Love Me 13

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None of the characters are based on real people nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people.

This story contains some adult language as well as sex, or some hints of sex. I cannot promise that there will be sex in each chapter, but if you find my writing to be offensive or distasteful in any way, you're visiting the wrong website and need to move on.

Love Me

Chapter 13

Money from Heaven

Jared walks around the house as he thinks about his future with Caden and Riley in it. They have been through much together as brothers, and they both deserve to be happy. Now that Jared and Caden are together as a couple, his tiny bedroom just feels too small. Even Riley's room seems too small for everything that a teen might want to have in his room. The "office" space is too small for both Caden and Jared to be in there at the same time. Of course, should they decide to adopt a kid, they will need an extra bedroom or two. A larger house would provide enough space for them to live and grow together as a family. Still, there are some concerns that are running through his mind; things that his mom may be able to help them with, that is if she is willing.

***

He looks over the plans for the house that he wants. These plans he had stashed away in a safe place. Jared has decided to purchase the house, but first he needs money. He can put some money into the purchase of the house, but he will need money from some other source. Maybe Caden would be willing to give some money to help cover part of the cost. It would not feel right asking him to give money towards the house. At the same time, he's going into this as Jared's boyfriend, so maybe he shouldn't ask him for money. He needs some kind of finances in order to get the house. He either needs money from the family and that means Mom or he needs to talk to the bank. It does not matter who he borrows money from he'll still need to pay them back. His credit is good and he is sure that Caden's credit is also good, but does he really want to deal with the interest. He doubts his mom would charge him any interest but he knows she will want her money back in full. In a heartbeat, he decides to call his mom.

***

Jared calls him mom and she answers her phone quickly.

"Hi Son, what's going on?"

"Mom, is Grandma's home still sitting empty?"

Jared's mom finds the records on the house and sits back down at the kitchen table. She is happy that Jared is finally getting off his butt on his grandmother's home.

"Are you really asking me this?"

"Yes, I am."

"You know the house is available, so what is this phone call really about?"

Jared is somewhat nervous about asking his mother for money, but it still has to be asked.

"Mom, I want the house, but I am going to need some money to purchase the house."

His mom is quiet for a few seconds as she thinks about his statement. She knows that he is asking for a loan.

"Sweetheart, are you asking for a loan?"

There is some silence on the phone.

"Yeah Mom, I don't want to use a bank loan. I've seen you going through that, and I don't want to mess with a bank."

She can't blame him for not wanting to use a bank. When she bought the new house, it was hard to finish off the mortgage for the house. It seemed like she would never get all of it paid off in time. In the meantime, other bills were late because at the end of the month the mortgage was more important. Sometimes, meals came from Grandma's house. She tried to hide their money issues from her kids, but eventually it leaked out.

"I don't blame you for not wanting a bank loan. Honey, can I offer a suggestion and you can tell me yes or no, but what if I fronted you some money to cover the cost of the house?"

Jared is taken back by his mom's offer. If he does take the money, he has to be able to figure out payment schedule. What will his family think of him taking money from Mom?

"Yeah, but I want to pay it all back."

She smiles even though he can't see it.

"Just make your boyfriend happy, and keep his brother safe okay?"

He can hear his mom rustling some papers. Jared takes a deep breath as he glances down at his desk. Crossing off one thing on his to do list feels good to him, Jared smiles as he gets up from the desk.

***

He wonders if the house is really their house. He's hoping they can start collecting boxes and packing up the house.

`Can she promise us the house?'

There is so much potential in that house; the mini mansion.

"Mom does the house belong to us once the money comes in then?"

She doesn't want him feeling like he does not need to fight for the house, so she lies.

"Look as long as no one else makes a higher bid, then you're fine."

"So you can't promise us the house?"

She is silent for a second as she holds back a laugh, but then tells him something that he doesn't want to hear.

"No, I can't."

His heart sank because he really needs a larger place. Yeah, he has some money saved up but there is no way this place is in their price range. With her money and a mix of his money they can get the house. The house he wants to make their home.

"Jared, the house is yours as long as we can get the money together."

"Mom, do you mind if I talk to Caden about the house?"

"No go ahead, I think he deserves to know what your plans are, don't you?"

She did not expect an answer. The question was to get him to take a hint.

"Okay Mom, I am going to go and talk to him. Love you."

"Love you Sweetie."

He ends the call and sits for a second where he's at to just say thanks.

