Doing Hard Time

[harry113]

Justin Thanks, Great chapter!!!
So I was wrong .... Reid isn't a golddigger! You can't win 'em all !!
Harry

 

[arogersb]

Thanks for all the nice things you've said, guys.
Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a BIT longer than usual for the next chapter, because I have a lot on my plate at the moment (including another straight love story that I am writing elsewhere)

Craiger, you astonish me! Your words may just come true in the next chapter (wink)

Justin

 

[mexamor]

Justin, I hadn't realized that you had written so much more. This is just the best story. I absolutly love your characters and all of the levels of this. Thank you for a realistic and beautiful story.

 

[jagman_2008]

I really like this story, when is it gonna keep going?

 

[arogersb]

Don't fret, I'm going to continue the story now. Hope to post the next chapter within 24 hours.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 11 ~​

From the Narrative of Harrison Ridgeway IV:

I heard Mom call out to me from downstairs. “Harrison dear, come down for dinner. Your father is already at the table.”

I steeled myself and went downstairs. Dad didn’t even look up when I entered the dining room and sat down at the table.

“Alistair,” Mom said gently. “Your son’s here.”

Dad looked at Mom. “You expect me to be happy about that?”

I looked down at my plate, feeling hurt. I could feel tears gathering in my eyes. Mom looked towards me and then back towards Dad.

“Alistair,” she said reproachfully. “Harrison’s come home from prison, where he served time for a crime he didn’t commit. Aren’t you glad that he’s home safely?”

Dad glared at Mom and angrily said, “He made me look like a fool in front of my constituents. I had to publicly apologize for his mistake, and now it turns out there was no need for that. They’re saying I’m a bad parent for not believing he was innocent.”

That was it. I was outraged. He hadn’t so much apologized as disowned me. “Well, you could have believed me when I told you I didn’t do it," I snapped at him.

Dad looked at me disdainfully. His glare was enough to make me lose my newfound courage. Why did Dad always have that effect on me?

“You’re right, I should’ve known a sissy like you could never hit a guy, not even one who deserved it.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You would prefer me to have actually bashed up that guy?”

“That damned faggot got what he had coming to him,” said Dad as if he were the judge of such things.

“Alistair, please,” Mom interjected. “That poor boy didn’t do anything wrong either. His parents were so worried he wouldn’t make it. You wouldn’t want that to happen if it were your son.”

I know Mom was trying to make peace, but her efforts had the completely opposite effect.

Dad looked straight at me and said in an icy tone, “If my son was gay, I’d kill him myself.”

Mom looked shocked. I felt a chill go down my spine.

***​

I was thankful when dinner was over. I could retreat to my room and cry. My dad was going to kill me if he ever found out about what had happened between me and Caleb. I was going to be dead, dead, dead … the word kept going round and round my head until I felt dizzy. I put my head in my hands and wept.

There was no way Dad was going to accept my newfound gay side. I wished I could go back to the way it was before … but I’d already crossed that line and given into my feelings for another man. There was no going back even I wanted to please my father. And I did so desperately want to please him, even though I knew there was no way I’d be good enough for him.

“Harrison.” Mom had come into my room so quietly I hadn’t even noticed. “Harrison, your father’s upset now, but he didn’t mean those things he said earlier. Of course he’s happy that you’re home.”

I realized Mom thought the reason I was crying was Dad’s coldness about my homecoming. Well, that was part of the reason, but I couldn’t share with Mom my darkest secrets. I felt her put her arms around me and I sobbed into her shoulder.

“It’ll be alright soon, I promise,” Mom whispered.

Suddenly a voice flashed through my mind – Dad calling me a sissy. If he saw me here crying on Mom’s shoulder, especially with him already in a foul mood, he would be infuriated. I stopped crying and gently unwrapped Mom’s arms from around me.

“Mom, I’m okay now. You’d better go and get some sleep. Phoebe told me you were so excited about me coming home, you hardly slept well last night,” I said, while wiping away the tears on my face with the back of my hand.

Mom looked at me worriedly. “Are you sure, dear? I could stay a while if you …”

I cut in firmly. “No, Mom, it’s okay. You can go now.” I knew it sounded like I was ordering her to leave, but I really didn’t feel her presence would help me in any way. Mom left me in my room, glancing back at me before she shut the door.

After she’d left, I threw myself back on the bed. Lying on my back, I stared up at the ceiling, thinking about my relationship with my father. I was scared of him, yet at the same time I longed to be accepted by him, to impress him. I knew that my sexuality certainly wasn’t going to help the situation at all. What was I going to do? It wasn’t as if I was actually going to pursue a gay relationship. The only person I could have considered for that was Josh, and I’d already given him up to Reid. But my damned feelings for him just wouldn’t go away. Even my fear of my father finding out I was gay didn’t seem to prevent me from remembering how wonderful it had been when he’d kissed me.

With all those thoughts swirling around my mind, it was no wonder I couldn’t go to sleep. After tossing and turning in bed for a couple of hours, I finally got up from my bed. I needed to go out somewhere, some place where I could organize my thoughts clearly. I knew just the place. Pulling on my clothes, I quietly crept out of my room, careful not to make any noise that might wake my parents, got into my car and drove off into the night.

***​

Ten minutes later, I got out of my parked car and started climbing. It was dark of course, but the moon shone every now and then through the trees, lighting the familiar path. I reflected on how I hadn’t been here in years, but still it had come so easily to mind when I’d been thinking about a quiet place for contemplation. The municipal corporation had recognized the wonderful view of the ocean at the top of the cliff and built the path leading up to it, as well a bench right at the top. Yet I’d never seen anyone else there before.

I couldn’t credit myself with discovering the spot; it was Josh who’d first shown it to me. It was only a five minute walk from his house. I remembered all the times we’d snuck out of his house at night to make our way there. It was possible to climb down the steep cliff face to a small sandy beach. I smiled sadly as I recalled the midnight swimming races we’d had in the freezing water. I’d never have good times like those ever again, certainly not with Josh.

