I Got You | A Gay Romance: A Boyfriend for Rent Book | Gay For You (2 page)

He chuckled. It felt good to smile for once. She angled her head so she could take a better look at Alberto and sighed.

“Shit,” she said.

“Yeah,” he said, seeing him like this was horrible to say the least. “He always asked about you.”

“So sad. You get a hold of his mom yet?"

"Tried. No answer." He didn't want to get into the fact that she cut him off ever since finding out he was gay. “Dad wants me to go back with you guys for awhile,” Jake said, rolling his eyes.

He turned to Alberto who lay unconscious in the bed. It’d taken him days to be well enough to visit and even then, he had to fight the medical staff to let him see him.

“I know ... Does he know?” she asked.

“Know what?”

“About you … being gay.”

“What?” he said. He’d never told her or anyone in the family before. But he didn’t want to lie anymore either. He was tired of it. It was draining.

“What are you talking about? Who said that?” Jake said, swallowing hard as he leaned against Alberto’s bed frame to keep from falling. His sister, Genie, pulled out her bottle of perfume and sprayed the hospital room. Seeing her after all these years put a smile on his face, but he did not want to talk about this right now.

She fanned her hand in front of her face as if to change the subject.

“Jeez, Jake. God, what died in here?” she said.

“I never said anything about me being … you know?” Jake said, lowering his voice so the other patients in the room wouldn't hear.

“I’m not going to tell anybody,” she said, tidying up the room and grimacing at the IV bags filled with blood and other fluids. “Besides, I think it’s kind of cool to have a gay brother.”

“Quiet. Do you want people to
—
?” Jake scolded her with a look. He didn’t know who was on the other side of the curtain next to Alberto, but he couldn’t afford the risk.

“To what? Jake there’s a whole world out there besides Portland and definitely besides Forest Hills. Trust me, I know. Anyway, I always knew you and Alberto were getting it on.”

“We’re not … we never …” Jake shifted his position. “We’re just friends.”

“But you wanted to. I could see it in your eyes. I think it’s cute actually, but if you ask me, there’s somebody else out there in the world. Besides, Mexicans can’t keep their dicks in their pants.”

“He’s not Mexican. He’s Puerto Rican remember and—" Jake said, narrowing his eyes at her.

“Same thing,” she told him rolling her eyes. “Anyway little brother, I’ve got a few friends I think you’d absolutely love.”

“I don’t want to meet anyone. I’m not looking … And will you keep it down? If you haven’t noticed, people don’t exactly deal well with guys like me.”

“Reminds me...  Here,” she said, pulling out a piece of paper and pen as she scribbled something on it and handed it to him.

He took it. BENJAMIN RICHARDS
—
555-6688

“What’s this?” he said, tilting the scrap of paper from side to side.
Richards.
Why did he have the same last name as him? Wait a minute.

“No. I’m not calling him.” Jake said, clenching his jaw.

“Jake, he’s our step-brother. And he runs his own self-defense mixed martial arts gym
—
boxing, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, you name it. I tracked him down a couple of years ago.”

“Have you met him?” Jake asked.

“Well, no. Not yet, but—"

“Then, why do you expect me to? He probably hates us. His dad ran off with our mother remember? Ruined his whole family. What would he want with me? And why would he want to help me?” Jake asked.

“Just think about it. Besides, if you’re going to be
—
the way you are, you gotta learn how to defend yourself,” she told him lowering her voice.

“I appreciate it, I do but I decided … I’m not that way anymore,” he said, biting his lower lip.

She laughed in his face. “So, you just upped and decided, did you?”

“It’s not worth it. I can be into girls. I used to date girls,” he replied defensively, crossing his arms.

“Back in the third grade and from what I remember, you were more interested in their Barbies than them. That’s before Dad beat that shit out of you.”

He pushed the memories out of his head. He didn’t want to think about the way things used to be. “So, I read about these camps where they
—
” he started to say, changing the subject, “these churches that pray the gay away.”

Even saying those words made him sick to his stomach. It was humiliating and exhausting to constantly be someone he wasn’t. He’d tried everything to change. But maybe he wasn’t trying hard enough.

“Are you out of your mind? The only thing those camps do is take your money in the name of Jesus. Half those preachers are sucking hot dogs on the side as it is.”

“Genie!” Jake chuckled. She always had a way of making him laugh.

“Just keep it quiet. If you’re going to live with us, we can’t have anyone in town knowing. With the law firm I work at ... I want to be more than just an assistant and then there’s dad. He’d be—"

“No, I get it,” Jake said.

“Listen sweetie, I gotta go. You keep that card now. Call him. Our step-brother only lives a few towns away,” she told him, kissing him on the cheek and draping the purse over her shoulder.

“I hate you,” he said.

“Hate you too!” she said with a smile. “Queen.”

“Slut,” he fired back.

“Hey, at least I own it. I’ll come visit tomorrow. Smooches,” and she left.

He shook his head, turning to his unconscious friend, Alberto. Seeing that tube down his throat and his corner in the hospital room looking like a lab experiment, it was hard.  He lifted a comb from the nightstand next to the hospital bed and fleeced it through Alberto’s hair. He’d die if anyone saw him like this.

“What do you think, Alberto? Think I can go straight for awhile?” he asked him, squeezing his hand. His face still swollen, he barely resembled himself.

“I’m sorry I … failed you. But when you wake up and we get out of here, we’re going to move. I don’t care what it takes. You and me, we’re going to move away as far as we can and start over
—
together. We’ll find wives, have families, we can do it. That way nobody will bother us anymore.”

