Wet Dream • boyf riends •

Chapter Twenty

Jeremy was rushing down the stairs, clutching the strap of his backpack tightly in his hand as the rest of it dangled on his back. The lanky male was about to leave when a voice came out of the living room.

"Son?"

The brunette turned his head, chest heaving slightly (he ran down the stairs, it was a workout) as he did so. Jeremy's hand slowly unraveled from the doorknob and his body turned towards his father. He gulped, Adam's Apple bobbing slightly and fingers dancing around the strap of his backpack softly.

"Yeah?" Jeremy's voice decided to crack the second he opened his mouth.

"Come here."

Jeremy hesitantly made his way over to the older male who shared similar features. He sat down next to his father on the couch, his backpack slipping onto the ground with a small Thud!. He looked at Paul Heere with a glistening gaze, lips pursing and eyes scanning over his father's features.

"You've been different lately. You've been avoiding me more lately and more caught up in your own head. What's been going on?"

"It's not a big deal, Dad," Jeremy shuffled uncomfortably.

"But it is." Paul Heere responded, "Just tell me what's going on."

"What if I don't want to?" Jeremy's voice had more of a bite in it than he meant for it to have.

The father blinked as he looked over his son's cold features. Jeremy's brows were furrowed and his lips were formed in the shape of a frown, an indescribable look in his eyes. Paul shuffled a few inches away from his son and looked away.

"I'm just trying to help you out, son."

"I don't need your help." Jeremy replied, "Why would I need your help? The help of someone whose only gotten someone one time in his life and can't keep a girl if he had to. Someone who can't muster up the dignity to put on pants and wear anything other than robes all day. Someone who can't even get a job that requires him to leave the house. I would be at rock bottom if I ever need you for advice." Jeremy stood up hastily and grabbed his backpack, turned around and stormed out the door.

The door slammed behind him, causing the father's body to jump. Paul's eyes glistened softly as he tilted his head down and rubbed his temples. He sighed, back descending.

"Damn it. . ." The father murmured under his breath.

****

"He's so annoying!" Jeremy exclaimed, starting his car with anger in his voice. He was on the phone with Christine, "He doesn't do a lot, but the second he's feeling okay he decides to have a father-son talk like he's here to save the day! I can't stand it."

"Jeremy, don't you think you're overreacting?" Christine asked meekly into the phone, "From the context of the story, it sounds like he was trying to help. Maybe you shouldn't push him away so quickly."

"But he never simply 'tries to help'. He always wants something in return. . . Like my phone charger or something."

Christine laughed, "Is that seriously what you're worried about when it comes to him?"

"Yeah! Because it's never a genuine him wanting to help me type of thing. Never." Jeremy started driving.

Christine sighed, "It sounds like he's trying to change, but you keep pushing him away! We've had this phone call three times this week."

"Because he keeps trying to initiate this!"

"Probably because he wants to help you!" Christine exclaimed into the phone, "Let him in! Just a little."