I stepped out of the trees and the moonlight shone brightly, uninterrupted, onto the flat area at the top of the cliff. I started to move towards the bench, and then paused. There was already someone else sitting on it, staring out to the ocean. I could see the back of the person’s head. My heart stopped. I’d recognize the curly black hair and the way he slouched forward anywhere. It was Josh.

Shit, I thought. One person I wanted to avoid and I come straight to him. How could I have been so stupid as to come here? This was his favorite spot after all. I couldn’t face him after the way I’d left him earlier in the day. I silently backed away from the bench, hoping he wouldn’t notice my shadow. And then, of course, I had to step on a twig. In the stillness of the night, the sound was unbearably loud. I froze.

Josh quickly turned his head around to face me. I knew he would definitely recognize me in the bright moonlight. I turned to run off, when I heard Josh’s voice.

“Harry, is that you? Wait! Don’t go.”

I wanted to flee, but I knew there was no way I could outrun Josh, who’d always been a lot more athletic than me. I turned back around, feeling resigned. I silently cursed my fate, which seemed to be totally against me that day.

Josh got up from his seat and came towards me. The moonlight illuminated the wet streaks on his face. I suddenly realized that he’d been crying.

“Harry, why are you running away from me? Don’t you like me anymore?” he asked me sadly.

I didn’t know what to say. I felt like my heart was being torn apart. I wanted so much to hug him, but I knew that if I did that, it would lead to something more. And I’d given Reid my word that I wouldn’t break up their relationship.

Josh continued. “Are you going to speak to me? Look, I’m sorry I came on to you so strongly this afternoon. Was that what scared you off? I didn’t mean to, but I just couldn’t control myself. I’m sorry, Harry. I should’ve known better, that you’re not comfortable with this – it’s all new to you.” He looked at me, waiting for a reply. But I still couldn’t speak. I looked down at my feet.

Josh reached out and touched my shoulder. His mere touch sent a shiver of ecstasy through my body. I looked up, into his beautiful grey eyes, glistening with tears.

“Harry, please, say something, anything,” he begged. “Even if it’s to tell me that you hate me. Your silence is killing me.” Another tear rolled down his cheek.

With great difficulty I managed to find my voice. “I don’t hate you. If we … if we were to have met under different circumstances, we might even have been able to make this work.”

Josh looked at me. “What do you mean, different circumstances?”

“I mean … Josh, you’re already in a relationship.”

“But I already told you that doesn’t mean anything,” he protested. “Not what having you back in my life would mean.”

“Josh, Reid is a far better person for you than I could ever be. I mean, he’s out, right?”

Josh nodded silently.

“Well, that’s already one above me. I can’t have a relationship with you, or any other guy for that matter, because I’m still in the closet. And Reid is handsome and more experienced in gay relationships than I am.”

“Reid’s only experienced in gay sex, not real relationships. He’s never even had one before.”

“Except with you,” I pointed out. Josh looked confused.

“But he knows that was only a temporary, no strings attached thing. He doesn’t have a problem with it.”

I wanted to tell Josh, yes he does. But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Despite the obvious animosity Reid had towards me, I could tell that he sincerely loved Josh. And the two of them did belong together.

“Josh, go home to Reid. Please? I’m begging you.”

Josh stared at me. “You really don’t have any feelings for me?”

I stumbled over my words. “It’s not that, it’s just … I want you to be happy.”

“How do you expect me to be happy with someone I don’t love?” Josh asked.

I didn’t know what to say to that. I managed to choke out, “Please, Josh, don’t ask me any more questions. It’s hard enough as it is. Just be happy with Reid, because you can’t be with me.” I turned to go.

Josh grabbed hold of my arm to stop me. “Harry, I don’t want to lose you again. Even if you don’t want us to be lovers, can we at least be friends?”

“You’d still want to be friends with me?” I asked him, surprised.

Josh gestured around him. “Look at this place, Harry. Don’t you remember the wonderful times we had here? What brought you here tonight? This was meant to happen, Harry. We were meant to be in each other’s lives. Just maybe not as lovers.”

He was right, I realized. Somehow, fate had mysteriously brought both of us together, in the same spot where we’d spent so much time as teenagers. There was obviously some greater design to the crazy things that were happening in my life.

“Okay,” I said softly. “Friends?” I asked.

“Friends,” he said firmly, before hugging me. Then he stepped back and looked at me. “Last one down to the beach is a loser!” he yelled suddenly, and took off running towards the path that led down the cliff.

I stood motionless for a moment, stunned. Then, coming to my senses, I yelled “That’s not fair!” before following in hot pursuit.

Of course he beat me to the beach. By the time I reached it, he was already stripping off his t-shirt.

With my hands on my knees, I managed to say, between pants, “What … are you … doing?”

He grinned at me. “Going for a swim, duh! Just like old times.”

Catching my breath, I said, “But I don’t have my trunks.”

Josh shrugged as he kicked off his shorts. “Neither do I.” He inserted his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers (which I noticed had a ridiculous design of Mickey Mouse on them – just like Josh to have those at his age!) and began to tug them down his hips.

“Stop!” I yelled in alarm.

Josh paused and looked at me innocently. “What’s wrong?”

“You can’t … well, you can’t get naked in front of me!” I told him.

Josh raised his eyebrows, still playing innocent. “You mean you don’t like what you might see?”

I realized I’d been tricked. Josh knew very well I would be turned on by his naked body. In fact even seeing him in those absurd boxers was causing a stirring in my crotch.

“Damn it, Josh. I already told you we can’t … If you take those off, I’ll leave,” I threatened.

“Okay, okay, calm down. The boxers will stay on,” he assured me. There was a trace of disappointment in his voice. I was aware that he'd wanted to seduce me, so I stared at him suspiciously, but he didn’t attempt anything else. I slowly pulled my own shirt over my head.

I heard Josh mutter, “Geez … who knew you were such a prude when it came to nudity?”

I managed to get the shirt off and snapped at him, “I’m just not comfortable with it, okay!”

“Funny, you didn’t seem to have a problem with it when Reid exhibited himself to you this morning,” he smirked.

I blushed. “Well, for your information, I was very embarrassed, even if he didn't seem to be.”

“Yeah, well, Reid is a bit of a nudist. Now, are you going to swim, or just yak here?”

