I Got You | A Gay Romance: A Boyfriend for Rent Book | Gay For You (7 page)

Jake sat down on the bench. So many thoughts went through his mind. He was so confused and yet, it was so hot. Sometimes it felt like what they had could be more than just trainer and student, more than just two guys messing around. The way that his step-brother looked at him sometimes made him feel like he might feel the same. What was it Benjamin wanted exactly? His thoughts were interrupted a few minutes later when he returned with a shoe box.

“What is it?” Jake smiled and took the box.

“It’s nothing. Just something I bought for you a couple of days ago.”

Jake opened it and his eyes widened. It was a brand new pair of boxing gloves. He smiled from ear-to-ear.

“Why?” Jake asked.

“You don’t like it?”

“I love it. It’s just ... nobody’s ever ... It’s been awhile since anyone bought something for me, that’s all.”

The two young men looked into each other’s eyes. Benjamin held his gaze as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t. It was that connection. He had to feel it too. Otherwise, why did he keep looking at him that way? Jake certainly didn’t mind.

“Well, I know you said you didn’t have a lot of money and I didn’t want you breaking your hands with those shitty gloves you had before. Last thing I need is a lawsuit.”

Benjamin hid his smile, but underneath the tough guy persona was someone with a huge heart. Jake leapt up and hugged him. He couldn’t help himself. Benjamin was rigid at first, but then pulled him in for an embrace. The warm feel of this strong man’s arms around his waist, around his back just felt right. Something told Jake that Benjamin needed it as much as he did. Jake’s cock swelled.

Benjamin stepped away and cleared his throat. “We ought to get started.”

CHAPTER 11

“Good. Again,” Benjamin demanded, thrusting a jab in his direction which Jake blocked in the boxing ring. “Again.”

Jake was exhausted but he kept going anyway.  Maybe it was his mind that was going in circles of what they’d done together. The fact he’d done that with his step-brother and had kept the secret from him. Now, he couldn’t tell him. Maybe he should just stop and not let it go any further than it had, but the more he was around Benjamin, the more he wanted him. He’d already learned so much in their short time in the gym. As tired as he was, Benjamin had a way of motivating him to continue.

Sweat drenched Jake’s dark hair and his cherry apple cheeks were almost purple now. Benjamin threw him a small combo
—
jab, jab, right hook
—
but Jake parried the two jabs and slipped the hook. It came naturally to him. Benjamin was a good teacher, and Jake tried his hardest to impress him. He blinked the sweat away and tried to ignore the awkward feeling of the mouth guard. He still hadn't gotten used to that quite yet.

He also didn’t reach out to block his punches, like Benjamin taught him. He waited for them to arrive before parrying.

“Not bad,” Benjamin said, walking away for a second. “Takes some people months to learn that. You’re a natural.”

“You think tomorrow we could—" Jake said, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel. Benjamin did the same although on opposite ends of the ring. Jake spun between the ropes and hopped down to the floor.

“Wait, wait
—
tomorrow?  We? Hell, no. I told you I’d show you a few things and that’s it,” Benjamin said. Jake didn’t like that. He felt used to be honest. Like he’d gotten Benjamin off, giving him an obvious outlet to express that side of himself and wasn’t getting his fair share out of it.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” he said, sounding disappointed. “I really appreciate it.”

Benjamin cleared his throat. “So, what the hell happened to your face?”

“How’d you lose the leg?”

A smirk spread across Benjamin’s face. “Touché.”

“Tell you what. Quid pro quo
.
”

“Squid what?” Benjamin asked, scrunching his eyebrows.

Jake chuckled. “It’s Latin. It means, this for that. I tell you something, you tell me something in return.”

“So, sort of like I scratch your back, you scratch mine?”

“Something like that,” Jake said, nodding. Then he raised his eyebrows, prompting Benjamin to go first.

Before he spoke, Benjamin drew in a sharp breath. “A’ight. Lost my leg in the sandbox
—
A-Stan. Trying to play hero.” He chuckled.

The worry etched on his forehead told Jake the memories were still painful. Benjamin turned away showing clearly this was not something he enjoyed talking about, but Jake wanted to know more.

“A-Stan? Oh, Afghanistan … Army?” Jake small voice asked. He didn't quite know what to say after that, or whether he should say anything.

“Yep, now you?” Benjamin asked. He didn’t want to get into it.

“These guys, they … mobbed us,” Jake told him with hesitation. He walked over to the other side of the gym and picked up all the used towels of the day. Benjamin swung out of the ring to help him. Together, the two of them cleaned up. The electric lights overhead buzzed and the sticky smell of sweat pervaded Jake's nose. He was getting fitter though, he wasn't doubled over after such exertion anymore. In fact, he maintained control of his breathing quite well.

“Us?” Benjamin asked.

“Yeah, me and my best friend,” Jake taking a nice long breath.

“Shit. How many?”

Jake's voice was hollow. “Enough to put him in a coma.”

The answer was met with silence. Nothing but the buzzing of the dangling neon lights and what remained of the thunderstorm outside was heard. Benjamin shook his head.

“Must have pissed them off pretty good if—" Benjamin added.

“No,” Jake said with conviction. “We didn’t do anything.” A moment of silence hung in the air.

“Now, your turn. You said, ‘play hero?’ How so?”

“What? Are you Dr. Phil? Best friend, too. I grew up without a father in a trailer park cause the fucker ran off with some slut and her two kids. Anything else you wanna know?”

Jake swallowed. There were two sides to every story, but he kept his mouth shut. There was so much venom in Benjamin's voice that Jake feared being victim of his wrath.

“So your best friend did he...?”

“Nope.  It was an RPG exploded. I was some distance away, but I guess not far enough. ”

“Fuck,” Jake said. Benjamin leaned against a wall while Jake took the opportunity to rest his legs. He hopped up on the side of the ring and let his legs dangle over the edge.

