Shattered Innocence

Chapter 8

Richie lay reclined on the chaise, his eyes trained up at the night sky and the sound of flickering flames filled the quiet night. He glanced over at Jon, whose face was cast in a soft orange glow from the fire pit. The older man smiled, his heart filled for his lover.

"Raiden said he wants to be Iron Man for Halloween," he said to Jon, looking into the house to ensure the child was still happily watching his movie. Murray rested beside him, enjoying the free head scratches. "Are you still going with us for Halloween Night? He invited his school friends along."

"You know I wouldn't miss it for-," Jon's phone buzzed on the side table. One look at the screen and he groaned.

"Who?"

Jon looked up at Richie and sighed. "Dot. I'm surprised she hasn't called earlier, to be honest."

Richie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What's she want?" he asked, his voice tinged with annoyance. "We could always put Raiden to bed...then I'll take you upstairs and make you forget," Richie whispered into Jon's hair.

"I do like the sound of that," Jon sighed, smiling up at his lover. "I'd much rather deal with you than Dot tonight."

Buzz buzz buzz

The phone buzzed insistently beside them. "Then deal with me, baby," Richie cooed.

Jon growled low in his throat and reached up to Richie's hair, pulling him closer and claiming his mouth in a heated kiss as Richie's hand smoothed up and down his side.

The feeling of Richie's lips against his was intoxicating, sending a wave of heat through his body. He could feel Richie's hands moving lower, sliding under his shirt and grazing against his skin. He moaned softly, his lips parting to let Richie deepen the kiss.

A merry tune, the one Jon had assigned to his wife years ago, started playing, gradually getting louder the longer he ignored it. Wrenching his mouth away from Richie's enticing lips, Jon snarled, "God damn it! Let me get rid of her real quick," he said and pressed the green answer button. "Hey Dotty...." He tried to keep the annoyance to a minimum.

"I was starting to think you died," a flat voice answered back. "You busy?"

"I was until you rang," he said, frustration now creeping into his voice. "Do you need something? Are the kids okay?"

Dorothea snorted and answered, "The kids are fine. And I'm fine too in case you're wondering." The sarcasm dripped copiously from her last words. "Where are you? At the hotel?"

Jon hesitated for a moment and sat upright, placing his feet on the ground and leaning his elbows on his knees. Feeling Richie's eyes boring into his back, he glanced over to see his lover watching him intently. "No," he said, meeting Richie's eyes. "I'm with Richie and Raiden...at their place."

The line went silent and Jon's hand wandered over to rest on Richie's thigh. He felt his lover's fingers entwine with his own and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"God, I fucking knew it," she replied, a hint of dark, mirthless humor in her voice. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, the lines between his eyes deepened into a frown.

"Doesn't even matter anymore. Not to you anyway," she said. "When are you gonna be back home?" She put some heavy emphasis on the last word.

"We're taking Raiden trick or treating with his friends from school," Jon said. "So I can come home Friday, I guess."

"You guess?! You guess?!" The sounds of Dorothea's bitter laughter was loud enough for Richie to hear. "All this time you're spending in California.... You still have a family here and kids that miss you, you know?! Here! In Jersey!"