***

Jared has already told Caden that there is a house that he wants to move into with him and Riley, but now he can tell him more about it. He doesn't want to disturb Caden just yet with talk of the house. He does not want to be pest. When Caden finally comes into the room, he looks wide-awake but maybe that is deceiving. Caden sits next to his boyfriends as he drinks his glass of fresh orange juice.

"Good morning, Handsome did you sleep good last night?"

Caden smiles as they exchange kisses. What Caden doesn't know is that Jared is going to make a dream come true, so to speak.

"Remember that I told you about that house that I had in mind for us?"

Now he has Caden's attention.

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning something about a house."

Caden's ears are all open, as he gets ready to listen to his boyfriend.

"My mom just called and it seems that the house is available, if we're interested."

Caden knows nothing about this house, so why would he want to move into it. Would Riley do okay with getting used to a new home? Would it mean uprooting Riley from his school and from Ryan? Caden does not want to mess up what's good in his brother's life.

"I don't know anything about this house and you want to know if I am interested in it."

"Okay well, it's big and fancy but I thought it would give us room to grow. There is a study downstairs that we could use as our office. The master suite is upstairs and it is huge. All the bedrooms have their own bathroom, which means that Riley will not have to leave his room at night. Riley can have a room set aside for his therapy if we want to do it and he can have room for a study. Trust me these rooms are nice. Course, I have not seen it but my mom has told me about it since my grandma told her about it. I think it would be good for us Caden."

Caden silently ponders what Caden just said as Jared watches for his reactions.

"Well, if you're sure that this home will work for us then I have just a few questions for you?"

"Okay fire away and I'll do my best to answer them."

Caden gathers his thoughts and then looks at his boyfriend.

"Am I going to have to remove Riley from school and put him in another school because you know that would be hard on him?"

They know it would be incredibly hard on his brother to be removed from the school, his teacher, his paras, and of course Ryan. The staff have accepted Riley, they work well with him, and Ryan has taken a liking to him. They're working with him to get past his disability, and while it's still too early to see gains, Caden knows they'll get there given a chance.

"Do you think I would take Riley away from his school? I already checked the boundaries and it's in the same school system."

A map of the school system is passed to Caden showing the location of the house and the school. Caden is convinced that everything is good and that the school won't be an issue.

"Will this affect his relationship with Ryan?"

Caden does not want to interfere too much in their budding relationship. He certainly does not want Ryan to be too far away. "No." Is Jared's simple response. They both want nothing but good things.

"So are we good on the house then?"

Caden leans in and kisses Jared.

"Course, we're good."

Caden smiles at his boyfriend as Jared shows him a picture of the house. Jared is actually excited to hear that Caden is up for moving. The big question is will Riley be excited for the move. He's hoping that offering him the chance to have a bigger bedroom will get him interested. Maybe the knowledge that he won't have to change schools or break up with the best guy in the world will also get him excited. Enough about the house for now, it's time for the guys to get some stuff done.

***

Riley is sitting in the living room close to the phone when it rings. Riley picks up it up after a couple rings. He knows that his brother doesn't like him to answer the phone but since he can't see Caden or Jared, he goes ahead and picks up the phone. Now he just hopes, that he can keep things straight long enough to tell Caden or Jared who is on the phone.

"Hello...Hello...this is...is...Riley."

Jared's mom is pleasantly surprised with Riley answering the phone. She'll skip talking with Jared and just go ahead and have a conversation with Riley. Her son thinks the world of the young man, so why not talk to him and learn more about him, other than he's the brother of Caden.

"Hi Riley, how are you doing?"

"I...I am doing...o-kay and you?"

She pauses for a second when her cat jumps up into her lap.

"I'm doing good. How goes school?"

Riley is happy at this school and pleased with his teacher and the aide.

"School is...is good. My teacher...she...is nice."

As she speaks with him, she realizes that, in a way, Riley is a grandson of sorts.

"What...what is your name?"

She thought that she had introduced herself to him. In case she didn't, it wouldn't hurt to give him a name.

"For now, you can call me Lisa, okay?"

It takes a second for the name to sink into his mind.

"So...Jared's mom is...is...Lisa?"

"Yes." She feels happy knowing that Riley has learned her name. Hopefully now, they can move on from this point.

"I need...need to go."

He isn't exactly lying but not being truthful. He wants to go and do something other than sit on the phone. He hopes that she won't get mad at him.

"Alright, be good young man."

