Trembling With the Strings
Knock, Knock; Who's There?
I knocked hesitantly on the door. I might have ruined things with one of my best friends, but the other one hadn’t been so hostile about everything. The door was opened by a half-naked boy, and he looked shocked to see me.
“Gracie? What are you doing here?” he asked, ushering me and my brothers inside. “Whose kid is that?”
“Mine,” I murmured, smiling weakly. “He’s Kai. Want to hold him?”
“Sure,” Robbie told me with a smile, carefully taking Kai out of my arms. “What happened to that fiancé of yours? You two were the topic of the century, I swear.”
“We broke up,” I told him. “Do you think we could stay here for a bit—just until I can save up some more money?”
“Yeah. Grace, I’m sorry to hear about that. He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” he promised me, kissing my forehead.
“It was a mutual thing,” I told him, lying a little bit. “But it’s okay. I just wish Demetrius would have sided with me, but he wanted to stay with Darius.” I sighed. “So is there a reason you’re half naked?”
He grinned, running a hand through his black hair. “Not really. I just feel comfortably. Do I look yummy or what?”
I giggled, taking Kai into my arms again. “Of course you do. So find a new boy yet?”
“Gracie, I’m not gay!” he groaned, smiling despite himself. “Honestly, I was kidding! And you know that Thomas and I were just friends. Honestly…”
“I convinced Darius that you’re gay.”
“You’re awful! And you want to live with me? I suggest being nicer!” He kissed my cheek, leaning to look behind me. “Hey, Johnny! Hey, Marc. I haven’t seen you two in forever.”
They both smiled, stepping past me and walking farther into the house. Robbie watched them walk away before turning back to me.
“I don’t really have a crib or anything,” he warned me, grabbing my free hand and leading me into the living room. Some James Bond movie was playing on the TV. “My parents got rid of the nursery when I was two, may they rest in peace.”
I kissed his cheek softly. “It’s fine. So are you sure this is okay? I mean, it’s so sudden.”
He shook his head, heading into the kitchen. “It’s fine, really. It’s actually a good thing. Now I won’t be so lonely. Oh, but I am having a friend over later. A friend.”
“So it’s a boy,” I said suggestively, sitting down on the leather three-seat couch in the living room. Kai started crying, but I just kissed his forehead gently.
“Yes, but he is not my gay lover or anything! When are you going to let that go? I didn’t kiss him; he kissed me! I tried to stop him, Gracie. Honest.”
“You’re just saying that because he dumped you.”
“He did not!” He groaned, and I grinned.
“I’m sorry, I’ll stop.”
“Good, because I find women very attractive, thank you very much.” He walked into the living room, sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the living room. He handed me a glass of water. “Kai, huh?”
I nodded, thanking him quietly. “His ocean blue eyes may be Dray’s, but they’re just so gorgeous.”
“How’s Darius taking this? He seems kind of… Possessed.”
“He’s not possessed,” I told him, rolling my eyes. “He threw a lamp out the window.”
“And you’re saying he’s not possessed?” I glared at him, and he raised his arms in surrender. “Sorry! I just mean, well, sounds kind of insane.”
“I still love him,” I told Robbie, biting my lip. His face softened.
“Oh, Gracie. I’m so sorry. I wish things would have worked out for you, I really do. But I promise you still have me, and you always will.”
“Thanks.” I stopped the tears before they had the chance to form. “What would I do without you?”
“Have a simply meaningless life,” he teased, smiling gently. “Babe, I love you, okay? So don’t even wonder what you’d do without me.”
“So who are you having over?”
“Oh. Lance Stone.” My eyes went wide. “You know him?”
“Unfortunately,” I spat, making a face. “I think I’ll just hide in your room.”
Robbie watched me cautiously as I walked to his room, but he didn’t say anything. Out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be Lance?
“Gracie? What are you doing here?” he asked, ushering me and my brothers inside. “Whose kid is that?”
