Hale
I ran from Sky's apartment as fast as my two feet could carry me. My face burned hot in anger and shame. I couldn't believe he'd laugh at my confession like that. I admitted to loving him and he laughed. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I swiped at them angrily. I shouldn't be sad over that asshole. I've only loved him for about fourteen years and kept my secret out of fear of exactly this reaction, but whatever.
I threw the door of my car open, practically fell behind the wheel and sped away from his posh little apartment complex as fast as I could. Fuck him and his rich people problems. Yeah, I know that he didn't ask for all the money his dad made and he didn't flaunt his wealth, but it still stung that he would do this to me.
Sky had been my best friend for as long as I could remember, but things in our lives have changed considerably over the years and he doesn't know me half as well as he thinks he does. If he knew the countless secrets that I kept buried away in the dark, he would never want to speak to me again. He probably didn't want to speak to me again, anyway.
I sped towards the other part of town. The part that people like Sky referred to as the 'bad' part of town. I thought I'd left this place for good after highschool. I went off to college and thought I'd rid myself of my past. But you can never truly be free of the events that had shaped you. I returned five years ago when Sky's dad passed away. I'd vowed never to abandon him when he needed me and I always kept my promises. When I saw what a state he was in, I couldn't leave him.
That was when my past had caught up with me. The people from the life that I'd once thought of as 'my old life' tracked me down, sunk their claws in deep and made sure that I had ample reason to stay and do their dirty work.
My apartment came into view. Alright, perhaps 'apartment' was a bit of a stretch. I lived in an outbuilding smaller than Sky's whole bathroom back at his place. It was cheap and it was useable. It was also on the property of the house that belonged to the leaders of a gang that was destroying this city. The Vipers. But desperate times called for desperate measures and it was really all I could afford in my current financial predicament.
Of course, Sky had no idea where I lived. I'd always made some excuse to ensure he wouldn't have reason to visit me at home. Work, loud neighbors, dirty laundry on the floor. It's been five years and my excuses were running out. Sky could never know. Sky would want to help me financially, or have me move in with him. He would never understand how truly deep my ties with these people ran. I've spent all this time to ensure he would be safe.
I parked my car next to the house. My heartbeat sped up when someone jumped from the back porch of the house and came sauntering over to me. His hands were in his pants pockets specifically to put the gun tucked into the waistband on full display. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, tough guy, I thought bitterly. Whatever makes you feel better.
"Hale! Where the hell have you been?" his breathy voice filled the air as soon as I opened my door. The smell of cigarette smoke stuck to him like an aura. "It's the middle of the fucking day, boy!" He jabbed a finger into my chest. "You can't just leave when you like. You've got a job to do, or have you forgotten? Maybe we should find your pretty friend to give you some incentive."
My hands balled into fists. "Leave Sky out of this, you piece of shit," I ground out through clenched teeth.
"Touchy, touchy. Get back to work, faggot." The man turned and started walking away before yelling over his shoulder, "And don't let me catch you lazing again. We both know who will pay the price."
My body shook as anger coursed through my veins. They've been threatening me with Sky's safety for so long now. I don't think I would've done half the things they asked me to if Sky's life wasn't in danger. If I was only fighting for myself, I would have given up long ago. I couldn't do this anymore.
I sighed. But I had to. The man that I loved depended on me. I crossed the short distance and my key jiggled in the lock of my front door. The place smelled like dust. I didn't have an awful lot of time to clean while doing the gang's dirty work. My decrepit couch stood out like a sore thumb in the centre of the room, facing a tiny tv set. My bed stood off to one corner and across from it was a door leading to a miniscule bathroom. The last corner held a few counters, a fridge and some kitchen appliances.
It wasn't much, but at least I could lock my door at night even if it didn't keep out my 'employers'. It was still better than the street, which was what I had called home right after I got back to town.
There was a black briefcase waiting on my couch. A folder bulging with papers was lying next to it. I paged through the papers and found the dropoff point. It was in an even worse part of town, underneath the old bridge that led out of the city to the highway. Of course it was there.
I could still remember the feel of the bullet that had sliced through my arm. That night, nearly five years ago, I'd thought I was going to die. I would have happily gone into the afterlife before working for them. My body had already been bruised and it hurt my broken ribs to breathe, but I wasn't going to break. And then I did. With one name, my good intentions had gone out the window and I'd said yes.
I sped towards the bridge. My beat-up car rattled all around me and I was worried for a second. The car was one of the only worthwhile possession that I had, if I didn't count my clothes.
With nothing but the road in front of me, my mind drifted back to Sky. I didn't care that he had laughed at me. I didn't care if he never wanted to see me again. I would protect him no matter what. I would always protect him.
