Chapter Seven
Charlie found himself in the hospital the next day, and his mother at his side. Although he secretly wished it was Adrien. He felt like crying the moment he woke up.
"Darling, how are you feeling?" His mother gently stroked his hair.
"Mom..." Charlie made an attempt to sit up. "I need to tell you something." Charlie was determined to tell his parents no matter what. He wanted to tell them he was in love with Adrien. And what perfect timing. His father walked back into the room, holding a plate of cookies.
"Hospital food. You don't know what you're going to get," his father said, trying to make a light of the situation.
"What is it, Charles?" Charles. Ick. He almost felt she'd be upset. He is never called that unless he's about to get in trouble.
"I'm in love," he blurted out. All he heard next was silence. "With a man." Bam. He wanted to cover his head in case somebody was going to hit him.
"Mary? What's he talking about?" Richard put the plate down and slowly walked over to Charlie as if though he was accusing him of something so horrible.
"I'm in love... with a man. Well, to be more exact, Adrien..." Charlie didn't have enough courage to look at his father and noticed his mother's blank gaze.
"Oh..." she finally made a sound. "Well, I suppose it's... It's... How long has this been going on?" She didn't know what else to say but seemed more supportive than Richard. And then he noticed Andy peeking through the door, smiling teasingly and giving Charlie a thumb up and Charlie wanted to strangle him.
"About three months," Charlie answered her, still avoiding his father's angry face.
"I don't want any gay bastards in my house! Do you understand that, boy? That's sick what you're doing! And you're not even of age! You should be ashamed of yourself! He's nearly twice your age!"
"Richard, stop. It won't make a difference now!" Mary tried to calm her husband down, but nothing seemed to be working. He felt like strangling his son and letting him die slowly and painfully. The fact that he was his child nearly escaped his head as he made his way toward Charlie to slap him, but luckily Andy ran into the room and held him back.
Richard and Charlie hadn't spoken to each other that day and even the next day when Charlie came home. It was unusually quiet at the dinner table and Charlie couldn't help but wonder what happened to Adrien's apartment. He still had his key and was tempted to pay a visit.
The apartment was empty, even the couch was gone, and so was the small plant Adrien kept by the large window that outlooked onto the traffic and other buildings. Charlie quietly closed the door behind him and slid down the wall and cried silently to himself. He was all alone. No more Adrien to make him happy. He wanted to hold him and feel him next to Charlie. And even the sound of the keyboard wasn't there anymore. It was a sound Charlie was used to when he descreetly made his way into the apartment.
Lilly thought nothing of the fact that Charlie had fallen for Adrien, although she wondered why Adrien would take an interest in Charlie. She teased him about it and Charlie was annoyed.
"Shut up. You know nothing about our secret love affair," Charlie took Lilly's teddy bear and pretended he was making out with it.
"Ew. Give that back, you little brat." Charlie had turned seventeen years old and it had been nearly ten months since he saw Adrien. Charlie called him on the same day he returned from the hospital, but as usual, Adrien didn't have much to say. Typical Adrien. He stayed cool and collected and seemed uninterested in anything Charlie had to say or do.
After a year and a half of waiting, Charlie was tempted to call him again. He'd stare into the phone and cry to himself, missing Adrien and all that they shared for three, short months. Although Adrien was on a different path. He had soon forgotten about Charlie, or at least he told himself he did, and eventually moved on. He was busy with his novels and since he left his hometown a year and a half ago, he had written four more best-sellers and was asked to travel to Russia for his next book. His publisher offered him a great deal but in the end, something made Adrien change his mind. If he had gone to Russia, it would have meant not returning home for another eight months. He had been contemplating whether to go back or take Uma's advice.
"Why the long face, Mr. Cash?" Uma smiled across the table teasingly as they had breakfast at Cafe Opera. They had been courting for nearly six months, and in an odd way, Adrien had stopped missing Charlie. Even his books didn't seem so important anymore. He had enjoyed spending time with Uma's son and they often took the weekends off and traveled to Cuba. They had even brought up the subject of marriage, and Uma nearly fell out of her chair when Adrien suggested it.
"It'd be wonderful. We could fly to Hawaii and get married in private," Adrien suggested cooly, taking her hand from across the table.
