Fallen Hearts: Fallen Book 2 (a Boys of Porn novella)

CH 10

"I got the goods." Brian set the two bags of groceries on the short counter and began unpacking them.

Robby Marx—twenty-two, tall, blond, athletic—walked into the small kitchen and poked through the bags. "What did Patrick want?"

Shaking his head, Brian transferred the soda to the fridge. "I'm worried about him."

"What's going on now?"

"This morning, he finally follows through with changing his number. Then he turns right around and calls that Derek guy."

"No kidding?"

"No kidding." Brian removed the last of the groceries and folded the bags. "Luckily, Derek didn't have his phone on him, so he didn't answer. One of his friends answered."

"Patrick didn't leave his new number for him to call back, did he?"

"No, thank the Lord. He said he realized his mistake and hung up without leaving a message."

Robby nodded. "Well, that's something."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Do you think he'll cave and call him again?"

Brian groaned. "I don't know. I feel like I don't even know him anymore. Since his date, it's like he's been steadily changing."

"Drawn away by the flesh," Robby observed. "That's the number one downfall of Christians. In my opinion, anyway. Temptations of the flesh are very powerful and cloud the mind and spirit. The Bible tells us, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Even when we're alert, it can sneak in—like it did with Patrick."

"But he's aware of it now," Brian said. "Why isn't he fighting harder?"

"How do you know he isn't? Having setbacks and slip-ups doesn't mean you're not fighting. As I said, fleshly temptations are powerful. They can trip up the best of us. Be patient and be there for him, he'll get it right."

Brian wasn't so optimistic. "I think it's starting to annoy him whenever I urge him to forget about Derek. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I honestly think if he had regular interactions with Derek... he would lose sight of what was right and wrong."

"It's possible. It's happened many times over in the Christian community."

Brian took a soda into the living room and sat on the couch. "Something happened while I was over there." He opened the can. "And it worries me a lot."

Robby joined him in the living room, dropping into the lone armchair. "What's that?"

Brian sighed. "While Patrick was in the bathroom, their home phone rang, and I answered it."

"Yeah?"

Brian shook his head. "It was Derek, looking for Patrick. Except, he didn't know if that was the right number. He probably looked up his last name or something and was calling all the numbers."

"Wow. He's persistent."

"And that makes him dangerous to Patrick—spiritually dangerous."

"What did you say to him on the phone?"

"I told him he had the wrong number, of course. Patrick is walking a fine line right now. A call from Derek could be game over for him."

"So, you didn't tell Patrick?"

"No. If I was going to tell him, I may as well have handed him the phone." He frowned. "Do you think I'm wrong in what I did?"

"No, not at all. You need to keep him as far away from potential gay sex as possible. He gets caught up in that and he's signing his ticket to hell. Not trying to be judgy, it's just the way it is. I didn't make the rules."