Page 51 of Poles Apart
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” He’d given it all up for his brother the last twelve months, and this, this was the thanks he was getting? “I gave up my career for you! Came back here when I could have easily stayed there. But you know what? You’re my brother, and I’d do it again. Every. Single. Time.” Dom was shouting at this point, anger fuelling his words.
“How can you be so fucking ungrateful with that comment?” Tears filled his eyes. How could his brother say that to him? After all this time, his brother didn’t want him here?
Jordan looked at him apologetically. “OK, that probably didn’t come out right. What I meant to say was, maybe I need to try and stand on my own two feet, be more responsible. I know I’m holding you back. I know there’s things you want to do, and I’m a hindrance.”
“Shut the fuck up, Jordan. You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not a hindrance, not then and not now. Have you ever once heard me complain about anything?” Dom’s voice rose along with his anger.
“No, and that’s just it. I haven’t heard you, and I honestly don’t know why the fuck we’re arguing about this. I have a girlfriend; you have a boyfriend. We can both do what we want, and at least now you get to have a life.” Jordan glared at him as if daring Dom to contradict him.
Dom stared back. He didn’t understand what had happened with them both, and he threw his hands up in the air.
“I don’t know why we’re arguing either.” He looked over at his brother and started to laugh. His brother did the same. They sat next to each other, and Jordan reached for his hand.
“Look, I don’t know what I would have done without you these past twelve months, and I think it’s about time I did start to stand on my own two feet. If Charlie wants to help me do that, then I’m going to take it. I like her, Dom, and I know she likes me too. And to answer your original question, we’ve been talking for about six weeks. We get on well.”
“I know, I can tell, and Iamhappy for you. I felt a little left out, I suppose. That you wouldn’t need me anymore with Charlie on the scene.” For a change, Dom rested his head on Jordan’s shoulder. “You’re my big brother and all I’ve got at the moment. Mum doesn’t count, and when was the last time we saw Dad?”
“I know, and nothing is going to change between us other than Charlie being around now. Anyway, you have Jacob. I’ve told you before, and I’ll say it again. I think you should give him a chance.”
“We had a great time this afternoon. He took me for a lovely Italianandpaid, like it was a proper date. Then we had ice cream in the park. No one has ever done that for me before.” Dom jumped up from the sofa and ran to his room and back. “Look what else he did for me.”
He handed Jordan the collage Jacob had given him, and they laughed together at the photos. When Jordan came to his favourite picture, he paused, touching Dom’s face in the photo.
“Why did you bleach your hair?” Jordan turned to look at him. “Didn’t you like it this colour?”
Dom shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose I needed something to make me stand out from the crowd when I was dancing, and this seemed like the best way to do it. Even after I stopped, though, it was part of me. It’s who I am now, and Jacob seems to love it, so there’s another good reason to keep it this colour.”
“Seems to me like Jacob likes many things about you.” Jordan elbowed him in the ribs. His brother was regaining his strength if that dig was anything to go by.
“Jesus, Jordan. You’ll be back at work in no time at all. You’re getting stronger.” He rubbed his side. Fuck, would he have a bruise? “And yes, Jacob does like me, certain parts in particular if you must know.”
“I do not need to know about that.” Jordan pulled a face but quickly became serious again. “I’m happy that he’s come back into your life, Dom, and I know we’ve had our ups and downs these last twelve months. You visiting me in the hospital, washing me, helping me to the toilet, cooking, cleaning. The list is endless, but there have been times when you’ve gone into overdrive looking after me.”
Dom had no idea where this conversation was leading, but he sat quietly and waited for his brother to finish.
“I’ve become too reliant on you, and I’ve let you do everything. Now though, I think it’s time you stepped back and let me, and maybe Charlie, do it. I want to go back to work. I want to start leaving the house without the stick, without you constantly having to be with me.” Jordan took his hand again.
“I need you to let me go. I’m not kicking you out or anything, but I think the next appointment we have, I’m going to ask them if I can start going back to work on a part-time basis.”
Dom went to interrupt. Did his brother need a reminder about what had happened this weekend? He couldn’t be doing that again. He’d need to be careful.
“Friday was me trying too hard. I wanted to prove to myself, and you, that I could do this, that I was fit enough to go back, but all I did was put myself back a couple of weeks. I am determined, though, Dom. I will get back out there.”
Dom was proud of his brother. When he’d been in a coma for two months, with none of them knowing if he was going to pull through or not, he’d prayed Jordan would wake up. When he did, it was a case of learning to walk again and countless rounds of physio that left him crying, refusing to do any more. Dom was there every step of the way, his mother leaving the care of his brother to him as per usual.
It had been a no-brainer for Dom to move in with Jordan when he came out of hospital. He’d cared for him, bathed him and fed him, took him to all his appointments and, at first, his days had been full, leaving little time for him to do anything other than that, but as Jordan had improved, that had changed. He knew his brother was right. He didn’t need to spend all his time at home now. Maybe it was time for them both to start standing on their own two feet. He’d done nothing since he returned, and frankly, he was scared of moving on with his life.
When he’d been pole dancing, either competitions or show and exhibition dances, he’d known where he stood and what he was doing. But now, his life lacked direction and as much as he didn’t want to admit it... His brother was right!
Dom needed to get his life in order. He needed to start doing something to work his very bored brain.
“You’re right,” he declared as he sat there.
“Say that again, not sure I’ve heard those words from your lips before. Let me get my phone and record that little snippet.” Jordan went to reach for his phone.
“Ha-ha, very funny.”
“You know I’m right, and that’s what gets you so mad sometimes. If I wasn’t here to tell you, you’d carry right on and not give up. But I’m telling you now, as of tomorrow, things will change. I’ll work, not too hard, on getting fitter so I can go back to work, and you, Dom, will take that job that you know Seb is going to offer you. You will also take anything that Jacob offers. I haven’t seen you this happy in the twelve months you’ve been back, which tells me he’s good for you. He makes you smile.”