I neatly folded my clothes (Josh rolled his eyes – he always found it amusing how I liked things to be organized) and put them on a flat rock.

“Okay, now I’m ready,” I informed him.

“Finally! Now come on.”

We both set off running into the waves and dived in, shrieking as the cold water hit our bodies.

To be continued …​

I know, it’s been a while since I last updated this story. I hope to use the Easter break to put a lot more effort into it, so expect more chapters this week. Once again, I appreciate your feedback and support.

 

[timnmostud]

Great story. I'm glad you are continuing it. Thanks!

 

[harry113]

Justin, Thanks for continuing.
Excellent writing.
Look forward to the next chapter
Harry

 

[smile86]

this is a great story, i always look foward to reading more. thanks.

 

[Craiger]

Thank goodness for Easter breaks....lol I really look forward to the new chapters. For some odd reason I still hold out hopes for Josh and Harry. Maybe we can pair off Reid and Dean....lol

Craiger

 

[mexamor]

I love this story so much. You have made a wonderful world to read about. Thank you so much for the effort you put into this.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 12 ~​

From the Narrative of Joshua Spencer:

Exhausted by our swimming race, which Harry won, we both flopped down on the beach, allowing the cool night breeze to caress our bodies. I shot a glance towards Harry. His wet baby-blue boxers clung to his hips, leaving little to the imagination. Glancing next to his face, I saw that he was blissfully unaware of the fact, staring instead at the sky. I smiled to myself, thinking how naïve Harry had always been. Couldn’t he see the effect he was having on me? Or was he trying to ignore it?

He looked so irresistible, lying on his back in the sand, droplets of water glistening on his smooth skin. I wanted to make love to him right there and then, on the sand, but I didn’t even dare to touch him. I couldn’t bear to lose him a second time. Harry didn’t want anything of that kind to happen between us. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why. I knew he was hiding something from me – something that was holding him back from giving in to his feelings. The kiss we’d shared earlier that day (or I suppose it was the previous day) had told me that the feelings I’d had for him, all these years, were mutual. Yet when I offered him the chance, he’d run away. And now he just wanted to be friends.

What was stopping him? I know he was new to the whole gay “experience”, but now it was almost as if he was denying it. I wondered if it had something to do with his father. I scrutinized his body – it was smooth, pale and unblemished. I ravished it with my eyes, distracted from my thoughts by his loveliness.

“You’re staring at me.” I snapped out of my reverie when I heard his voice. He was looking at me accusingly.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Harry sat up, looking alarmed, and reached for his clothes.

I sat up quickly. “Harry, no … that came out wrong. I didn’t mean …”

“I knew this was a bad idea,” he mumbled as he struggled to pull his t-shirt over his head.

“Harry, wait!” He stopped struggling with the t-shirt, which he’d managed to get into a tangle, and swore. I couldn’t help but laugh, stopping hastily when he glared at me.

“Now you’re laughing at me!” He got the shirt untangled but instead of putting it on, he threw it back onto the rock. “Fuck that.”

I knew I had to be serious. “Harry, I couldn’t help myself. It’s not as if you don’t know that I’ve always found you beautiful. And tonight you’re just gorgeous.”

Harry looked at me worriedly. “Josh, you mustn’t have these feelings for me.”

I laughed bitterly. “Do you really think feelings which haven’t gone away for years, are just going to vanish overnight?”

I knew he couldn’t give an answer to that. It had been fun to race like we used to when we were teens, and frolic in the sea. But I wanted so much more than just simple fun. I wanted what I’d always longed for.

“Harry, tell me, honestly … that you don’t have any feelings for me? That I’m the only one suffering from these delusions?”

He was silent.

“Harry, tell me, and I promise I won’t try anything with you, ever again.”

He opened his mouth, and I could already tell he was going to lie.

“The truth, Harry – tell me the way you truly feel,” I said before he could do so.

The guilty look on his face told everything I wanted to know. “Just tell me the truth, Harry,” I said gently.

“Josh, I … damn it! Yes! Yes, I have feelings for you. Are you happy now?” he yelled.

I could tell he was angry. Was it because he felt I was forcing him to admit it? Still speaking softly, I asked, “And would you like to act on those feelings?”

Harry was quiet for so long, I thought he wasn’t going to reply. Then he said, almost inaudibly, “Yes.”

“Then what’s holding you back, Harry? You can tell me.”

He stared at me, then broke down and started to cry. I tentatively put my arms around him, expecting him to push me away. But he didn’t. Instead he seemed to welcome it.

“Harry, tell me what’s wrong. We can face it together,” I told him.

“That’s just it, Josh,” he sobbed. “We can’t ever be together.”

“If you want something enough, anything is possible.”

“There’s too many things in our way,” he cried.

I had to ask. “Harry … is it your father? Because I know what he’s …”

I didn’t get the chance to finish. He pushed me away violently and yelled, “You don’t know anything about my father!”

I struggled to grab hold of his arms as he tried to break out of my embrace. “Harry, calm down. I’m sorry I brought him up. Just forget that I even did.”

He stopped struggling and looked at me. I could see the pain in his startlingly blue eyes. I wanted to kiss him and make it go away. But I managed to stop myself – that would only scare him away.

“Harry … you don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to. But you should know that I’ll always be there for you.”

“You’ve already done so much for me,” he said quietly. “And I don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t know why you keep saying that, Harry. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

He interrupted and looked straight at me. “Josh, I … I did punch that guy.”

I was stunned speechless.

Harry looked down and continued, “That guy, Dean … he was attracted to me. And when my friends … at least I thought they were my friends … when they saw him looking at me, they made me confront him outside the bar. I could’ve just walked away, but I was scared … scared that they’d realize I was gay too … so I hit him. Then they all jumped on him and started beating him up.”

I didn’t say anything. I was trying to process what he’d just confessed.

Harry glanced at me sadly. “Now you know that I’m undeserving of your love. If you had been in Dean’s place that night, I might have done the same thing to you.”

I cleared my throat. “Harry … you made a mistake, because you were scared. Those guys must’ve made you do it. I’ve never known you to hit anyone. Even that time when I tried to touch you, while you were asleep … you didn’t hit me, you just ran away. You’d never hurt someone intentionally.”

