Chapter Thirteen:

True Love

Max's face was red and stained with tears when Justin came home. His ripped pants were facing up. Justin walked into his room and rushed to his side, asking him what happened.

Max stood and took off his pants and underwear, replacing them. He couldn't bring himself to tell his older brother what had happened. It just made him feel horrible on the inside. Like his anus was directly connected to his heart. Both of which felt torn up.

With his back to Justin, he winced, hearing Justin's voice. "What happened to the babysitter?"

"I'm not a baby!" Max crossed his arms. He was very annoyed that Justin was probing into his life. He didn't want to turn around and look into Justin's big, stupid brown eyes. Most of all, he didn't want to show off his quivering lip. All this bull-shit told him that he was a big boy now. But hell if he felt like a big boy. More like crybaby.

Fully clothed, Max bolted from his room. He hopped on the magic carpet—Alex had secretly been giving him lessons—and flew over to O'Tom's house. To hell with his family right now. They all kept putting into bad situations. All claiming to want to help him.

It was surprising to Max that he was so great at flying that carpet. It felt like the only thing in the world that understood and respected him.

That was until he found himself looking into O'Tom's golden eyes. (They were actually golden because O'Tom had magically induced them to look that way. SO COOL!) Max knocked on the balcony door that lead into O'Tom's room.

As soon as the doors swung open, Max was in O'Tom's arms, crying into his shoulder, flooding the sleeve with tears. Arms flung around Max's torso and hands rubbed his back. No words came from O'Tom. Only care. He was the type of boy that waited for Max to tell him what he needed to say instead of pressuring him.

O'Tom swooped Max up into his arms and carried him into his bedroom and laid him down on his bed. He sat in a chair next to the bed. Max reached out and grabbed O'Tom's arm. "Hold me," Max pleaded.

Complying, O'Tom hopped over Max and slid his arm around Max's torso. Max felt his hair begin to be brushed by O'Tom's other hand. The warmth of O'Tom's arm around him and his body behind him made Max shimmy backward to get closer to O'Tom.

"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Max." O'Tom's words were pure and clear.

Max rolled over. He faced O'Tom. Their eyes electrically met and peered into the others one's intensely. Max chewed on his lower lip. How could he tell O'Tom that he was everyone's whore-toy? His lip quivered.

O'Tom pulled his hand away. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry."

Max shook his head, no. "My babysitter rapped me."

O'Tom jumped from the bed and grabbed his wand. "Where is this asshole? I'll kill him."

Max got up and gently grabbed O'Tom's wrist and put his wand-hand down. Letting go, he moved his arms up and held O'Tom in a hug that pinned his arms to his sides. "No. I took care of him."

"You killed him?" O'Tom choked a whisper.

"No, but Alex might. He happens to be in a very fluffy hamster state." Max cracked a small smile and pulled away from O'Tom.

O'Tom grabbed that sides of Max's face. "Max, the way you see the rest of the world—all the possibilities that others are blind to—makes you the beautiful boy you are. I want to be yours."

Max slid sadly don't to sitting on the bed. "I don't want you to be mine." His voice barely cracked the silent room. The computer monitor hummed lightly nearby as if even it was trying to intrude on this conversation.

O'Tom dropped to his knees. "I don't understand. I thought that we were hitting it off."

"It's not that. I don't want you to be my possession. Nor do I want to be yours. If we get together, I want us to be equal to one another."

O'Tom smiled at that. He stood and moved his head toward Max's. Max too stood, standing him up taller and placed his lips right on O'Tom's. As they kissed, Max ran his fingers through O'Tom's soft brown hair. It was like a jungle of fantasy up there. Their tongues danced in each other's caves. O'Tom tasted like cool mint tea. Max was on his tip-toes to keep savoring the pure ecstasy that was kissing O'Tom. Until he felt something start moving along his chest. The key was creeping up to his neck. So, he broke the kiss and jumped on the magic carpet.

"I have something I have to do before we can be together."

He flew home as quickly as he could. Once he landed, he darted to Justin's room. His older brother was lying in his bed. Soft breaths escaping him. Every so often, light moans and a little kick would come too. Max grabbed the key and came close to the lock, but the cute pouty face on Justin made him drop the key and get into bed with him. He held Justin and fell asleep, conflicted.