Page 41 of Poles Apart
“Are you OK? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Dom huffed out a laugh. “No, I’m fine. I had my own personal bodyguard to look after me.”
“Oh? And who might that have been? Anyone you know?”
“Can you talk right now, or are you busy?” Dom didn’t want to sound needy, but he felt he had to speak to someone.
“I can take a break; I have some time. What’s wrong, Dom?” He could hear the background sounds dropping away and a door opening as Hayden moved out of the main coffee shop.
“How long have you got?” He laughed softly again. “I don’t know what to do, Hayden.” He paused, not knowing how to start this conversation.
“I’ve met someone. Well, reconnected with someone that I knew before. Remember when I told you about the brother of the girl I’m teaching? Well, when we knew each other, we were a bit of an item. We weren’t boyfriends or anything. Well, I don’t think we were, but we were exclusive. He wasn’t even out, and anything we did was behind closed doors. We were young, just eighteen.”
“Sounds like you had a good time. You’ve never mentioned him before, though, so what happened?” Hayden spoke softly, as if realising that this was difficult for Dom to say.
“The time we spent together was special. He was all I could think about, and for a time, I thought he could come out, and we’d be together, you know, as boyfriends. Anyway, long story short, Jacob went away, and until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t seen him for eight years.”
“Wow, that’s a long time.” He heard Hayden let out a breath.
“I know, and when I saw him, it all came back to me; the good times, the sex.” Dom looked up when he said that, remembering the times they’d had together. “Jacob came with me to the club last night. I’ve already told you about Toby and Owen and how I don’t trust them, and Jordan wanted me to have someone with me. I’d already used Jacob as a fake boyfriend when we went out a few weeks ago, and it seemed the right thing to do.
“After the club, we headed back to Jacob’s place. His sister was staying with friends so we could do what we wanted without interruption.”
“I take it you did what you wanted. So, what’s the problem?”
“When I got home this morning, Jordan couldn’t fucking move. He’d been lying in his bed for hours, in pain and not able to move, and where was I? Dicking around, thinking of myself again. I can’t let that happen anymore. I have to be there for him. He needs me.” Dom waited, wondering what his friend would have to say.
“What’s the problem? Why do you sound as if someone stole your puppy? I don’t understand, Dom.” Hayden sounded confused, and Dom couldn’t understand why he needed to spell it out to him.
“How can I be with Jacob when Jordan needs me? What if this happens again? What if he’s left there for hours upon hours because I’m out having a fucking good time, fucking?”
“I’m not sure what you want me to say? This could happen to Jordan at any time, Dom. You’ve been there for him for the last twelve months, made so many sacrifices. It’s about time you had some fun, had some time to yourself. You can’t put your life on hold for Jordan. You know he won’t like that.”
Dom knew that what he was saying was true, but he couldn’t think straight at the moment. The lack of sleep coupled with the stress of what had happened to Jordan left him exhausted. Perhaps he should sleep himself, and things might look a little better after that.
“I don’t know, Hayden. I think it’d be better if I concentrated on Jordan, making sure he’s fit and healthy. Maybe then, I’ll think about a relationship.”
“You know what I think about this, Dom. We’ve talked about it many times before. But only you know your own mind, and if you think this is the right thing to do...” Hayden didn’t have to say anymore. They had had the discussion before, both Seb and Hayden not liking that he was putting his life on hold for who knows how long.
“I keep thinking that I could have lost him. I know he’s not there now, that his life’s no longer in danger, but it doesn’t stop me thinking about all these ‘what ifs’.”
“I know, Dom, I know. But think about what you could lose if you rush into this decision. It might be something you’ll regret in the long run.” Dom hummed into the phone. He understood what he was saying, but as he was about to reply, he heard someone call his friend in the background.
“Look, I’ve got to go, Dom, but please, please don’t do anything you’ll regret. Think about it, OK?”
“I will, and thanks for talking to me.”
“Anytime, you know that. I’ve got to go, though.”
He ended the call as he walked to his bedroom, dropped the blinds and fell into his bed. It was only 2 p.m., and he knew with the meds Jordan was on, he’d be out for a while, which would give Dom time to catch up on some sleep.
He woke a few hours later, still worn out. Dancing at the club and spending the night with Jacob had taken it out of him. He hadn’t realised how tired he actually was. He popped his head into Jordan’s room to see if he was awake.
He sat on the side of the bed and looked closely at his brother. “Hey, how are you now?”
“Better, thanks. The pain’s eased a little. I’m sorry, I really am. I ruined what should have been a great night for you.”
“You know what, let’s not talk about that now.” Dom’s annoyance with Jordan had faded, but he needed to be clear about this. “Just be careful with your exercises and try not to overdo it again. I know you want to get back to work, but this isn’t going to help, is it? Promise me you’ll be careful in future.”
