The Strongest Kind Of Hope Book 8

Chapter 1 The Christmas Gift

Rick and Alfonzo gazed at each other without words. Rick looked at Alfonzo's weak and fragile self in his wheelchair and set his hand on his bad knee. Then he knelt down and rested his head on his lap gently. Alfonzo stroked Rick's hair and then slowly bent down to kiss the top of his head. He didn't know why, but Rick's hair always smelled like strawberries.

"Thank you for always being the person I could trust." Said Alfonzo softly, tears sliding down his face again. "I'm so sorry about earlier, I should never have..."

"It's okay, as long as you're aware of your mistake, but Alfonzo that kiss was everything to me, and I won't forget it, or you. Because you're so important to me, and I'll miss the crap out of you when you leave and start your own life." Rick's voice trembled at the end and his voice became high pitched. "We'll lose each other."

"Hey, that'll never happen. I promise you. We won't lose who we are just because I'm getting married." Rick sighed heavily and got up to step away from him. He was losing it, and couldn't hide his agony anymore. Alfonzo knew he was suffering and begged him to not doubt himself, and told him he would find someone else.

"I won't. Damn it Alfonzo I love you, and I always will, no matter who we end up marrying in the end. I'll always wonder what could have been. But let's just stop talking about it, it's late and I need to go to bed. Early bus tomorrow."

Alfonzo looked at him tearfully and asked why he was going back so soon, as he thought Christmas break lasted two weeks.

When Rick didn't say anything more, Alfonzo's voice trembled as he explained his fate yet again to him and every words stung like a needle.

"I can't dance Rick, I can't walk, my future is ruined now. My life now is just one big piece of shit. Before you came back here I almost ended things with him because i couldn't stand myself being this way! But after seeing you, I realized I was wrong, I was wrong to give up on me and James. He's my lover now. I know it's not something you want to hear right now, but it's the truth, so please do me a favor and accept it!"

"I do!"

"You promise?"

"Yes. If James makes you happy, then be with him. But don't expect me to come to your wedding."

Alfonzo looked awfully sad about this, but he understood. Shortly after words, Rick left him. He was done talking, done thinking he had such a headache from all of this. Soon after words, James, who had been upstairs all this time, came down and faced Alfonzo.

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"Shall we go?"

"Yeah James, I'm ready."

"Is everything okay?" He asked him, worried.

Alfonzo shook his head but couldn't tell him in detail what was going on with them, because he didn't know himself. He needed time away from his ex to clear his thoughts and besides, he and James were living together now, so they headed back to his apartment, which turned into theirs a month ago.

"I promised your ex I'd take good care of you Alfonzo, and I intend to keep that promise. I'm insanely in love with you, and I'm not going to give up on helping you recover. I'll work on being the husband I know I can be for you."

"You already are. Thank you for not giving up on me." They kissed steadily and sweetly. Alfonzo was relieved to find that it still gave him excitement and tingles when James kissed him and found himself wanting more when they stopped.

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The next day, Edward encountered Rick at breakfast the next morning, the dealings with him and Alfonzo were discussed. For a moment he said nothing and was too tired to go into drastic details, so he just said they had a long talk and weren't really satisfied by the end of it. He left things by saying that he wasn't going to come to his wedding because it would be too painful for him.