4 Nerds Want Lemons

36-End

Epilogue

14 months later

Tomlin

***

What's there to say about this place? It's beautiful. It's green and full of vineyards. It's full of nightlife and it's legal to drink for me. Even though I didn't drink. There were beautiful men to flirt with and talk to. Which I did. But I never crossed the line. Not once. No matter how many times my dad tried to push me on dates with people. I refused to fall into that trap.

And now I was packing to leave.

"Come on, Tom. You're really going to go back?" My dad bitched. Again.

"Yes. I don't care if you're staying and in love. I'm alone here and fucking miserable." I yelled. We'd been fighting for weeks on end. This was my tenth attempt to leave in the last month. And this time I was really over it.

"Why go? Those boys are fine without you. How do you even know they still want you?"

"I know they do. I'm not even going for them though. I have friends at home. Dylan and Andrew and Tessa. They love me. Unlike you. I'm not even sure I love you anymore after this."

He scoffed. "You still love me. You're just mad."

"That I am. And I'm leaving." I yelled, throwing a shoe at him.

I was finally finished with the clothes I wanted to take. I grabbed my plane ticket, wallet, passport and sunglasses finally ready to head home.

"Fine. Fine. Stay at the house, but I swear if this goes sideways you better come back to me here."

I sighed hugging him. "Of course dad."

I shook my head at him, surprised I wasn't sad to be leaving him. I was just glad to finally be on my way back to the guys. Even if my dad was right and they didn't want me anymore I still wanted to be at my house and in my bed.

I just had to get through a plane ride and a cab ride to see them first.

****

I was exhausted by the time I got home. It was weird walking into the house. I expected the lube and condoms to be on the kitchen table right along with my cell phone that my dad made me leave and refused to replace while I was gone. But the table was clear and it was painfully obvious someone was living here.

Maybe it was Ryland.

I didn't know what happened or if he stayed. I never asked my dad because it made me too sad to think about the guys for the most part. And any time I did, I got sad, which meant I was sad all the time because all I did was think about them. I found that I was depressed. Probably been going on since I chose my dad, but I didn't fully realize it until a few months ago when I wouldn't leave the house. I thought coming home would fix it right away. It didn't.

Walking around my house I didn't know if I liked or hated that I was alone right now. I went upstairs and it was empty. My room was different with added things and a messy bed. Ryland's room looked the same way. The couch was gone now and it looked like a real man's room. I was so tired, but didn't know who was sleeping here. It could be strangers renting the house that my dad didn't tell me about.

I wandered down to the basement glad to find the place exactly the same. No one had fucked with my couch or chair. That was a relief. I turned on the high velocity fan because it was stuffy even though it was November, took off my heavy coat and laid down on the couch. Fuck it felt so nice to be be home and safe away from my dads stupid fucking voice that I fell asleep instantly.

It felt good to be home.

****

Ryland

***

Something was different tonight. I couldn't tell if it was a feeling, an emotion, maybe an intuitive thing, but something was going on. The club and all its lights were really playing on my nerves.

"You okay, Big Boy?" Sammy teased me, running a hand down my suit coat lapel.

"Perfect. You?"

"Brilliant." He beamed up at me. "I'm ready to go home though. Do you think they've got the dancing out of their system? I'm into date night just as much as they are, but my feet are killing me from these fancy shoes."

I chuckled at him. "Go get them. I'll get the car. Persuade them with a game of whose dick are we using tonight."

Mine. It was always mine and or everyone's. He knew it. I knew it. But hey, why not tease?

Soon we were pulling into Mister Lemons driveway wondering who left the outside lights and kitchen light on. When we left everything was off. "That's weird." Sammy said getting out of the truck.

"Right?" I said opening the front door, running into luggage.

"Hu? Wonder if the old man's come home. Wonder if he's come home?"

We all looked at each other and bolted for the stairs but the 3 bedrooms were empty. Jay ran down the stairs and went to the basement. We followed him and all stopped when he put an arm out to stop us at the doorway.

"Is it him? Or is it his dad?" Darius asked. We couldn't tell because whoever it was had their coat over their face.

"Sammy, pull the coat down." I told him, pushing him forward. He frowned at me, but tiptoed to the person and slowly pulled the coat off of him causing Tomlin Lemons to jump up in surprise.

He stared at us for a while, adjusting his black framed glasses on his face to get a good look at the men staring at him. His hair was longer now and not as curly, he most likely straightened it. It was pulled back in a bun at the back of his neck, pieces were falling out and it was redder and lighter than I remembered it being. His light blue eyes were sad, dimmer from something. I didn't know what. He sighed and shook his head. His loose shirt moved with him and I wondered if he'd lost weight.

"Forgive me for asking this, but are you guys really here right now? I've had a shit year full of depression. I thought you guys were there a lot. And you never were-"

I didn't know about anyone else, but the sadness in his voice made me run across the room and smash him against me. The rushing of feet and arms clasped around me let me know I wasn't the only one who couldn't handle his melancholy ways that seemed unlike himself. I pulled him into my lap and let him sink into me for a while as the guy's dog piled around us. A loud mixture of crying and laughter made my heart both happy and implode.

"Fuck. Stop crying. You're going to make me cry." I whined.

"I'm so glad you're real. I'm so glad I'm home. My dad wouldn't fucking let me leave. God, I hate him. I don't care if he hates this idea. Fuck, I don't even care if you guys don't want me anymore. I'm never going back to that place. I never want to leave again."

"We want you." All four of us yelled at the same time causing a rift of laughter from Tomlin that I was glad to hear.

"Good cause I want you guys too."

For a while we all just sat and hugged with the fan going. I think we may all have fallen asleep for a while too. All I really knew was we were back together again.

And season 2 was finally going to begin. We were adults now. We were ready for this now. And most importantly Tomlin was home and back with us. And we four nerds wanted Lemons. No we four nerds now needed Lemons.

A/N: Let me know if you liked it and want more. Please vote and comment.