Chapter 17

Hey! This chapter is...kind of like an ending. It really is; if I was a normal, sane writer, this would be the last chapter in this book. But it's not.  And this is becuse I'm pretty sure that Cole and Kent still  have a story to tell, despite them already being in love with each other, as you will read in this chapter. So I guess that you can consider this as the last chapter of part 1, if you felt like it, it's just that I feel weird if I called it that, so I won't.

Sorry, if that seems a bit...random, no? Well, sorry, if it wasteed your time.

Oh, and you know how on my page that I'd be posting my second story? Well, I really want to enter it in for the Watty Awards 2012. So I will not post it until the announcement has been released just to be sure that it gets into it. I think it has s good shot!

The religion talk are merely Tyler's and Cole's ideas! I have to write this so that I don't offend anyone religiously! Sorry if you don't agree with them!

Anyway, enjoy the story! :)

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Chapter 17: Cole's POV, Wednesday night, in the warehouse

I looked at the incoming shadow that was approaching us and my grip on the gun in my hand grew to the point where my knuckles were going white from the tension.

When the person turned the corner, I chucked the gun at the shadow, hearing the long string of curses from the man who sounded like Tyler, charging at him full-force like he was a dummy that I needed to tackle during practice to build my strength.

I brought the guy down onto the ground and started punching him senselessly until his blood covered my hands. When I stopped just for a moment, I looked to be sure that it was Tyler, and sure enough, it was Tyler Robinson who was simply laughing, despite his obvious injuries.

“Run, Kent!” I hollered as I resumed beating Tyler elsewhere on his sorry-looking body.

As soon as I heard Kent's footsteps dash down the stairs, I started punching Tyler even harder, not to mention kneeing him in the groin for good measure.

“How fucking dare you hurt Kent the way you did, you bastard,” I was seething with rage as I let all of my anger towards Tyler fall to my fists. “He did absolutely nothing to you, yet you have the audacity to hurt him the way that you did. And why the fuck are you still laughing, bastard?”

“Simple,” Tyler began as blood dripped onto his neck from my hands as I stopped punching him and just used my knees to keep him from escaping and risk getting to Kent. “You two will spend an eternity in hell rotting your sorry souls because you fell in love with another man. God didn't create the world with two men, he created it with a man and a woman. You two are immoral, and an insult to God, and you two-”

“Excuse me, Mr. Bible, but why are you telling me this now? Are you even religious, wait, aren't you gay too?” I interrupted, confused with why he would bring this up right now.

“First of all, I'm a Christian, and second of all, I'm doing what a good Christian would do and trying to cure you of your homosexual ways to save you, and maybe even Kent can be saved, and third, I've seen the error in my ways and the Lord has seen this and forgiven me for my sins,” Tyler spoke calmly as if he was simply reading a script in front of an audience of one-thousand people in an auditorium. “Not to mention that gays are simply pathetic excuses of life,”

“But God created gays, so doesn't that mean that it's ok since God doesn't make mistakes?”

“Actua-”

I interrupted him again; I hated the way that he thought that he knew everything. “And isn't love supposed to be free and undefined? So according to that, it's ok if someone falls in love with a potato, as long as there is love between the two, or more, beings?”

“But how can an inanimate object love back?” Tyler countered.

“It's the fact that everything has a life force to some extent, so everything can feel something, even love, whether you think it can or not.”

Tyler's blank dark green eyes stared vacantly at me, as if he was trying to think of a counter-argument.

“What?” I asked after Tyler kept staring at me, as if waiting for something.

Just then, we heard the metal door downstairs make its creaky noises as it opened quickly and as the pitter-patter of feet came running into the warehouse.

“Police! Come out so that we can see you if you're in this warehouse! Now!” A gruff voice yelled firmly.

As the police officer was saying this, I noticed that Tyler had just the slightest smirk that a human could possibly make.

Just as he smirked, he let out a yell saying, “Help! Cole has a gun and he's going to use it on me, too!”