"I ... don't know what to say. Are you sure you want to get into it right away? Maybe we're rushing things, darling," Uma said gently. She had loved him from the bottom of her heart. Every woman had loved Adrien. And everybody had wanted to be with Adrien. But at that moment, Adrien couldn't help but paint Charlie's face in the back of his head. Charlie ... my love. I hope you're doing all right. I'm sorry I was such a bastard to you. It wouldn't have worked out, anyway.
"No, of course we're not rushing into things," Adrien insisted and Uma saw him smile a real smile and she giggled and threw her napkin at him. She would have done anything for him. She had never loved another man the way she loved Adrien Cash. Her soulmate, she thought. And her son was eager for Adrien to become his father, officially. They sat him down that night and told him the good news and he was ecstatic.
Andy grabbed the morning papers and he was shocked at the cover page. He wondered if Charlie had seen it and from the look on the young boy's face at work that day said it all.
"I'm sorry, Charlie," Andy said gently when he saw Charlie sitting in the breakroom all alone, gazing down at his hot cup of coffee.
"Huh? About what?" Charlie asked cheerfully and smiled, snapping out of his usual daydreams.
"The papers. You haven't read the article?"
"Oh, that. Yeah, I read it. So?" Charlie glared at his friend squarely in the eye and Andy didn't see any type of remorse. "Oh, come on, Andy, did you actually think we'd end up together?" Charlie snickered and looked back down at his coffee and the smile disappeared and Andy saw a tear drop down into the cup and it tugged at Andy's heart to see him like that.
"He's getting married in three days, Charlie... Don't you care anymore?" But Andy knew better. Charlie cared. Charlie had always cared. And he would die for Adrien if need be. He loved him for nearly two years and he wasn't going to forget about him now. He wasn't going to let Adrien go. Not just like that. Not without a fight. "...Charlie? Hey, come on, man, don't do this..." Charlie jerked from the table and ran to his car while Andy followed. "What the are you doing? Get back here!"
"Leave me alone! I wish I was dead, Andy! I wish I could die right here and right now. That's how much it hurts!" Charlie tripped and fell on the ground as Andy kneeled down next to him and held him tight.
"No, don't wish for that. Nobody could replace little Charlie," Andy said to him as Charlie trembled in his arms. He had lost a significant amount of weight and everybody was worried. Richard still hadn't made an attempt to speak to him nor was he planning to. As far as he was concerned, Charles Wyatt was no longer his son.
"I ... never thought losing anybody could be this painful, Andy... Never..." And that's when Charlie became dead to the world.
"Charlie... Charlie! Please wake up, kid! Come on!" Andy started shaking him and started trembling as he cried out loud for his friend. "You shit, don't do this to me!"
"Mrs. Wyatt?" Dr. Johnson placed his hand on Mary's shoulder while she looked dazed and stared fixedly at one spot for nearly an hour. Richard was in the waiting room with Lilly, who was just as distressed as her mother. Although Richard was somewhat bothered that he had to be there. What if the staff found out his only son was gay? Boy, that would ruin his reputation. And perhaps his wonderful career, which was the only thing he cared about lately.
"Yes." Mary turned around to look at the doctor. He had kind eyes and reassured her that Charlie would be okay.
"Your son had a severe panic attack. His heart was making unusual sounds and we think it may have been a slight heart attack, as well." Heart attack? Charlie?
"What are you talking about? My son's eighteeen years old, how could have he possibly had a heart attack?" Mary was bewildered and angry.
"Has your son been under a lot of stress lately? Perhaps school, work, or maybe family problems?" And as the doctor went on with his questioning, Mary couldn't help but think of Adrien. What if... What if Charlie was secretly mourning over Adrien this whole time and she didn't even know about it. She wanted to be there for Charlie, and especially now, more than anything.
"No... I think I know what it is, doc. Thanks for everything. May I see him now?" Mary asked gently, not wanting to discuss the situation with him any further.
"Of course, ma'am."
"Honey, it's mom. How are you feeling?" Mary stroked Charlie's hair and he smiled despite the heavy medication he was given to prevent any additional pain.
"I'm okay... Thanks for coming..." Charlie barely made out the words and Mary had trouble hearing him, but she nodded and smiled anyway and saw a tear stem from his eye. "I don't want you to worry about me, mom."
Jackson and Marc had been out of town for the weekend and heard the distressing news the next morning. Andy had called them.