“Mine,” I murmured, smiling weakly. “He’s Kai. Want to hold him?”
“Sure,” Robbie told me with a smile, carefully taking Kai out of my arms. “What happened to that fiancé of yours? You two were the topic of the century, I swear.”
“We broke up,” I told him. “Do you think we could stay here for a bit—just until I can save up some more money?”
“Yeah. Grace, I’m sorry to hear about that. He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” he promised me, kissing my forehead.
“It was a mutual thing,” I told him, lying a little bit. “But it’s okay. I just wish Demetrius would have sided with me, but he wanted to stay with Darius.” I sighed. “So is there a reason you’re half naked?”
He grinned, running a hand through his black hair. “Not really. I just feel comfortably. Do I look yummy or what?”
I giggled, taking Kai into my arms again. “Of course you do. So find a new boy yet?”
“Gracie, I’m not gay!” he groaned, smiling despite himself. “Honestly, I was kidding! And you know that Thomas and I were just friends. Honestly…”
“I convinced Darius that you’re gay.”
“You’re awful! And you want to live with me? I suggest being nicer!” He kissed my cheek, leaning to look behind me. “Hey, Johnny! Hey, Marc. I haven’t seen you two in forever.”
They both smiled, stepping past me and walking farther into the house. Robbie watched them walk away before turning back to me.
“I don’t really have a crib or anything,” he warned me, grabbing my free hand and leading me into the living room. Some James Bond movie was playing on the TV. “My parents got rid of the nursery when I was two, may they rest in peace.”
I kissed his cheek softly. “It’s fine. So are you sure this is okay? I mean, it’s so sudden.”
He shook his head, heading into the kitchen. “It’s fine, really. It’s actually a good thing. Now I won’t be so lonely. Oh, but I am having a friend over later. A friend.”
“So it’s a boy,” I said suggestively, sitting down on the leather three-seat couch in the living room. Kai started crying, but I just kissed his forehead gently.
“Yes, but he is not my gay lover or anything! When are you going to let that go? I didn’t kiss him; he kissed me! I tried to stop him, Gracie. Honest.”
“You’re just saying that because he dumped you.”
“He did not!” He groaned, and I grinned.
“I’m sorry, I’ll stop.”
“Good, because I find women very attractive, thank you very much.” He walked into the living room, sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the living room. He handed me a glass of water. “Kai, huh?”
I nodded, thanking him quietly. “His ocean blue eyes may be Dray’s, but they’re just so gorgeous.”
“How’s Darius taking this? He seems kind of… Possessed.”
“He’s not possessed,” I told him, rolling my eyes. “He threw a lamp out the window.”
“And you’re saying he’s not possessed?” I glared at him, and he raised his arms in surrender. “Sorry! I just mean, well, sounds kind of insane.”
“I still love him,” I told Robbie, biting my lip. His face softened.
“Oh, Gracie. I’m so sorry. I wish things would have worked out for you, I really do. But I promise you still have me, and you always will.”
“Thanks.” I stopped the tears before they had the chance to form. “What would I do without you?”
“Have a simply meaningless life,” he teased, smiling gently. “Babe, I love you, okay? So don’t even wonder what you’d do without me.”
“So who are you having over?”
“Oh. Lance Stone.” My eyes went wide. “You know him?”
“Unfortunately,” I spat, making a face. “I think I’ll just hide in your room.”
Robbie watched me cautiously as I walked to his room, but he didn’t say anything. Out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be Lance?
♠ ♠ ♠
Before you all send me any more upset comments or mail, this story isn't over! I'm not making a sequel, because this one is already so long, and I like to write new junk rather than repeat the old. When the last chapter is submitted, it will end with "~Fin." as I always do. And Gracie did not leave Darius because they had a fight. She left because she didn't think things would work out in the end. She wasn't pissed at him, she was just thinking of the future. Anyway, there's the latest update. I'm not sure when I'll update again, but I'll try.