Keep It Secret, Keeps Us Safe

And that’s exactly what Jack got. It may not have come in the form of a faux blond boy that he loved, but it came. His savior was his mother who walked in, coffee in hand and Blackberry sticking out of the pocket in her jean capris. Her jaw unhinges when she sees her baby boy on the carpeting with bruises and his lover looking absolutely miserable beside him.
“Oh my gosh, Jack!” She runs over to her ebony haired boy and kneels beside him. “What happened, sweetie?” When no reply pushes forth from Jack’s lips, the older women turns a cold glare towards Alex. “Did he do this?!”
The blond isn’t dumb, he knows that Mrs. Barakat won’t believe a word he says if he denies it. He has nothing to say to her. Anything that comes from his lips will be taken as a lie. Especially when he is well aware that Mrs. Barakat agrees with her husband on the gay stance. Alex also knows that the younger boy won’t say shit to his mother about what actually happened to the two of them.
As much as Alex appreciates how much Jack is trying to keep them together, he knows that Jack needs to speak up. This abuse – emotional and physical – is hurting them more than anyone could ever understand. The two need to be heard out, they need to speak out. The truth may only be able to be believed from one of them, but the truth was a powerful thing in this case. It could save both their lives.
Yet there was Jack. A sentence away from making sure he never gets hurt ever again and he was choosing to stay quiet. Alex knows he can’t force Jack to say anything that makes him uncomfortable but Jack was picking and choosing at a time he can’t be picking and choosing.
“It was his dad.” Alex finally speaks for Jack.
“Shut up!” Mrs. Barakat yells at Alex, a fierce look in her eyes for only a few moments.
Jack shakes his head slightly, his brown eyes locking onto his mother’s. She stares at her son, her teeth biting hard on her lip as the truth spills from Jack’s lips. The older woman can’t believe what she’s hearing and yet a part of her knew it was all true. The words coming from Jack dig into her, make her feel sympathy for the way she treated her son and the way he’d been treated.
Joyce shakes her head as her vision becomes blurry from salty tears. Her own son was becoming black and blue from her husband and she hadn’t even noticed. Not only was she the world’s worst mother, she felt like a bitch.
“Mom, don’t cry.” Jack says to his mom taking her hand. “It’s not your fault. How were you to know?”
Joyce shakes her head again. “Oh, Jack. I should’ve known, I should’ve seen this coming.” She envelopes her son in the best hug she can give him when his back is on the ground. “I’m so sorry!” She pulls herself off her son to face his lover. “I apologize to you to.”
Alex gives her a light smile. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not, but I’ll make it right.” Joyce gives Alex a grin before standing up straight. “Call for your father, Jack.” She commands.
The young boy does as said. He isn’t sure what’s to be accomplished by this, but he trust his mother. She always knew what to do when he was younger. Nothing’s changed in his brown eyes; his mom still has all the answers.
Mr. Barakat walks down the stairs, stopping mid step when he sees Joyce. Everyone that knew Mrs. Barakat knew of her disapproval toward violence. It was something that just never settled with her. The older man glances toward his two victims before letting his gaze cast upon his wife.
“Anything you’d like to tell me?”
Mrs. Barakat meant business. Her arms were across her chest and a stern look was etched into her face. She looked angry and betrayed, her brown eyes proving her fury.
“Everything you want to know is on the ground in front of you, I’m assuming.” Mr. Barakat replies to his wife, his eyes locked on hers.
“Get out. Now.” Joyce says in a slight whisper.
Mr. Barakat’s brows furrow as he stares at his wife. “What?”
“Get out! I’ll mail the divorce papers. I can’t stay married to someone who beats his own son. Get out of my house and out of my life. If I ever catch you around Jack there will be hell to pay.” Mrs. Barakat takes a breath to steady herself as her dark eyes stay latched onto Mr. Barakat. “Now get the fuck out!”
Jack and Alex watch from the ground as Jack’s father runs out the door of the house. They turn to look at Jack’s mother who looked quite proud of her accomplishment. She was glad she could her son, even if it means him staying gay. As long as he didn’t die on account of the man she’s married to, it didn’t matter. Her son was her son, no matter sexual orientation.
“I’m so sorry, baby!” Joyce throws her arms around Jack again and holds him tightly against her chest.
“Um, mom,” the sound of May’s voice rings through the house, “why was dad running away from this house like it’s cursed?”
“Look around.” Joyce replies letting Jack’s head fall softly against the floor. She lifts herself up and watches May stare at the two boys shamelessly. “Your father, who I thought was a great man, did this. I’m ashamed of the fact that I was with him and that I had no idea this was going on.”
May looks at the two boys before walking over to her brother. She’d never admit it to Jack, but she missed him when he was gone. Every night she’d prey for her little brother, with high hopes he was doing okay and taking perfect care of himself.
Now that she was looking at him, she knows that he’s obviously tried to take care of himself. Their dad doesn’t give a fuck about Jack’s well-being or the fact that he found his true love. He just wants that stupid picture perfect family God would approve of. In all honesty, May never cared that her younger brother was gay. She was glad he was happy, but she didn’t want her father to disapprove her so she’d never helped him out.