"So history repearts itself, eh?" Andy made his way into the room cooly and pinched Charlie's cheeks.
"Shut it," Charlie said and looked over Andy's shoulder mischievously and slowly made his way out of the bed.
"What the neck are you doing? Get back in the bed, nutcase."
"Shh! I need to do something, and you're going to help me." What in the world was he up to now? It was nearly ten o'clock at night. Charlie was dressed in a few minutes and asked Andy not to say anything as he attempted to bail himself out.
"Like hell. Get back in there," Andy was persistent but Charlie was much more stubborn. He grabbed his friend's hand and sneaked out of the hospital. He wore his hat and glasses to stay disguised. "Mind explaining where you're going at this hour?" And Charlie's reply nearly blew Andy out of his seat as they took the limousine to the airport.
"You're what? Do you know how long it'll take us? We have at least two days of traveling, and by the time we get there, it'll be too late anyway!" But Charlie refused to listen to any of it. He was determined. Determined to face the truth and maybe he'll be able to move on with his life then. After he...
"I don't care that I'm a man. It shouldn't be wrong to be with somebody I love more than anything. I don't care that my father hates me, I don't care if I lose my job, I don't care if the whole world hates me... I just care about one thing. And I know someday I'll regret it if I don't give it my best shot," Charlie spoke softly but Andy could sense the determination in his voice.
"You really do love him, don't you...?" Andy said softly and saw tears run down Charlie's face.
There was an accident on the road near ahead and they were stuck in traffic for nearly two hours. Charlie had grown impatient and it was so unlike him. They had drank the whole bottle of Saki and even the driver was getting irritated at the delay.
They took the Red Eye straight to Los Angeles and it had taken them nearly thirteen hours. Andy slept most of the time and all Charlie could do was think about Adrien. I'm coming to see you, darling... Please don't be mad. It's just been too long. Two years without you was a nightmare. And I've finally decided to give it another try. Please forgive me for being a nuisance before. I'll change. As long as you'll take me back.
Chapter Eight
"Wake up, sleepyhead. We're here," Andy said through his yawns as the Red Eye was being emptied by the passengers. They had taken the Coach since First Class was full. "Don't forget your jacket. Here," Andy handed him his beige suede jacket and all Charlie could think about was seeing Adrien again for the first time in two years. He must have changed a lot. And maybe Charlie had, too.
"You all right, bud? We're almost there," Andy reassured him as they were approaching his apartment building. Charlie felt goosebumps rise from his skin, remembering how Adrien was when he was angry. What if he throws him out? Or what if he walks into his fiancee? Shit. He had completely forgot... Adrien was getting married today.
They thanked the limousine driver as Andy paid him and walked behind Charlie, who was a nervous wreck.
"...Aren't you going to knock?" Andy asked stupidly and all Charlie could feel was his insides twisting and turning into knots.
"I changed my mind," Charlie blurted out.
"I didn't waste a day and a half of my life so you could change your mind. You came to see Adrien, now get it over with. Either he's going to take you back, or he's going to tell you to get lost," Andy said unfalteringly.
"Yes, who is it?" A woman's voice was heard on the other side. At the door stood a tall, blonde woman in her early thirties, and Charlie thought she was beautiful beyond words. Behind her, he noticed a room full of flowers and gifts of some sort. Although the woman looked somewhat forlorn and grief-stricken as she gazed into Charlie's eyes and something inside of her snapped. "So you're the guy..." Her blue, almost evil-like eyes pierced through Charlie's and it made him flinch. "Are you looking for Adrien Cash?" Now she was determined to keep it a secret and not tell them anything. Adrien was hers and nobody else's.
"Who's there?" The voice sounded so familiar as Charlie wanted to scream out his name and let him know he had flown all the way to Los Angeles just to see him. Even for a minute. Even for a split second, just so he'd... Just so he'd... And then his eyes were filled with tears and everything around Charlie became blurry. He felt an arm go around him as Andy tried to comfort him.
"Nobody, darling. Just a bunch of kids," Uma said and slammed the door in their faces.
Charlie and Andy made their way back into the limo and sat there for a few minutes in silence.
