You Pretend You're Gay... Why?(On Hold-Editing)

Chapter Thirteen

A few weeks passed since Lawson applied for a job at my restaurant. I've gotten used to his latency. On some days I was able to put up with him. On others, well, let's just say, we did not see eye to eye on some things. But they were small, trivial matters. The more I spent more time with him, the more I learned he wasn't the stereotypical prep boy.  

"Remember my older brother, Tyler?" he asked reminiscently as we ate together at the worker's small table that was in the kitchen. It was a full night; waiters and waitresses raced around us to deliver the orders to their respected diners. One waitresses who I vaguely recalled her named as Lucy accidentally dropped a plate on her way out. "Shit!" she exclaimed, in tears. Lucy dropped to the floor and bawled. A colleague came up and picked her up like a baby and slowly escorted her out of the room. Lawson paid no attention to the commotion-a sign that what he was about to tell me was important.  

In truth, I barely remember Tyler. He was about seven years Lawson's senior, and of course, hot-so he was not striving for my attention, nor did I strive for his. He just wrote me off as, "Callaina's little, shy sister."  

He sighed deeply and bit his lip. He gulped and ventured on. "He tried to committed suicide."  

I frowned, thinking I didn't hear him right. "What did you say."  

"He attempted suicide."  

I dropped my jaw, almost down to the table. Initially I thought he was joking, but his eyes betrayed a few tears he was trying his hardest to battle. Tyler Wilde did not seem like the person to be sad, much less suicidal. From what I remembered, he was always grinning, always laughing. Tyler dated my sister Callaina for a while, but it was nothing serious.  

I put my hand over his to reassure him. "Is he okay now?"  

"I don't know, I just found out today." His voice was heavy with unfathomably emotion. We descended into comfortable silence after I said I was very sorry for him. After a while, Lawson looked up at me for the first time in at least fifteen minutes.  

"I don't see why he would. He had-has-everything: the best soccer player in Cornell's history, great grades, never had troubles getting a girl or two... I just don't see..." He stopped, shaking his head.  

Biting my lip, I suggested that we can go home, that he can take the night off, but he declined.  

"Tyler's in New York and he's the only one I want to see." Then, with his tone changed to a slightly angry tone, continued: "My parents are acting like this is not happening."  

"Even your dad?" I expect Lawson's mom to not give light to the situation, since she is so wrapped up in her image, but Lawson's father was nothing like that, I hoped.  

Lawson's frown deepened. "He tries to talk about it with my mom, but she ignores him. It's like she doesn't care." As he muttered the last line, his lower lip quivered. I was immobilized. Never in my fifteen-almost sixteen-years of knowing Lawson, I have never seen him this... Broken down. To me, he has always been the cool, collected guy who let nothing and no one bring him down. Seeing him so vulnerable made me hurt inside.  

"She cares, she just doesn't know how to accept it. She doesn't want to accept it. If she does, then that means it's true, and she'll think she's a horrible mother. But time will come when she will accept it. Just be patient." I was rambling, but I hoped he understood me. 

Lawson let my advice sit in before he let a small smile flirt on his lips. "I suppose you're right. I just want her to stop hiding in ignorance."  

Smiling that my advice had a positive affect on Lawson, I walked around the table to hug him, ignoring the nervous feeling that fluttered up in my stomach when we embraced. His body heat emitted from out of his chest, making me hotter than I already was. It's so shallow of me to think about how embarrassing it is to hug my former (emphasis on former) long time crush when his older brother is-or at least-was suicidal.