Unbreak My Heart (18+, ManxMan)

Chapter 3 Juntado

(picture to the right is Jonah)

 Chapter 3

 Finn

 "Did you talk to Liam about working with you yesterday?"  Benji asked as he pulled a bunch of fruit out of the fridge and started cutting it up for our breakfast.  I was at the stove about to cook us up some scrambled eggs.  Ajax was long gone to the office as he had an early breakfast meeting.

"No, Jonah came before I had a chance and you're right, he's very overprotective of him and I figured I'd wait until Liam got to know me a little better and then ask him without Jonah looking over his shoulder."

Benji chuckled, "yeah, Jonah can be a bit intimidating when it comes to Liam.  Liam had a rough childhood, well, in one way or another all four of them did, but Liam was the smallest and always seemed the most vulnerable, so they’ve always looked after him."

"Where's his mother now?"  I asked.  Benji's face fell and he looked a little uncomfortable.  He was quiet for a few moments, "it's okay Benji, you don't have to tell me."

"No…it's not that…it's just…" he turned and looked at me seriously, "it's just really sad & horrible.  Brett and Liam's father was really abusive, mostly towards their mother, but to the boys too.  I don't know all the details, but he was eventually arrested and sent to jail after he beat up their mother so badly that she was in the hospital for a week.  He got out after 2 years for 'good behaviour,' the prison forgot to inform Lynette and he showed up at her job; she was working a late night shift and when she went to catch a subway home he pulled her into an alleyway and beat, raped and killed her.  Someone heard her screaming, called the police, but it was too late, she was already…it was too late, all they could do was keep him from getting away before the police came."

"Oh my god!" I was so stunned I didn't know what to say. 

"I know," Benji breathed out.  "Aiden's grandparents took them in until Brett was old enough to get a job and their own place to live, thank goodness, I would have hated seeing any of those boys separated when they needed each other so much."

"Yeah, no doubt.  My situation was nothing compared to that.  Those poor kids."

"Yeah…Oh! Finn!  Dude!  Don't burn the eggs!" Benji suddenly called out.

"Ah!"  I quickly lifted the pan up and used my spatula to flip them over.  "All good."

I thought about Liam as we ate, "you know, I was going to go visit a few galleries today, maybe I'll see if Liam wants to go with and ask him then about working with me."

"You can borrow my car, Liam can meet us at the Boy's Club and while I work, you two can go check out the galleries.  I have a built in GPS, so just write down all the addresses before you go."

"Cool, should I call him?"

"Nah, he hates talking on the phone, I'll text him for you after breakfast."

After we cleaned up the kitchen I went to my studio to do some painting while Benji was doing some reading that his friend Joe had recommended for the classes he was taking next semester.  About an hour later he came out to the boathouse to let me know that after several texts, reassurances and encouragement, he had convinced Liam to come with me this afternoon.

"Great, I won't put any pressure on him to talk or anything," I promised, "I know what it's like to be shy."  The rest of the morning went quickly as it always does when I'm painting and before I knew it we were on our way.  When we arrived at the Boy's Club, Liam was waiting just inside the front door on a bench.  Benji greeted him with a quick half hug, which the small boy shied away from, but I knew Benji couldn’t help it.  My best friend and adopted brother had the biggest heart of anyone I knew and always wanted to let the ones he cared about know it.