"I will...be...be good. Talk to you...you later."

The call ends and he gets up to move on to whatever is next, and that is dinner.

***

Jared and Caden are in the kitchen doing the dishes together, even though they could be loading up the dishwasher. Jared is washing while Caden is rinsing and drying. They love working together to get chores done. It's not about getting the job down faster. They do it in order to spend time together. The dishwasher does get the job done faster but that is secondary. Out in the backyard, Riley is playing with his puppy, a black lab puppy named Smoke. It's hard to tell who is having more fun, Smoke or Riley.

"I think we are going to have some tired boys when this playtime is over for the evening."

Jared is right, and Caden is all too happy to have his brother getting some exercise.

"I agree."

Caden needs the playtime to end, because later in the day Riley has a doctor's appointment. He needs a chance to get cleaned up and rest up a bit. Caden opens up the backdoor and steps outside.

"Riley, time to come inside and get cleaned up."

Riley heads towards Caden and then pauses to call Smoke. Smoke comes running to catch up to his best friend. Caden enters the house with Riley and Smoke following close behind. Caden and Jared split up in order to Riley ready. Caden goes into the office to grab Riley's medical files. Jared agrees to help Caden's brother get cleaned up. Smoke is now resting in his kennel. For now, everything feels right.

***

Caden finds the medical file and sits down for a second. The minute he sits down his cell phone rings. He recognizes the phone number and he still answers it. Why he answers, it is beyond him. He also knows that it's going to upset him.

"Ethan, what do you want?"

There is a brief pause on the phone while Ethan figures out what he is going to say to his ex. He knows what he wants to say but how does he put a spin on it that will make Caden listen to him.

"Caden, Andrew broke up with me."

`Like, I didn't see that coming.'

Ethan is a jerk, so it is no wonder that eventually Andrew would see the real him.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

Come on Ethan cheated on him with Andrew, and now it seems that karma has struck Ethan's heart.

"Couldn't you at least have some sympathy for me?"

`He expects sympathy from me after all the crap that he put me through.'

"No, I don't have sympathy for you."

There is silence between them.

"Ethan, what the fuck do you want?"

Ethan is silent; dead silent.

"I want you back."

`Is he freaking insane?'

Ethan really believes that he has a chance at getting Caden back.

"I'm sorry Ethan, but I can't do that, I've met someone and I am not about to mess that up."

"He doesn't have to know, you can just see me on the side. What do you say?"

This comment pushes Caden over the edge.

`Is he serious right now? There is no way in hell that I am going to cheat on Jared.'

He knows that, in the unlikely event that he wanted to, it would devastate Jared and Riley. His anger is building and he doesn't want to unload it on Ethan, but he may have to.

"Ethan get real. One of the reasons that I left you was because you cheated on me, and you want me to cheat on my angel. It isn't happening. Now hang up."

The call ends and Caden is left with his anger, and the satisfaction that he is stuck with Jared. Caden leaves the office and heads towards the bedroom.

***

Caden enters the bedroom to keep Riley from seeing him upset. Instead of his brother catching him, his boyfriend catches him. At first, Jared did not immediately notice his boyfriend's mood but then he sees it. It is in his eyes and in his body language. He can see the anger in Caden's usually peaceful eyes. At first, he gives him some space to let some of the anger escape, as he sits next to him. He put a hand up on his lover's shoulder and kisses his cheek.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

Caden looks at him with a face that normally would send anyone running. At this moment though, Jared feels like he needs to be here.

"Ethan called and I was stupid enough to answer the phone."

Jared doesn't understand why he would have answered the phone, but this is not the time to be judgmental or to start another fight. It's a time for listening.

"Jared, you won't believe what he wanted. He thought that he could talk me into cheating on you. It actually thought I would be okay with screwing him on the side."

Jared's face dropped, but then Caden kisses him on the lips and gives him a hug. Caden did not want Jared to think that he spent any time considering the offer.

"I love you Jared. There isn't anything in the world that would bring me back to that louse."

"I'm glad, because I wouldn't want to lose you and Riley. It would hurt too much."

"I'm finally staring love in the eyes, and I don't want to ruin it."

Caden smiles as he drinks in Jared's eyes. No one can mistake the look that Caden is giving Jared for anything but love. All he wants right now is to know that Jared forgives him for any trespasses. His eyes meet up with Jared's soul and sparks begin to flicker. Jared feels love expanding in his chest. Caden grabs the cell phone and blocks Ethan from calling him. A bit of curiosity peaks up in Jared's mind.