My eyes widened as my mind processed what would happen next if my mind was correct: the police would come dashing up the stairs and see me on top of a guy who was clearly a victim of extreme anger and violence with a gun 'dropped' oh-so-conveniently next to us, as if I had lost it in a struggle. I'd get arrested and then a judge would probably say that I was guilty. I was screwed, and they'd probably send me to jail for beating Tyler up, no matter how much he actually deserved it.

“Police, get up off of the man, now!” A police man screeched at me as he walked cautiously towards me, eying the damage that I gave Tyler from punching him.

“I didn't do this out of spite, sir,” I said, trying to not get any angrier than I already was from my inconvenient placing in the scene. “He had a gun and was going to use it on me and my boyfriend to try and kill us! I only did that out of self-defense! You've got to believe me! Please!”

“No, he's making the whole thing up because he hit me because he's a violent person who's a threat to the public's safety!” Tyler whined, even stomping his feet for emphasis.

“Enough, both of you,” the officer said sternly as two more officers appeared behind him. “Take both of them in and see if that scared guy out by the back can tell us anything,”

The officers nodded and handcuffed both of us and dragged us down into the police cars roughly. On my way out of the building, I saw Kent who was talking to another officer with a notepad and furiously writing Kent's words down onto the lined paper.

“Kent!” I called out, hoping that it wasn't illegal to talk to a bystander while one was potentially being charged with a crime that one did not commit.

“Cole!” Kent called out, smiling brightly as he saw me. “Don't worry, I'll get my dad to help you again; it'll be alright; stay calm and don't say anything until he gets there!”

“Come on now, we haven't got all night,” The police officer brought me to one of the police cars and shoved me into the small, cramped back of the car behind the bars.

I sighed as I sat in the car alone, waiting for an officer to get his ass into the car and actually start driving me down to the police station for the inevitable questioning.

After a bit, I looked out the window only to see Tyler being taken in an ambulance instead of a police car like me.

I guess that the saying of how nice guys finish last is pretty true, at least, for me, anyway.

-Tyler's POV: Wednesday night, in the ambulance-

I felt content that my plan had worked out so well in the warehouse. Cole got blamed for beating the shit out of me, I wasn't even suspected of having a gun since I hid mine before I went up the stairs, and Kent was probably too scared to remember anything coherently enough for it to be used as real evidence.

I mentally laughed at what I had to say to get Cole to stop beating me up for the final step of my plan to work. All that I had to do was let Cole beat me up so that the police would see that Cole was the dangerous one, and then stall for time until the police showed up by talking about something that would keep Cole talking and not punching me, only to find poor me underneath a guy like Cole with my blood, literally and metaphorically, on his hands.

I didn't mean anything that I said to Cole while he was sitting on top of me, I was just using my natural acting abilities to make the most out of my situation.

It was simple, and it had succeeded just the way that I wanted it.

-Cole's POV: Wednesday night, at the police station-

I entered the station warily; it was my second time in here within two weeks for a violent crime, except that this time, I was fighting to stay out of prison and to keep my right to see Kent, the guy who I loved with all of my heart.

Once again, I was led into a windowless room, with an officer following right behind me. I sat down again at a small wooden table and noted the recorder that the officer pushed as he began to interview me about what had happened.

I calmly recited everything that I knew, trying to leave Kent out of everything, hoping that he believed me and the words that I was saying. I could feel my nerves building up inside of me, my palms growing damp with sweat, simply praying that I wouldn't have to leave Kent out of my life forever. However, with one look into the officer's eyes, I then knew that he didn't believe anything that I was saying.

I stopped talking mid sentence and asked him a brief question. “Do you even believe what I'm saying? Please tell me the truth,” I said, picking at the chipping wood of the table.

“To be frank,” The officer began, scratching his thinning head of hair. “No, now let me tell you why: I have a daughter that's just about your age, and I have had to talk to a number of her ex-boyfriends about what I will let her do and what she can't do. I watch their eyes, and every time, that say that they'll honor my wishes, but really, their eyes say differently; they're hiding their true intentions and just saying what I want to hear. I think that you know a lot more than you say that you do. So why don't you tell me everything that you know, son,”

I sighed, knowing that he was right. And also I was remotely disappointed at how horrible my lying skills were.

