The Quarterback and the Tutor Ch. 09

"Daddy, I'm a grown man and I know a little about looking out for myself."

"Lucas, you admit yourself that you've only been in love with this guy for about six months and you're ready to marry him. Can't you wait, just live together for a year or so and make sure you're not making a mistake? Tom left a girlfriend he'd been with a couple of years for you and suddenly he wants to get married in six months' time?"

"We didn't say we're getting married right away. We're doing exactly what you're saying, we're living together and we probably will for at least a year or so. We're not stupid, Daddy. We both know a lot of gay relationships don't last and we haven't lived together that long."

"What you're saying now makes me feel a whole lot better, Lucas. It's just that I'm scared for you. You aren't like David or James, you're my special boy because you've got a sweet, precious heart."

"Come on, Daddy," I laughed. "You make ME sound like a wimp."

"I don't mean it that way. It's just that you've always been the one to bring stray dogs home or take care of a bird's broken wing. Sometimes I think you expect the good out of people when they don't have much good in them."

"You don't think Tom has any good in him?"

"I didn't say that, Lucas, but I've only known him for a little over one day. He seems pretty sincere and it appears that he's not after your money. But the jury's still out since I don't really know him."

"Why can't all of you be nice to him tomorrow and let us fly out with him thinking that my family likes him? Please, Daddy."

"You're right. I'll try to make things better tomorrow and I'll talk to David and tell him to do the same. By the way, James called and he'll be here in the morning."

"Great. So Tom's going to get the third degree from James."

"No, I'll see that it doesn't happen. Now you go upstairs to your man and try to soothe things over."

I blushed.

"That's why you're down here, Lucas. You've made your point but there's just one thing I want you to know. James had a girlfriend in here last year that absolutely refused to sign a pre-nup and it was pretty clear to us all that she was after James' money."

"I take it that it didn't end well."

"You take it right. She and James had a big fight and he dumped her. So you see, male or female I'm going to check 'em out."

"Tomorrow you'll try to make Tom feel welcome, right Daddy?"

"I'll take care of it. Now you go to bed. I'll bet that man of yours doesn't know where to you disappeared to, does he?"

I blushed and Daddy laughed.

"Go. And I love you, Lucas. We all do."

I went back up to my room and Tom was in the bed wearing underwear. No sex tonight.

"Where were you?" he asked coldly.

"I went downstairs to get a book."

He laughed harshly.

"Right. So where's the goddamn book? You went downstairs to talk to your father, right? To beg him to be nice to me, right? And what did he say to his little boy? He'll be nice to Tim just for you? Right?"

Tom was nasty. I blushed and then I got angry.

"You're the one who said I didn't defend you. So I went downstairs and defended you."

"A bit late for that, wouldn't you say?"

"Don't say that, Tom. There's no need to be nasty to me about it."

"Sorry. You're family's been nasty to me since I got here. And your goddamn old man with that Tim shit! Is he stupid or does he think I am?"

I felt like I was going to explode. Between Tom and my family I'd had enough.

"You're family's been nasty to me," I mocked. "And why are you so mad with my family? Because they told the fucking truth, Tom? I'm sorry, I love you but facts are facts. David's a doctor, okay a resident, but I've had dealt with him before when he decides to lay the facts out."

"Lay the facts out? He didn't have to be such a bastard about it! And what the fuck about him pointing his goddamn finger in my face?!" he yelled. "I felt like kicking his ass right there! "

"YOU would have been the one to get his fancy quarterback ass kicked. And just how would have preferred he tell you? Hold your fucking hand with a hankie for you to cry into?"

"So you're on their side? What happened to you loving me above all others?"

"Don't be shit head, Tom. David's used to telling patients what they don't want to hear but he has to tell them the facts. You're not a patient, you're my husband to be and why should he be any less truthful to you?''

"He shit on my dreams and enjoyed doing it. You saw how he looked at me! Like I'm just some stupid ass fucking faggot living in a dream world!"

"Oh, shut up, Tom. You should fucking hear yourself. And you're the one who just HAD to fucking out us and put us in this shit! I could have been perfectly happy dating Louisa and living a goddamn lie. At least you'd stand a chance with the NFL."

Tom jumped out of bed and raced to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

I went to the door and opened it.

"I'd like to take my shower sometime tonight so why don't you go have your fucking fit in the bed?"

"I'm never coming back here again."

"Good. I never wanted you to come in the first place if you remember. It was you who insisted on coming."

"So now it's all my motherfucking fault! I guess I caused everybody to treat me like a piece of shit!" Tom yelled.

"Don't you fucking yell at me, Tom Braddock," I said through clenched teeth. "My room's not fucking soundproof and David's room's next door. I'd rather not have him hear us fighting."

"I don't give a fucking shit if that son of a bitch hears us fighting or not!"

"You're acting like a goddamned spoiled child, Tom. And don't you call my mother a bitch or I'll mow the lawn with your ass! I can't fucking believe this. Why don't you cry now?"

I'd gone too far and I knew it. His crying was between the two of us and I loved him for trusting me enough to bare us emotions to me.

"So now I'm a crybaby," he spat out.

"Get out of the bathroom, Tom, and let me take a goddamn shower."

"Why don't you sleep in another room?"

"I will. In fact, I'll take a shower in another room."

I grabbed a robe out of my closet and stormed out of my room, slamming the door. I walked down the hall to James' room. David's door opened.

"Are you okay, Lucas? Sounds like you two are ready for a fist fight."

I didn't even turn around to look at him.

"Just leave it alone, David. I'm fine."

"I'm sorry if your boyfriend can't handle hearing the truth, Lucas. I just did..."

I turned on him in a fury.

"Like I said, David, leave it the fuck alone. I'm not blaming you for anything, just don't say anything else to me about it."

I walked into James' room and closed the door. I took a long shower, so long I used all the hot water, and then I went to bed, still angry and upset at Tom's behavior to me. I barely slept during the night, finally falling asleep exhausted from stress around three in the morning.

I awoke at six thirty the next morning. So many years of early school classes had conditioned my body to wake up early. I looked around me and Tom was not in bed with me. I don't know why I'd thought he might get up in the middle of the night and come to me. I was miserable, distressed over the fight the night before, with part of me wanting to make up with him and the other part wanting to punch his lights out.

What did he want? It was tearing me apart.

I staggered into the bathroom and realized my shaver was in my bedroom. I usually shaved before I took a shower but not today, I thought. I took a shower and without any clean clothes I put my robe on. I lay on the bed trying to decide if I wanted to go to Tom first or make him come to me.

My dilemma resolved itself. I heard Tom in the hall talking with David. A few seconds later there was a soft knock on the door.

I waited before responding, my heart pounding. There was another knock.