Page 24 of Pieces of Me

Rylan busied himself cleaning up the kitchen, getting the kids settled in front of the TV for Saturday cartoons, and sticking his head out the door to check on Heather. She was asleep sitting up on the swing, her head canted over to the side, her body tilted in an uncomfortable-looking position. After a brief hesitation, Rylan grabbed a blanket from where it was draped over a nearby chair and went back out to the porch, easing Heather down full length on the swing and covering her up.

Scott appeared, dressed in a thin tank top and faded running shorts that had definitely seen better days. He was wearing his new sneakers, though, and the bright blue color only called attention to his long, tanned legs. Rylan bit his lip.

“Be careful,” was all he said. Scott brushed past him without a word and picked his way across the weed-strewn yard and out to the dirt road, stopping to do a few quick stretches before jogging away.

Rylan heard a motor start up, and a dark blue compact car eased away from where it had been parked out of sight and drove slowly in the direction Scott had disappeared in. Rylan tried to catch a glimpse of the driver but couldn’t, and after a moment went to check on the kids.

CHAPTER 6

Scott’s strides were long and steady, the new shoes making him feel like he was running on a cloud. A couple of weeks of slowly breaking them in, and now he felt like he could run forever. Run forever. How awesome would it be to keep running, far away from the shitshow his life was? Start over somewhere new, somewhere fresh, somewhere he’d be judged for who he was, not who his parents were. He could fuck things up on his own, thank you very much.

Scott breathed in through his nose and out his mouth, slow and deliberate, trying to stay loose and relaxed. Still, thinking about Rylan and the previous night―his stepbrother’s shock and pain―had tension flooding through him despite his best efforts. Sweet, kind Rylan and his equally kind dad, both of them unwitting students at the Heather Ashworth School of Living with a Slutty Drunk, a school where the lead instructor was an appalling bitch.

His rhythm hopelessly lost, Scott stopped next to a nearby convenience store, using the wall to brace himself while he did some cool-down stretches. He lifted his arms over his head and twisted from side to side, trying in vain to recapture the earlier high from his run.

“Scott.”

“What the fuck!” Scott jumped as a low voice came from behind him, and he whirled around, wincing as he saw who it was. “Aww, shit.”

“Beautiful Scott,” the man said hoarsely, reaching out one hand as if to touch him. “I miss you so much, baby.”

“I’m not your ‘baby,’ Mr. Tanner.” Scott moved his arm out of reach and took a step back. “I told you to leave me alone!”

“But it’s okay now. I’m not your teacher anymore,” Tanner said in an earnest tone. “It’s okay for you to call me Joel, and for us to be together now.”

Scott sneered at him. “I don’t want to be with you; don’t you fuckin’ get that?”

Tanner’s face filled with hurt. “You know I quit my job for you,” he protested, pouting. “I thought if I did, we’d have a chance. Scott, please.”

Scott closed his eyes, praying for patience, and when he opened them, he managed to keep his voice calm. “I’m sorry you thought there was ever going to be anythin’ between us, Mr. Tanner. I’m just a kid, your student, and―”

“I’m only twenty-three! Twenty-two when I worked at the school! If it weren’t for the job, no one would have looked at us twice.” He moved closer. “So I quit. I quit to be with you.”

Scott heaved a weary sigh. “You quit because you were about to get caught, and you know it,” he said, holding his hand out to keep Tanner away. “It don’t have anything to do with wantin’ to be with me.”

Tanner kept coming until his chest was up against Scott’s palm. “I think you should make it up to me, baby.”

“Make it up to you? For what?”

“For me having to lose my job over you.” Tanner put his hand over Scott’s, trapping it against his chest. “For fucking up my career.”

Scott huffed out an incredulous laugh before yanking his hand free and saying scornfully, “You’re blamin’ me for that? For the fact you used to jerk off while watchin’ me lift weights? That’s my fault? I never fuckin’ asked you to do that. I never fuckin’ led you on!”

“But you knew what I wanted when you asked me to let you work out! You knew!”

Scott narrowed his eyes. “All I knew was that you seemed to like me. You were interested in my workout routine, told me you could help me advance to the next level of fitness. You seem to have forgotten it was your idea to let me work out on the off-hours, not mine! I sure as fuck didn’t ask for you to perv on me, to yank your dick where kids could see it!”

Tanner’s face twisted and filled with anger. “Oh, you knew damn well what I was doing, and you liked it,” he hissed. “I could see you looking at me, and wanting it, just like the trashy little bitch you are.”

“This conversation is over. Stay the hell away from me.” Scott gasped when Tanner suddenly grabbed his arm in an iron grip.

“Please, Scott, one taste. Then I’ll leave you alone,” Tanner’s voice held a thread of desperation. “Come home with me, this one time. I need you. All I can think about is you naked, me on my knees, your cock in my mouth. I’ll suck you until you come, baby. I’ll suck you so good.”

For a moment Scott was frozen in place, the visual flooding his mind. Tanner noticed and pressed in closer.

“Yes. You want it,” Tanner breathed in triumph. “You want me to touch you, lick you, suck you. I knew it.”

Scott shook his arm loose and backed away. “I don’t want it, you fuckin’ perverted piece of shit,” he growled. “Not from you. Never from you. You come near me again, and I’ll call the goddamn cops.” He backed up a safe distance before whirling to jog away on shaky legs, Tanner shouting after him.