Stay (Boy × Boy) ✔

CHAPTER 10

William woke up to a throbbing head ache. The first thing he noticed around him, after opening his eyes, was the paper George had left on the table next to his bed. William could feel heat rising on his cheeks: what have I done?

Once the tidal wave of shame hit him, he realised there were also some really heavy reasons why people didn't drink - and William swore to himself he was never ever going to drink again.

When he finally got himself up from the bed, there was no sign of the shards of glass or the sticky liquid downstairs. Instead there was Sophia, making breakfast and humming faintly some song William didn't know. She stopped as soon as he noticed William at the doorway.

''Hi, honey. Want something to eat? I'm making omelettes.'' Sophia asked and turned back to look at the stove. Omelettes were one, or possibly only, of those foods she didn't manage to burn every time. William wasn't hungry though, instead he felt queasy and thirsty.

''I'll have juice and coffee.'' He said and walked to the fridge.

By the time William was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping orange juice and coffee in turns, Sophia joined him. She didn't have makeup on and she wasn't wearing a power suit. She looked really different in her white nightgown.

At first Sophia was just cutting up the omelette in silence, but once that task was done, she lifted her head and looked at William. She hadn't really looked at her son for a long time, and now that she did, it was easy to spot the dark circles under his eyes and the way he avoided eye contact.

''About last night..'' Sophia began, nervously: ''I was out of line, and I promise that won't happen again.''

When William didn't answer, but just stared at her astonished, she continued the speech she had been rehearsing in her mind the entire morning. ''I want you to know you can talk to me, if there's anything wrong. I might not always be there for you, but I'm still your mother.''

''I'm sorry too.'' William said, because he didn't know what else he could say.

Where could he start, when everything was so messed up and had been that way for such a long time?

"Mom, I'm gay."

Or:

"Mom, I'm in love with Aydan, he's that one who's always around, remember him?"

Or maybe:

"Mom, I nearly had sex with a guy I barely know yesterday in a club I got in with fake ID.''

Or hey, what about this:

''Mom, everything seems pointless and I feel like I'm drowning."

''Tell me, what's on your mind?'' Sophia asked again.

''I don't know - I mean..'' William dithered, but he was saved by the bell. Oh thank god.

''I'll get it!'' He said and promptly got up from the table, walking to the door more excited than he had ever been about the thought of having someone behind it.

William could handle salesmen and prying neighbours, he could handle anyone as long as it gave him an excuse not to talk with his mom about those things he couldn't possibly talk about.

''Uh, hi.'' William breathed, not too excitedly, when he saw the person behind the door.

''Well, don't you look happy to see me.'' Aydan pointed out and smirked, not letting the cold welcoming discourage him.

''You said you were going to call me..'' William muttered and Aydan quickly finished his sentence: ''..but I wanted to see you instead.''

William didn't feel like leaving the house and Aydan insisted to find a place where they could talk without fear of being eavesdropped, so they went to the private pool. It was one of the places in the mansion, where one felt like rest of the world disappeared; no voice from outside or the rooms of the house carried there and vice versa.