Omorphi (52 page)

Stephen’s jaw seemed to have come unhinged. “Again? Is Christy okay?”

“He’ll be going home about the same time as Jerry.”

“What about Jason?”

Michael bit his lower lip and shook his head. “Didn’t catch him.”

“Mercy, Michael, why not?”

Michael opened his mouth to speak, and Jake beat him to it. “They’ll get him, Stephen. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Jeez, I hope so. Listen, can I give you a note to give to Jerry?”

“Sure.”

“Be right back.” Stephen stepped back through the door and closed it silently.

Michael turned to Jake. “You think he’s safe?”

Jake shrugged. “I think he knows what he’s doing and has it under control.”

The door opened again, and they were, once again, face to face with Father Engel’s accusing eyes. “I’m sorry, Michael. I didn’t mean what I said.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“It’s not an easy thing for me and my wife to accept. We can’t help but worry about Stephen.”

“I understand, sir.”

“You see, it’s not a natural thing, and we don’t know why Stephen would have chosen such a path. It’s not healthy for the body or soul.”

Michael fidgeted. “Father Engel, my father’s a doctor. He might be able to explain a little about it to you. If you want to call him. Or, I can ask him to call you. Whichever you prefer.”

Father Engel’s eyes narrowed on Michael. “I doubt there is an explanation for such a choice, but I’ll bear that in mind. Your father’s a fine man and took good care of all three of our children.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Dad.” Stephen squeezed between his father and the doorjamb and looked at him.

“I apologized to him. That’s all.” The stolid man turned and went into the house.

Stephen turned back to Jake and Michael. “Did he say anything bad?”

Michael shook his head. “He was perfectly polite and apologized.”

Stephen breathed a sigh of relief. “Here’s the note. Tell him I’ll write more later. I better go. Thanks for coming by.” Stephen stuffed the note into Michael’s hand and passed back through the doorway silently. Michael pocketed the note, and they stepped off the porch.

“I suspect that went better than expected for Stephen.”

Michael shook his head. “I can’t believe his dad thinks it’s a choice.”

“Michael, if there’s anything I know, and know well, it’s that you can’t know that it isn’t a choice until it happens to you.”

“How can you say that, Jake? You’re straight.”

Jake hauled him in for a kiss to the side of the head. “Oh my God, Michael, you are so oblivious. You really had no idea how madly in love I was with you, did you?”

Michael gaped at him. “No!”

“Let’s go shopping, bro.”

T
HEY
walked through the risqué displays and gaudy apparel. It all seemed a bit too much to Michael.

“Man, I can’t wait ’til I’m married,” Jake said as he pawed a particularly garish red-and-gold ensemble. “I’m gonna dress my wife in all kinds of this stuff.”

Michael laughed softly. “You better hope she’ll wear it for you. Do you believe we’re here?”

“Yeah, I just can’t believe why.”

Michael punched Jake’s shoulder playfully.

“I can’t believe you date a guy who wears women’s clothes.”

Michael turned to him, all humor lost. “Do you want me to tell you why?”

Jake stopped walking and waited for his explanation.

“He says it makes him feel free from all the ugliness that he is.”

Jake frowned. “He’s not ugly.”

“He feels ugly because of what’s been done to him.”

Jake eyed him for a long moment. “That’s seriously sad, Michael.”

A beautiful, scantily clad sales woman interrupted their conversation. “May I help you, gentlemen?”

Jake gestured to Michael. “Go ahead, bro.”

Michael’s mouth went dry.

Jake laughed softly. “He wants to buy something special for his girlfriend.”

“And what size would this lucky lady be?”

Michael cleared his throat. “Small.”

“Petite or small?”

Michael looked to Jake, his eyes begging for help.

“Five-two, hundred pounds, small breasts. Petite,” Jake said smoothly, humor dancing in his dark-chocolate eyes.

“Daring or romantic?”

“Romantic,” Michael contributed. “Teal or aqua,” he added thinking of Christy’s eyes.

“I have just the thing.” She led them to a wall displaying a sheer lace teddy and baby shorts with a long, sheer gown to go over them. “This is one of our most popular ensembles. We have it in seven different colors, including turquoise.”

