A Lesson in Relationships

I turn on my bed and glance at my clock, it was 11:30. Alex should be in group for another twenty minutes. I get up and head to my car; it was my job to make sure he went. I didn’t see why he didn’t want to go. It was going to help him. He needed it, too.

He’d been acting so strange lately. Everyone noticed it. He wouldn’t let any one to close to him, without taking a step back. That was so un-Alex because Alex used to be all touchy and clingy, but that Alex left. I hope he’d return soon. I wanted to be able to kiss him, without being pushed away and being told it was not the time.

I pull into the parking lot and walk towards the door. I take out my iPod and play the playlist me and Alex had made two months ago. I twiddle my thumbs and the first few people from the group walk out, the rest trailing slowly behind.

It’s then I notice Alex’s the only guy, out of eleven people. He walks over to me his hand holding his arm in a self-conscious manner.

“How wa-” I ask but he cuts me off.

“Can we please just go home?” He asks walking past me to my car.

“In a second,” I respond walking over the person who ran the group.

She smiles at me, “You must be Jack, Alex’s boyfriend.”

I nod, “Um, I was just wondering how things went, but umm, if you can’t tell me, that’s fine.”

“No, Jack I can tell you because you’re key in helping him recover.” I nod. “Well, it was hard to get him to talk. I think he felt weird being the only male in the room, but everyone treated him the same. Some of the women here think they should cut that asshole’s dick off.” She covers her mouth, “Opps, sorry excuse my language.”

I smile, “Its okay. Is there anything I can do to help him?”

“If he wants to talk about it, listen to him, try to get him to talk about it.” She smiles kind heartedly and walks back inside. She then turns, “And if you can get him to let you touch him, that works too.”

I nod and walk to my car and drive to my house. “So, Alex, as I was saying, how was group?”

He looks out the window, so I can’t see his eyes. “It sucked,” he turns and looks at me, “Please don’t make me go back!”

“Lex, I know you don’t like it. I noticed that right away.” I say, “But, it’s for your own good.”

He rolls his eyes and mutters, “If you loved me you wouldn’t make me go.”

I bite my lip and pull the car over, “Okay, Lex, one I do love you. I love you so fucking much. Second, this is for you. You! You’re not the same anymore. Everyone’s noticed that. Everyone, Lex! So don’t go saying I don’t love you because if I didn’t love you I, wouldn’t have pushed you to get that bastard in jail.” I almost yell that whole thing but keep myself calm. I take a deep breath. “Anything else you want to accuse me of?”

“Why couldn’t you stay with me?” He asks.

“Because Lex, it’s suppose to help you to talk about it, you won’t talk to me about it so I thought you may talk to them.”

“If I didn’t tell you, do you really think I’d tell a bunch of strangers?” He yells.

“I thought that because those people went through the same thing as you, you’d talk, but I was wrong. If I came with you next time, would you talk about it?” I ask, feeling I will start shouting if Alex continues.

“i-I.. Jack… I’m not sure… I really don’t want to-” He mumbles, suddenly very timid.

“Lex, talking will make you feel a lot better.” I whisper, afraid if I speak louder now, he’ll cry.

“I-I know, I’m scared Jack, scared.”

I tilt my head, “Why are you scared?”

“What if somebody else tries to rape me? What if, when he gets out, he finds me? He said I was the best fuck he ever had and wouldn’t mind doing it over and over again.” He starts crying and I wrap my arms around him, surprised when he doesn’t pull away.

“Lex, I’ll never let that happen to you again.” I smile, “And Lex how do you feel now?”

“A little better, why?” he asks, smiling at what I said before.

“This is happens when you talk about it.” I smile hugging him again, for good measure.