Chapter Six
The immediate aftermath is a bit of a blur to Sand. Top keeps his arms around Sand as he leads them to Sand’s room and gently lays them down on Sand’s bed. Sand curls himself against Top’s chest and lets the last of his sobs soak into Top’s shirt.
Top holds him through it, one hand gently entangled in Sand’s hair and the other curled around Sand’s back. Eventually Sand’s tears dry up and he must have fallen asleep for a while because his eye’s are gummy when he opens them again to late afternoon sunlight and Top sitting up in bed, a warm wet washcloth in his hand that he’s using to wash away Sand’s tears and the dribble of blood. A glass of water and a bowl of soup reside on Sand’s nightstand and makes Sand’s stomach rumble.
Sand slowly sits up and leans against the headboard next to Top. The whole right side of his face is throbbing and burning and his lip feels pinched. It all seems so surreal. Of course, as soon as he found out Ray was getting out of rehab Sand knew that Ray would show up on his doorstep and that it wouldn’t be pretty. But Sand hadn’t counted on that familiar bolt of fear running through his whole body at the sight of Ray, beautiful and sober and eyes full of manic delight at seeing Sand.
The anger and yelling was expected. Even the backhand wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But then Top had been there, to force Ray away, to comfort Sand, to make Sand happy.
“How are you?” Top asks as he folds the washcloth and sets it on the nightstand and picks up the glass of water for Sand to drink.
Sand grabs the glass and delicately drains the entire glass, being careful of his split lip. “I’m okay.”
Top takes the empty glass, puts it off to the side, and grabs the bowl of soup. He gives it a stir before holding up the spoon to Sand’s lips. “Don’t lie to me Sand.”
Sand swallows back more tears and instead leans forward to sip at the offered soup. He feels slightly silly to be sitting in bed and being hand fed by his barely boyfriend after his ex showed up and caused a scene. “My face hurts.”
Top nods as he offers another spoonful. “I have some tylenol but you shouldn’t take them on an empty stomach.”
“Thank you.” Sand’s voice is soft.
Sand eats the soup in silence and polishes off the entire bowl. Once he’s finished Top takes the empty bowl and glass back to the kitchen and returns with a full glass of water. He hands the glass and two pills to Sand, who gladly swallows them both at once. He finishes this second glass of water and puts it back on the nightstand.
“How did you know? About Ray.” Sand hadn’t told Top about Ray.
“Nick told me.” Top finally settles next to Sand and Sand leans heavily against Top’s frame.
“He shouldn’t have done that.” It’s ridiculous but Sand feels a stab of anger at Nick for sharing such personal information.
“Probably, but Nick did it because he knew you wouldn’t. That you didn’t consider what Ray did to you as abuse. Nick just wanted you to be safe.” Top says.
Sand mulls this over for a moment. It’s true, Sand never could bring to terms Ray’s abuse, being too wrapped up in being in love with Ray, trying to save Ray from himself. It had taken a long time after Ray was in rehab for Sand to really acknowledge to himself that Ray hitting him and berating him was abuse, drunk or not.
“He told me to leave Ray, him and my mom but I never could. I loved Ray too much. Now though…it’s like my time with Ray, even the good parts, were all a nightmare. And now he’s out and free, to simply walk back into my life whenever he wants.” Sand’s voice tapers off to a whisper.
Top does a half turn so he’s fully facing Sand, reaching out to brush Sand’s bangs from his eyes. “I’m not going to let him hurt you. He may have a rich dad, but so do I. If he harrasses you again, I want you to call the cops.”
“...okay.” Even though Sand knows it’s the right thing to do, he still feels bad.
“Hey.” Top bumps his shoulder against Sand’s. “I really do want to make you happy. I like how kind and generous you are, and your sense of humor and those gorgeous legs of yours. So maybe try and give me a chance, alright?”
Sand tries to smile, winces at the pain, and decides to interlace his fingers with Top’s. “Nothing would make me happier right now than being with you.”