We Didn't Start The Fire

During the car ride to his house, Trevor continues to wrack his brain. He was never much of a thinker; he was always a creator and dreamer, but he has to do serious thinking about the current situation he is in.

His hands grip his steering wheel hard when he thinks about another guy putting his hands on his girlfriend. He didn't automatically think she had been assaulted, but it did cross his mind at some point. His heart is broken either way. Either way the baby is still not his.

There is no way to change the facts, there is no way to go back and make things different. There is no solution for this.

He parks his car in the driveway and waits for a moment before he gets out. Part of him wants to stall, while the other part of him wants to run inside. He settles for walking at a medium pace to the door, and opening it slowly.

The first thing he sees when he walks in is Grace sitting on the couch with messy hair and bloodshot eyes; as well as two packed suitcases on the floor. His theory of her being raped are diminished at this point. She would not pack her things and be ready to leave if she had been raped. She knows she is caught and there is nothing she can do about it.

He stares at her, and he focuses on her large belly. He only notices he's crying when his cheeks feel wet. Grace has never seen him cry before. He doesn't feel less of a man, he doesn't even feel weak; he feels empty.

The more he cries the more he realizes that he doesn't want her to leave. He loves her so much, so much that he would die for her. Without her he has nothing.

"Grace, I don't care what you've done. I did care. I wished that you didn't do it. But it's okay. I forgive you. I still love you and I still want to marry you. DNA means nothing. I will be that babies father in every way that counts."

Grace's lip trembles and she stands up unsteadily. "H-How can you say that?" She holds onto her stomach. "I'm horrible, Trevor. Absolutely horrible! I-"

"I don't need the details. I know what you've done. You hurt me; very much. But I understand why you did it. I promise I'll be better to you Grace, just never do this again to me please. Please don't do it to me twice. I love you so much."

Grace shakes her head and bites her lip. She knows Trevor is hurting but he doesn't mean what he's saying. She needs to be the strong one this time.

"I-I know you don't want to hear this; but you need to. Trevor...I cheated on you. I knew what I was doing."

"Grace-" Trevor warns.

"It wasn't a one time thing. I did it multiple times. I kept going back. I told him I loved him, Trevor. I'm so sorry I let it happen, but I swear to God I never meant to hurt you. I know I ruined everything. But I'm accepting it. I'm leaving, not because I want to, but because I have to. It isn't fair to you. You don't deserve this. You deserve someone who will love you and be loyal to you. That girl isn't me. I'm having another guys baby. I need to do the right thing, Trevor. As much as it hurts so bad inside I need to do the right thing. This baby needs it's father, it's real father."

Trevor closes his eyes and trys to imagine himself somewhere else. He can't believe what he is hearing, but he has no choice.

"Do I know him?"

Grace shakes her head as tears fall from her eyes. "No."

"Okay." He nods, even though he isn't exactly sure why. "Okay," he repeats. "I can't make you be with me. I can't force you to love me and choose me."

Grace takes her hand off of her stomach and reaches out to Trevor. He holds onto her small palm and soon pulls her into a gentle hug. She lets him sob into the top of her head, and it breaks her heart. She would take everything back if she could, but it is not possible. This is goodbye, and she hates every second of it.

~

Corey was stunned to learn about Kevin's desire for a threesome. He had no idea that his boyfriend was open to a third party member in their sexual encounters. Kevin never seemed like he was into that sort of thing.

The more Corey thought about it; actually thought about having a three-way, he liked the idea less and less.

So Corey is more than slightly relived when he finds out that Kevin isn't into it at all. Him pointing out random cute guys on the street and asking Kevin, 'so what about him, is he a candidate?' put things into perspective for the older teen.

Corey probably would have gone through with it if it was what Kevin really wanted, but honestly he wouldn't like it if he had to watch Kevin kiss or touch another guy. He is happy to hear that Kevin wasn't really thinking when he mentioned wanting a threesome with Trevor.

"I'm so glad I have you all to myself, Kev," Corey says, kissing his boyfriend with a smile. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble...but I'm definitely the jealous type."

Kevin giggles and messes with Corey's hair, which is still a bit wet from their trip to the beach.

"You don't need to worry, Corey. You're all that I want and need. The sex we have is perfect, we don't need anyone else to make it better."

Corey nods. "Oh I agree. You're so damn hot- all the time. I do wonder how I manage to keep my hands off of you."

Kevin laughs. "That's just it, you don't! But I am not complaining at all. I like it actually. I like it a lot. So don't stop. Or I'd have to hurt you. Or cry. One or the other."

Corey shakes his head playfully at Kevin. Corey won't admit he is in love but...he totally is. Kevin knows it too. And he feels the same way.

"Oh trust me, I won't."

Corey kisses Kevin's bare shoulder and moves his way up his neck and eventually to his lips. Kevin moans when he feels his boyfriends' hand stroke up his thigh. "Corey..." he whispers and bites his lip.

"Yes?" He asks all too innocently.

Kevin gasps as Corey slips his hand up his swim-shorts and lightly grazes over his growing erection.

"I have a love hate relationship with your teasing. Ugh...I hate it but it makes me want you so bad."

Corey smirks as he quickly lifts off Kevin's shirt. He laughs into Kevin's skin and bites down softly on his chest. Kevin closes his eyes and runs his fingers through Corey's hair, loving the anticipation of what he will do next.

