Page 96 of Something Like Summer
Tim moved his hand awayfrom his glass and nodded. “Ryan is your opposite. You alwaysbrought out the good in me, changed me for the better. With Ryan, Ijust don’t know. I used to see myself in him. His parents are justas cold as mine, and I saw the pain hidden behind that pretty faceof his, but he has a mean streak. Ryan turns his hurt back on theworld, and I don’t know what I can do to make him better. SometimesI think he’s who I would have become if I had never metyou.”
Ben listened, mentallysearching for an answer to Tim’s problems. Tim had tried to doright by Ryan, but the anger Ben had seen last night stillconcerned him. If something didn’t change, Tim might do somethinghe would regret. In any case, Ben didn’t like to see him sufferlike this.
They soon asked for thecheck. Neither had touched the appetizer, and Tim had alreadyfinished the wine. Ben insisted on driving Tim home, imagining forthe briefest of moments that the man next to him was a teenagerwith an injured ankle.
“This isn’t how I meantfor it to be,” Tim grimaced. “How I wanted us to meet again, Imean. I had this dream about you being on stage. Isn’t that crazy?I had no idea you did theater, but I dreamt it anyway.”
Ben glanced over at him.“And that’s how you found me?”
“Well, that and someGoogle-powered stalking.”
Tim still lived in the samearchitectural mess as before, but the driveway was overflowing withcars. None of then were sporty enough to belong to Tim. Heavy basspounded from the house, accompanied by a babble of voices. Aforlorn howl occasionally cried out above the din.
“I told him not to leaveher out back,” Tim complained as they got out of the car. “Shehates being alone at night.”
“Chinchilla?”
“Yeah.” Tim smiled. “Comeon. She’ll be glad to see you.”
Ben didn’t expectChinchilla to remember him, but her whole butt wagged at turbospeed when she saw him. The puppy Ben had once known was gone,replaced by a stout dog who was all smiles as Tim kissed and pether. Her leash was tangled around a tree, Tim casting angry glancestoward the house as he unclipped the line from hercollar.
“This happens almostnightly,” he muttered.
“I don’t mean to state theobvious,” Ben said, “but why don’t you just break up with him? Iknow, I know, you said the sex is really great, but things are onlygoing to get worse.”
“You’re right, but I don’tknow how. You heard him last night. He always threatens to killhimself. The night he overdosed was because I suggested taking abreak.”
Ben thought about thiswhile squatting next to Chinchilla and rubbing her belly. “Here’swhat we’ll do. You send Ryan on a trip, a long one, somewhere inEurope. Tell him it’s your way of apologizing. While he’s gone yousell the house and move somewhere new. When he comes back you nevercontact him and he won’t be able to find you.”
“Think so?”
“Yeah. You guys will getsome distance between you and things will cool off. Not only that,but wherever you send him, make sure it’s a gay resort.” Benchuckled. “Or hire an escort to pick him up from the airport. He’syoung and hot. I’m sure someone will snatch him up soon. Then he’llbe somebody else’s problem instead of yours.”
Tim laughed. “You know,that’s just crazy enough that it might work.”
Ben laughed too, but heknew that this wasn’t the solution. Tim had put up with Ryan for solong because of more than just his suicidal threats. There wasemotion there, no matter how unhealthy it was.
Glass shattered inside thehouse. Judging from the way the music grew louder, most likely awindow had been broken. There was a brief chorus of laughter beforethe party continued raging.
“All right,” Ben sighed ashe stood. “Time for me to make everything better. Comeon.”
If Ben had felt old whenmeeting Ryan, he felt positively ancient as he navigated a sea ofintoxicated teenagers. With Tim in tow, he felt like they were apair of angry parents who had come home early from their vacation.A few recognized Tim, but their expressions were amused rather thanashamed, even those who were still laughing over the broken windowand the potted plant that had been thrown through it. They had norespect for Tim, and that made Ben all the moreincensed.
Once he had battled his wayto the living room, stepping over a pile of puke on the way, Benripped the heart of the party out by unplugging the stereo. Anumber of loud complaints followed, but one was louder than theothers.
“What the hell is he doinghere?”
The crowd parted for Ryan,whose skin was pale and sweaty. From the way his pupils weredilated, it was safe to assume he was on something.
“I’m here with myboyfriend,” Ben said, reaching over to take Tim’s hand.
Ryan barred his teeth likean animal. Ben had never seen anyone actually do that, but Ryan’sfury was so intense he was shaking. He shouted somethingunintelligible that might have been “I’ll kill you!” beforecharging toward them. Tim tensed up, ready to defend Ben, whichwould only escalate into violence. Ben didn’t want that, so heplaced a hand on Tim’s face and turned it toward him.
And then Ben kissedhim.
His newly discoveredacting skills weren’tneeded for this. Asit had always been, the emotions he felt for Tim weren’t far belowthe surface. From the way Tim reacted, he felt the same way. Theroom went silent as every person there witnessed a kiss worthy ofthe big screen. The silence was broken when Ryan begansobbing.
Ben pulled away from Timand saw the pain on Ryan’s face. The kiss had convinced Ryan thatBen and Tim were in love, and the kid was too young and stupid torealize that Tim also loved him, that emotions like these neverwent away completely. Ben felt sorry for him, but he didn’t dareshow that now.
