with the law, I got another job. This time in front of the camera. Ten years ago, I started up my own business. I’ve made a fortune, not only for me but my employees. You would be beautiful on camera with those big blue eyes and blonde hair. I could find someone that would contrast with you, that usually is most popular. Maybe someone darker to go with your light skin. Maybe some big, tattooed bear.”

Reece shuffled where he stood. Everything the man was saying was making him uncomfortable. “Sorry, that’s just not my thing. Also, I’m straight.”

The man started laughing. “What does that have to do with anything. The only thing that matters is how green the cash is. Anyway, lie to mommy and daddy but don’t think I didn’t see you checking out some of the guys’ packages here.”

“I need to leave. Sorry.”

“Are you a virgin or something?”

Reece could feel the heat in his cheeks, he knew it was giving him away. “Bye.”

“Hey, wait.” The man pulled out his wallet. “Here, take this card, it has my name and number on it. Also, anytime you want to make bank, just come back here. This is my house, so just come by anytime you want.”

Reece had left that night and had not been back. But he had seen the man several other times over the last two years. He would hit on Reece every time and ask to video him. It wasn’t the perfect answer but he would be damned if he counted on his parents for anything. He didn’t have to worry about paying for school, his fathers took care of that. But he would need money to get his own place, own car and insurance. He was not going to stay at home and go to school. They didn’t want him around until he was some pathetic little loser, now he didn’t want them. He would make his own way. And Kade(Eddie) would help him.