“Josh, stop making me out to be the innocent one. The only innocent guy there was Dean, and I punched him in the face.”

“Is that what you’re scared of, Harry? That you’re going to hurt me?” I asked him.

“Among other things,” he mumbled.

What other things, I wondered. But there were more important things I had to tell him.

“Harry, didn’t it occur to you that, by pushing me away, you’re hurting me more than you could physically?”

Harry looked at me, his confusion evident in those brilliantly blue eyes. He asked, “Do I mean that much to you?”

I felt like shaking him. “Harry you idiot, which part of ‘I love you and always have’ didn’t you understand? I have a burning desire to make love to you all night long.”

Harry blushed. If he’d looked beautiful earlier, he was even more so now with the pink tint to his pale skin.

“I just can’t … it’s so hard. Please, Josh, can’t you understand that we mustn’t do that?”

“Damn it! Then at least tell me why not. We’re both here, alone on our own little patch of paradise, almost naked except for our boxers. What more is it that you want, Harry?”

He looked away as he spoke. “I’m scared, Josh. Scared of so many things that could go wrong, the things that have gone wrong before. Most of all scared of hurting you … I’m more scared now than I was that night with Dean.”

“I’ve already told you that you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“You don’t understand,” he muttered, still looking away from me.

Tenderly I cupped his chin in my hand and turned his face towards me. “Then make me understand. I want to know, Harry.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“I’m not going to leave you alone, Harry, so you’d better get used to having me around,” I told him firmly.

He gave me a watery smile. “You always were stubborn.” Then his smile broke down completely and he started to cry again. Whatever it was that was bothering him, I wasn’t going to find it out today. I held him in my arms as he sobbed, feeling his tears drip onto my chest.

“It’s going to be okay,” I promised him. There was no reply; he just continued to cry. I didn’t move, letting him cry himself out. When his sobs ceased, I gently pried his fingers away from me and realized he’d fallen asleep. I smiled in spite of myself; he looked so innocent when he was asleep. Careful not to wake him, I slowly lay back on the sand, with his head on my chest.

I lay awake for a while longer, listening to the sound of the ocean. I watched Harry’s brown-haired head rise and fall in tandem with my chest and thought to myself sadly, this would be the closest I’d ever get to sleeping with him. Then I must have drifted off to sleep myself.


From the Narrative of Harrison Ridgeway IV:

I opened my eyes to see the sky above me, which was just beginning to lighten. For a moment I was confused, wondering where the hell I was. Then Josh’s smiling face came into view.

“Good morning, sleepy-head,” he said. “You’d better wake up now if you want to be home before anyone gets up and wonders where you were last night.”

“Oh, right,” I said sleepily, and promptly closed my eyes again. I was suddenly assailed by a shower of water-droplets. I quickly opened my eyes and sat up. Josh was grinning at me as he shook his head like a dog, sending water droplets flying everywhere.

“What did you do that for?” I grumbled.

Still grinning, Josh replied, “You were going back to sleep. I had to wake you up somehow.”

“Well, I’m well and truly awake now,” I complained.

“Mission accomplished then. Are you going for another swim?” he asked. “I already had one.”

I reached for my clothes. “No, I guess I’d better be going home now.” I started to rub the grains of sand off my body with my hands.

“Here, you can use this,” said Josh, offering me his t-shirt.

I didn’t take it from him. “Josh, I can’t use your t-shirt. What are you going to wear then?”

He shrugged. “My house is just a five-minute walk from here. I can do it without my shirt. It’s not as if anyone is going to be out at this time. Besides, we live near a beach. There’re plenty of shirtless guys around.” He winked. “I know, ‘cause I spent a lot of time watching them.”

“Josh, I can’t,” I told him firmly. His face fell. “I know you want to be friends, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything for me, okay?”

He nodded, somewhat reluctantly.

I hesitated for a moment before continuing. “About last night … I must have been a real pain, breaking down like that.”

“No, you weren’t,” he said quickly.

I shook my head. “I don’t know why you put up with me.”

Josh opened his mouth. I could instinctively tell that he was going to say it was because he loved me. I had to stop him.

“Okay, don’t reply to that. Remember what I told you last night.” I was busy putting on my clothes. “I’m leaving now,” I announced, and turned to go.

Josh caught my arm. “I have to see you again.” I started to say something, but Josh interrupted.

“Come by the café. You haven’t seen it yet. And you can have that latte you ended up not having.”

That reminded me of Reid. But surely I wasn’t likely to see him at the café. And I did want to see Josh again.

“Okay,” I agreed. “Maybe I’ll swing by later. Where is it exactly?”

“22 Marina Drive. You can’t miss it. It’s called …”

“The Surf ‘n’ Sand Café, I know, you told me. I’ll come by in the evening, is that good?”

Josh nodded, but still didn’t let go of my arm.

“Can I go now?” I asked him, pointedly looking towards my arm firmly in his grip.

“What? Oh, right.” He let go of my arm. “You promise you’ll come by the café?” he asked me again.

“Yes, I promise,” I told him wearily.

“Okay, then, see you later.” I nodded and turned to walk back up the cliff path. Then I turned back and called out, “By the way, those boxers are meant for 12-year-olds.” A grin broke across Josh’s sad face.

“Well, I’m not the one who looks like I’m still that age!” he yelled back at me. I childishly stuck my tongue out at him and continued my hike to the cliff top. I tried not to look back down at him. If I did, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to walk away from him.

I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I’d been convinced that I was, but now I wasn’t so sure. Could I be just friends with Josh?

I had to, I told myself. Shaking lustful thoughts of Josh out of my head, I walked down to my car and drove off, just as dawn started to break.

To be continued …​

As promised, a new chapter soon after the previous one. And hopefully the next one will be ready within a couple of days, if not sooner. I’d like to thank all of you guys for your nice comments. I was a bit worried I might have lost my audience after the two-week break. Some of you have expressed your thoughts for the future of this story, which may just come true. You’ll have to wait and see. Once again, feedback is appreciated.

 

[mexamor]

Wow! You never cease to amaze me with your beautiful writing and you story. I love the character development and the deep love that they show. I so hope things work out well as I don't know if I can handle a serious life like move. Sorry to be a pussy. thanks again.