"So what happened that Ethan wanted to get you back?"

A short giggle escapes from Caden's lips.

"His boyfriend broke up with him. I can only guess that Ethan cheated on him or something."

Jared stares at a picture of him and Caden and he looks back at his boyfriend, and he can see wet eyes.

"I...I...am sorry Babe."

"Why?"

Jared asks as he wipes away a couple of tears from Caden's face.

"Sorry for answering the phone. Sorry for talking with that idiot."

Again, Jared wipes the tears away from his boyfriend's eyes.

"Hush, I don't care that you spoke with him, because I know you love me."

"I do love you."

They fall down to the pillows and start kissing each other which leads to the bedroom door being shut, and the alarm clock being set so that Caden can get Riley to the doctor's appointment on time. Perhaps, its poor timing with Riley being awake but he will not leave the house, so it's all good.

***

Sure enough, the alarm goes off giving Caden just enough time to freshen up before he gets Riley ready, and then head out to the car. On the way, Caden takes time to comfort his brother's concern over the shots he'll have to have. This visit will show how Riley is doing with his memory and his motor skills.

The photo album that Riley has been looking at when they're at home has been scanned onto a laptop, and Doctor Nichols is slowing moving through each picture to see if Riley recognizes the people and places in the pictures. Today, there were a number of improvements. It's enough to make Caden very happy, and even the doctor is pleased. There are more improvements besides his memories. There are signs that his motor skills are getting better. Physical therapy has done some wonders for him.

***

While Caden is out at the doctor, Jared gets picked up by his mom so he can see the home that he's hoping to get for the guys in his life. He is super excited. He just wishes that Riley and Caden could be here to see it.

"Mom, it's been so long since I've seen the house that I'm not sure that I remember it."

She gives him a look of surprise.

"Did you look at the photos that I sent you?"

He takes his left hand and smacks himself in with it.

"Yeah, but I haven't seen it in person."

She smiles at him and he smiles too.

"I hope that it impresses me in person the same way that it impressed me in the photos."

Every part of him is screaming that he wants the house. His mom knows that he'll love the house. They pull into the driveway and already Jared finds the house irresistible. As they approach the door, Jared's mom pulls out the keys. She opens the front door and together they walk into the house. First things first, large living room, which will be where the family spends a lot of time relaxing. They enter the study, which is off the living room, and he's thinking this will be a good spot for the office that Caden and him will share. When they enter the family room, Jared changes his mind and realizes that they'll spend most of their time in this room. Entering kitchen, he is shocked by the size of it, and then they head upstairs. First place they look at is the master suite, and the private deck. Next, she takes him into the room across from the master suite and into one of the bedrooms. That room might be a good place for Riley to have a study and a hobby room. It should free up some space in his bedroom.

"Mom, Caden is going to love this house."

She pauses as she looks at her son.

"Wasn't that the idea you discussing this house with him?"

"Well yeah, I suppose that is true."

Heading back down to the front door, they open the front door and move towards the car. Now that he has seen the house, Jared knows that he has to have it.

***

They have one more stop before Jared can be dropped off at home. Together they drive out to Jared's bank where they sit for a short time. In the parking lot, she writes out a check for the home. Jared has never liked to advertise his family's wealth, but the family has money to spare. He works for his money and is proud of the fact that he lives off his own money. Though it's nice to have Mom providing some cushion when it comes to purchasing this house. Jared's emotions get the better of him when he sees the amount of the check his mom hands over to him. As he exits the car, he wipes away the tears. He enters the bank and explains what is going on with the check. It doesn't take long though for the money to enter his account. The teller was all too happy to accept the money. Back in the car, Jared hugs his mom.

"Thanks...Mom!"

"You're welcome Sweetheart. Now, are you ready to tell Caden about this wonderful gift?"

He shakes his head.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what he thinks about all of this."

How could anyone not appreciate the kindness that his mom has shown?

***

By the time Jared gets home, Caden is already at home and sitting in the living room while Riley is in his bedroom. He wants to tell his boyfriend all about the money but not quite ready to tell him about the house. Rather than call Ryan, Jared decides to simply have a semi-romantic lunch in their backyard. Jared readies a lunch fit for romantic picnic. Lunch ready, he walks into the living room hoping to find his boyfriend, however, he is not in there. From the living room, he moves to the office, and there he hits the jackpot.

