𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋: 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 ✔️

Chapter 21

Upon returning home, Jude walked in on a loud discussion and realized immediately that he'd intruded on a private talk between his uncle and Linda. His Uncle was sat in the large living room area on the couch. While Linda was dressed in her new gold Manolo Blahnik heels, a long yellow flowing skirt and a white low cut Versace sleeveless peasant blouse. She kept pacing across the hardwood floor and back with a disturbing expression on her face that held naked makeup.

"We had something once" Linda kept saying "And even if it didn't continue the same way once the kids arrived, it continued Carl for years."

Jude inched closer to the wall Linda and Uncle Carl?

"I told you then and I'm telling you now, you deserve better than me," his Uncle said raising his voice.

"Same story different reasons. Back then commitment scared you and now you scare yourself." Linda said pushing him with her words.

Jude couldn't decipher what Linda meant by this but he was smart enough to round it off to the reason he'd moved here. Even though he couldn't picture his Uncle being scared of anyone or anything not even himself.

"I'm not afraid of a damn thing." Uncle Carl yelled back with force, but Jude thought the slight quiver in his voice told a different story.

"Neither am I," Linda informed him "And I'll prove it, can you? Come with me to the company party tonight?" she dared in a complete subject change surprising Jude and he found himself holding his breath for Uncle Carl's answer.

"I'm always at the company parties" he said his gruff voice sheathed with calming force.

Typical, Jude grinned and shook his head pitifully. Bless his Uncle Carl's stubborn streak and Linda who had to deal with him.

"Come with me as my date?"  She said firmly.

A very silent pause ensued before Linda continued "If you don't at least give us an honest try, I'm gone, Carl. From the Octagon and your life."

What?

Unbelievably Jude's eyes filled with tears and his hard beating heart tightened in his chest. Though he was now an adult and though he knew he'd always have Linda in his life, standing in the hallway now he felt small and insignificant. The same way he felt as a child eavesdropping on his uncle and a social worker deciding on his and his siblings' fate.

Powerless and out of control Jude thought and began to tremble. He wrapped his hands around himself to fight off the cold that hugged him now.

Without realizing it he sank to the floor and stared at the wall barely registering anything else. But by the time he pulled himself together, silence reigned in the living area and he realized he hadn't even heard his Uncle's reply.

Gideon walked into a too quiet house and assumed everyone was in their rooms. He rounded the corner to the hall and shut himself in his room. Boris attacked him first hopping up and down on his hind leg like a pogo stick never quite reaching his bad knee.

"Down" he muttered and the pup sat wagging its tail looking all adorable. So the former athlete found himself leaning over and picking up the mutt. The same way he'd seen Jude do, petting his clean fluffy hair then he started to wonder where the cat was so he scanned the room to the cat's favourite place...there above Jude's head.

Wait right above Jude's head.

That surprised him. He walked over quietly and lowered himself by his side but bent and caused the mattress to shift which woke him up. Jude stretched his arms up, pulling his t-shirt high and exposed his flat and neatly tone pecks.

Gideon stared. He grinned impressed and welcoming the stir the sight was causing to his lower region.

"Hi." Jude said yawning.

"Hi yourself." He kissed his forehead "So what's with the afternoon nap?"

"It just seemed the lesser of two evils," Jude said.

"The other thing being?" He asked shrugging out of his jacket.

"Thinking."

"What about?" Zero asked his concern all-encompassing. And he stayed up listening to Jude talk about the conversation he had overhead, the worries that he conjured from it and the fears he couldn't help but foresee.

In response, Gideon gave Jude what he needed more than mere words or ravenous sex.

He lay down beside Jude in a personally intimate position where he perused Jude's top hair until they both fell asleep until they woke up to dinner courtesy of Uncle Carl's enthusiastic but terrible cooking.

A/N: I know I know no one really cares about Linda and Uncle Carl trust me I sometimes do it too reading other books and a hetero couple pops up. But they're important characters so give them a chance.

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