 

[arogersb]

Important Note: This chapter follows soon after the previous one. I’m aware some of you might have missed it. If you did, please scroll up and read that first, because it’s very important for continuity.

~ Chapter 13 ~​

From the Narrative of Harrison Ridgeway IV:

I managed to get home before Mom woke up and came looking for me. Needless to say, I was still so sleepy that even a hot shower to wash off the sand didn’t manage to keep me awake. Remembering to put on some clothes this time, I jumped into bed and immediately fell asleep. All thoughts of Josh, Reid and my father faded into oblivion.

For the second time that morning, I found myself being woken up. The bright sun shone directly into my eyes through the open windows. I groaned and tried to cover my face with a pillow, only to find it being pulled away.

“Get up already, it’s ten in the morning,” said my sister Phoebe.

I glared at her. “Don’t you have a job and a baby to look after?”

“Yeah, well, my shift at the hospital starts in about half an hour. I just came by to drop Alan off with Mom, and she told me you’ve been sleeping a lot since you came home. You slept yesterday afternoon, and then immediately after dinner until now.”

Not entirely true, but then they didn’t know about my midnight trip to the beach. “Oh, just go away,” I grumbled. “I don’t want to listen to you bitch about my sleeping habits. No wonder everyone complains about older sisters.”

“Well I’m not going anywhere until you get out of bed. Mom’s been waiting with breakfast for you since eight. She made your favorite pancakes since it’s your first breakfast back home.”

“Alright,” I groaned. I pushed the bedcovers off and started to get up. Phoebe didn’t move.

“Some privacy please?” I glared at her.

“For your information I’ve seen you naked before. And if I leave now, you’re probably going back to sleep.”

“I was about two when you last saw me naked! And in any case I’m not naked now. Now I promise I’m not going back to sleep okay? Could you just shut the door behind you?”

“Fine,” huffed Phoebe and got up to go. Then she paused. “Why is there sand on your floor?”

Oops. “Erm … no idea. By the way, what time did you say it was?”

“Ten o’clock.”

“Shit! I meant to do something.”

“And what might that be? Sleep some more?”

“Mind your own business. Now out. Shoo!”

“I’m not some animal for you to chase out of your room; I’m your big sister.”

“You’re a witch, that’s what you are.”

Phoebe threw the pillow at me and left the room. “Thanks for waking me up!” I yelled to her, but by then she’d gone downstairs.

I grinned. Despite our frequent bickering, we really got on quite well; better than most siblings I would say. Phoebe, being five years older, was always protective of me. Now she was married with her own child but she still had an almost maternal streak when it came to me.

I didn’t need to shower again, so I just washed my face and put on fresh clothes before going down for breakfast. Dad would be at his office by now, so I didn’t need to see him. As soon as I reached the breakfast table, Mom emerged from the kitchen with a plate piled high with blueberry pancakes.

“They look excellent, Mom,” I told her as she placed them in front of me.

“Thank you, dear. And don’t call your sister a witch.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Mom.”

She sat down opposite me, watching me gobble down the pancakes hungrily.

“Did you eat properly in prison? You look half-starved. You need to eat more.”

“Mom! You know I’ve always been on the thin side.”

“Well now that you’re home, you could do with a good feeding. So what are your plans for today?”

“I think I’ll be out most of the day, Mom. But I promise to be home for dinner.”

Mom looked worried. “Harrison, you’re spending a lot of time out of the house since you got back.”

“Mom, don’t worry. I just have a couple of things to do, that’s all.”

She didn’t look very comforted.

“Mom, don’t you trust me to look after myself?”

Mom sighed. “I keep forgetting that you’re a young man now. Okay, but drive carefully and don’t be late for dinner.”

I smiled at her.

***​

It hadn’t been easy to get the address from Jack, my family’s attorney. He’d been most reluctant to give it to me, saying that it wasn’t a good idea. But I had to get this off my chest. He’d relented at last.

So here I was, standing outside a beachfront apartment complex, waiting to be buzzed up. I wasn’t sure I would be, but it was worth a try.

I pressed the button next to the nameplate that read, “WINTERS, D.”

A voice crackled over the intercom. “Hello?”

I cleared my throat nervously. “Uh, hi, this is Harrison Ridgeway. I … well, you probably know me already, and I was …”

“Come on up,” the voice interrupted. The door clicked open.

I was a bit surprised at the abruptness of it. Still feeling very tense, I climbed the stairs to the upper floor. The door of the apartment in question was already open. I recognized the guy standing in the doorway. He was the same age as me, and around the same height. His dark-brown hair was messy, as if he hadn’t bothered to comb it in the morning. He had a slightly nerdy appearance, but there was an attractiveness about him which I hadn’t noticed the last time I’d seen him.

“Hi!” he said cheerfully. “Come in. I know it’s a bit chaotic in here, but I’m trying to organize things.”

I was thrown by his cheerfulness. Did he know who I was? I was sure he wouldn’t forget the face of the guy who’d punched him for staring at him on that life-changing night. My confusion must have been evident on my face.

“Don’t worry, I do know who you are,” he told me. “You were the only guy who didn’t run off and leave me there in that alley.”

I felt a lump in my throat. “I … I’m not sure we’re on the same page here. I came here to apologize, for hitting you. And for doing nothing while those other guys beat you up.”

There was still a slight smile on his face. “You’ve already apologized.”

“Huh?” What was he talking about?

“Before you punched me,” he explained. “With your eyes … you said sorry with your eyes. You have very expressive eyes, you know.”

I looked down, ashamed. “I still can’t be forgiven for what I did.”

“You came here to apologize, but you didn’t need to. I forgave you a long time ago; you just need to forgive yourself.”

I looked at him. His face showed no animosity towards me; only sympathy for the guilt he knew I must be feeling.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Dean smiled. “Now will you come inside?” I nodded and followed him into the apartment. He’d been right about the chaos. My fingers itched to set the living room back to rights.