Adrien walked out of the bathroom with his tuxedo and he looked stunning. Uma nearly dropped her jaw as she glared at him in enthrallment and he only looked up briefly without giving her a smile and disappeared back into the bathroom. He seldomly spoke to her that day and she was beginning to get worried. Could he have felt that Charlie was near? And something in Adrien had changed as he looked at himself long and hard in the mirror. He had reassured himself over and over again that he was doing the right thing. And he was... Wasn't he? He heard an engine start up and glanced out the window when a whole rack of towels fell on top of him.
"Shit! That's all I needed," Adrien cursed as Uma came into the bathroom.
She laughed and picked it up. "Calm down. You're getting too excited. I want you in one piece at the alter." She kissed him on the lips but he didn't kiss her back. She had decided to ignore it and went back into the bedroom to get ready. She had worn a stunning neglige and Adrien couldn't help but notice her alluring, hour-glass figure. She was a beautiful woman and deserved somebody who loved her. ...The way he loved Charlie ... still. For two years, he had wanted to forget that face, to stop dreaming about him at night, and stop crying over him. But it was useless. Charles Wyatt had entered Adrien's heart the way no other human being ever could. Love can touch just one time, and never let go... Never. Adrien felt a tear in his eye. He sat on the edge of the bathtub and looked down at the floor. What the hell was he doing? What the... And then he heard Uma's son come into the bathroom. He had never seen this little boy as happy as he was today. He loved Adrien and Adrien could see that. They exchanged smiles and Adrien reassured the boy he would be out in a minute. Adrien found them waiting in the dining room as he walked over to Uma and kissed her hard on the lips. She smiled and calmed down. Everything would be okay, she thought. She was marrying the man of her dreams today and no spoiled little brat like Charles Wyatt would ruin it. "I suppose you're ready to get married, Mr. Cash," she said and smiled.
Charlie and Andy waited patiently for the next flight. They hadn't said a word to each other since they left Adrien's apartment. And that woman... That woman must have been his girlfriend, the publisher Adrien talked about. What a bitch, Charlie thought. How could she...
"Hungry?"
What? Charlie snapped from his deep thoughts. "No, not really," he said and went back to reading his magazine.
"I think he knew you were there..." Andy said fastidiously, glaring out the glass window they had been sitting in front of.
"If he knew, why didn't he come after me..." Charlie didn't have much enegry to speak and something inside of him wanted to hate Adrien. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's too late now. It's too late to go back. Things would never be the same. Maybe he was right. I was just being a stupid little kid with nothing better to do."
"What's meant to be will be."
What's meant to be will be... Those words echoed in Charlie's head throughout the entire trip. He had dreamt of Adrien as he slept soundly next to Andy on the plane.
They arrived back home at promptly four p.m. and Mary wanted to strangle both of them. They had been gone for nearly three days and Richard as always, was uninterested. According to him, Charlie could or should have died somewhere in a ditch.
"Mom went bonkers," Lilly said softly as she sat next to Charlie on the couch, while Mary paced the room, thinking of something to say. Richard came downstairs with an oversized suitcase and threw it in Charlie's face.
"Get out."
"Richard! Please, this is not the time," Mary cried as she sat on the sofa, confused at the situation.
"You have five seconds to get the hell out of my house, boy. I never want to see you again. Do you understand? Go anywhere the hell you please, but don't let me catch you around here anymore." Richard's tone was supreme and potent, and Charlie felt stuck. He had nowhere to go. He had no home now. And his mother was helpless. Charlie stood up and came close to stand in front of his father, gazing at him spitefully. He grabbed the suitcase, took out his house key and threw it in his face and walked out the door. Charles Wyatt was history.
It was a warm sunny day as Charlie took the large suitcase and threw it over the bridge and watched it splash into the cold water and then disappear to the bottom. He strolled to the park and sat on one of the benches as he took out Adrien's lighter; the one Adrien had allowed him to keep two years before. He found an old photograph of the two of them in his jacket as he took it out and looked at it long and hard, wishing Adrien was here. Damn it... He didn't want to cry. Two days had passed since Adrien had gotten married. He must be really happy now. Jeez, Adrien, why do you always have to make me cry...? I guess ... I just can't stop loving you. Maybe that's wrong. It cost me my family. But in the end, I don't care; it was worth it. Loving you was worth everything I lost and didn't. I'd go to the end of the world for you ... but you're not here anymore, and you wouldn't know. Maybe someday in the future I'll decide to go on but I'll still think about you and smile... You're in my heart and I'll be damned if I ever let you go. Charlie's eyes were filled with tears and his hands were shaking uncontrollably as he put his head down, not wanting anybody to see him so burnt from life.
