Chap. 13

Over the next few days, Allen slowly inched his way into Eliot's circle of trust. Gradually, the guarded young man let him into his world. Allen found that working with the animals made Eliot comfortable enough to talk. Which is why they were currently working with the horses waiting for the sun to wake he rest of the world.

"So, I know divorced when you were very young, and your mother remarried. Tell me more about that."

Eliot wondered how much he should tell the older man. Just thinking about his step father made him tremble. The man was dead now, the pain he inflicted still lived on in the scars left behind.

"My mother married him when I was five years old. He seemed alright at first. He wasn't my daddy so I didn't really like him. He wasn't really a kid person. When he was around I always had to be quiet and stay out of the way."

Allen could imagine how horrible that must have been for a tiny Eliot. The man before him was active always, he had no doubts that as a child Eliot had been just as energetic.

"What happened if you weren't quiet or got in his way?"

Eliot kissed the horses head and shook his head. Those memories were some of the most painful. How could speaking of them help anything?

"He yelled a lot. Most of the time he would um, he would hit me."

"He hit you? Can you go into detail about that?"

When Eliot kept his head against the horse, Allen continued.

"Were you ever spanked as a child?"

Eliot laughed at that.

"My parents were great believers in spanking. I have no problems with that."

"Your step father went too far?"

"No one should ever hurt a kid just because they can. I always tried to be so perfect so he wouldn't hurt me."

"Did your mother know?"

"Not at first. Eventually she was terrified of him too."

"What about your father?"

Eliot finished brushing the horse and gave her the treat he had hidden moments before.

"I couldn't tell him. He wanted me to be strong, acting like a baby wasn't being strong. I just cherished the time I had with him. I knew he would never hurt me. When I was with him at the ranch I knew I was safe."

Allen moved closer to the young man who had stolen his entire heart without knowing it. His whole being yearned to protect the kid. He ached for the child Eliot had been, trying to brave the abuse all alone, trying to make everyone but himself happy.

"What happened to you parents?"

"My daddy has a ranch you know that. My step father disappeared when I was fifteen after he tried to beat me to death. My mother overdosed before I came out the coma when she found out he'd been raping me for years."

Allen felt his heart shatter. Eliot Spencer had been through ten kinds of hell in his life, yet he was one of the most amazing people Allen had ever met.

"What about your father? What happened with him?"

"When I graduated high school I joined up and left. I couldn't take the disappointment I saw every time he looked at me. I let him down. I hated myself for that. I thought if I left, he could be happy. He wouldn't have to deal with all of my shit. I never went back. It's better for him that I stay away."

Allen doubted the man Eliot hero-worshipped thought any of those things. It was very likely that Eliot had blamed himself and in turn thought everyone did as well. Allen wanted to find Eliot's father. He wanted to let the man know that while Eliot was not alright, he was surviving. He wanted to ask why the man never tried to find his boy.

"I'm sorry if I upset you. I should think before I speak."

"Eliot, you didn't do anything. I'm trained to listen to stuff like this."

Allen wanted to wrap his arms around the young man standing in front of him. The kid had held everyone up his entire life, he should have someone to do the same for him. Too bad Eliot would never allow such to happen. Sure he let Parker snuggle up to him, but that was more for her benefit than anything else. Allen hoped eventually Eliot felt comfortable enough to allow the comfort he so desperately needed.