CHAPTER 28 - REVISITING THE PAST AND PLOTTING THEIR FUTURE

THE COTTAGE - LATE MORNING, TWO DAYS LATER

BEDROOM

LINDSAY

I feel dreadful. My head is pounding, but I’m determined to get to Michael, so that we can restart his downfall. Although I’m pleased I’m able to speak to him about how we go about it, I could do without speaking to him now. Thankfully, he’s just sent a text, which says although he's feeling as ill as me, he’s heard from Justin’s parents who have given us a tiny window in which to see them. Considering, we’re trying to give them a golden egg, they should be a little more accommodating!

Mel’s crabby calling has me quickly switching on the shower and locking the door. Sinking to the floor, I think back to the toilet debacle. We were locked in the freezing cold until the following afternoon, as none of our calls were getting through. When we finally got a signal and Michael tried to speak to Debs, Elliott wouldn’t put her on, saying she didn't want to be disturbed. 

On top of that, when we saw his car had been towed, first Brian’s minions refused to call us a cab, then they wouldn't let us wait in the restaurant, without his permission. He conveniently had an all day appointment. Justin, the selfish prick, wouldn’t send the car for us, saying it was being serviced. Didn’t give me a chance to ask him to send a cab. I was a block of ice when I got back to Michael’s, since Mel, the twat, took my handbag with her. She claims that she knew that he would look after me, so saw no harm in bringing it home!

“Lindsay! Are you going to be long?! Gus and Hunter want a shower too!” Enraged, I yank open the door and glare at her, she's unfazed. “Well, are you?”

“I shall be as long as I want. I’m on the cusp of a dreadful cold! Can’t they use the one in the house or the barn if they’re desperate?”

“You poor dear, why not let them jump in first, as you’ve not started? Then you can drain the tank to warm up your soul.” I storm past, get back in bed and cover my head. “Ah, a good idea, you bundle up. I’ll tell them to be quick.”

BRIAN AND JUSTIN’S ROOM 

BRIAN

I don’t know what I love most. First, there’s the wet heat of his mouth and the sounds he makes as he blows me. Then there’s the backside on him, he’s shaped like a violin. As I stroke down his spine to his plumpness, goosebumps follow and he squirms. I slide a couple of fingers inside, he hums, which thrums through me so hard that I almost lose it. 

“Don’t clench!” I order, managing to stab his nub for emphasis. He jolts forward then relaxes his grip. When he lifts himself up, I reach for his cock. I stroke and thrust, my fingers are soon slick. He starts to lose his rhythm a little, as I speed up, smiling at his clenching attempts to slow me down.

JUSTIN

His pre-cum is like nectar and what he’s doing to my ass and cock, I could die now and be happy. It’s so good and I know that this passion and heat will never cool. He quickens his pace when I try to get away from his intense fingering and stroking, so I do the same. He swells and throbs, his chants get louder. Oh, yes, he’s very, very close, but I want him to cum first. Because of him, I had a very interesting chat with Gus.

Start of flashback

EARLY DAWN

JUSTIN

I move forward so he can get behind me. He whistles. “Can I look at the rest?” I nod. He starts from the beginning, taking time to examine each drawing. He pauses at one, before turning it back. “Have you ever spoken to a professional about the accident?” I shake my head. “What about Gus, has he ever talked about it?” I nod but start to tear up. Immediately, he stops me from wiping them away. They only last a few minutes, but the calm after is immense. “I mean with you, have you two talked?” 

“No. Lindsay said that the therapist thought it best that it wasn’t brought up.”

“What kind of therapist says that bullcrap?!” He declares, lifting my chin. “You two have to talk, it’s part of the healing process. When I had my accident, like Gus, Hunter was there. He refused to leave, then he helped with the dressings and everything.” I give this a bit of thought then start to get mad. “This fucks you off?!”

“No! Not that! I've just remembered who the therapist was. He was someone that Michael knew.” He looks disgusted. “I thought nothing of it until now. At the time, him being in a better place mentally was all that mattered.” He nods and massages my neck. “What made you bring that up though?”

“There’s a difference between your art, before and after.” Him flipping between the pages, stops me cold. Post accident, they’re so dark and angry. I always raged at myself for the harm I caused Zeus, I just drew never seeing what I was creating. “You stopped for six months, why?” I frown, he smiles. “You dated the pages, I’m not psychic.” I chuckle sheepishly. “So?”

“Things were really bad here. Mel and Lindsay were rowing a lot. Michael was trying to be the father figure that I wasn’t capable of being. Nancy, Ronald and Debs were doing their best to stop his Lord of the Manor ambitions, but with Lindsay giving him carte blanche they were a little hamstrung.”

“So him grounding Gus was the last straw for you?” 

I stiffen in remembrance of the raging Mel storming in to tell me what had happened. Of course, Lindsay backed her best friend's claims that Gus had sworn at him. To this day, he promised he never did. That was the start of it all for Gus, Lindsay taking Michael’s word over his. It may have taken me forty five minutes to get downstairs, as I was shaking both with rage and anxiety, but I did, and took great pleasure in throwing him out. I think it was roundabout then that Lindsay started to stay overnight.

