Our December by Diane Adams Read Free Book Online

nodded.
    "Yeah, that's what he called it. A prep school. He said if I go, college won't be such a struggle for me. He tried to make it sound all about school, but I think he knows about us." Alex's breathing quickened; he looked close to another panic attack. Jared wasn't about to let him run.
    "We're just friends, Alex, it's not a secret," Jared reminded him.
    It was a partial truth. They didn't hide their meetings. Jared made sure when he was with the boys, they weren't alone. However, he'd never tried to meet Alex's parents. He thought Alex would introduce them when he was ready. He never had.
    "It doesn't matter, he knows. He said I need time away to get my head straight and figure out my life." Alex's hands fisted. "I know what I want. I don't need time."
    Agitated, Jared ran a hand through his hair. "Of course you need time, you're fifteen. You aren't living your adult life; you're just on the edge of it."
    Anger darkened Alex's eyes. "You sound like him."
    Jared didn't back down. "That's because he makes sense, and if his motives aren't pure, well, whose are?" Jared was harsher than he meant to be, his love for Alex a guilty weight in his heart. He wanted to be there for him, to help him find his place in life, but it wasn't selfless motivation. He loved Alex, wanted him. Those things made him an undue influence in the boy's life. Getting him away was the best thing, and doing it without mention of the Alex's sexuality was compassionate and brilliant. Jared was impressed.
    Alex was not. "You want me to leave! You're tired of me, and you want me to go away!" He jumped up, but Jared pushed him back into the chair with a firm hand on his shoulder.
    "Listen to yourself, Alex. You sound like a ten year old. I don't want you to leave, and if I live to be a hundred and twenty, I couldn't get tired of you. The thing is, we can rant and rail all we want, but it comes down to one thing. You can't stop it, and neither can I. He's your father. He can send you to prep school if that's his decision. You do have a choice. You can't choose to go or stay, that's out of your hands. You can choose how you'll go. Are you going to leave screaming, yelling, and throwing tantrums like a two year old, or are you going to accept your fate with quiet dignity like a man? This is a huge opportunity, you can waste it with childishness, or you can make the most of it."
    "You make it sound easy," Alex grumbled, sinking into his chair. The tantrum was over and he was listening.
    "It's not easy. Stuff like this never is. A year and a half ago, I was in college. One day, they came, got me out of class, and took me to a counselor's office. My mom was on the phone when I got there. My father had a heart attack and he died. It was hard. I lost my best friend that day. It took a little longer for me to realize the rest." He gave Alex a steady look. "I lost my life. College was over. I had to come home and take over the business. The contracting company was my mother's sole support, and it was putting me through college. Dad wanted me to graduate and come back as a full partner. Instead, my father was gone, and I was the sole owner at nineteen. I had to make a choice and I did. I accepted the change in my plans and I've made the most of it. It's not easy, but it was the right thing to do." Silence fell between them.
    "Telling me about your dad dying isn't playing fair," Alex muttered. "And you always do the right thing, it's pretty annoying really."
    Jared huffed out a laugh. "I'm evil that way. Look, Alex, I'm not suggesting that what's happening to you is the same as me losing my dad, but leaving is going to affect your life just as drastically. I don't always do the right thing, but I try. I know you've heard that saying about how women have to be twice as good as a man before they are accepted as an equal. That's true about us too. People have odd ideas about gay men. We're the only ones that can teach them better. I told you before; we have to be twice