"Why the long face, sourpuss?" Oh, God... It couldn't be... But ... that voice. Maybe it was Andy, or... And then Charlie found enough courage to look up at see the tall blonde, with a sigarette in his mouth and a smile that knocked Charlie out of his seat. It was Adrien Cash. In many ways he was still the same, although something had changed in his eyes.
"What are you doing here? Didn't you get married?" Charlie was still clutching onto the picture, and somewhat hopeful that Adrien had changed his mind about Uma.
"I told her I had some unfinished business to take care of." Oh, damn, he didn't come back to Charlie after all. He was here for his work, Charlie thought. Adrien threw his sigarette onto the ground and stomped it as he came closer to Charlie. Their eyes met and locked as Charlie felt his heart pound again. He felt pain suddenly... Why did he feel pain? Oh, shit, was he having another...
"Adrien, I..." Charlie started rubbing his chest, praying for the pain to go away. Adrien sat nex to him and leaned back on the bench, gazing up at the beautiful summer sky.
"You're going to kill me, you know that?" Adrien said sternly and it made Charlie look at him. What did he mean by that?
"What do you mean, Ad?" He hadn't called him that since...
"This thing with us. You know it can't happen. Besides, what if you get hurt? I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing something terrible happend to you because of me."
"Nothing's gonna happen, Ad, I pr--"
"Hold it. I didn't say I was back for good. I just came to talk to you," Adrien sat up and looked at Charlie, secretly taking his hand and holding it tightly. "That was you that came the other day, wasn't I?" And Charlie felt an electric current run through his body as Adrien spoke to him. He had missed those light-brown eyes so much and he wanted to kiss him. Right there in the public. But he knew better now... Adrien Cash was married. And what a hell of a way to end their love. Charlie was beginning to realize that it just couldn't happen. He was a man, and Adrien was a man and it just... Adrien hugged him and cried silently as Charlie wrapped his arms around his love tightly and if he had any sense, he'd never let him go.
"Maybe it's too late, Adrien. But you're back in my life and I'll be damned if I let you go this time. I was stupid to allow it two years ago. Cry it out, it's hard, I know. Being torn between right and wrong, especially when the wrong feels so right, but we're both here and alive and we have a chance. A chance that most people would kill to have again," Charlie said and sounded mature for the first time. He had grown up immensely since Adrien had last seen him. He had even looked slightly different to Adrien, and Adrien only smiled as he observed him.
"It's too late..." Adrien said softly, trying to stop himself from crying but it was no use. Feeling Charlie close to him was all he ever dreamed about for two, long years. "It's too late, my love."
"And now what? What if it is?" Charlie placed his hand on Adrien's face to remember him just the way he was at that moment. Adrien closed his eyes through his smile and chuckled at silly Charlie. It nearly blew Charlie out of his seat as he giggled back. They looked so perfect. It was almost as if though they were back together again, like they once were so long ago.
"Whatever happens from now on, and I don't know what will, I do want you to know that I love you ... very much, Charlie," Adrien said cooly, looking away, and all he felt like and wanted to do was kiss him and never let go.
"I love you, too," Charlie cried and buried his head in Adrien's chest and cried uncontrollably as Adrien held his trembling body close. He was homeless but at least he had Adrien now. And that's all he ever wanted.
They held each other for a long time. The sun had gone down nearly an hour ago as they sat in the park silently. Was it too late for them? Neither of them knew yet. Adrien looked down at Charlie who had finally calmed down and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. He didn't care who was around, if anyone. They were finally at peace and they had each other. After two long years ... they finally had each other. And they wanted nothing more from life. Just each other to love endlessly.
"Wakie, wakie!" Charlie flew into Adrien's arms as he came out of the bathroom. Oh, how Charlie had missed the old apartment. He had made pancakes for them that morning and as usual, Adrien was displeased.
"Don't you know how to do anything right, you damn brat. I knew I should have hired a maid when I had the chance."
"But you loooove me! And you admitted it!" Charlie was smiles as his lips locked with Adrien's and Adrien didn't fight back, only returned his kiss ... the one he's been waiting for for so long. He loved Charlie and that was that. Nothing in the world would or could change his mind now.