Sunday came too soon for Jason. He rolled over in bed and saw Zach asleep. The guy was worn out, his body used and abused in every way Jason could dream up the day before. He’d lost count of how many times they’d fucked.
Which had been incredible, but it was the quiet times between that had threatened to entangle him more than anything.
Moments like this, with the handsome man in his bed looking almost angelic in sleep. He reached out and brushed a lock of blond hair from Zach’s eyes and knew he didn’t want to say goodbye at the end of the night.
Zach had already commented that he would need to go home before work Monday morning so he could check on his place and get clean clothes. The night before had been their last night sleeping in the same bed. That night, Zach would leave him and sleep elsewhere.
Jason didn’t like the idea.
They’d only known each other for a few weeks, but this felt so right.
Zach turned slightly and snuggled in closer to him.
Really fucking right.
Jason swallowed, fear filling him. It was too soon, too fast. He could feel himself mired in the quicksand. It was best they had a break. They’d see each other during the week due to work, but he needed a little distance to get his head back on straight.
Time for him to see the logic of the situation. Rushing into relationships was one of his bad habits. And they never ended up well. Zach couldn’t count amongst those numbers.
He couldn’t.
A knock sounded at the door. Jason dragged himself from the bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants he had nearby. He rushed to the door before Zach awoke and yanked it open.
A pre-teen stood at the door, a boy. He looked vaguely familiar, but Jason couldn’t place him.
“Can I help you?”
The boy’s mouth opened, but he said nothing.
Jason waited another moment. “You okay?”
“Are… are you… Jason Montgomery?”
“Yes, I am. Who’s asking?”
“My name’s Drew,” he paused, frowning. “I think you might be my dad.”
Jason stared at the kid, a numbness falling over him. “I don’t have any kids.”
Drew pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “I took this from my file when my social worker wasn’t looking. It says my mother’s name is Colette Parker.” He looked down at the paper again. “And there’s two names under father. Jason and Jackson Montgomery.”
The kid looked up and stared at Jason.
And he saw it. The kid looked just like Jax had at that age.
Just like he’d looked at that age.
“Fuck,” he said under his breath before taking the paper from the kid’s hand. He read over it, and it indeed looked like there was a chance this wasn’t some bad prank. He gazed at Drew. “Come in.”
Drew shuffled in, a trash bag in one hand.
Jason shut the door behind him and spun to face the kid. Drew stood there semi-expectantly. Jason had no idea what to do.
“What’s in the trash bag?”
“My stuff,” he said.
Jason felt his gut clench. And it clenched again as Zach came striding down the hall in just his underwear. As soon as he saw the kid, he froze. “Sorry, I didn’t know you had company.”
Zach made himself scarce in a heartbeat, and Jason almost wished he hadn’t. He had no idea what to do with the kid.
He glanced at the paper. If it was true… if one of them was the father of this boy… they needed to take care of him. The hell if he knew how to take care of a kid, though.
“You a runaway?” Jason asked him.
The kid shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Hungry?” he asked.
Drew nodded.
“Come with me.”
Drew followed him into the half-finished kitchen.
“This place is a dump,” Drew said.
“This place is being renovated,” Jason said. “In a few months, it’ll look amazing.”
Drew jumped onto one of the barstools and stared at him. Jason saw the resemblance again. There truly was no mistaking it. One of them had to be related to this kid. Hell, they both more than likely were – one of them father and the other uncle.
“I’ve got some cereal and milk. Afraid I don’t keep a lot of food around yet.”
“Fruity Pebbles?”
“Corn flakes okay?” Jason asked.
“If you’ve got a sugar bowl,” Drew said, spinning on the barstool.
He made the kid a bowl and placed it and the milk on the island. “How’d you find me?”
“I googled you at school and found an article about some Kent Street thing saying you were working on building houses out here,” Drew said. “I took the bus from Fallmouth this morning. Asked around. Some guy told me you lived here.”
“Are the cops looking for you?”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Drew said. “How bout that sugar?”
Jason dug through his few food items and handed over the bag. Drew added several spoonfuls before pouring the milk. He took one bite and shrugged. “Not half bad.”
“If folks are looking for you, we should call them. So they know you’re okay.”
“Nobody cares,” Drew said before taking another bite.
“Where were you living before you ran away?”
“You always ask this many questions?” Drew said with a full mouth.