Right now, staring at her younger brother and the fear in his dark eyes, May feels pity and regret in the pit of her stomach. Jack was lying on the ground unable to move telling May she’s made the wrong choice. Her brother had needed her and she’d let him down. The older girl was an awful sister. In her head, she decides that she could’ve changed the scene before her.
“I’m so sorry, Jack.” May whispers, sinking beside her brother as tears begin to well up in dark eyes.
“Don’t cry, May. This isn’t your fault, you couldn’t have changed all this.” Jack tells his older sister.
May stares at her younger brother, taking in his words. She understands what he’s saying but she isn’t sure she fully believes him. It takes one person to change something, that’s what she’d grown up being told. Now, to be told by Jack that she couldn’t have changed this, she doesn’t believe it.
“I could’ve.”
Jack takes his sister hands. “Sis, I’m not gonna die.”
The older girl stares at her brother with wide eyes before slapping his chest. A smirk appears on Jack’s face and May stands up, reaching a hand towards Jack. The younger boy takes hold of the offering so May can help the bruised and broken boy up. He gives her a nod as a thank you before May heads toward Alex to help him out.
“I apologize to you too.” Alex stares at her with dark eyes trying to figure out why the apologize was given to him. “I should’ve stood up for you two alongside Jack. I realize you’ve had multiple heart attacks over Jack leaving loads of times, I’ve heard the rumors.”
Alex nods shyly. He isn’t sure what to say or do with the two Barakat women before him. These were people who had hated him only hours ago as far as he knew. Now they were both trying to make amends with him, telling him they’d never hated gays or even had a problem.
His mind is spinning and he isn’t sure whether to believe the two women or not. Of course Jack has taken to them without another thought because those two are his family. Alex, on the other hand, isn’t part of the family. He needs to think about the apology being given to him.
“I understand if you’ve mad at me. I’d be insanely pissed at me, if I were you.” May informs Alex as she helps him to the couch.
A simple nod is all she receives from the blond boy. He isn’t interested in speaking to her at the moment. As much as he appreciates her trying, it doesn’t mean he’d be trying in the slightest. It just meant that there was another person in his life that felt sorry for him. That was all he saw May as at the moment.
Jack nudges Alex against his cheek with his nose. The older boy turns to look at the lanky boy beside him, brown eyes against brown eyes. “Don’t be mad at her.”
Alex just gives Jack a shrug. “I can’t help it.”
The lanky boy sighs before cuddling into Alex’s side. He catches the smile that comes forth on May’s face before she heads out to the car. He isn’t sure if Alex caught it, but he knows that if Alex did he wouldn’t be on the edge about Jack’s family.
That’s not important though. The important thing is that they just fought off the biggest problem they’ve ever had in their relationship. There was never a trust problem, there was never cheating, there was never any arguing, it was just a strong man with a fist of fury. That was their only problem and somehow it turned out to be their biggest problem.
Jack rests his head on Alex’s shoulder, making sure he’s breathing right next to the older boy’s ear. “What happens now?”
Alex raises a thick brow at his boyfriend not really understanding the question. In his mind, the question is what are they going to do first. All that’s been going through his mind are the multiple things they can do with the newfound freedom. Right now, at this very moment, they can hold hands and not worry about who’s going to tell who. That is huge!
“We’ve just won the war.” Alex tells Jack.
The lanky boy bites his bottom lip, thinking this over. “Then what happens now? The excitement and drama is gone. We’re going to turn into a predictable couple.”
A loud laugh emerges from Alex before he can stop it. The younger boy shifts away from his boyfriend to be able to look seriously into the chocolate eyes he’s grown so fond of. “Sorry, but you’re retarded. First of all, you are Jack fucking Barakat and second of all, I’m Alexander fucking Gaskarth, there will never be a predictable day with us.”
A smile graces the darker haired boy’s lips. He likes the sound of that a lot. It recognizes the long term relationship they’re ready to have now. There’s no more running, there’s no more worrying, there’s no more people. It’s just Jack and Alex.
“I love you.” Jack whispers leaning back into the love of his life.
Alex bites his lip to keep back the huge grin that’s begging to come out. “I love you so fucking much, Jacky.” Another thought pops into his head as he thinks. Jack’s words from earlier float around in his head, words that he said they could do later. “How about we runaway now?”
The young boy sits up straight, his dark eyes wide sparkling with excitement. Alex has never seen him perk up at any words so much before in his life. That had gotten Jack’s attention and honestly, Alex wasn’t just throwing it out there for the fun of it. All their loose ends were tied up, they both had no interest in high school, it was time to get away, if only for a second.
“Yes!” Jack’s eyes narrow quickly. “Wait, are you okay with this? I know family is important to you.”
Alex smiles at the caring soul that is his boyfriend. He wraps his arm around Jack, tucking the taller boy into his side like a picture perfect moment. Their hair messes together when Alex lays his head atop Jack’s. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t need anyone else. I love you, Jack Barakat.”
“I love you, Alexander William.”