“Sit down.” I obeyed. “What would you like to drink? I’m not sure my kitchen is well-stocked but I could get you a soda from the vending machine.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Alright then.” He sat down on the couch opposite me. An uncomfortable and prolonged silence ensued. I wondered what the hell I was doing there. I was supposed to apologize and hightail it out of there.

Dean was the first to break the silence. “You know, there’s no reason for you to blame yourself. Those bastards would probably have bashed me without any reason. And I was probably partly to blame for staring at you in front of an obviously homophobic crowd. Why were you with them anyway?”

“I thought they were my friends. Michael – the leader of the group – was my girlfriend’s brother.”

“A girlfriend …” Dean shook his head. “I should’ve known better than to stare at you. But I thought you were too pretty to be straight.”

My head snapped up to look at him. He held up his hands in front of him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to offend you. I guess it must be hard for a straight guy when another man is trying to hit on him – not that I would know.”

He thought I was straight. After he’d forgiven me so easily, I owed it to him to tell him the full truth. “I’m …” I cleared my throat. “I’m not straight, Dean.”

He drew his breath in sharply. “You’re not? Then … oh.” He nodded in understanding. “Still in the closet, huh?”

I nodded slowly.

“Then it must have been even worse for you … You wanted to keep up appearances. And I was the idiot who would’ve blown your cover.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want those guys to know I was gay as well, so I had to do what they wanted, as much as I hated it. And I can’t blame anyone else except myself. You don’t know how sorry I am.”

“Relax … don’t get all tensed up about it. I mean, I’m not, so why are you?”

Frankly I was amazed by how well he was taking all of this. “I don’t know why you aren’t. I’m the bastard who caused you to be in a coma for more than two months.”

He patted my hand. “I spent those two months in a coma, Harrison. I didn’t really feel anything. But you had to spend those months in a maximum-security prison. And it’s not as if you committed the crime for which you were imprisoned.”

“But I did commit a crime. I don’t blame you, if you want to hit me.”

Dean appeared confused. “Why would I want to hit you?”

“Because of what I did to you. Don’t you want to?”

Dean shrugged. “No, but if that’s going to make you happy.” He drew his fist back. I half-closed my eyes, anticipating the punch.

But it never came. Instead his hand gently brushed against my cheek. I opened my eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t want to hit you, Harrison. You’re too exquisite for me to mar that beauty.”

“You don’t want to hit me?” I asked him in disbelief.

Dean laughed. “You almost sound as if you actually want me to.”

I looked down. “There’s no way I can make this up to you.”

“Coming here to apologize was enough.”

“What about dinner?” I said suddenly, confusing even myself. Where the hell did that come from?

Dean raised his eyebrows. “So, first you punch me, and then you ask me out on a date?” I started to look down in shame, but Dean added, “That was a joke. I know, I have a terrible sense of humor. My ex told me so.”

“Your ex?” I asked.

“Yeah, my former boyfriend, as cute as they come. He decided to leave me a few months ago. I guess I wasn’t good-looking enough for him.”

“You’re looking better than the last time I saw you,” I blurted out. Shit, that was a stupid thing to say, considering that the last time I’d seen him, he’d been bruised and bloodied. But Dean didn’t take the comment badly.

He joked, “Oh yeah, comas do a lot to improve your looks. If not for the extended period of unconsciousness, I’d certainly recommend them.”

I laughed in spite of myself. I was really starting to like him. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Okay, I’ll give you my number and we can arrange a dinner sometime next week?”

“Sure, I’m not free this week either. I really need to get this place in order. What’s the number?” I gave it to him. He laboriously scribbled it down on a notepad, with his tongue sticking (which elicited another grin from me) and then looked up at me.

“So, can I call it a date?” he asked mischievously.

“Maybe,” I replied, still grinning. “Okay then, I’ll see you next week.”

“I’ll show you out.” He opened the door and led me down the stairs. I couldn’t help eyeing his cute little butt as he walked in front of me. I suppose I should take this as a positive sign – that I was getting over Josh. But as soon as he came to mind, I remembered the passionate kiss we’d shared only yesterday.

It wasn’t going to be that easy.

To be continued …​

Well, I know I said a couple of days … and this is like only twelve hours later! Like I said earlier, if you missed Chapter 12, just scroll up. And don’t forget to leave your comments. I can’t seem to help myself – the story seems to be flowing very well. I think I may do another two chapters for Wednesday – I’m horribly bored at home. And I know it’s a bit late, but Happy Easter anyway!

 

[jagman_2008]

you could have this published, shit i know i would buy it. well cant wait for the next chapters

 

[harry113]

Justin, Thank you. This is a great story, Where will it go ???
More please
Hugs
Harry

 

[GrayFox]

This is a super story!

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 14 ~​

From the Narrative of Harrison Ridgeway IV:

It was just past five in the evening when I parked my car on Marina Drive. I looked across the street, to where the Surf ‘n’ Sand Café stood. It looked like a rather new establishment. I couldn’t help smiling to myself – Josh was the last person I would expect to be running a café.

I walked into the café. There seemed to be a Hawaiian theme to the interior. Josh was busy wiping some glasses at the bar. He didn’t seem to notice as I entered the café.

“Hi there,” I said, sitting down on the stool across the counter from him.

He looked startled. Then he seemed to recognize me and smiled. “Hi!”

“Nice place you’ve got here,” I said, nodding towards the café.

“What? Oh, yeah. Reid helped me pick out the design.”

“So what did you want me to stop by for?”

“Huh?” He seemed distracted.

“Okay, what’s going on?” I asked.

“Nah, it’s nothing,” he said evasively, pretending to concentrate on cleaning the glass he was holding.

“Alright, in that case, there is something. Spill the beans.”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I’ll get you a Surfer’s Special, okay? On the house.” He turned to go.

I caught his hand. “Josh, is it something to do with me?”

He sighed. “No. It’s Reid. He’s been acting really strangely since this morning.”

This sounded worrying. Did Reid know that I’d been with Josh last night? I asked, “What do you mean, acting weirdly?”

Josh shrugged. “I don’t know, just different from usual. I mean, normally in the mornings he’d … um … well, you know, want a little attention. But this morning he wasn’t even in the house. Then he came in after breakfast, told me he’d be going out and to wait for him to come by the café in the evening.”

