Dark City

47.

Every day since Nathan left him stranded on route 195 had been a new chapter of loneliness for Tom. He never really thought about the fact that he didn't have any other male friends. He had family, lovers, acquaintances and Nathan. What would it take to be forgiven? An apology from the heart? A beat-down? Whatever it was, it would be worth it to restore some normalcy. Winter was over, and it was time to make things right.

Tom strutted across the street and rang the bell at Nathan's house. The wind chime rang sweetly as a breeze tousled its silver rods. Eleanor answered in her bathrobe.

"He says he's not home," she said bluntly.

Tom kicked the ground and scuffed his shoe. "Come on, Mrs. Stone. I really need to talk to him."

Eleanor sighed. She started to close the door, but Nathan pushed her aside.

"What do you want?" Nathan asked, bursting through the screen door. Tom stumbled backward and caught himself on the bottom porch stair. Nathan shoved him.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry," Tom said, holding up his hands defensively. "I know you can resist that kind of thing just thinking about honor, duty, and country and shit but I'm not that strong."

Nathan shoved him again until they were both standing on the lawn. Tom's shoes squeaked over the surface of the slippery grass.

"Hey, you broke up with her," Tom said in his defense.

"So?"

"So, you can't just say she's your forever girlfriend!"

Nathan slugged him. The contact made a sound like a wrench in a dryer. Pain shot through his neck. Tom choked on his blood and caught part of a broken filling with his tongue, spitting it up.

"My tooth!" he cried in amazement. Tom pushed on Nathan's shoulders, but his friend barely budged. "You broke my tooth over a V-card?"

Nathan lunged forward, grabbing Tom's legs and wrestling him to the ground. Tom's head whipped backward and smacked against the dirt.

Eleanor screamed.

"Go inside, mom!" Nathan's frame and height gave him an advantage. They writhed in each other's grasps. Tom slipped his hold, but Nathan crawled after him and pulled him down. This was unbearable. Tom coughed as his ribs hit the ground. Nathan pinned him, crushing him with his weight.

"Was it everything you hoped for, you fucking pervert?" Nathan asked.

Tom struggled to speak. He couldn't get any words out. Nathan pressed the back of Tom's skull and gave him a mouthful of wet soil.

"Always talking about how hot my girlfriend was. I should have seen it coming!"

"Ex-girlfriend," Tom corrected, spitting up dirt. They wrestled to the brink of exhaustion until finally Nathan rolled off him, falling flat on his back. They lay side by side on the lawn, Tom coughing. His body trembled with relief that it was over. The two stared up on the sky, panting. Then Tom looked over and saw the tear falling out the corner of Nathan's eye.

"Why would you do this to me, Tom?"

    "I'm sorry," Tom said, sitting up on his hands. He felt tears of his own falling on his wrists. "Nathan. I swear to God, I'm sorry. I fucked up, but I care about you, okay? I swear I'll never screw up like this again."

Nathan covered his eyes with the crook of his arm. "It's not even that I want her for myself. It's weird. I don't want anyone to have her. I don't want anyone to hurt her." Nathan sat up and Tom gave him a hand getting back on his feet.