So, I started from the beginning; the very beginning, the first time that I had watched Kent from his pool and told him how Kent made me feel since I first saw him; how I felt a strange pull from my heart every time that I saw him or heard his name around campus; even the library which was when I was almost one-hundred percent certain of my feelings for Kent. The way that he was able to help my brother and make him feel normal for once.

I noticed that the officer showed the slightest hint of a smile as he reclined back into his chair.

I then went on to talk about how there was a party one night, and then how Tyler took Kent with him and then how I watched from afar while they talked and kissed. Then I told the officer about the disaster date that Tyler took Kent on and how I knew what he was really doing since I was trying to 'talk' to him at his work place and overheard him telling his friends. After that, I continued on how Tyler got crazier and crazier and then I was about to explain the whole warehouse fiasco, until he held up his hand signaling me to stop talking.

“Ok, that sounded a whole lot crazier than the first thing that you told me, so I find it hard to believe,” I could feel my face begin to fall from telling the truth and the fact that it still wasn't good enough for him to believe me. “But, I could see in your eyes that this was the whole truth, and I bet that if I asked that guy at the warehouse who was standing talking to my co-worker, he'd tell me the exact same thing. You seem like a great kid, and I just wish that my daughter would've found someone like you to date. Too bad you're not on her team, eh?” The officer joked, getting up from the table. “I'm pretty sure that I can clear this with my boss and you'll be fine. Nothing bad will happen, you just might get a phone call from the station on asking a detail or something-”

Just then, the door opened and Mr. Whitman stuck his head into the room. “Oh, good, I caught you two while you are still here,” He turned his attention to the officer. “I'm Mr. Bradley's lawyer, and-”

“Oh, there's no need for a lawyer, sir, I was just telling Cole how he'd be free to go since it really was just an act of self-defense. I'll just tell my boss and then Cole is free to go home,” The officer nodded and left the room after giving both of us a firm handshake.

“Well, I feel a bit useless,” Mr. Whitman joked as he led me out of the station to the limo outside of the station.

“Really, Mr. Whitman? You didn't need to bring the limo out here, it's just me,” I said as I was bout to open the door for both of us when Mr. Whitman went to the passenger door instead. “Um, Mr. Whitman?”

“Oh, I'm fine, I just thought that I should give you your privacy in the back; keep it down you two, I was a guy once too you know, so I know what it's like,” Mr. Whitman got into the car and I was left still confused.

So, I gave up and opened the door and got into the limo and saw the person who I was worrying about this entire time: Kent. He really was right here, in the car with me, with no parents, no little brother, and only privacy.

“Hey, Cole,” Kent gave me one of his sheepish smiles as I slid over to him and pulled him into my chest.

I leaned into him and kissed the top of his head while I inhaled his amazing scent of pool water and fruit. Kent's hands locked themselves with mine as we sat in the back of the limo in silence except for our even and calm breaths.

Kent looked up into my eyes after some time and I could feel myself growing happier and happier with every second that he looked at me since I knew one thing: he was mine and I didn't have to share him with anyone else in the whole world.

I leaned down and kissed hims softly, savoring his sweet taste along with his amazingly soft lips that fit so well with mine. I let my hands sift through his hair and then move down to his back where I let my hand slide underneath his shirt to feel his soft skin.

“So this is why your dad is sitting up front, huh?” I whispered quietly into his ear as I nipped lightly at his neck.

“Guess so,” Kent said as his hands roamed underneath my shirt, feeling my taut muscles.

“I love you, Kent, I love you so fucking much,” I could feel myself actually start to tear up from how much I love him.

“What's wrong Cole, are you in pain?” Kent's eyes now had a look of grave concern.