"Caden, I need you to follow me to the backyard."

"Why Babe?"

Jared just stares at him, and points at the door.

"Okay, okay, I will go to the backyard."

It didn't take long for Caden to get to the backyard; however, it took a little longer for Jared to get outside. When he does come outside, he is carrying a picnic blanket and a picnic basket.

"What is going on here?"

"What does it look like?"

"Umm...it looks like you're apologizing for something."

Jared shakes his head "no" and sets the basket down on the ground. He spread out the blanket and then digs into the basket. In the basket, there is plenty of food for the two of them, but today isn't really about the food. The highlight of this little lunch is Jared's big announcement. They're about halfway through their meal before Jared is ready to spill his guts.

"Remember the house I told you about?"

Caden acknowledges that he knows about house.

"Well, my mom gave me a check, for a large amount of money, that we can put towards the purchase of the house, she also gave me a tour of the house and oh my gosh, that house is amazing. Caden, I want it to be our home."

Caden is still stuck on "...a lot of money...". He hates the idea of borrowing the money, and Jared knows it.

"Mom isn't expecting any payments, but I know you won't accept it that, so we can slowly pay her back.

It's still not sitting well Caden, but it's starting to make sense to him.

"Do you need my blessings to go through with this house?"

"Yeah, I sort of do need you're okay. I don't want this house unless you and Riley are living there with me."

Jared takes his boyfriend in his hands and kisses him.

"So what do you say, are we going for it?"

"We're going for it."

Jared is so happy, that he leans in again and kisses Caden on the lips. The conversation having ended, they sit on the blanket and just cuddle in their own backyard.

***

The guys moved from the backyard and into the living room to watch a movie. As they are watching television, someone knocks on the door. Caden gets up and answers the door.

"Hey Ryan, are you here to see Riley?"

"Yeah, is he home?"

Caden knows his brother is home, but he has to think about where Riley is currently at, at the moment.

"Yeah, I think he is hiding in his room. Come on inside."

Ryan moves through the house and heads to the bedroom. He pauses and knocks on Riley's door. Riley looks up at the doorway and he smiles at him.

"Can I come into your room?"

"You...you had better come...into my room."

Ryan walks into the room and sits down on his boyfriend's bed.

"Did...did I tell you...that Caden and...and Jared are...are boyfriends?"

Ryan gets a huge smile on his face. He is happy for Riley's brother and new boyfriend.

"Did they celebrate?"
A silly smirk came across Riley's face.

"Wait, don't say a thing. I'm guessing, they had sex."

The very thought makes both teens blush. The guys sit back and relax for a just a few seconds before they are interrupted.

"What is going on in here?"

Caden stands in the doorway with his hands on his hips.

"We're...we're just talking...Caden...just talking."

Riley's big brother is not exactly happy at the moment or at least that is what Riley and Ryan are thinking.

"I didn't mean to intrude guys."

"It's okay Caden. I wasn't going to cause any trouble."

Ryan admitted to his boyfriend's brother. Riley wants Ryan to cause some `trouble' even with his brother and Jared in the house. Ryan won't go there though, he respects Riley, and he's also afraid of the guys.

"Just remember, it's a school night and I don't want you up too late Riley."

Riley looks a bit defeated as he looks up at Ryan. Caden is sending a message to Ryan not to over stay his visit.

"Since I have you guys here, there is something that I think Jared and I should tell you, so hold on a second."

"Wonder what your brother has to tell us?"

Riley can't think of anything that he's aware of at the moment that the guys would need to tell them. Now he's worried and trying to keep calm. He's much quieter now, because if he tries to talk, it would all be stutters and silence. Ryan keeps looking at him as he waits for an answer.

"I...I...I don't...don't know."

A couple minutes later, Caden and Jared appear at the bedroom door.

"Knock, knock, we're coming into the room."

Caden says as Jared and him enter the room and approach the bed. Riley and Ryan sit on the floor and wait for the guys to say something.

"So...Jared and I have been talking about a house that is in his family and it's really big and really nice. We've agreed that it's perfect for our little family."

The teen's faces become a little sullen when Caden finished his speaking.

"Relax guys; the house is closer to Ryan's house and the high school. Plus it's way bigger than this house."

This time, their faces' light up with excitement.

"So...so...when, when are we moving?"

Caden smiles and looks at Jared.

"As soon as we can get the contents of this house packed up and loaded."