We lapse into silence as the sun starts to come up. I smile at the whickering of Ariel, she's so like Zeus at that age, little and loud. Upon hearing Gus, I get up and quickly get dressed. Brian watches me quietly with a smile. “Take my sweater, the black one, it’ll save you the jacket.”

“Thank you. Go back to bed, see you in a bit!” I kiss him quickly, grab his sweater, then when he sighs crossly, my phone. “Promise to make that up to you!”

“Oh you will!” He laughs, shimmying back to bed. 

FIVE MINUTES LATER

Gus is cleaning their gear when I find him, whistling like Happy while he works. Like me, he’s an early riser. “Hey, want to take them out?” I nod at Ariel and Stitch. At the word out, Zeus whinnies enthusiastically, “Reckon we can do all four by ourselves?”

“Easy peasy!” He declares. It takes us about twenty minutes to get their reins and blankets on as Stitch is a little excitable. It takes a butt biff from Odin to get him to calm down. As we head towards the track, he looks confused. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’ve always wanted to talk about it, but Lindsay said not to. According to the therapist, it would be detrimental to your recovery.” 

I suck my teeth. “What were those appointments like?”

“A lot less personal than I thought they would be.” He sighs. “I figured it would be just us. But them being there was a little odd, but the way it goes I guess.”

“Wait what?” Who was there?”

“Either Michael or Lindsay.”

“Why not Mom?” I frown.

“She respected my wishes, as usual, they didn’t, claiming I was too young. They weren’t always there, just sometimes, especially at the beginning.”

On seeing the track, Zeus tugs on his reins. There’s no fear, just joy. I take it off and tap his rump. He nuzzles my face before taking off like a rocket. “Let them go, they’ll be fine.” 

We’re grinning as at first Ariel and Stitch stick close to Odin. She goes at a gentle pace, but I can tell she wants to go on a tear. As if sensing her impatience, Zeus comes back. He blocks Stitch, especially, from following her as she gallops around getting it out of her system. Her whinny has him leading them away.

“Do you remember much?” I ask. He stares into the distance with a frown. I think I’ve gone too fast, then he nods. “Want to tell me?”

“The sound. I remember you screaming as you came up to the bend after the bang. Then, when you both hit the ground, I felt it judder. I stood there for a few seconds, then ran to you. You were so still, Zeus was trying to get off you, but he was hurt so bad. I covered you with my blanket. Mom was already coming, she must have heard you too. She made me go back to the house. I wanted to see you that night, but they said that I shouldn’t as I was in shock. I was furious as I felt fine, I just wanted to see you.”

“You were alongside us. My first thoughts, when I woke up, were that you were both dead. Then I was crippled with guilt, as the only person to visit was Lindsay. She spent most of her time glaring and telling me how irresponsible I was.”

“It was an accident! You both were startled, the spurs caught him wrong, which compounded it.” I pull him to me. “Oh, Dad! I’m sorry. How you must have felt when I didn’t visit for ages.” We watch them frolic in silence. “Would you ever have looked into what caused the big bang?”

“Don’t be sorry, we handled it the way we were told to at the time. As for the investigation, I wasn’t going to, but I will. And I also want to look into that therapist.”

“Why?”

“Because I do.”

End of flashback

BRIAN

I’ve just cum, now it's his turn. I redouble my efforts, he gasps and moans, undulating and dripping. His ass clenches like a snapping turtle, he’s seconds away. “Briohshitfrigyes!” He garbles, then sucks in his stomach. “Gaaaaaah!” His seed lands on my knees, he sinks onto them. I wait for him to relax so I can withdraw my fingers. He shivers and moans when I do so. “Come up here.” It takes a while, happily, he also brings the quilt. “We need to shower before we crust up.” 

“Mmm.” He returns, but we’re soon asleep.

MICHAEL’S HOUSE - LATE EVENING 

MICHAEL

This whole day was so frustrating! We finally went to his parents, who are having more trouble because of him. He wants every single dime of the dividend that they cashed returned in full within ten days or he takes them to court. They also have to sign the new business over to him, plus any other they start for the next five years! 

Annoyingly, when we told them about the farm, as weed is now legal in Colorado, and we don’t know if he started it before it was, that’s another door slammed shut.

Lindsay has been lumbered with more of his legal crap. He is shitting legalities over everyone, wonder if I will be next! She’s got to go through all the paperwork she’s signed with his attorney. I’m going too, she brightened up far too much when she told me about that. I’ve met him once - he’s a hottie and, from memory, straight. Don’t want him getting any ideas, after all she switched me over and I thought I was a die hard cock man.

“Might as well turn this off.” I sigh, since the person who was supposed to call is too sick to do so, according to her text. She made me promise not to call her before lunch. I wanted to give her some comfort after they behaved over the shower. She rebuffed my offer to have or share a bath before she left. I said I would get it replaced if it brings us back to where we were before. She thinks I’m joking, I’m not. I want us back to being us, especially here.. 

As I pour myself some wine, my phone rings. I scowl when I see who it is. “Whatever the hell you want, Wheelie Boy, can wait till the morning.” I grumble, heading to watch TV, but curiosity gets the better of me. I almost choke when his voicemail orders me to come around at ten sharp and to bring the name of the therapist with me - he wants to make follow up appointments for him and Gus!