Secret
Chapter 16
-Chapter 16-
I helped Ryan up onto the bed. He winced and groaned. “You have to come home with me.”
“I can’t.”
“How can you say that?”
“Look. If I leave, my dad will get even more pissed off and how will I give him the rent money?”
“What the fuck are you talking about? He just beat the shit out of you and you still want to help him pay rent?”
“If he doesn’t pay rent I’m out of a house too.”
“But you’ll be with me.”
“I don’t want to put my dad on the street, okay? He’s still family.”
“He doesn’t act like it.”
“I told you he’s stressed.”
“Why does he have to take it out on you?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not gonna turn my back on him. All he needs is a little help.”
I sighed. What in God’s name was his justification for this? “How about this? I’ll help you get your dad counseling or something. You’ll come home with me in the mean time and you can mail him the money.”
He looked like he was thinking hard. Really contemplating the idea. “Okay,” he said sounding a bit defeated.
I felt so bad to be badgering him at a time like this but he needed to get out of that house or he was going to get killed. “I’ll go pack some of your clothes. You stay here.” I came back with a week’s worth of clothes. We could go shopping for new stuff if needed. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” I said searching in the medicine cabinet. I got out some alcohol, Neosporin, cotton balls, and some bandages. I cleaned up his wounds and drove him home. I did know how to drive I just didn’t have a car… or a license. Luckily we got to my place without getting pulled over. We went inside and Ryan sat in the living room. “Stay here and I’ll go talk to my mom.”
I entered my mom’s room. “What are you doing back so early?”
“Mom… Ryan’s dad beat him up and he needs a place to stay.”
“And you want him to stay here?”
“Yeah. He has no place to go.”
“Is he here now?”
“He’s in the living room.”
My mom entered the living room and her mouth dropped open. “My dear God! What the hell did he do to you!?” She rushed over and Ryan’s face reddened. “You can stay here if you want, okay?”
“Okay.” Ryan’s voice cracked and he was barely audible.
After a few minutes of my mom babying him I took him to my room. “You can sleep in here and in the mean time I’ll sleep in the living room.”
“You can sleep here. I don’t wanna put you out of a bed.”
“It’s fine.” We sat down. “Look, you need to relax. You’re too tense.” I kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.” I left the room. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
There were no words for how I was feeling. An ache so intense that verbal explanation wouldn’t cover it.
The next day Ryan and I went to a counseling center and got his dad signed up. “I’m not sure if this is the best idea,” Ryan said after we left.
“Why not?”
“I dunno. His reaction might be a little… I dunno.”
“I’ll bring my mom with us when we tell him and we’ll make sure he’s sober.”
“I’m still a bit unsure.”
“We’ll see.”
I helped Ryan up onto the bed. He winced and groaned. “You have to come home with me.”
“I can’t.”
“How can you say that?”
“Look. If I leave, my dad will get even more pissed off and how will I give him the rent money?”
“What the fuck are you talking about? He just beat the shit out of you and you still want to help him pay rent?”
“If he doesn’t pay rent I’m out of a house too.”
“But you’ll be with me.”
“I don’t want to put my dad on the street, okay? He’s still family.”
“He doesn’t act like it.”
“I told you he’s stressed.”
“Why does he have to take it out on you?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not gonna turn my back on him. All he needs is a little help.”
I sighed. What in God’s name was his justification for this? “How about this? I’ll help you get your dad counseling or something. You’ll come home with me in the mean time and you can mail him the money.”
He looked like he was thinking hard. Really contemplating the idea. “Okay,” he said sounding a bit defeated.
I felt so bad to be badgering him at a time like this but he needed to get out of that house or he was going to get killed. “I’ll go pack some of your clothes. You stay here.” I came back with a week’s worth of clothes. We could go shopping for new stuff if needed. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” I said searching in the medicine cabinet. I got out some alcohol, Neosporin, cotton balls, and some bandages. I cleaned up his wounds and drove him home. I did know how to drive I just didn’t have a car… or a license. Luckily we got to my place without getting pulled over. We went inside and Ryan sat in the living room. “Stay here and I’ll go talk to my mom.”
I entered my mom’s room. “What are you doing back so early?”
“Mom… Ryan’s dad beat him up and he needs a place to stay.”
“And you want him to stay here?”
“Yeah. He has no place to go.”
“Is he here now?”
“He’s in the living room.”
My mom entered the living room and her mouth dropped open. “My dear God! What the hell did he do to you!?” She rushed over and Ryan’s face reddened. “You can stay here if you want, okay?”
“Okay.” Ryan’s voice cracked and he was barely audible.
After a few minutes of my mom babying him I took him to my room. “You can sleep in here and in the mean time I’ll sleep in the living room.”
“You can sleep here. I don’t wanna put you out of a bed.”
“It’s fine.” We sat down. “Look, you need to relax. You’re too tense.” I kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.” I left the room. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
There were no words for how I was feeling. An ache so intense that verbal explanation wouldn’t cover it.
The next day Ryan and I went to a counseling center and got his dad signed up. “I’m not sure if this is the best idea,” Ryan said after we left.
“Why not?”
“I dunno. His reaction might be a little… I dunno.”
“I’ll bring my mom with us when we tell him and we’ll make sure he’s sober.”
“I’m still a bit unsure.”
“We’ll see.”