Ryan studies their faces as he considers whether or not he should agree to help them pack.

`What am I thinking? Riley will kill me if I don't help out.'

Ryan knows it's just a matter of them asking or him telling them that he'll help them out.

"I wouldn't mind helping you out if you would let me."

Ryan is all about helping them out if it means being able to spend a little bit more time around his boyfriend. If what Caden and Jared said about the new house being closer, it would mean he could see him more often and easier.

"Ryan, it would be awesome if you could help us out."

Jared knows any amount of help would be greatly appreciated.

"When do we start?"

Ryan cannot wait to start on the move.

"We would like to start working on Friday night and Saturday. We'll have pizza, so maybe we can get some of other friends to help us out."

"I...I...I can help."

"If I am going to help, you had better be helping out dude."

Ryan said nudging his boyfriend. "Hey!" Riley disapproved of his boyfriend's action.

"Bro, you're helping, like it or not."

Caden's comment makes Riley smile. Riley didn't want to be left out of the move.

"Guess that is all we wanted to say."

Caden and Jared exit the room. Riley and Ryan look around his room and discuss what they could easily pack up on Friday night. Ryan takes Riley's hands and looks into his eyes.

"I love you."

Riley loves to hear Ryan telling him that, but he loves it even more when Ryan shows him that he loves him. It's not always the kisses or the hugs that do the trick, sometimes it's sitting with him at lunch or simply being here with him.

***

Caden and Jared are lying down on their bed talking but unknown to them an extra pair of ears are listening to their conversation, as their door is ajar. Ryan has gone and Riley was intending to speak with Caden.

"How are we going to do this, I mean what if your brother isn't happy about the move?"

You can tell Caden just wants to laugh at his boyfriend's question.

"Come on, you saw him in there, he's happy about the move."

"Yeah, I guess, I was thinking about all of the change that is coming with the move."

`I...I...I am...not worried about...the change." Riley whispers to himself.

Riley doesn't get it unless there is something that they are hiding from him. Now, Riley wants to hear the rest of their conversation. There has to be something. Hopefully, he doesn't regret listening to them.

"Jared, relax things will be okay."

Jared is worried even if Caden says that things are okay. Jared is scared that the young man is being strong in front of Ryan and them. Riley's world could come crashing down in a second, and it would all be his fault for pushing the move.

"Jared, I know that look on your face, so you need to trust me it will be okay."

Riley can't go in there because then they would know that he's been outside eavesdropping, but he wishes that Jared would listen to his brother.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but all your worrying is for nothing, he'll be fine."

"I love you him Caden, and I love you. So I guess I you're right. He's a great kid and I know he'll be fine."

Caden is right everything will be fine. Riley isn't sure what is going on with Jared, but he knows that Caden is right. The guys end up embracing each other and give each other kisses, and Riley of course sees them kissing. Riley knows he should be turning away from them, but he can't seem too, so he forces himself to turn away. He goes to his room, undresses, and then waits for either Caden or Jared to show up at his room, but they never do. Rather than wait for them all night, he just curls up on his bed, and pulls the sheets over him. He appreciates the space, but he also feels a little lost without the routine. His dreams tonight are all filled with good things.

***

Before anyone else has a chance to wake up, Jared is up early to cook them a big meal. The smell of food wakes Riley up first, and he comes out to see what is going on in the kitchen. Caden wakes up and showers before coming out to help Riley with his morning routine. As he steps out and sees his brother, a bit of guilt comes over him because he forgot to end the evening with him.

"Riley, are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm...good."

"Since we know that Riley is okay can we get him ready to eat."

Riley and Caden head towards Riley's bedroom to grab a fresh set of clothes to change into for the day. While Caden and Riley are busy in the bedroom, Jared is busy calling Ryan to invite him over for breakfast. By then time they come out of the bedroom, Ryan is already at the house.

"Hey handsome, you're looking a little rough this morning."

Riley gives Ryan a dirty look.

"You're...not nice."

Ryan did not intend to make Riley upset. It isn't that Riley is upset and in tears, but he still isn't happy with his boyfriend. "Sorry!" Ryan even managed to kiss his boyfriend on the lips in front of his brother. It's not something Ryan has done very often. It is not long after that, that Jared gets everyone to sit down for breakfast.

"Now this feels like family, thank you Ryan for completing it."

