Moving Forward

Chapter 19: Chris Norway

Love couldn't even express how I felt looking at what was in Harry's room. I should have known it had to do with clothes but as I looked closely from the framed jackets on the wall, they were all signed. They had to be at least 11 jackets framed on the wall and about 5 full racks of clothes and jerseys. The many colors of the clothes made the all-black room brighter and full. I didn't even want to touch anything seeing how they looked brand new.

"This is so fucking cool dude," I said looking at the jackets above me, "I'm afraid to touch anything because it looks so expensive."

He laughed coming into the room, taking me by the hand. He told me the first rack was signed by football players and the second was signed by basketball players. The third and fourth was by entertainers but the fifth one was kind of surprising. They didn't look expensive and they weren't signed. They were the closest to the window and looked worn out from the faded colors.

"What clothes are these?" I asked him and he turned to the rack with a smile. He licked his lip and said, "These are my dad's clothes. Mostly what he wore to work and some around the house."

I knew they smelt of Harry's dad. He always had a distinctive smell of washing detergent and trees. It wasn't a bad smell but I knew when he was coming when I would go over Caleb's house. I looked at Harry and could see an obvious resemblance he had to him. Caleb resembled him too but Harry could be his twin. I let go of his hand and moved my fingers through the clothes. I was looking for one specific thing and my eyes caught it before my hands did.

I smiled separating the clothes to see the bright turquoise shirt that his dad used to wear. He looked at me suspiciously before I spoke, "This is the shirt your dad wore when he would play with us outside. Don't get jealous but he was my first crush because of this shirt."

Harry let out another chuckle and said, "So you only like me because I look like him? Well, damn."

I laughed and shook my head, "No, then he told you to come outside. That's when everything shifted."

I turned to him and saw the way he was looking at me. His eyes told me how much this meant to him and how he didn't mind sharing it with me. This day has just gotten started and I never expected him to be this open with me. It scared me because now I knew I had to do the same. I prided myself on not liking liars, but could I really open up to him?

The way he was looking at me made me want to. I could feel some truth trying to come out but I wasn't sure what I was going to say. His stare turned into one of concern and he asked, "Chris, are you okay?"

"I had my first time with a guy when I was in high school," I blurted out, "It was Deonte Jones and it hurt like hell, so I stopped talking to him. That's why he jumped me and Darrius. He stole my chain, knowing it will hurt me."

"Why are you- "

"Then after that I started having more sex with girls than I had sex with a guy and it was better and- "

"Chris!" Harry yelled grabbing my shoulders stopping my rambling, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you are being so open with me and I haven't said anything about myself," I answered hurriedly.

"I shared only two things with you."

"But they were a big two things!"

"Okay but that doesn't mean I want you to just share something you don't want to."

He moved his hands down to mine and looked me in my eyes again, "I want you to tell me things naturally. Not because you feel you have to."

I sighed, gripping his hands, "But you shared these things with me. Things that I would have never expected you would want to tell me. "