Chapter 19

Logan

Sunday. NYC Marathon day.

 

The day has finally arrived and I’m as prepared for the race as I’ll ever be. Andrew and I have been running every night together for the past week. And although he has spent a few nights with me, I wish he would have taken me up on my offer for him to stay with me permanently. But I suppose he has his reasons.

He hasn’t officially filed for divorce just yet, but has seen an attorney and they’re hashing over the details. I wish he’d consider leaving his job though. I’d be miserable if I had to work with Wyatt Young all day. It is bad enough I have to subject myself to him and the rest of those fuckers today and am not looking forward to it. I just hope our team can beat theirs.

I arrive early to take advantage of a free breakfast they are offering of fruits, protein bars and water. While I’m standing there I notice Andrew has arrived. Unfortunately, the rest of that law firm is following.

Wyatt Young looks ridiculous in his goofy attire, especially the ugly pastel blue shorts against his lily-white stubby legs. He probably thinks he’s hot shit too. The irony he’s so homophobic. As if any gay man with an ounce of self-respect would give him the time of day, let alone look twice at him.

I begin doing my stretches when Andrew approaches me. He calls out to me, “So are we going to beat your asses today or what?”

I smile at him, but quickly realize that Andrew is posturing in front of his co-workers. This ticks me off a bit, because I really wish he’d just come out and be himself. But I know he’s scared about losing his job. Still, I’m beginning to get impatient.

I notice that Wyatt is watching our every move. Andrew then gives me a squeeze on the arm and heads back to join his firm. That’s when I notice Wyatt still looking at me, throwing me some nasty stares. I need to put that stupid fuck out of my mind and just enjoy the race.

 Several of the races have already begun, including the various sponsored teams. Announcements have begun in several foreign languages for our start time of 9:50 and we begin heading to the corrals to line up.

It’s showtime!

After the starting signal, we take off. I hear cheering noises in the background as I begin to get into my stride and look around to see if Andrew is anywhere near, but I don’t see him. What I do see though is Wyatt and he’s almost neck and neck with me.

He begins throwing out barbs at me. “The pansy thinks he’s going to win the race.”

I ignore him but he continues, “What’s the matter, miss your boyfriend?” I’m really beginning to get annoyed. What a nasty creep. Why won’t he leave me alone?

Finally, I tell him, “It’s OK Wyatt. Don’t be mad because guys don’t look at you.” But he just laughs and keeps taunting me.

“Did you get it up the ass last night from your boyfriend? Is that why you’re running so funny?”

That’s when I try and ditch him. Except when I slow down, he slows down with me. So, I speed up as fast as I can, but again he’s able to keep up with me.

When I turn my head I notice that Andrew and some of the other attorney’s from his office catching up to us. Suddenly.

“BAM!!!

FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!”

I go flying into the grass and hit my leg against the edge of a park bench. It hurts and I cry out in pain. Wyatt has deliberately tripped me.

And he did it at the exact time his co-workers were approaching. They saw everything and now lying on the ground I hear Wyatt laughing hysterically.

“Hey get over here guys. Look who’s fallen.”

Suddenly they’re all surrounding me and laughing. They’re all gathered around, but I can’t make out if I see Andrew nearby.

The sun is in my eyes and I try and shade my face with my hand but cannot make out any of the faces. All I hear is roaring laughter.

Is Andrew laughing with them?

He has to be. He has to play the part of the straight dumb jock.

And not person has even bothered to help me up. And I need help because I’m in pain.

I try and get myself up off the ground and manage to stand, but just as soon as I get up, I fall back down. My leg is broken. The laughter continues, this time even louder. It’s chaos all around me as all of the other runners are passing me by.

Where is Andrew and why isn’t anyone helping me? Why did I allow myself to get involved with a closeted man? What a piece of crap. He’s just been using me all this time.

Finally I hear Andrew’s voice. And he’s not laughing.

“Goddamn you motherfucking Wyatt.”

I can now see a little clearer and notice Andrew push him. But Wyatt keeps laughing and says, “Awwee, did I hurt your lover boy?”

And the other assholes laugh some more.

Andrew continues to berate Wyatt. “You are a piece of shit. An ugly fucking piece of shit. Fuck you Wyatt!!! Fuck you and your ugly piece of shit self!!!”

That’s when Wyatt begins to fight back. “You don’t talk to me like that Patterson. Nobody talks to me like that!!”

That’s when Andrew pushes him down and Wyatt cries out, “You faggot!! You’re fucking fired!!!”

Then I see Andrew run to me and say, “Are you OK baby?”

He helps me up and lets me lean against him. But instead of helping me to walk out of there, he takes me in his arms and wraps himself around me and begins to kiss me… a long and drawn out kiss. I can hear a combination of taunts and cheers in the background.

And suddenly I feel like a million dollars.

Broken leg or not, my knight-in-shining armor has rescued me. And I kiss him with all the passion I could muster. That’s when I begin to hear clapping and cheering.

I’m beaming and when I finally look into Andrew’s eyes, I begin to tear up. “Thank you,” I say. “Thank you babe.” I begin to slowly limp my way out of the area with the help of Andrew holding me up. Wyatt is still yelling and cursing at Andrew.

“You don’t have to thank me. I owe you all of the thanks. I’m a free man now and it’s all because of you!”

Hearing this chokes me up. I’ve never felt so loved by anyone than I do in this moment. It took a lot of courage to do what Andrew did and he did it all for me. He did it for us. And I’ll forever be grateful for it.

Andrew hails a cab and he helps me into the back seat. We head to the hospital and he holds my hand the entire way, giving it soft kisses throughout the ride. I can finally imagine a life with Andrew. A real life, not some fake pretending bullshit.

Something suddenly hits me about the incident. I ask, “Did I imagine it or did Wyatt actually fire you?”

Andrew turns to me. Smiling he says, “Yes he did. And you know what? I couldn’t be happier about it.”

I almost can’t believe what I’m hearing. Andrew has finally taken the plunge and I’m ecstatic. I go to hug him but any little movement upon my part sends a sharp pain throughout my body. So instead, Andrew moves closer to me and rests his head on my shoulder.

He says to me, “I’m so sorry that this happened to you. I tried as hard as I could to keep you out of all this mess and I guess I couldn’t.”

But I assure him that none of it was his fault. A broken leg is a small price to pay for Andrew’s happiness and freedom. 

We arrive and Andrew runs inside the hospital for a wheelchair. Once inside, he uses my phone to call Matt who says he’s on his way. Both stay the night with me in the hospital, checking in on me whenever it was allowed.

The next day I had to have surgery, and when I arrived home the day after that, my entire apartment was covered in flowers and a welcome home sign. Half of the vases were from Andrew and the others from friends and family members.

Coming home has never felt so good.

And I finally have someone to come home to.