The group digs into the food and enjoys the heck of it. At the end of the meal there is very little left of it. After eating, Ryan and Riley wash their hands, then go into Riley's room, and begin to sort and pack his belonging. Jared and Caden do the same thing in their room.

***

Caden and Jared are in the living room doing some packing when Caden's cellphone rings.

"Hello, Caden speaking."

"Hi Caden, this is Kelly Conrad, I'm just calling to check in on your brother."

Caden pulls himself from the job at hand and go to the office. He needs to get away from the noise.

"Riley is actually doing really good. He recently had a checkup with his doctor and he showed some improvements with his memory and his motor skills. We're actually in the middle of packing up the house in order to move."

There is a slight pause in the conversation as Kelly takes some notes.

"Oh another move."

"Yeah, we need a little bigger space and Jared found a house that is perfect for us."

She has some concerns that she needs to address. As she mentions them, it becomes apparent that she is on the same wavelength then Caden initially was. She asked about the possibility of changing schools, being away from his friends, and a change of doctors. Her concerns though vanish as they speak.

"Thanks Caden for taking time out of your day to speak with me."

"No problem. Thanks for calling to check on Riley."

He ends the call and returns to Jared's side. The guys kick back for a second and relax a little before moving on to whatever the rest of the day may bring. The packing that they've already done gave them a jump-start on packing up the rest of the house.

***

As Caden and Jared are packing up their office, Jared's mom calls. He walks out of the office and heads into the dining room.

"Hi Mom, what's going on?"

"I got good news on the house. It is official the house now belongs to you."

Jared wants to run out and scream in happiness.

"Are you serious Mom?"

"Yes honey, are you guys packing up yet?"

Even as they are talking, the work continues in the office and in Riley's room.

"We've started on it. Caden and I have the bedroom basically packed, and Riley and his boyfriend are working on his room. We actually moved to the office and are in the process of getting the small things packed up."

Jared is happy with the news, and he can't wait to help Riley and Caden move into their new home.

"Mom, I should go and get back to packing."

"Okay Honey, I will talk to you later."

Jared walks into the office with a smile on his face. Caden just stares at him, but Jared says nothing to him. It would not do any good to tell him about the house because he already knows about it. His mom's phone call made him very happy. They continue working through the day until 4:00 pm when Ryan goes home. When the guys wrap up, Riley needs some one on one brother time.

***

Riley walks into the living room where Caden and Jared are sitting. He walks right up to Caden and looks at him.

"Can...can...we go...to the...park?"

It has been several days since they made the trek out to the park, so Caden freely agrees to head out with his brother. They head out to the car, Caden unlocks it, and then he helps his brother get out into the car.

"Caden...thank...thank...you."

His brother smiles because he knows that his brother is happy.

"You're welcome bro."

They pull up to the park, Caden stops the car, and then he helps his brother get out of the car. Riley doesn't head towards the swings as he usually does; instead, he walks towards the part of the park where the skate park is located. Caden is right behind him as he makes the trek towards the skaters. Before his frightful attack, Riley would have been right out there with these teens. Now, it seems that their enjoyment is only serving to make Riley upset.

"I...I...want to do that."

He doesn't want Caden to see his sadness, but he does not hide the fact that it is upsetting him either.

"You enjoy this Riley."

Riley looks at his brother but does not answer him. Instead, he immediately looks back at the skaters. A few minutes later, Riley looks back at this brother.

"Why...why...did...did he...do...this?"

"Why" is the problem, and it's huge problem. Their dad's problem is the reason behind this pain in Riley's heart and it's pure and simple bigotry and hate. Caden takes a deep look into his brother's eyes.

"Riley, he did because he's hateful."

Riley glances back at the crowd, and he gets a little tearful, but it's nothing that Caden can't deal with at the moment. He wants to be able to skate again and do the tricks again, and he is hurting because of it. He's struggling right now. His brother sees him beginning to get upset and decides that this trip is over with right now.

"Okay Riley, I think you've seen enough for today."

Caden can see some reluctance to leave in his brother's eyes.

"Hey, I don't want to fight you on this one buddy, but I'm leaving and you, my brother, are coming with me."

His brother is right, Riley really doesn't want to leave but he doesn't want the evening to be ruined so he agrees to leave. Together, the brothers head out towards the car. At the car, Caden unlocks the door of the car and helps his brother inside. It's another quiet ride as Riley reflects on what's he's lost. As they arrive at home, the young man just wants to be left alone. They head out of the car and into the house.