Jake sighed. The hypnotic rasp of the breathing machine echoed in the silence. “Please, wake up Alberto. Forgive me.”

“Knock-knock,” a gruff man’s voice startled Jake as he rapped on the doorframe. At first, he thought Genie had come back.

But then, that smell
—
Old Spice, whiskey and cigarettes. Jake didn’t need to turn around before he knew who it was. The hairs rising on the back of his neck confirmed his worst fears.

CHAPTER 4

“You touch him and I’ll —" Jake locked eyes on the man with emerald green eyes.

“And you’ll what? Tell me faggot, cause I’d like to hear this one,” he answered with a smirk on his face.

There was no midnight dark to shroud him anymore, nor a hood. He recognized that face clear as day.

Steve Channing.

Jake recognized Alberto’s frat brother in the clear of day. The scratches his best friend gave Steve across his face were still fresh, giving Jake some satisfaction.

Alberto had always done whatever he could to avoid Steve and his constant taunts at the frat house. He told Jake about it often, but Jake never thought Steve would take it as far as he did that night. Although he’d done well at hiding the fact he was gay from anyone, Steve would make fun of his voice and the rags he wore to school.

His hand gripped Alberto’s bed as if to protect him. He knew he was helpless to do anything defend him, but he’d be damned if Steve was going to hurt his best friend again.

“I’m going to call the cops,” Jake warned.

“The cops?” he said, arching his eyebrow and letting out a chuckle, and mimicking Jake’s soft voice while adding a lisp. “That doesn’t sound like the type of loyalty from Alberto or his boyfriend that we expect from our fraternity. You do know who my father is, don’t you?”

“Why? Who?” Jake asked, his voice cracking.

“Bubba Channing
—
Sheriff Bubba Channing?” he said.

Jake swallowed hard. Steve grabbed him.

“No, I don’t think you’ll be making that phone call.” He cackled.

Jake gasped for breath, but the man’s grip on his already fragile wrist paralyzed him.

“What do you want?” Jake said, lifting his chin in faux defiance.

“I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page. That’s all. Your little boyfriend did a doozy on my face. But that's nothing compared to what he did to my life. They pulled that full scholarship from me, you know? Almost kicked me off campus for good cause of that snitch," Steve said as he stepped forward.

"Maybe you shouldn't have harassed us on campus. Maybe you shouldn't have—"

Jake didn't even finish his thought. He couldn't hide how uncomfortable he was and a smile spread across Steve's face.

"I always thought you were soft Jakey, didn’t know you were a homo until that night. Does your dad know about your little activities? Does your church? Do the rest of the student body at St. Mary’s Christian University? I betcha they don’t. No, something tells me you’re going to keep your mouth shut. I can make your life a living hell, I promise you that. And your little boyfriend’s too. It’d be a shame to see him suffer more.”

“What’s this?” his dad said, coming out of nowhere as he entered Alberto’s hospital room carrying flowers for Alberto.

“Mr. Richards,” Steve said, turning on the charm. “Steve Channing — Just a friend of your son’s.”

“Oh? Well, the pleasure’s mine. Never met any of his friends,” his dad said, hiding his smile as he set the flowers down.

“When I heard what happened I was just mortified,” Steve was charming as ever.

“That’s what he needs. Friends, real friends. You’re a good man, Steve,” his dad said, shaking his hand.

“Thanks, Mr. Richards. Whatever it takes to keep his spirits up, we’re here for him,” Steve said, looking back at Jake who was at his wits end by now.  “Well, I better head out. School tomorrow.”

“Sure thing. Thanks for coming,” his dad waved him off.

“Bye, Jakey!” Steve said as he exited.

“Good guy, that Steve,” his dad said, placing his hand on Jake’s shoulder.  “We should have him over for dinner sometime.”

But Jake was lost in his thoughts.

“I’m going to grab some coffee. Need anything?” his dad asked, waking him from his thoughts.

“Uh, no,” Jake said.

“Don’t worry, he’s going to pull through this,” his dad comforted. “I know this isn’t the best place in the world for Alberto, but I’m going to pull some extra hours on the road, pick up some cash, take care of him.”

“Thanks,” Jake said, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

“I’ll even check on him from time to time. I’ve got to run, son.” His dad left, but Jake was in another world. He turned to Alberto.

“Don’t worry Alberto, I’m going to figure this out,” he told him with conviction.

He had to do something, but what?

CHAPTER 5

“Dude, I said ‘no’. We're closed.” Benjamin said firmly, his voice reminiscent of a corporal in the army.  He was hot, that was Jake’s first thought as he stood at the doorway soaked to the bone, the rain beating down on the roof above the self-defense gym. Why did he have to have such a hot step-brother?

Tall, and strapping, a body suit barely contained the man’s perfectly well built body. His dirty blond hair framed his face along with his dark eyebrows and strong jawline. That, along with the dog tags that hung around his strong neck made him fucking unbelievably gorgeous.

It was way past gym hours and Jake thought about telling him they were step-brothers. Maybe that might make a difference in letting him in, but Benjamin's strong jaw clenched and he gripped the side of the doorframe as if he were ready to block Jake from entering.

“I got some shit to do so ...”  Benjamin said, his crystal blue eyes studying Jake. “Do I know you?”

Jake swallowed and blinked his eyes, trying to see clearly through the slashing rain. His heart raced. Something told him it wouldn't be a good idea to mention they were related. There was such bad blood between the two families, even though he hadn't seen or heard from them in years. So, instead he said, “Uh ...  I don’t think so.”

He turned his head away and folded his arms around his body, trying to stop himself from shivering because he didn't want to seem weak in front of this alpha male.