ODDS OF LOVE - SEASON 14

Episode 131

Richard woke up in his hospital bed and expected to see Nigel by his side until he remembered that he had told him to go home and get some rest. Take his medicine. Take a nap. Not worry about him. Nigel had eventually agreed and kissed him goodbye before heading off to take an Uber back home.

The face he saw staring at him was not his husband's beautiful scarred one eyed one. It was the scowling face that looked like a younger version of his own.

It was Niles.

He moaned slightly as he forced himself into a seated position in the bed. He suddenly felt very vulnerable at the moment. His oldest son hated him. Niles had tried to kill him on several occasions whether they could prove it or not. And , they even suspected him of beating Nigel once. What did he want? From him ? Now ? His face reflected pain as he debated with himself whether he should hit the call button for the nurse.

Niles said roughly," I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to worry. Not right now anyway."

Richard furrowed his brow at him in confusion. " What do you want, Niles? " He felt as scared as he had in the convenience store right before the girl had shot him. Like the other times. Except for when he had been shot in the leg. That time he had not been expecting it. To be shot. He had just been happy that day. Because he had been with Nigel.

Niles shrugged. " I don't know. I don't know why the fuck I'm here right now. I don't like you. I used to love you. Once. But I don't anymore. I used to want to be like you. Once. When I was a kid. Younger than Lewis. Or even Rebecca's spoiled ass. " He stopped speaking and glanced at the flowers that Andrew and Glory had gotten him. " I've been thinking a lot about what the old man said at that stupid therapy thing of Lewis's. "

" Your grandfather. "

Niles laughed harshly. " Yeah. The old man. The man that abandoned you. Anyway. I've been thinking about what he said about me and Trey. I love my son. I want to be a good father. It's why we went back to Mother's house to live. Why I stopped..... Why I want to finish school and go to college. I want to give him a good decent life. "

Richard felt tired. His eyes drifted closed for a few seconds. Then he reopened them. " I wanted all that for you. You are my son. Just like Lewis. Just like Rebecca is my daughter. I don't like or respect you. I don't like how you treated Nigel and your brother and your grandfather. But I do.... I do love you, son. Because you are my son. "

Niles shook his head. " I didn't come for all of that , old man. "

" Why did you come? What do you want ? "

" I just wanted to make sure you are..... alright. Are you? "

Richard laughed slightly. " I feel like shit. The doctor upped my morphine and it let me sleep at least. A little. "

" Good ," the seventeen year old boy said abruptly before he turned around to leave the room. At the door he said over his slim shoulder ," You and him don't have to worry about me anymore. I have bigger things to live for now. I have my son now. Trey is my life. I'm going to be a good father. "

Then he walked out of the room leaving his father to close his eyes and return to sleep.