The mud sucked at my shoes with every step that I took. The riff in the earth underneath the bridge had once been a river, but it had long since dried up. Now, water just collected there when it rained too much.
"Well, I see Larry sent his dog to do his work again. Can't say I hadn't expected it from a cunt like him." The man that had spoken stepped into my view. Two guards were tailing him and watching my every move. I shifted nervously. "Well? Get on with it!"
I hurried to obey his order. I wasn't afraid to admit that I didn't look forward to being shot again. It had hurt like a bitch. Or maybe it was because I hadn't been able to afford any medical care and patched myself up instead of dealing with unwanted questions.
I handed the briefcase over to one of the guards. He clicked it open and I caught a glimpse of the neat rows of money inside. Everything always came down to money. People would do anything for it.
"Good. Tell Larry that I expect him to have the next batch sold by the end of the month," the leader said as he motioned for the other guard to hand over a duffel bag. "Tell him to watch himself. We don't want the damn cops on our tails. And tell him to stop using the merchandise! I can hear that he's fucking high over the phone. I'll be in touch."
The three men walked to the sleek black car and sped away without another word. I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd learned a long time ago that it was better to keep my mouth shut and just nod like the good little soldier I was supposed to be. I was beaten a lot less now than in the beginning when my mouth had run away from me.
I dropped the drugs off at a club not that far from the bridge. The supplier owned the club, but had certain laws to adhere to and thus needed the dealers to sell the damn things. Me, and a few unlucky souls like me, were the middlemen who had to transport both the drugs and the money. That way, if the cops ever did catch wind, the supplier would never be suspected of a thing.
Sky's steel-grey eyes filled my mind to provide a distraction. I could practically feel his short blonde hair underneath my fingertips. I could taste his pale skin and with every breath I took, I could swear I breathed his scent.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to bang my head against something until I couldn't even remember my own name, let alone Sky's. I drove straight to the only place that I felt at peace. The hill that looked out over the town had always been my place of safety. As a child I'd spent hours up there, running from my life and hiding from my father.
"I should have known to look here first," Sky said as he plopped down next to me on the flat rock after roughly an hour. We sat there for what felt like forever. Our shoulders touched because, as adults now opposed to when we had found it, the rock barely fit us sitting next to each other. I could almost pretend that everything was normal again. Almost.
"What are you doing here, Sky?" My voice was barely above a whisper, but Sky still picked up on the slight shaking.
"Why did you run?" Sky turned to face me, but I continued staring straight ahead. "Hale." Sky said while gently turning my head until I faced him. I refused to meet his eyes.
I gave a humourless laugh. "I might not be as smart as you, Sky, but I'm sure as hell not a dumbass. I told you that I loved you and you laughed at me." I took a shaky breath. All the anger had left me and I felt broken and vulnerable again like I haven't felt since I was living with my father. I whispered, "I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend that I don't love you. I think it would be best if we didn't see each other ever again." My heart split in two.
I chanced a look at Sky. He had a look of disbelief on his face. I was just about to resume my speech when Sky rolled his eyes. "Just shut up for a second, Hale."
My mind went blank as Sky gripped the front of my shirt and smashed our lips together. It took a few seconds for my brain to pick up on what was happening, but as soon as it did, I kissed Sky back.
I poured every bit of my emotions and feelings into that kiss. The lifetime that I've spent loving him. The joy of the moment. The longing for exactly this for so many damn years.
Sky pulled back abruptly. He was still gripping my shirt. "Well, I hope that that's it then. Look me in the eyes, Hale," Sky said, just as I dipped my gaze down again. "I. Love. You." My heart stopped at Sky's precise words. What? "I've loved you for a very long time and I probably will love you for a very long time to come. So stop making the both of us miserable and answer my damn texts!"
I laughed. I had been ignoring him out of fear that he would end our friendship the next time that we saw each other. Funny how the tables could change so fast. Now I really wished I'd talked with him rationally a week ago.
"Come on. My ass is starting to hurt from sitting on that damn rock," Sky said as hy stood up and dusted himself off. "Besides, I have to call in to work and try to do damage control. I might have walked out of a bussiness meeting to talk to you. That'll go over well with the board." Sky faked a shudder as he slung his arm around me while we walked to our cars. There weren't words to describe how much I loved feeling his body moving beside mine.
My mind tried desperately to catch up to what Sky had said. He felt the same way I did. I could hardly believe it. I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to keep him with me from that moment on. Sky would never be hurt because of me. I'd make sure of it. The man I loved would always be safe if I had any say in it.