Two's Company

1

I look towards my mum like she has completely lost her mind. How could she do this to me?

"Louis, sweetheart, you know James and I have been serious for quite sometime now, this is just the next step in our relationship" She tells me gently.

"I'm pretty sure there are a lot of other things to do in a relationship before you move in with each other" I seethe back at her.

She sighs and reaches out across the kitchen table to take my hands.

"I know this must be tough for you, but please give this a chance......for me" She asks smiling at me.

I sigh, my mum means the absolute world to me and seeing her happy is all I want, but, she's just dropped this bomb on me and I don't want anything to do with it.

I've grown up as an only child, my dad left when I was two and we haven't seen or heard from him since. My mum is a midwife and works very long hours just to support the both of us, I have a part time job at the local ice cream shop on Saturdays to help out too. I've just turned 17 and am starting my final year of high school, we don't have a lot of money and I don't get to buy new things often but I would never complain about it, I know my mum works really hard just to pay for the roof over our head and the food we eat.

We live in a two bedroom flat in London, it's small but it's ours. I attend the local state high school and I don't have too many friends, I'm gay and that doesn't sit well with a few people in the school and I get picked on regularly for it. Im often called names and pushed around, nothing too serious but enough to hurt and for me to try to avoid going to school.

Mum has been dating this guy James for about eight months now, he's a doctor at the hospital she works in. He is five years older than her, making him 44. He has been married once before but has two sons, Edward and Harry, I've only met them three times. Edward is 23 and Harry 22 they both study at London university. My mum told me they aren't related to each other though, apparently James's first wife, Edwards mother, left when Edward was born. He then had a relationship with another women who already had a son, Harry. They were together for 10 years before she died of cancer. James having raised Harry from the age of 2 adopted him and they all still live together. James has a rule that the boys aren't allowed to move out until they have finished their studies. Both Boys are in their final year of university but I have no idea what they study, nor do I really care.

Don't get me wrong, James is an awesome guy and a great dad to Harry and Edward but, I don't want to play happy family's, I don't want to have Harry and Edward as my new brothers. They are both Insanely hot! Gorgeous and completely intimidating. They have maybe said five words to me before, I get the feeling they don't like me at all. There is this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that tells me to avoid them, there is something about them that's dangerous and I don't want to find out what.

"Shouldn't you like be engaged or something first mum, what if it doesn't work out" I say to my mum worriedly.

I instantly regret saying those words, I don't want to put ideas into her head. By the look on her face though, the idea was already there.

"What?" I ask skeptically.

"Well.....James and I" my mum starts cautiously. She flicks her long brow. Hair back over her shoulder. Her blue eyes meeting mine with concern.

"You're getting married?" I screech, not very manly of me, but there is no time to worry about that now.

"Louis, honey please, just listen" She pleads with me.

I yank my hands out of hers and try to control my breathing.

"I don't want to listen, I don't want this, I don't want a new dad or new brothers, I don't want to move house" I yell.