Chapter 3 : You come to Me

The curtain ripped open and Kevin was already halfway through it

"get the fuck out of my way" he shoved both hands into Paxton’s chest "Alex is in there and I’m not waiting"

Paxton didn’t budge, he just caught Kevin’s wrists like they weighed nothing "relax sweetheart, you really don’t want to go in there"

"Are you out of your mind" Kevin tried to yank free "I heard someone go in, I heard a body hit the wall, if Troy’s drunk friend is in there with him I’m going to—"

"Troy is the one in there," Paxton said flat

Kevin stopped breathing "what did you say"

"You heard me," Paxton said "Troy saw you on the stairs with the blindfold, he followed you up, and now he’s in there with Alex, so unless you want this to turn into a scene you’re going to stand right here"

"Let them what" Kevin’s voice broke "Alex doesn’t even know it’s him, he can’t see, Paxton let me go right now"

"And then what" Paxton leaned in "you pull him out crying in front of half the VIP, you think that’s better, Troy’s like this when he wants something, you get in the way and he’ll burn the whole place down"

Before Kevin could answer the curtain slid on the rod

The sound was too loud in the quiet hall

Troy stepped out first

His black shirt was open at the throat, sleeves pushed up, hair everywhere, he was rolling his cuffs down like he’d just come from a meeting instead of a dark room

He looked calm, too calm

Behind him Alex came out

Kevin’s chest caved in

Alex’s white shirt was half buttoned and untucked, his face was red, the strip of black silk was still loose around his neck, his eyes were on the floor and his hands were shaking so bad he shoved them in his pockets

"Alex" Kevin broke out of Paxton’s grip "Alex hey, look at me, are you okay, did he hurt you"

Alex flinched when Kevin touched his shoulder and didn’t answer

"He’s coming with me," Troy said, voice even

"The hell he is," Kevin snapped "he came here with me, we’re leaving together"

"I said he’s coming with me," Troy looked at Kevin for the first time "Paxton"

Troy pulled keys out of his pocket and tossed them, Paxton caught them

"Take care of what" Kevin turned on Paxton "you’re not taking me anywhere, I’m not leaving him with him"

"Kevin," Alex whispered

Kevin turned back fast "baby don’t, we’re going home, okay, just come with me"

Alex finally lifted his head and his eyes were glassy and empty "just go, please go with Paxton"

"What, no, Alex don’t do this"

"Please," Alex said, and his voice cracked "don’t make it worse, don’t make them ask questions"

Kevin looked at him and then at Troy and he could see it, if he fought here someone would hear, someone would talk, and Alex’s whole life would blow up

"Fine," Kevin said through his teeth, glaring at Troy "if you lay another finger on him I will—"

"Move Paxton," Troy cut him off and grabbed Alex’s arm

Alex didn’t fight it, he just let Troy pull him down the back hall

Paxton sighed and looked at Kevin "well, come on, before you do something you can’t take back"

Kevin didn’t move for a second, then he followed

The car smelled like leather and Troy

The engine roared and they peeled out of the garage, rain on the windshield, the city lights dragging past

Alex was pressed to the door, forehead on the cold glass, he hadn’t said a word since they left

Troy drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the console, he hadn’t turned the radio on, he hadn’t looked at Alex once

The silence was worse than yelling

"say something," Alex finally said, voice rough

Troy didn’t answer

"Why," Alex tried again "why did you do that"

"you know why," Troy said

"No I don’t," Alex turned in the seat "you’ve spent the last year acting like I don’t exist, you call me boring, you call me a charity case, so why would you—"

"don’t," Troy cut him off

"don’t what, don’t ask"

Troy’s jaw ticked "you wanted to go up there, you wanted to get touched by anyone, that’s what you said to Kevin"

"that’s not—"

"isn’t it" Troy glanced at him "you were blindfolded and waiting, what did you think was going to happen"

Alex looked away "I didn’t think it would be you"

"yeah well it was," Troy said "and now we’re here"

They turned into the gates of the estate, the big iron doors closing behind them

Troy didn’t go up to the front, he pulled off to the side of the long driveway under the trees where the cameras didn’t reach and killed the engine

"get out," Troy said

"We’re home," Alex said "why are we stopping here"

"get out"

Alex got out, his legs felt wrong, the air was cold

Troy came around the car and backed him against the passenger door

"what are you doing" Alex whispered

"finishing what we started," Troy said

"We can’t, someone could see"

"no one’s here," Troy said, hand coming up to Alex’s throat, not squeezing, just resting there "you wanted to prove you weren’t scared, remember"

"I wasn’t trying to do this with you"

"but you did," Troy leaned in "and I liked it, I liked how you sounded, I liked how you fell apart"

"stop," Alex said, but he didn’t push him away

"say it," Troy said

"say what"

"say you don’t want me to touch you again"

Alex couldn’t

Troy’s thumb brushed under his jaw "that’s what I thought"

He kissed him, hard, like he was still angry about it, like he was punishing him and himself at the same time

Alex made a sound and grabbed Troy’s shirt to steady himself

When Troy pulled back they were both breathing hard

"here’s how it’s going to work," Troy said "tomorrow you go to class, you eat with our parents, you do the perfect son thing"

"and" Alex said

"and when the doors close and it’s just us, you remember who you belong to now," Troy said "you don’t go to clubs, you don’t let other people touch you, you come to me"

"that’s insane"

"is it," Troy said "because you didn’t stop me tonight"

Alex didn’t have an answer for that

Troy opened the passenger door "get in, we’re going inside"

They drove the rest of the way up in silence

The house was dark when they got in, Bridget and Silas were already asleep

Troy walked Alex straight upstairs, didn’t let go of his wrist until they were in Alex’s room

"shower," Troy said "sleep, don’t say anything to anyone"

Alex nodded

Troy stood in the doorway for a second, looking at him "and Alex"

Alex looked up

"this didn’t happen with anyone else, got it" Troy said "just me"

He closed the door

Alex slid down to the floor and put his face in his hands

His body hurt, his head hurt, and the worst part was he wasn’t sure if he hated Troy for it or if he was relieved it was him