Michael looked up at the black-and-gold flashy display. It was all wrong for Christy. “I need something… pretty. Not—”

“I know just the thing.” She led them to another display.

The goofy ruffles and tassels were equally as wrong for Christy.

“Elegant,” Jake helped. “A negligee.”

“Of course. Right this way.”

Michael looked at the sheer negligee with its graceful lace draped down the lapel and silk tie. It matched Christy’s eyes perfectly. “How much is this?”

“Two hundred and forty-five dollars.”

Michael nearly choked on his saliva. “Oh wow, okay.”

“We’ll take it and another in white, both in a size five. Add the matching teddy and baby briefs.” Jake pointed up to a soft pink wall display. “That one up there in a size five too. We’ll also take that little black-and-red ensemble.”

Michael shot Jake a look he hoped was intimidating.

Jake winked. “My treat.”

Michael glared at him.

“Would you like these gift wrapped?”

“Yes. The red-and-black ensemble separately. Very feminine bows, please.”

“Right away, Mr….?”

“Jake, just Jake.”

Michael fidgeted as Jake paid for the items and had no idea how he was going to repay him. They left the store, and Jake handed Michael the bags. “Added a few more things for you, bro.”

“What? Like what?” Michael looked through the bags. He pawed through lingerie, pretty little hair clips, bracelets, and even a lacy… corset wrapped in soft pink tissue paper. Michael looked at Jake, unsure whether he was more embarrassed or stunned. “I, I… can’t pay you back for all this.”

“Don’t worry about it. The red-and-black thing is for me, though.”

Michael tucked his chin. “I didn’t know you were into women’s lingerie, Jake. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’ve been fighting it for years now. Thought I’d take the leap.”

“I hate to be a killjoy, but it isn’t your size.”

Jake gaped at him. “It isn’t? Oh well, maybe it’ll fit Sophia.”

“What the hell, Jake? I can’t pay for all this.”

Jake stopped walking. “Can’t a guy buy his best friend something?”

“Well, yeah, but if you wanted to give me a gift, lingerie wouldn’t be my first choice. Maybe not even my last choice.”

Jake snorted.

“Seriously, Jake, this is too much. And I wanted to buy something for Christy myself.”

“Okay, what was your budget?”

“Fifty dollars.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Give me fifty bucks.”

Michael withdrew fifty dollars from his wallet and handed it to him.

“There. You bought it for him. Lesson number one: fifty bucks buys you an eye shadow. You want to buy women’s clothes, start with three digits minimum.”

“I can’t afford that.”

“We live to earn millions for our wives. In your case, that would be husband. Get used to it, bro.”

“Jake, I can’t repay you.”

“Stop. It’s a gift, Michael.”

Michael hung his head. “I have to tell Christy you bought it.”

“Why?”

“’Cause I don’t want… I don’t want him thinking I can afford stuff like this. I can’t!”

“So, give him one piece at a time.”

Michael considered that. It seemed a sort of okay idea. “It still doesn’t feel totally right.”

Jake one-arm hugged him and kissed the side of his head. “I care for Christy, Michael. Not to mention, he’s going to be my future cousin-in-law.”

Michael stopped in his tracks. “You didn’t.”

“I did. As soon as I graduate Columbia, we’re getting married.”

“Jake! You’ve only known her for ten days!”

“If you could ask Christy to marry you, would you?”

Michael’s heart swelled. “Yes!” He jumped into Jake’s arms. “I don’t believe it!”

Jake cracked up as he lifted Michael and spun them around on the sidewalk. People gawked as they walked by and gave them very disapproving looks, and Jake plopped Michael back on his feet.

“Jake’s getting married!” Michael yelled at every passerby.

“Okay, Michael, the whole world doesn’t need to know.”

“Man, Jake, I can’t believe it! Really?”

“Yeah, really. After Columbia, though. Don’t go all maudlin on me. I hate that.”

“Oh my God, Jake, congratulations! I don’t know what to say.”

“Enough said, bro.”

“Oh man, Jake, I don’t believe it!”

“In some ways, I don’t either. It’s almost too good to be true. We’re gonna be one big happy family.”

Michael gaped again. “Holy crap, Jake! Like freakin’ forever!”

“Yep, we’re gonna be officially friggin’ related.”

