Being Wrong | ✓

Part 26

It had been at least five minutes, and Travis still hadn't responded to Charlie's text. Charlie made a grumpy sound to himself and squirmed under his blankets. It was too hot under there, but he didn't care. He waited a couple more minutes and then pressed the call button, though he didn't feel like talking. He just needed to get Travis' attention so he could tell him he wanted to come over to his place.

The phone rang and rang, but Travis didn't pick up and eventually the phone told Charlie to leave a message. He hung up instead and bit the back of his hand. Was Travis ignoring him? He normally answered right away. Charlie unbundled himself from his blankets and went to open the glass door that led into the backyard.

Distantly, he could hear music coming from Travis' flat. So he was there. Was his phone off? Would it have rung at all if it was turned off? Charlie had no idea how these things actually worked.

Well, he would just have to go next door and knock on the door. He told his grandpa where he was going on the way out and walked over, feeling strangely uneasy.

He knocked. Had he ever knocked on Travis' door before? Once, maybe. Not since they'd gotten to know one another properly.

The door opened several seconds later, but the man on the other side was not Travis. Charlie glanced around, confused, but he'd knocked on the right door.

"You're not Travis," Charlie informed the tall, muscled man. He looked somewhere in his early twenties, had very short brown hair, and was in need of a shave.

"No... I'm his brother, Robby," the man told him. There was a open can of beer clenched in his hand.

Charlie's eyes tracked the beer can as Robby raised it to his mouth and took a deep swallow. "Oh. You beat up his old boyfriend."

Robby's eyebrows shot up and he choked on his beer. "Boyfriend? Is that what he told you? That guy was a fucking pedophile."

"No, I read about this, he was a hebephile because Travis was fourteen, so—"

"You think that fucking makes it okay?"

For a long moment, all Charlie could do was stare. He didn't understand why Robby was getting angry or why he thought Charlie thought it was okay. "No."

Robby relaxed slightly, though he still looked tense. "It wasn't okay. He deserved what I did."

"Okay," Charlie said. "Is Travis home?"

Robby shook his head. "He went to pick up the fish and chips for dinner. He'll be back soon."

"Oh."

"You a friend of his?"

"I'm his boyfriend," Charlie said and the a second later realised maybe he shouldn't have said that. Sure, Robby had made it clear that he hadn't beaten up that guy just for dating his brother, but he was quite big and strong and already looked sort of annoyed.

"Oh," Robby said carefully. "Uh, you want to wait for him?"

"Okay."

When Charlie didn't move, Robby stepped aside and waved his arm in a wide arch. "You want to come in and wait for him?"

"Oh. Okay," Charlie said as he followed Robby inside. "Are you dangerous?"

Robby shot Charlie a confused look over his shoulder. "Am I dangerous?"

"Well, you're a stranger, and I'm going to be inside a house with you alone. Travis never actually said you're not dangerous."

Robby left the front door open and went to sit down on the sofa while Charlie hovered just inside the flat. "But if I tell you I'm not dangerous, you're gonna take my word for it?"