Benjamin looked at Jake. This time, holding his gaze before looking away.

“What?” Jake had to ask. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Benjamin blushed. “You just ... remind me of somebody, that’s all. Someone who ... meant a lot to me.”

“Yeah? Who?”

“Uh-uh-uh. My turn. You call the cops?” Benjamin asked, changing the subject and crossing his arms.

“Cops? In this town?” Jake said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Benjamin smiled then grimaced in pain.

“You all right?”

“Just my bum leg. Can’t wait to take the fucker off tonight.”

“Did he make it? Your best friend?” Jake asked.

“Yep,” Benjamin said. Again, another moment of tension, but then Benjamin glanced at the clock ticking on the wall. “Shit. I gotta split man. I’m late. Remember my number, ’kay? 222-2277.”

“Got it,” Jake said, grabbing his bag and jumping off of the ring.

“I’m serious, you use that number if you need anything or if your best friend needs something. If that punk bothers you, I’m here for you. I got you. Remember what I said about those blocks. Don’t try to be a hero, just run.”

Benjamin clamored to get his sweatpants back on. “And make sure to come by tomorrow, on time. We’ve got a lot of cleaning to do.”

“Yes, sir.”

Benjamin gave him a side smile, as if he liked the word, “Sir.”

CHAPTER 12

To say that returning to campus after all this time was hard was a gross understatement. So many memories of being with Alberto rushed through Jake's mind as he stepped foot on that sidewalk. They were of happier times, simpler times before everything changed. He repositioned his backpack and slipped into the back door of the fraternity.

Posters adorned the wall like tributes to the fraternity. It was like a church, or a cult. Empty pizza boxes were strewn around the sofas and a pyramid of liquor bottles rested in one window. The fraternity’s Great Dane licked the pizza boxes clean. Remnants of a recent wild party littered about with streamers and empty beer cans that nobody bothered to clean up. Photos of the latest pledges lined the wall, evidence of yet another humiliation rite. Some had giant red 'X's' crossed out.

He’d grab some things from Alberto's dorm that might jog a memory or trigger something that might wake his best friend up. Desperate for anything, he’d stepped into enemy territory, a real snake pit.  Everything was going fine, even as he picked the lock to Alberto's dorm until he was halfway down the hall.

"Jakey, Jakey, Jakey." The foul smell of cigarettes, whisky and Old Spice filled his nostrils. His blood froze. He paused only long enough to swallow and kept going. "I'm talking to you."

Jake wouldn’t engage, no matter how much he wanted to. He took a step down the stairs, when Steve grabbed his backpack strap and pulled him up.

The frat boys gathered. Those that hadn't paid him any notice before stopped what they were doing to watch the scenario play out.

If only Jake had the courage to look the bully in the eyes, but instead said, "Leave me alone."

"Leave you alone?" Steve mimicked, adding a lisp. "You want me to leave you alone, Jakey?"

Anger burned inside. He dared not look at them. The painful memories flooded his mind. The laughing hyenas cackled as if it were a joke. They didn't care Alberto was in the hospital because of them. They got their kicks from this.

Not this time,
Jake thought.

His friends chuckled. Jake shoved him, heading down the steps but Steve grabbed him again. He pulled Jake back and slammed him against the wall hard enough to hit the back of his head. He grimaced in pain.

"You don't go until I tell you to go, little faggot." Steve got in his face so close, his spit sprayed and Jake suffocated on his rank breath. "You don't go 'till I finish—"

Where the strength came from, Jake didn’t know, but he jabbed the guy square in the jaw. The response knocked the wind out of Steve long enough for Jake to push past the asshole and race down the stairs. His footsteps echoed and adrenalin surged. His hand ached, but Benjamin taught him the proper way to hold his fist.

"Lock the fucking door," Steve told his cronies downstairs before Jake could reach it. That's when the panic sunk in. Trapped in the viper's nest, Steve would finish what he started. Steve sauntered downstairs, cracking his knuckles as his eyes locked on Jake’s.

"So, you grew a pair. Did you?" Steve said. "Grab him."

Jake twisted his head around and searched for an exit. It was too late as Steve’s fraternity brothers grabbed either side of him. He braced himself, ready for impact as Steve approached him. He'd learned a lot from Benjamin, but there was no way he could take on this many men. He groaned inside as all his efforts were wasted.

"Let him go," Steve said. "He thinks he's a tough guy. Let's see him take me on."

"I don't want any trouble. I just want to—" Jake said, not believing for a second that he would be getting a fair fight.

"You don't want any trouble? You don't want any ...?" Steve chuckled. "Dude, we're way past that. You came into my house without my permission. You broke into one of my bedrooms. You're lucky I don't call campus police."

The smug smile on his face bore his arrogance and sense of control. Everyone else stared at Jake, backing Steve up, all wearing the same stupid smirks.

"That's not exactly the kind of loyalty we've come to expect at this fraternity," Jake couldn't help throwing his words back at him.

"Now, I'm going to kick your ass Jake. Either you put your fucking fists up or not, you're going to take a beating."

"Steve, just let me—"

His fist came at him so fast, Jake went into automatic mode, dodging his fist, surprising even himself. Steve's eyes widened. He lunged another a fist at him, but once again, Jake dodge it and this time, he blocked it with his left and gave Steve a right hook in his gut. It caused him to stumble back for a second.

A smile spread across Jake's face. Maybe too cocky of a smile as he looked at everyone's shocked expression and didn't notice Steve’s foot swiping across the floor, tripping him right onto his back. Wham! The impact hurt like a motherfucker. Before he could sit up, Steve was on top of him, collar in one hand, fist in the air, ready to pound him.