Kevin's eyes open when he hears the sound of Corey's ringtone. "Please don't get it. Ignore it. Ignore it!"

Corey would, but as he takes his cell phone out and sees that it's Ben, he feels he shouldn't. Ben never calls him. It must be important.

"I'm sorry Kev, I think I should take this. Don't worry we'll resume this exact position when I'm off the phone." He half smiles and answers. "Hello?"

"Hi Corey. Sorry to bother you I... I um. I know Caleb probably doesn't want to talk to me but he's been rejecting my calls and I really need to speak to him."

Corey furrows his eyebrows. "What?"

"I know you're on his side; I get that. But I love him, Corey. Please just try to get him to talk to me. I've been going crazy."

Kevin mouths 'what's going on?' but Corey only holds up his pointer.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ben. Caleb isn't here. I thought he was with you."

"He was, two days ago. I thought...I figured he would come home."

Corey's heart starts to beat faster. He was so caught up with Kevin he didn't realize he hasn't talked to his brother in days. He assumed he was having a blast with Ben and just forgot to check in. But now everything changed. It's not like Caleb to just run away. He wasn't a runner.

"Well what happened, Ben?"

He hears a sigh on the other line. "We got into a fight. Over something stupid. He was really mad at me. He just...stormed out and left. I- I'm really worried about him, Corey. What if something happened to him?"

Kevin is trying to put his ear to the phone but Corey keeps pushing him away.

"My brother never walks away from issues. What was the fight about? Did he say where he was going?"

Again, Ben sighs. "It's not important what it was about, Corey. No, he didn't say anything about where he was going. He was just really angry and disappointed in me. I don't blame him. But I'm seriously worried. I hope he's okay..."

"Okay here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to try calling him and if he doesn't answer me then I'm going to call Melissa and Robert and Grace and whoever else might know where he is. Then I'll call you back and we'll go from there."

"If you get in contact with him please tell him I'm sorry. Because I mean it. I really am sorry."

Corey hangs up and fills Kevin in quickly before dialing his brother. Corey picks at his fingernails while waiting for him to pick up. Caleb's voice-mail is all he hears. He tries one more time and grunts with frustration.

"Caleb's in trouble. I just know it. He left Ben's two days ago. Two whole days. Where the fuck is he? Something terrible has happened to him, I can feel it."

Kevin holds onto Corey's face. "No, he's fine. Stop worrying. Ben said he's pissed at him...he probably just went to a friends house to think. Maybe he's with Grace...they both have boy problems problems right now so maybe they're talking it out together."

Corey wants to believe Kevin. But he can't.

"Kev, Caleb would call me. He knows he can come to me. He's always come to me; with anything. We talk to each other every day and we always see each other. I have a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"Call your parents and then try Grace. If they haven't heard from him then we'll go out and look for him okay?"

Corey nods. "Okay. That's a good idea. Thanks Kev. Thanks for calming me down a bit."

Kevin smiles. "That's what I'm here for, Corey. I wouldn't get too worked up about it. Caleb is smart he wouldn't just leave without telling you, or anybody. No fight could have been that bad."

Corey shrugs. "It could have been. Ben didn't even tell me what it was about. Caleb would never walk out though; never. I mean me and Caleb, we get along great but we fight sometimes too. Nothing I ever did or said made him angry enough to storm out without coming back five minutes later. Never. So it had to be something offensive or unforgivable. I guess it really doesn't matter. At least not at this point. I just need to find him or talk to him to know that he's okay."

Kevin rubs Corey's arm comfortingly. "He's gonna be fine, Corey. Make a few more calls. I'm sure your mom or dad has talked to him."

Corey is semi-reassured. That is, until everyone he calls says they haven't seen or talked to him in three days.

~

"I can't believe it worked. It actually worked!" Elliot laughs out of control. "I didn't even need to drag Kimi into all this, I could have done it all by myself. But that's besides the point. My plan worked. I'm going to get a nice chunk of mommy and daddy's money. And Corey will flip a shit once he finds out you're gone...if he hasn't already. Which I'm sure he did."

"Fuck you, Elliot. You piece of shit. This will never work. Corey will suspect you, because you're the only one who would do something like this. He'll find me, where ever the hell I am- ow!" Caleb whines after Elliot stomps on his foot.

"Shut the fuck up. You being tied to this chair is good enough but if you keep running your faggot mouth I'll tape it shut. Got it?"

Caleb struggles in the chair and soon gives up due to the pain in his wrists.

"You won't get out, stupid faggot. I tied you extra, because I bet you play little queer 'tie me up' games in bed with your boyfriend. Had to outsmart you."

Caleb laughs. "First of all, you can't outsmart me or Corey. You're too dumb for that. Second off all, I don't have a boyfriend anymore; not like it's ANY of your fucking business. Lastly, you probably have to tie Kimi up in order for her to have sex with you, she's so drugged up all the time I bet it's hard-"

Elliot violently smacks Caleb across the face, causing his chair to fall over. Almost in slow motion, Elliot watches as a corner of an end table makes hard contact with Caleb's head.

Red liquid pours out of the now unconscious teen.

"Oh no. Oh no no no. Fuck. FUCK. Caleb?"

Elliot freaks out, pulling his hair and screaming. "CALEB?"

He fucked up, and he may just spend his whole life in jail because of it.