Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2023 01:00:00 -0700 From: John Henry Subject: Growing Up Ry Chapter 9 (Gay/Incest) DONATION: Nifty is a not-for-profit organization that heavily relies on our donations to keep the site free and accessible. Your donations pay for web hosting fees and other day-to-day activities for the wonderful staff of editors/publishers. You can donate on the website at http://donate.nifty.org/ Every little bit counts. DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction, and contains explicit, sexual content involving adults over the age of 21 and minors under the age of 18, with scenes of incest involving step-parents/step-children, and sibilings. If viewing this material is illegal where you live, OR you're a minor under the age of 18, please stop reading this. If you're not sure about this legatilty, please stop reading until you have looked into your own, local laws. Any likeness or similarity between persons, places, products or concepts are purely coincidental. If you would like to leave any positive feedback, please let me know. Thank you. Chapter 9 Billy and Rick drove in silence. Rick was always in a mood on therapy days. Billy and Trevor tried their best to avoid triggering the older man. Unfortunately, the appointments were once a week and court ordered as part of Rick's release from the care facility. Like Rick, Billy was growing frustrated with how things were going. Both figured therapy was going to be a short term process, but after what felt like forever, Rick was still having to go. They pulled into the parking lot, and Billy came to a stop near the door. "Remember: Trevor is picking up after. I have a test and can't skip it," Billy said, as he took hold of his love's hand. Rick gave an encouraging squeeze and said, "I'm going to be fine, Billy." "I know, Dad. I know." Billy pulled Rick into a hug and gave his adopted father a covert kiss on the lips. "I love you." "I love you more," Rick said and gave his son a weak smile before exiting the vehicle. "That's impossible," Billy said with a cheerful look, which sadly wasn't returned as Rick closed the car door. Billy waited for Rick to enter the lobby before heading back to school. Rick thought about leaving once Billy pulled away. The last time he did it, though, his therapist at the time informed the judge who threatened to revoke Rick's deal. Rick agreed to stick with the plan on the grounds that he got a different therapist. "Richard Barton here to see Erica Evans," he said to the receptionist, who checked him in. He sat in a chair and grabbed a magazine. It was one he had already thumbed through but there weren't any new ones available. "Rick," the familiar voice of his therapist called after a few minutes. Rick got up and followed Erica down a harrow hall to an open door at the end. He entered the room and sat on a couch as Erica closed the door and took her seat across from him. "How has your week been?" Erica asked. Erica pulled her long, blonde hair back, and Rick finally noted just how young she looked. He guessed she was only a few years older than Ry and Billy. It only made him feel old. "Not great," he replied. "What would be helpful to talk about?" Rick took a deep breath and said, "Apparently, I'm a grandfather." "Wow," Erica said, sounding about as shocked as he felt. "Congratulations, but I'm guessing you're not happy with this news." "Far from it, actually." Erica waited for Rick to provide more context, and when that didn't happen, she asked, "Is Ry seeing someone, then?" "Nope, it's not Ry's," Rick replied then went silent once more. "Well," she said, already tired of the game Rick was playing, "Since Trevor and Billy aren't straight, that would only leave Charlie, who is 13 now?" "14," Rick clarified. "He turns 15 in March, and yeah, the baby is apparently his." "But you don't know for sure?" "Nope. Nobody will talk to me about it, especially Charlie, Ry and my ex; in fact, I haven't heard a word from any of them in ages." "How does that make you feel?" Rick scoffed. "I'm pissed! How else should I feel? It's like I'm not part of the family anymore. Billy and Trevor are deciding on their own what information I get and what I can and, mostly, can't do about it. I feel like I'm trapped and have no way out." Erica made a quick note then asked, "Have you tried talking to Billy and Trevor about this? Maybe they're unaware that the way they're treating you is making you upset?" "I've tried. God knows I've tried, but they don't seem like they want to listen. Nobody ever wants to listen." Rick dropped his head. His depression was bad and didn't seem to be getting any better. "I'm here to listen, Rick," Erica said. "Anything you need or want to talk about; I'm here." "Thanks, but you seem to be the only one lately." "But that wasn't always the case, correct?" "Yeah. I used to be able to talk to Billy's father, but that went to shit." "Because he died?" No, because he watched me molesting his son and then tried framing me for the brutal torture and murder of the man who raped my baby boy, Rick thought. "Yeah, because he died," Rick replied. After giving his statement to the police, he never talked about Will or that night, especially not to the family. "Do you feel that you can't talk to Billy because you've raised him as your own son? Sometimes that change in dynamic can be difficult, as parents often don't see their children as peers." "Billy and I have been really close ever since his mother went to prison, but there are some things I can't talk to him about?" "Do you feel comfortable enough to share some of those things with me?" Rick thought about it. He knew he couldn't keep it all bottled up forever, but he still had major trust issues and wasn't sure where Erica's loyalty lied. "Not today, if that's alright." "That's perfectly fine. We talk about it when you're ready. I will only say that, if it is something of note, it might be integral to your overall mental health and treatment., so you might want to talk about it sooner than later, just not today." "Thank you." "If we can get back to Charlie, I have some questions." Rick told Erica what little he knew about his son and the baby. Billy didn't know anything more than he did, and Trevor was trying to remain as neutral as possible, which meant not sharing more than he was allowed. Billy talked to his mother and got a little more information, especially that his niece was named after Ry's sister, who died as a child. "All of that sounds pretty tough to deal with." "Yeah, it definitely is." "What have you been doing to help yourself cope with this news?" "Sleeping mostly. I was already going through a depression spell when all this started, and I think it's just made things worse." "Have you considered starting a hobby or working on a routine?" "My mind doesn't focus for very long, so most hobbies are out of the question, and I don't do anything with my day, since I'm not working right now." "Is work something you want to get back to?" "Yeah, I loved my job. It was good money and kept me busy...sometimes, too busy." Memories and guilt surrounding Charlie flooded back in. The year their lives went to shit, Rick had been too focused on his job and personal life, which left Charlie vulnerable Justin's grooming and sexual abuse. Erica let Rick sit in his contemplation. It wasn't her job to push Rick. It was her job to provide a place for him to want to open up. The rest of the session was silent. Rick couldn't let go of his guilt and couldn't bring himself to talk about it, because it hurt too much. "Same time next week?" Erica asked, as Rick stood to leave. "Sure," he replied, "don't want to get locked up again, right?" "It isn't just about that. It's about making sure you're okay and hurting yourself." "I know," he said, "but there are other ways to hurt without causing physical harm." He closed the door because Erica could respond. ***Coming Soon, Chapter 10***