Unconventional Lovers ☑️

Chapter 19 - Collison

The car ride was silent as the three of them began to take into account everything that has happened over the last couple of days.

Cameron was clutching the steering wheel as he felt his world began to disintegrate around him. His parents always treated him lovingly and kindly, so he always adored them with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

But up until recently, Cameron began to learn how his own twin brother was a magnet for their hate, bitterness, and resentment.

Cameron didn't know how he could even begin to possibly make it up to Jessie, for all of the neglect that he didn't stop. So he just clutched the wheel while he gritted his teeth, because he was at a lost on what to do next.

Jessie was sat in the back seat with utter disbelief written all over his face. The last 24 hours had been an emotional rollercoaster for Jessie.

He learnt that his best friend was pushed away because of his parents bigotry, and the hate he had for Riley was stemmed from his parent's coercing and secretly encouraging his behaviour.

That same best friend, along with his own twin brother, learnt the extent of everything his parents did to him - the physical beatings, and the demoralising, spiteful words.

The main good thing that came out of tonight was that Jessie didn't feel like he was alone in the world anymore. Jessie was apprehensive when they both took his side, and he was now realising that he didn't need to worry about their reactions in the first place.

These other two people in the car clearly understood him the most, and Jessie felt appreciative of how lucky he felt.

Riley kept tapping his finger against the dashboard out of anxiety and confusion. Riley discovered that one of the people he cared for the most, was a victim to his parent's abuse and manipulation.

Riley would occasionally look towards the back seat of the car, and he could never understand why and who would try to hurt that innocent, sensitive, and beautiful guy in front of him.

The bombshell that Jessie's parents drove a wedge between their families was still exploding like a cluster grenade. Riley had so many questions that were still unanswered, and he kept piling them up in his head so that he could eventually ask Jessie for some answers.

'How could they switch from liking me to despising me so instantly once they found out I was bisexual?'
'How much of a role did they play to make Jessie hate me?'
'What things did they do to drive us apart?'

It was clear to Riley that they were manipulative and calculating enough to orchestrate Jessie into hating him all these years, but there was just so much that Riley wanted to learn - without hurting Jessie in the process.

Right now though, Riley knew it wasn't the right moment. Everything was just too surreal for everyone, and Riley didn't want to be the one to surface the old, yet still raw wounds.

~~~~~~~~~~

After pulling over to the side for a 10 minute break, they were back on the road again as everyone was rubbing their eyes tired.

"Just another 20 minutes left," Cameron commented, "You guys alive back there?"

Not getting a response from everyone, Cameron turned his head around and saw both of them either nod or hum in agreement.

Riley pushed Cameron's head back and told him to focus on the road. "Don't want to get into an accident." He warmed Cameron, as he then turned to look at Jessie. "How are you really?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Jessie asked as he flipped the question towards Riley. "My parents said some extremely shitty things about you and your parents, why don't you hate us by association?"