Musically in Love

Chapter 30

McKinley's POV

It wasn't too much longer before Tyler drifted off to sleep. We had managed to finish off one and a half pies by ourselves, which was pretty impressive considering the day's events didn't really put us in the best mood to eat.

I carefully pulled off Tyler's jeans, trying my best not to wake him up, then pulled the covers over him. I could take care of him tonight. I was able to do that. I wanted to do that for him, especially after the day he's had.

Once he was situated, I grabbed all our dinner stuff and headed downstairs. I was still wide awake, even though it was getting late and I knew that I needed to get up early tomorrow. But I decided to go do the dishes anyway, because I promised Casey I would.

Except the kitchen window that was above the sink looked right out on the driveway and street. There was a car parked by the mailbox, just idling there. That must still be Tyler's dad.

In that moment, I made a decision. I was going to go talk to him.

Leaving the plates in the sink untouched, I pulled on my shoes and slipped out the front door.

The closer I got to the car, the less I knew what I was doing. I had been told by both Casey and Tyler to stay away from the very man I was approaching. But I needed to be the protective boyfriend. This bastard hurt Tyler, and he was going to hear it from me. I just honestly had no idea what I was going to say. What if it's not even him? What if it's just some random guy sitting here because he's lost or something? Then what do I do?

I took a deep breath. I'll just ask, then I'll probably have my answer and I can figure everything out then. Yeah. That'll work.

I kept walking until I got to the driver's side of the car. I tapped on the window a couple times until it slowly rolled down.

"Who the fuck are you?" the guy asked, a wave of a heavy alcohol smell coming out of the car with his words. I almost gagged at how pungent it was. This had to be him.

"Funny, I was just about to ask you that same question."

"Did Tyler send you out here? Too chicken to face me himself? That fucking coward."

I hated every word that was coming out of his mouth. How could someone say things like that about their own child? "Actually, he told me not to. I don't listen very well." I leaned closer to the car, fighting the urge to throw up. "Now you better fuck off and never come anywhere near Tyler, his house, or his work ever again. Do you hear me?"

Mr. Vallette - also known as the asshole in my head right about now - shoved open the door, making me stumble back a couple steps. Thankfully I didn't fall over. I didn't need to make a fool of myself when I was trying to act all tough.

He climbed out of the car with slow, exaggerated movements. He was obviously very drunk. He definitely shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car, even if he were to go back to where he came from. He would just end up hurting someone along the way.

"Look at the little fag, trying to defend that coward," the asshole said, taking a couple steps closer to me. "He is a worthless piece of shit. Don't bother wasting more time with him than you already have."

He was maybe an inch or two taller than me, and definitely more than a few inches wider. If he started attacking me, I didn't think I could fend him off. The best I could hope for at this point was to rely on my quick reflexes and his inability to stand up straight.

"He's worth the world," I retorted. "You're just too blind to see it!"

"McKinley! What the hell are you doing?"

I looked up at the house to see Casey standing in the open doorway, her arms spread out to the side in exasperation.

The next thing I knew, there was a sudden pain in the side of my head and everything went dark.

***

I woke up on the ground, the grass poking at my back and arms as I lay here, looking up at the night sky. I couldn't see any stars tonight, probably because someone decided to put up their Christmas lights really early. Everything around me was flashing red and blue.

I blinked a couple times, everything coming back to me all at once. I tried to sit up, but someone's hand was immediately on my chest, making me stay laying down. I looked for who was keeping me down, trying to see past the glare from the lights, to see Casey. She was kneeling in the grass next to me, saying something I couldn't decipher to someone I couldn't see. I was hoping it was Tyler, even though I knew he currently couldn't hear, but then some woman was next to me. I quickly realized she was an EMT when she started making sure I was okay.

I grabbed Casey's arm. "Where's Tyler?" I asked her. "Where's his dad? What happened?"

"Calm down. Everything's okay."

She didn't say anything else, but that was probably because the EMT lady started asking me questions, which I did my best to answer. Eventually, she seem to deem me fine and left me sitting on the front lawn next to Casey.

There was an ambulance and two police cars parked in the street. A couple cops were going through the asshole's car. The asshole was nowhere in sight. Neither was Tyler. Both thoughts were seriously worrying me but for two different reasons.

It only took about another minute before one of my questions was answered. Tyler ran out of the house, immediately coming over to us. He knelt next to me, worrying filling his expression. He started signing something, but it was too fast for me to figure out, so I assumed he was signing to Casey, not me.

"What's going on?" I asked her. I needed answers and she had yet to give them to me.

Tyler had probably asked her a similar question because she signed to him while speaking out loud to me. "You were an idiot who just had to come out here an confront John. John hit you in the head and you knocked out for a couple minutes. I called the police. They just got here, but I think they might be arresting John, at least holding him for now."

I sighed in relief, leaning my back against Tyler's chest. I really hoped they arrest that man. He deserved to rot in hell for everything he's done to Tyler.

Tyler wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. The peace only lasted a couple minutes before a cop had come over and started asking question. Mostly Casey and Tyler (with Casey translating) explained everything. My head was pounding pretty badly, so the most I did was make a couple comments here and there while I was still laying on my boyfriend.

Eventually, the cop left with the assurance that the asshole was going to jail and that he'd get in contact with his friend, who was a hearing aid doctor. The cop said it wasn't fair for Tyler to have to buy brand new ones after what had happened, so he'll pull in some favors. There was no better way to end this shitty day.