I shook my head. “No, I'm fine, it's just that I was so worried about you the entire time that we were in that dammed warehouse. I don't even want to think about what I would've had to do if that asshole Tyler even laid a single finger anywhere on you and hurt you like I did to him,”

Kent buried his face into the crook of my neck, and I found that I liked that feeling of protectiveness that filled me every time that I was with Kent. Along with just holding the guy that I love, of course.

Kent looked outside the limo and said to me, “Cole, we're here; we're home,”

I looked at Kent in my arms and chuckled a bit at seeing how comfortable he looked in my arms. So I took him into the house with him in my arms with Mr. Whitman already ahead of us unlocking the front door.

When Kent and I stepped into the house, Kent immediately darted from my hold on him as he landed gracefully onto the floor with a grin.

“What are you so happy about, Kent?” I asked, taking his hand into mine.

“Take a look around you, Cole,” I did as he told me to do, and boy, was I surprised.

There were countless banners hanging from the stairwell which read: Welcome Home in rainbow colors with balloons and streamers decorating the walls. And at the top of the stairs were Mrs. Whitman and Paul both with amazingly large smiles.

“What happened that made everyone so happy?” I asked as Paul started to run down the stairs towards me.

Mr. Whitman clapped a hand onto my shoulder and spoke wholeheartedly at me. “The police found you dad down in a box, drunk may I just add, under a bridge and he confessed to everything, so the court called me just an hour ago saying that you're free to see Paul as much as you want again. And seeing as how you might be a bit lonely in that hotel room, my wife and I agreed that, if you'd like, you can move in with us and be closer to your brother. How does that sound?”

I was really at a loss for words; this was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me: I get to live with my brother again, I'm off the hook from the cops, I get to live in a kick-ass mansion, and best of all, I get to live with my boyfriend. It felt really great calling Kent my boyfriend; it felt right.

Mrs. Whitman had prepared another great dinner and she told me all about Paul's accomplishments at school

So Paul hugged me for a bit and then after dinner, he showed me his room and all of his school projects and all of the books that he had been reading while I wasn't there until a voice came from behind me.

“Why don't I give you a proper tour of the house, since you'll be living here now,” Kent said to me as he slowly dragged me away from my brother. I said goodbye briefly and let Kent drag me all over the house showing me everything that his glorious house had to offer inside of it. Kent even showed me his own room, and then he led me to a room with a simple black door that was closed.

“And this is your room,” Kent opened the door to my new room and I was amazed at how perfect it was for me. I looked around the room to see a large king-sized bed on one side, while the other was occupied by an assortment of electronic devices like a T.V., a computer, and even a printer, and a smaller door from one side which was next to the closet. I guess I was looking at the door for while because Kent said, “Oh, that leads into your bathroom; the one that you get all to yourself.”

“Wow,” I mumbled speechless at how great living here would be.

“Listen, it's really late, so I think that I'm going to go to bed now,” Kent said as he turned to leave my room until I grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him back to me.

“Stay the night with me,” I pleaded, hoping that I could hold him close to me all night.

Kent rolled his eyes at me and grinned. “Sure, just let me get changed first and brush my teeth,” Kent left me in my room alone, so I decided that I should really check on the colleges that I've been looking into more. I turned on the computer and went to my email and found that it was flooded with messages. I opened one of them and it read:

Cole,

So, I hear that you're gay...you like it up the butt, or sticking it in one?

I panicked as I quickly scanned every one of them, worried at how this even got out until I remembered what Tyler said that he'd do when we were in the warehouse.

I bet he texted that slut Caitlin and then she spread it like she spreads her legs to all of the guys at school....

Kent entered my room again in his pajamas and came up to hug me and give me a quick kiss on the lips as we got into bed together. I pulled him closer, trying to drown myself in his pleasant scent to make me forget that we had school together tomorrow, and if my emails were any indication, school would be interesting tomorrow, and not in the best way possible.

I wonder if I should ditch....

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Hope that you guys found a new enemy! Becaue you'll be seeing a lot more...drama? I think that's a good way to describe it....Vote, comment, and message me if there are any questions, please!

Hope that you enjoyed it! And sorry again for my second story not getting posted! :(

~Michael