Jason leaned onto the counter. “Not often a kid shows up on your doorstep and says you might be his father.” Jason lifted his gaze and saw Zach’s wide-eyed stare from the entrance to the kitchen. He cringed before looking back to Drew. “If they’ve got folks looking for you, we need to call them.”
“Already trying to get rid of me?” Drew asked.
“No. Trying to make sure I don’t get arrested for kidnapping you,” Jason said. He turned to Zach. “Call Jax. Tell him it’s an emergency and to get his ass over here immediately.” He paused, realizing he was still giving commands. “Please.”
Zach nodded and disappeared. Off in the distance, he could hear Zach talking.
“You must be a pretty smart kid to track me down like that.”
Drew shrugged. “My teachers don’t think so.”
Jason was grasping at straws. He had no idea what to do. Or say. Or think.
Drew finished up his bowl and pushed it away. “From the look on your face when I got here, I suppose you didn’t know you might have a kid.”
“No. No clue.”
“Did you do the nasty with my mom?”
Jason shook his head. “I was engaged to be married to your mom.”
“Why didn’t you two get married? Was it because you’re gay?”
Jason frowned. “Who said I was gay?”
“Dude, you had some half naked guy strut out here and you’ve got no shirt on. Duh.”
“I’m not gay,” he said. I’m bisexual. Not that the kid needed to know anything about his bedroom habits.
“Sure,” Drew said. “So, that guy your friend is calling… is that my other potential daddy?” The added eyeroll to the word friend showed just how much bullshit the kid was calling.
Jason chuckled. The kid had a mouth on him, for sure. “Jax. Short for Jackson.”
“So, that’s a yes?”
“Yes.”
“I was on my way to see him next. Saves me a trip, I guess.” Drew turned toward Jason. “So do I look like either one of you?”
“You look like us both,” Jason conceded. “We’re identical twins.”
“Really?” Drew said. “And you both boned my mom? That’s like some Maury Povich kind of shit right there.”
Jason sighed, pinching his nose. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Jax and Golden are on their way,” Zach said from the doorway. He leaned up against the frame and silently stared at Drew.
“Golden? What kind of name is Golden?”
“Jax’s husband,” Jason said.
“Husband?” Drew asked. “Wow. Two fags for dads. Great.”
“Hey,” Jason said. “Not cool.”
Drew shrugged. “How long before he gets here?”
“Takes about forty minutes,” Jason said. “Unless he’s at the lake house… and then it’s only twenty.”
“Got any more food?” Drew asked.
“Give me a minute,” Jason said heading to the doorway. He grabbed Zach’s hand and dragged the man away from the door. “Can you do a food run? Get this kid something to eat?”
“Your son? Sure.”
“We don’t know that.”
“He looks a lot like you,” Zach said.
Jason tensed at the word son. “There’s something I haven’t told you, but I suppose you’re going to figure it out soon enough.”
“If it’s the story about your fiancée and Jax, I know it.”
Jason straightened. “How?”
“Someone was angry at me for what I did to you… and let me know why it hit you so hard.”
“Fucking Golden,” Jason spat.
“Don’t be mad at him. He told me not to give up on you.”
Jason met Zach’s stare. “Seems our weekend’s getting cut a little short. I’m sorry… but we’ve got to figure this out.”
“I get it,” Zach said, looking away. “I can grab some food and get out of your hair.”
“I didn’t say you had to go.”
“This is a time for family. I’m not family.”
Jason captured the guy’s stare and knew in that moment, he didn’t want Zach to go. His presence was calming. It’s what had drawn him from the first moment. “Don’t go… unless you really don’t want to stay.”
“I don’t want to be in the way,” Zach said.
“You won’t be.”
Zach backed away. “It’s almost noon. I’ll go get him some burgers or something.”
“Thanks,” Jason said before walking into his temporary bedroom. He grabbed his wallet and fished out a couple of twenties. “Get something for you, too.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t think I could eat anything at the moment.”
Zach nodded, grabbing his pants and dragging them over his hips. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Jason walked back into the kitchen and saw the kid looking through his trash bag and hated the sight. Even if this wasn’t his kid, but Jax’s… his son or his nephew didn’t deserve to have a trash bag full of his life.
He’d spend the rest of the twenty minutes trying to get as many details out of the kid… but it was like pulling teeth. The minute the knock came to the door, he felt immense relief.