Nights & Days: The Ex

Disclaimer: This story is completely fictional based on fantasies. There is no implication on the true sexuality of the celebrities, dead or alive, mentioned.

Feedback: Guys, I love getting comments. Write to me at jasperjeff@mac.com

In an alternate timeline, where our familiar 98 Degrees do not exist and other celebrities are simply common people with common jobs......

Chapter 04

"Hello again, Ma'am."

"It's you again. Any progress?" the woman asked impatiently.

"Confirmed. 100%. Make your final payment and you'll have the information right away."

"You'll get that in 4 hours." irritated the woman. She did not consider it would really be happening. Now she had things to take care of before the situation got out of her hands.

"Nice doing business with you, Ma'am. You know how to contact 'the Helpdesk' in case you need us again." snorted the voice before hanging up the phone.

The woman was too preoccupied in her own thought to notice that though...

Drew was excited the whole saturday, morning and afternoon. He suggested to Jeff that they could grab some food that evening and then went to a minor league baseball game. It would be just guys hanging out together, watching the game and having a good time. However, he could not get over the fact that it will be their first date - not that the kind of date he would want with Jeff but a date nevertheless. He kept telling himself to take it slow. Good things came to those who waited.

Jeff was late. It has been almost an hour. Drew was starting to wonder if Jeff stood up on him. No, Jeff would not be like that. He would have called if he was not coming. Did Jeff have an accident? That was a scary thought. Drew had to find out.

Drew has been knocking constantly on Jeff's apartment door for five minutes after he got there. Nobody answered. Drew just stood there and waited, without knocking. If Jeff was not home, where could he be? Drew was getting really worried.

Just about when Drew gave up and walked away, he heard the door open quietly. He turned and saw Jeff standing there. Shaking with fear, with a terrified look on his face and in those dimmed but still beautiful blue eyes. Jeff only had a pair of jeans on him, and Drew could see dozens of bruises on his upper body and a few on his face. The corner of Jeff's mouth was broken and it looked like it just stopped bleeding not long ago. Drew was shocked - and furious of whoever did this to Jeff.

"Sorry. I didn't know how to tell you that I can't make it tonight." Jeff apologized. Opening the door a little more, he let Drew inside.

"Don't be stupid." Drew didn't know what to say. He really liked the guy and seeing Jeff beaten badly hurt him more. "What happened? Who did this do you? Probably it'd be better if we get you to see a doctor."

Jeff stopped Drew. "I'll be alright. I don't need doctor." Jeff might have been beaten up and frightened, his voice was still firm.

"Where's your first aid box? If you're not going to see a doc, at least lemme take care of your bruises." Drew insisted, with great concern. Jeff sighed and motioned towards the bathroom. He turned and let himself fall down on the couch.

Drew returned with the small first aid kit and started on Jeff's face. He moved fast but carefully. Jeff was looking down on the floor at first, then gradually moved his attention to Drew. He saw the care in Drew's eyes. He also see the hurt and anger in them, which made him wondered.

After Drew was done, he grabbed a blanket from Jeff's room for him. There was a huge bruise at the back of Jeff's left shoulder which caused great pain whenever he tried to raise his left arm. That was why Jeff would rather stay unclothed. Drew made them some tea and they were sitting on the couch again in silence.

"So, you wanna tell me what's happened?" asked again, Drew.

"I was robbed."

"Then we have to call the police and get you to hospital. There's no argument on that."

"No... I lied."

"I knew... Tell me the truth please. I've only known you for a few days, but I care." Drew said. He just has not told Jeff how much he cared, not yet.

Jeff sighed. It seemed to be becoming his habit to sigh recently. He looked up from his cup of tea, watched Drew for a moment, wondering and trying to read whatever he could from those hazel eyes.

"My ex-boyfriend found me this morning. He barged into here and asked me for money. I refused to give him any, so he just threw his fists at me. After he left, I was weak and fell unconscious till about an hour ago."

Drew was shocked. He believed that Jeff and his ex were once in love with each other. He could not imagine hitting somebody one once loved, even if the two were no longer together.

"Jeff, I'm sorry to hear that your ex did this to you. I know it's none of my business, but are you sure you don't wanna bring this to the police?" Drew asked, sincerely. He would love more than anything else at that moment to put the ex behind bars. However, he want to respect Jeff's view in it. Maybe Jeff still liked him and wanted to give him another chance. That thought caused Drew to feel jealous.

"I don't wanna go to the cops. Tobey, my ex, is a smart guy. He knows he can't get anything from me, and he won't bother another look at me. He won't waste his energy." Jeff said brokenly. Even he didn't believe in what he himself said. He knew Tobey. That guy would try anything to get money when he's desperate.

Both Jeff and Drew sat in silence again, each sipping their own tea. Drew was thinking whether he should be reporting the incident to the police. This would mean not respecting Jeff's will. But he believed that would be for the best for Jeff.

On the other hand, Jeff was thinking about the past. How Tobey and himself met. How they liked each other. How Tobey would make him laugh at night after a hard day at work. Jeff was trying to save up a sum of money. Hoping faithfully with the money, he could go through college as a full-time student. They dated briefly, before moving in together. There was a short period of happiness. Then things turned ugly.

Tobey's gambling habit got heavier and his luck got worse. Losing more money than he could make, he started living on Jeff. Blindly, Jeff thought it would only be a phrase, and Tobey would come around soon. Love caused that to people all the time. But Jeff was not lucky enough this time. Tobey got drunk after losing his money, went home and beat Jeff up. Although Jeff was bigger than Tobey, he was no match to Tobey who used to be the captain of wrestling team back in school.

One day, Tobey was sober enough to devise a plan, took all the money Jeff saved for college and ran away. Jeff then woke from his dreams of being in love. He moved, hoping Tobey would not come back and found him again. He also started college, working part-time and doing his best to get through. However, Jeff was scared. Burying himself in work and studies, Jeff tried to avoid socializing. He longed for a companion but was afraid of running into another Tobey-a-like.

Out of the silence, there was a series of short loud knocks on the door. Jeff tensed up. Drew reassured him and got up to get the door.

Opening the door, there was a guy with dark brown hair standing there. The guy looked to be about five foot eight, slightly taller than Drew himself. The guy was kind of thin. Even though taller than Drew, his shoulder was not even as wide as Drew's. When Drew was about to ask who he was, he heard Jeff's frightened voice from behind him.

"Tobey!"

to be continued...