“B
OY
,
someone certainly loves you,” Nurse Carol said as she plumped pillows behind Christy’s back.

“What?” The drugs had left Christy at a loss for comprehensive thought, and he had trouble focusing his mind on anything, or his eyes, for that matter.

“I said, someone certainly loves you. How’s your pain?”

“I think it is okay. What is this?”

“Michael left it for you this morning.”

“It is morning?”

She gestured to the sun shining through the window. “It’s Friday morning. Michael came by to check on you yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon, last night, and this morning.”

Christy’s mind struggled to comprehend her statement. “I have been asleep for one day?”

“Yes. You needed the rest. Your burns are much improved.”

“Where is Michael?”

“He said he’ll be back after school. Jerry also stopped by. He can’t wait to see you. Are you hungry?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’ll be half an hour before food gets here. That’ll give you time to wake up. Drink lots of water.”

“Can I have coffee?”

“Coffee?’

“Yes, I like coffee.”

“I’ll call the doctor. If he says it’s okay, then I’ll get it for you.”

After Nurse Carol left, Christy slowly unwrapped the teal satin ribbon. A soft gasp left him when he lifted the lid. The lingerie was beautiful, expensive, and soft under his fingertips. Sheer, the color of his eyes, and pretty beyond belief. It would be soft against his skin, feminine. He lifted the delicacy from its tissue womb and fingered the expensive lace. If he believed in God, he would have thanked him profusely for giving him Michael, but he’d long since given up on any higher power. He believed in living in the moment, gathering up meager crumbs of peace and scraps of happiness wherever he could.

He smiled a bittersweet smile. He knew Michael believed in him, but it couldn’t last. Jason was an absurd foe compared to what he knew awaited him. The media had found him, and it was only a matter of time before one of
them
came and tried to drag him back to a life of hell.

Michael had given him life, and he wouldn’t let them take that from him. He would take it from himself long before he’d let them hurt him again.

M
ICHAEL
read the text message and threw a fist into the air. “Yes!”

“Is there something you’d like to share with us, Mr. Sattler?”

“Yes! I mean, no. Sorry, Mr. Garth.”

Michael settled back into his seat in his quiet AP British Lit class and pocketed his phone. People gave him odd looks, disturbed looks, disgusted looks. Had he really just shouted his joy on the air?
How embarrassing is that?
He grinned like a Cheshire cat. He didn’t care what people thought of his outburst.

The text message read:
Nearly as beautiful as you, filos. I will cherish it until the day I die, as I will you.

“H
EY
,
beautiful,” Michael whispered as he kissed Christy’s soft lips.

Christy’s eyes fluttered open, and a smile filled his face. “You came.”

Michael wreathed his arms around Christy’s shoulders and brought him forward. He stacked pillows behind him, and depressed the button to raise the bed and Christy to a sitting position. “You look gorgeous.”

Christy fingered the lace on the front of the negligee. “It is very pretty, isn’t it?” His voice was hoarse and raw again.

“Very pretty. How do you feel?”

Christy reached for the plastic cup on the bedside table and took a sip of water. “Better than two days ago. I can get in the chair now.” He gestured to the wheelchair parked beside the bed. “Your father says I will leave within the next two days.”

“So I heard. Have you seen Jerry yet?”

“He taught me how to spin in the chair. We made the nurse very angry.”

“Can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?”

A small giggle left Christy. “Jerry is surprised to learn that I am Greek.”

“You told him?”

“He asked why I had the accent. I forgot to hide it.”

Michael was amazed and pleased that Christy dared to give anyone any information about his private world. “That’s great.”

“He asked us to visit.”

“You up for it?”

Christy nodded. Michael drew back the blankets and was pleased to see that Christy wore a loose pair of soft cotton scrubs beneath the negligee. He bent to lift Christy in his arms, and Christy pushed him away.

“I can do it.”

“You sure?”

Christy moved slowly, stiffly, as he lowered his feet to the floor. “
Ne
.”

“No?”

“Ah, I mean to say yes.
Ne
is yes in Greek.”

“So let me get this straight. Yes sounds like
ne
, and no sounds like a weird okay?”

Another soft giggle as Christy turned carefully and sat in the chair. “Yes.
Ne
and
oh-he
.”