“Come by the café in the evening?” I practically jumped off the stool. “Why?”

Josh eyed me curiously. “Well, he does work here, you know.”

Gulp. “I didn’t know that.”

“Of course he does. I mean, he helped me start the place. It’s in the café’s name – Surf ‘n’ Sand – The two capitals “S” can also stand for our surnames, Spencer and Scott.

Talk about walking into the lion’s den. “What time did he say he’d come by?”

Josh looked at his watch. “That’s the thing; usually he’d be here by now. But today … Oh, speak of the devil, there he is.”

Devil was right. A cold fear gripped my heart. What was Reid going to say when he saw me here with Josh, after he’d warned me not to see him again? I turned around slowly.

Despite my well-placed uneasiness towards him, I couldn’t help noticing how well he filled out the tight sleeveless t-shirt he was hearing. Josh might be attractive, but Reid was definitely hot. A hot son of bitch, but hot nonetheless.

“Hi,” I managed to say to him. He didn’t seem surprised at my presence.

Josh said, “Hi, Reid. We were just wondering where you were. I’ll just get Harrison his latte, okay?”

Reid nodded. I wanted to scream to Josh, don’t leave me alone with him, but I couldn’t. Reid bent down next to me and said, “Can I see you in the backroom?”

I didn’t move. I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for that.

Then he added, “Please?”

I looked at his face. I couldn’t see any malicious intent on his face, but then there was no telling what he was capable of. Only yesterday he’d tried to throttle me. Yet for some strange reason, I got up from my stool and followed him. Even as I did so, I was thinking, what the hell am I doing? Crazy thoughts went through my mind, like whether the backroom led to a basement where Reid planned to bury my body.

I looked over to Josh, who was at the other end of the counter, filling a coffee cup. Well, he’d come looking for me within a few minutes, right? Surely Reid couldn’t do anything within that time.

Reid pushed aside the bead curtain to a narrow corridor and went into the room on the left. I hesitated for a moment, before following him into the room. The ‘backroom’ as he’d called it, was more of a place for the staff to relax than a closet as I’d thought it would be. It wasn’t a very large room, but then I guess the café didn’t have that many staff. A couch took up the whole of one wall. Reid gestured towards it, indicating that I should sit down.

“If you don’t mind, I prefer to stand,” I told him.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, I’m not going to do anything to you,” he snapped.

He was being truthful … I think. Nervously I sat down. No sooner had I done so, Josh appeared in the doorway, the cup in his hand.

“I was wondering where you two disappeared to. Harry, if you wanted a tour of the café, you could’ve asked me.” He looked from me to Reid and deduced something was going on.

“Is something wrong?”

Reid plucked the cup out of Josh’s hand and put it on the small table by the door. He said, “I think you need to sit down.”

Josh looked at both of us again. “What’s going on?”

“Sit,” was the only reply he got from Reid. Reid stuck his head back out through the door and yelled out, “Liz, can you watch the counter for a while? Thanks!” before shutting the door behind him.

I gulped. I was shut into the backroom with Josh and his handsome but psychopathic lover. Josh must have noticed the uncertainty on my face, because he told Reid, “Reid, what’s with all the drama? You’re alarming Harry.”

Reid paid no attention to him and looked at me instead. “Yesterday, I warned you to stay away from Josh.”

“You what?” exclaimed Josh.

Reid continued, ignoring him. “I put you in a chokehold and I made you spill boiling coffee on yourself, yet you’re still here.” He shook his head in amazement.

Josh was staring at him. “You did what?”

For the first time, Reid glanced towards him. “He didn’t tell you, huh?” He looked back towards me. “You deserve more credit than I gave you. I’d probably have blurted it out at the first chance.”

My throat was dry. “I … I didn’t want to …”

I didn’t get the chance to finish my sentence. Josh grabbed hold of Reid by his shirt and yelled at him.

“Why the hell did you do that for? He’s just out of prison, you bastard, and you put him through that?”

Reid didn’t try to fight him. “I did it for us.”

Now Josh looked confused and let go of Reid’s shirt.

Reid looked Josh in the eyes. “I did it because I loved you, and didn’t want to lose you to him.”

Josh stepped back, stunned.

Reid smiled bitterly. “I guess I’m the only idiot, huh? To have thought that you could love me? Even after Harrison here came back?”

Josh sat down suddenly on the couch next to me. “Are you …” His voice cracked, and he started again. “Are you serious?”

But Reid had decided to ignore him again. He stared off into the distance and said, “But you can’t forget him that easily, can you? I thought you would, if you were never going to see him again. I thought, if I gave you what you needed, you’d forget him. I let you fuck my brains out last night, yet the whole time you kept mumbling his name.”

Josh looked shocked. I couldn’t believe it myself, that Josh hadn’t realized Reid was in love with him. I’d been able to tell it, even though I’d only met Reid once.

Reid continued, “And then in the middle of the night, I awoke to find you weren’t in bed. I knew you’d be at your favorite spot, so I went to the cliff. And found the two of you together, asleep in each other’s arms.”

I found my voice. “That … that wasn’t supposed to happen. It just …” my voice trailed off. “It just did.”

Reid looked at me and smiled that bitter smile again. “The two of you looked so peaceful, so … perfect together. And I realized I was the ‘third person’, not you, Harrison. The two of you were always meant to be together. And I won’t stand in your way any longer.”

Josh finally spoke up. “But … you agreed to our relationship being non-exclusive … Hell, you used to bring home other guys.”

“And how long ago was that, Josh? In the first couple of months, yes, but then I realized it wasn’t the same as having you. You were the only one who could to tame me. I used to have one-night stands for every other night, but you managed to turn me into a man with a single lover.”

Josh looked upset. “I … I didn’t realize.”

“Didn’t realize or didn’t care?” asked Reid bitterly.

Josh protested, “Reid, no, I do care about you, I really …”

Reid interrupted. “Save it. Don’t expect me home tonight.” He turned to leave.

“No, wait!”

Reid turned back briefly. “For what? There’s nothing here for me. At least the two of you love each other; for me it was a one-sided thing. So tell me why I should stay?”

Josh was at a loss for words.

