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Chapter 2 But Brett was persistent. Grabbing for Hayden's arm again, he pinched in with the very tips, bruising the skin. Hayden whined again, tried to squirm free but Brett held firm. What Hayden didn't realise was that Brett was trying to wake him up, drag him back from his obsessive love for Theo, bring Hayden back to him and their relationship. "Brett, get off," Hayden hissed, finally dragging his eyes away from Theo, turning them on his lover instead. "You're hurting me." The three words that always made Brett stop whatever it was that they were doing. Sometimes Hayden was telling the truth, other times he just wasn't in the mood. "You shouldn't be in here," Brett said, dragging him up off the chair. "Why are you here anyway?" "You'll wake Theo," Hayden said stubbornly, still squirming in Brett's unrelenting grip. "I don't care." But Brett's eyes shifted to the bed, told a different story, showed that he did care about one of his closest friends. Hayden supposed that was what made the situation so complicated. They all loved each other so much. And why shouldn't they? They were the only real friends they had; no one else could understand what they were going through. And on the road it was always just them five. Not even their manager could encroach on that most unique experience. "Brett, you really are hurting me," Hayden said, green eyes starting to fire-up, not yet at full throttle. When they reached their peak Brett would crumble before him like a broken man. "You shouldn't be in here, Hayden." The grip still hadn't loosened. "Are you here for him?" he asked bravely, pointing a finger back at Theo. Embarrassed that he'd let his insecurities show, even more so that Hayden hadn't denied it, Brett pulled at the younger man just a little too hard. The chair fell from beneath Hayden's half-standing body, tumbled |
over with a deafening thud, Hayden falling backwards with it, landing on his back on the floor, a look of such surprise on his features.
On the bed behind Theo sat up. "What's going on?" he asked sleepily. His eyes took in Brett, then Hayden on the floor. Coldness filled his stomach. He'd found his mother in a similar position once. "Hayden, are you okay?" he asked. Even though Hayden was unhurt except for a bruised ego, he adopted sheepish eyes, a frightened little boy who'd been bullied by his older, larger boyfriend; he even felt wetness in the green gems. He got huffily to his feet, brushed down the back of his trousers, gave Brett a look of fear and hurried out of the room. "Brett?" Theo asked. "I didn't hurt him," Brett said quickly, leaning down to pick up the chair. "I'd never hurt him. I love him." He spoke the last three words pointedly at Theo. Rubbing his eyes, Theo swung his legs over the opposite side of the bed and let out a half-yawn. "I know," he answered quietly. But he wasn't about to reveal to Brett the secret from he and Ryan's past. The relief they'd felt when their abusive father had walked out of the door and not ever returned. Some things were personal and not to be shared with anyone, not even best friends. "I didn't mean to wake you up," Brett added from across the room. "It's okay," Theo said, pushing himself to his feet. "It's probably time I got up, anyway." He looked at his watch. Yes, it was nearly time for the soundcheck. Strange that Ryan wasn't in the room, he usually was when Theo woke. In fact Ryan was usually the one who woke him up. He moved across the room, stripping off his shirt, picking up a can of deodorant and spraying a generous amount beneath his pits. Putting down the can, he caught his reflection in the mirror, the tufts of hair sticking up on his head. He'd have to wash it before going on stage tonight. |