The Truth About Drew

t w e n t y t w o

"Jared?" Drew whispered, his voice breaking.

"Hey, Drew," Jared said, smiling gently. His smile was beautiful. He was beautiful. Just as beautiful as the last time Drew saw him, all that time ago.

"What are you doing here?" Drew rasped, his throat suddenly dry as a bone. Jared had moved. He'd moved to New York, and Drew had never thought he would see him again.

Not that he had been upset about that.

"I moved back. Mom got a job here. Emmy's here too, so's Dad."

Emmy was Jared's kid brother. His name was technically Emmanuel, but he didn't like the name and always introduced himself as Emmy. Or Batman.

Drew jerked himself out of Jared's grasp, tucking his arms around himself. "Tell Emmy I said hi, but I have to go."

"Wait!" Jared reached out for him, but Drew flinched away from his touch. Jared recoiled, hurt in his eyes. "I, I'm so-"

"Don't. Just don't," Drew said firmly. "You can't possibly be sorry for what you did, or else you would never have done it because only a sick bastard would do that to someone."

"But I am!" he protested. "I am so sorry!"

"Save your breath. Thanks for catching me, but don't ever talk to me again."

Right now all Drew wanted was to curl up on Blake's or Kai's chest and cry. He had tried so hard to shove away the pain, bury it down so far he'd never hear from it again, but seeing him? Drew felt sick.

"I love you!" Jared blurted out.

"W-what?" Drew stumbled back, looking around desperately for Blake. Why couldn't he have just stayed put?

"I love you," Jared repeated softly, putting his hand on Drew's arm. "And I know that you probably hate me, but I really, really lo-"

"You're right," Drew said coldly. "I do hate you. You wrecked my life. You had me, had my heart, and you just stepped all over me like I was worth nothing. And you have the audacity to claim you love me? You're sick!"

Jared looked like Drew had just stabbed him and twisted the blade, then poured salt water into the wound. "I-I-"

"But you know what?" Drew ranted, getting into the flow now, "I'm grateful. Because now I'm so much stronger than I was. I have a gorgeous boyfriend who actually likes me, makes me feel great about myself, I have incredible friends, and I don't take shit from people like you!" He shoved Jared back. "So if you think you can weasel your way into my life again, you have another thing coming!"

Jared's eyes steeled. "Fine then. We could have done this the easy way."

"What? What does that mean?"

"See you around, Drew," Jared tossed over his shoulder as he spun on his heel and walked away, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Just then Blake ran up to Drew, face the exact shade of red he had predicted. "Drew! What the fuck, man?"

He could have been a bit more intimidating if he wasn't A: shorter than Drew and B: carrying a giant fluffy bear the size of his body.

"Wanted a slushy," Drew said, still staring after Jared.

Blake followed his gaze. "What the fuck? Is that Jared?"

Drew nodded.

"Oh hell no! Hold my goddamn bear, I'm gonna rip his teeth out his neck!" Blake spat.

Drew caught Blake as he lunged forward. "Whoa, whoa! What happened to the non-violence thing? You're supposed to be holding me back!"

"At least let me dump a drink on his stupid hair."

Drew snorted at the mental image, his grip loosening just a fraction and that all Blake needed. Slipping out of his grip, Blake grabbed a drink out of some elderly man's hands. "Hey!" he yelled. Jared turned, just in time for Blake to toss the Dr. Pepper in his face, the cold liquid drenching his hair, face, and shirt.

Drew slapped his hands over his mouth. Did that actually happen?

Jared wiped the drink out of his stinging eyes. "Missed you too, Blakey."

"Go fuck a cactus, asshole," Blake sneered. He quickly refilled the drink and gave it back to the gentleman he had borrowed it from with an apology.

Grabbing the bear in one arm and Drew's hand in the other, he dragged the boy out of the mall before the security guards got there, fuming all the way home.

***

Blake kicked the door open as he tried to maneuver the bear in the house without knocking a priceless heirloom off a table or something. His cheeks were still flushed and he had been cursing under his breath the entire way home. He honestly was more upset than Drew was. Drew just chewed Jared out, but Blake threw a drink on him.

"Drew, is that you?" Drew heard Christie call.

"Yes, mama."

"Is Blake with you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Blake yelled.

Christie's head popped through the door. "Okay, tell me what's wrong."

His mama's creepy accurate ability to tell when someone was upset aside, Drew was grateful that she was home. If she wasn't, he would have had to deal with a moody Blake for a good two hours.

"I saw Jared today," Drew said as casually as possible. If he showed that seeing Jared bothered him, Christie would rip up the town to find and destroy him.

Christie stiffened, "Oh, is that so? How's he been doing?"

Drew caught the underlying message: I hope he has the plague.

"I stole some dude's soda and dumped it on him," Blake said as he sat the bear down on the couch.

"Blake! What are you thinking?" Drew was surprised at her reaction; was she actually concerned for Jared? "You should have picked something hot."

Never mind.

"Oh well," Blake shrugged, "I'll stab him with a fork next time I see him."

"Oh!" Christie perked up, "Somebody's waiting for you in the kitchen, Drew."

"Who?" Drew asked, toeing off his shoes.

Christie shooed him towards the kitchen as she helped Blake find a box big enough to stuff the bear into.

"Hello?" Drew said as he poked his head into the kitchen. A giant grin split his face. "Oli!" he screamed as he threw himself into his cousin's arms.

Oliver caught him and spun him around before setting him down on his feet and ruffling his hair.

A smaller form attacked Drew's side. "Drew!"

"Carter!" Drew wrapped his arm around the smaller man.

"My boys," Oliver said fondly as he easily picked them both up and set them on the kitchen counter.

"What are you guys doing here?" Drew said excitedly, bouncing up and down on the counter.

"Can't I come and see my favorite cousin anytime I want?" Oliver said cheekily.

Carter had practically wiggled his way into Drew's lap in his excitement: he was like a puppy when excited or happy. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Oliver, get your husband off me, he's squishing me!" Drew complained playfully.

"C'mere babe." Oliver swooped up Carter who wrapped his legs around his waist.

"So," Carter said with a glint in his eye, "tell us about Kai."