***

Riley walks past Caden and Jared in a hurry and heads straight for his bedroom. Fifteen minutes later, Jared starts dinner while Caden heads towards Riley's room to check on him. As he nears the room, he hears snoring coming from inside. Looking into the room, he can see Riley fully dressed and laying on top of the sheets in a fetal position fast asleep. It's clear that he's been crying. Caden goes back to the dining room for dinner, but he comes back alone. Jared doesn't say a thing as they eat, even though he wants to know what happened earlier. Riley doesn't leave his room for the rest of the evening. They do make sure to check up on him after dinner to see if he wants to eat. It's hard to know what's going on when Riley will not respond to their voices. Nothing about tonight feels right to the guys, they want the teen to come out and talk but he won't, and as always it breaks Caden's heart but it also breaks Jared's heart. It's obvious that he has stirred a little bit but he still won't face them. Riley wants to be left alone, so he doesn't have to talk about what is hurting him. Jared and Caden retire to their bedroom. Jared cannot take it anymore and he asks Caden what happened earlier. It's been on his mind since Caden and Riley came home from the park. It's odd that Caden hasn't talked about whatever is going on with his brother.

"Okay Caden, I know something is going on with Riley so spill it?"

At first, he ignores the question, but after a few seconds, he responds.

"He wanted to go to the park so I took him. Little did I know we would end up watching kids on their skateboards at the skate park. I think watching them on their boards reminded him about what he's losing his ability to skate. It upset him and I am sure that is what's going on right now. He's trying to deal with the pain all by himself, and he should know by now that he doesn't have too."

The guys are hoping that in the morning everything will be okay.

"He's not been out of his room all night; maybe we should forget about doing anything tomorrow and just relax at home."

Jared doesn't want Riley to be stressed, so hopefully Caden will agree to postpone the packing tomorrow.

"No way, we need to pack up the house, so if he wants to sit back and spend the day moping around that is fine, but we are packing. Besides, Ryan will be here to help out and he won't let his boyfriend mop around the house."

Caden is right. Ryan won't stand for his guy being sad. There has been enough time together that he knows how to get his sweetie to spill his guts. They both know how to make each other happy and forget whatever blues they might be feeling.

***

When Riley wakes up in the morning, he is upset not just with himself but he is also upset with Jared and Caden. He storms into the dining room, where his brother and Jared are making breakfast.

"You...you...didn't...didn't wake...me."

He directed his attitude towards the guys. Usually, Jared is safe from his teenage rants but not today.

"You...didn't...call...me...for...for...dinner."

"Okay, now you stop. You're brother tried to wake you up, and you either were sound asleep or you ignored him, so cool your attitude."

Hearing, Jared talking like that causes Riley to take a step back. Jared has never really talked to him like he just did. He's usually the good guy in almost every situation, but today he could not sit there and listen to the bull.

"I...I...I'm...sorry."

Riley quickly turns and heads back towards his room. He doesn't want them to see his tears. This time, he has Jared right behind him. His feet take him to his bed where he collapses onto the bed and puts his face into his pillow. As Jared enters the room, the sobs coming from the bed strangle his heart. He sits on the bed and rests his hand on the young man's back.

"Riley it's okay. It's okay. You have a boyfriend who loves you. An older brother who will do anything for you, and then you have me. Riley, I love you, as if you were my younger brother. I will support you no matter what. It does not matter to me what you can and cannot do. What I care about is your happiness. Your brother needs my help so; I am going to head back to the kitchen. Breakfast should be on in a few minutes okay?"

The sobbing seems to have ended, and Riley still sits there holding on to his pillow. The worst of the tears is over for now, and it takes him just a few minutes to walk out of his room and rejoin his brother and Jared.

"I'm...sorry."

Caden walks up to his brother and gives him a hug.

"You okay?"

"Jar-ed, he...he made...everything...okay."

Caden knows all too well that Jared has a way of making life okay. Everything in his life has been better since he woke up to the fact that Jared could be something more than just a friend.

"He is pretty awesome huh?"

"Yeah." It is clear that Riley and Caden agree that Jared is special guy. They sit down for breakfast and then wait for Ryan to show up so they can pack up the house or at least parts of it. For now, the crisis is over and Riley is back to his normal self. Caden and Jared have even more reasons to love each other.

***

Hey, Chuck here, if you liked this story (or even if you didn't), feel free to email me at: Hnstskr4@aol.com. I will do my best to answer all emails in a timely manner.

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