Reid smiled sadly and said, “Didn’t think so.” He looked towards me. “I hope you make him happy, Harrison, because God knows I’ve tried.” He went out, shutting the door behind him.

I didn’t know what to say. Until then, I’d hated Reid, but now I realized what a huge sacrifice he was making.

“You should go after him,” I told Josh softly.

He didn’t seem to hear me. “I do care about him … I really did. I just didn’t love him … I couldn’t feel the same way I did about you.” His eyes filled with tears. “Am I a callous bastard, Harry?”

“No, you’re not. You just didn’t know.” I wrapped my arms around him.

Josh smiled sadly. “I was just thinking … last night I was the one holding you in my arms. Remember how I asked you what was wrong; and you didn’t want to tell me … it was Reid, wasn’t it?”

I nodded. “I’m sorry about Reid.”

“It’s not your fault.” Josh looked at me as he said that. Then, impulsively, he planted a kiss on my lips. I returned it fervently, before I realized we were making out just a few steps away from a crowded café.

“Are you sure we should do this? I mean, here and now?”

“I can’t stand another moment without having you. And I need to take my mind off Reid. No one will come in here. Please?” He asked, looking at me pleadingly.

I smiled. “Okay, but maybe you’d better lock the door first.”

He scooted off the couch to do as I said. When he sat back down, he looked at me, long and hard.

“What? Have I got something on my face?”

“No, you’re perfect … have I told you how beautiful you are?”

“Only last night. But just for the record, I prefer the term handsome.”

Josh shook his head. “It doesn’t suit you. You’re just too … beautiful.”

“Do you always say such stupid things?”

“I prefer to do them … like kissing you until you're begging to come up for air.” He suited the action to the word.

This time we gave in to our passion. I lay back on the couch as he straddled me, pulling off his t-shirt. I ran my hand through the curly hair on his chest as we resumed our kiss.

“Mmm … I love the hair on your chest.”

“Makes up for you not having any, huh?”

“You don’t like it being smooth?” I asked, worried for a second.

He grinned. “No, it makes it easier to do this.” He pushed my shirt up and ran his tongue along my chest, making swirls around my nipples. I let out a gasp.

“You like that, do you?” he asked, grinning mischievously. I realized that I’d gone through this before.

“I dreamt about this yesterday,” I told him.

He raised his eyebrows. “Having wet dreams about me?” I blushed.

“Did I do this?” He gently nibbled at one of my nipples.

I gasped again. “No, but it feels damn good.”

“What’s this?” he asked, indicating my left nipple.

“Oh, that – I used to have a nipple ring.”

Josh looked amused. “A nipple ring?”

“Yeah.” My face clouded over. “Melissa – my ex-girlfriend – talked me into getting one.”

Josh looked concerned. “Hey, don’t think about that bitch now. She was a fool not to realize what you were worth. If it were me, I’d have put a leash through that nipple ring and kept you close to me always.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Being with you makes everything else seem insignificant. I can’t live without you, Harry. And I’ll prove it to you.”

He unzipped my jeans and pulled my boxers down as well in one fluid motion. Josh grinned to see my cock already semi-erect.

“Already getting hard, I see. And we haven’t even got to the fun part yet. When we do, I promise you it’ll blow your mind.”

With that, he gently touched the head of my cock with his tongue. The sensation was electrifying. He licked the drop of precum gathered at the slit, and then rolled his tongue around the head. I moaned uncontrollably.

As I leaned my head back against the couch, I could hear the sounds of people in the café just beyond the wall.

“Shit, Josh, I can hear what’s going on in the café.”

He stopped for a moment to grin at me and say, “It adds to the excitement, don’t you think?” before returning to his ministrations.

I poked him with my foot. “Josh! If I can hear them, they could hear me too.”

“You’ll just have to keep it down then.”

“Keep it down?!” I hissed. “I can’t control myself when I cum.”

“Okay, I’ll work something out,” was all he said before continuing to give me a blowjob. I glared at his casualness about the whole thing, but I soon forgot about the people outside. Josh was right; the blowjob was amazing. I could scarcely control myself. But just before I could reach my climax, he stopped.

“Damn Josh, you can’t stop there.”

He grinned cheekily and grasped hold of my cock with his hand. Then he started to jerk me off.

“That feels so good,” I moaned. “But I’m going to cum.”

“This should keep you quiet,” he said, as he bent over and kissed me.

He was right. I couldn’t yell out with his tongue in my mouth. His expert hand pumped away at my cock, and it wasn’t long before I exploded, showering both out bodies with my cum. My moans were muffled by his mouth, and even after I’d finished cumming, he didn’t stop kissing me.

When he finally let me go, I was panting, which amused him to no end.

“Damn Harry, I only just got started. We could go at this all night.”

“Yeah well, isn’t the staff going to wonder where you are?”

“Oh shit, I forgot about the café.”

“Well, I don’t know how you managed to. I was scared the whole time.”

He got up from the couch. “I promise we’ll resume this later, okay?”

“Don’t you want me to return the favor?” I asked.

He smiled. “We’ve got the rest of our lives for that, Harry.” He scooped some of the cum from my chest and licked it.

“Mmm … tastes delicious.” He chuckled. “I can’t believe I have your cum in my mouth … it’s like a dream come true.”

“Dream cum true is more like it,” I told him.

“I’m going to clean up and I suggest you do the same. Unless you want me to lick you clean?”

I grinned, and he said, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I lay back on the couch as he eagerly lapped up the cum on my chest. It couldn’t be more perfect, I thought to myself. I could already picture the wonderful days ahead, kissing on the beach, making love to each other … nothing could possibly go wrong.

To be continued …​

Okay, I promised you guys two chapters today, and the next one should be up later today. All the people who supported the Josh-Harry hookup will probably be pleased that the way is finally clear for both of them. Or is it? And just to fuel some speculation, a new gay male character will appear on the scene shortly.

 

[harry113]

Justin, Thanks
Just as I thought things were going one way, you put in the twist !!!
Great stuff
More please
HARRY

 

[smile86]

"nothing could possibly go wrong"

talk about famous last words!

as much as i'm happy they got together, i felt sorry for Reid too. You've got me hooked!