Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #82 (19.5)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Ryan and Ben want to get away from Cameron's house as quickly as possible,all things considered. But where to go? Ryan's stepmother has the perfect solution - a trip to St. Louis! Can they get away from a bad situation unscathed? See what's going on in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

In Pieces #82 (19.5)

“I guess we’ll Uber to the airport,” Ben said. Aiden and Abby had taken the van for the trip to Atlanta, and Deacon and Keanu had already taken an Uber to the airport. The keys to Cameron’s sedan sat on an end table in the foyer, where he could easily find them.

“Sounds good,” Ryan agreed. He was happy that Ben seemed as delighted as he did at the prospect of going to St. Louis to stay with Cassie. He’d been apprehensive, considering Cassie lived in the same house where he and Ben had lived as boys, unsure what bad memories might linger from that time. But when Ben had finished using the Uber app, and Ryan mentioned his misgivings, Ben just shook his head.

“That’s the place where I fell in love with you, Ryan,” he said, almost shyly. “Those are the best memories, you and me together.”

Ryan’s cheeks warmed at Ben’s words. “I couldn’t agree more. Want to wait for our ride outside?” The sooner they were out of this place the better, he couldn’t help thinking. They might not know where they would go after St. Louis, but he sure as hell wanted to forget where they’d been.

“Good idea,” Ben said. Carrying their bags, they exited the house, locking the door behind them. “No reason to go back here ever. Good riddance…”

“I see a car at the end of the drive,” Ryan said, shading his eyes to squint into the distance. “That was fast.”

Ben frowned. “I thought he said fifteen to twenty minutes. Maybe he was closer than he realized.” He too looked toward the approaching vehicle. “Shit, shit, shit. That’s no car, it’s a truck.”

Ryan realized his mistake immediately. Cameron was back. Well, they could put up with him for the few minutes they had to wait until their Uber arrived. With any luck, and a little bit of common sense on Cameron’s end, maybe he would avoid them completely.

No such luck, of course.

Cameron parked his pickup and hopped out. Rounding the bed of the truck, he strode straight toward them, a huge smile of greeting on his lips. “Hey guys, almost missed you didn’t I?” He glanced at the luggage on the ground at their feet.

“Bad timing on our part,” Ben said wryly.

“No harm done,” Cameron said jovially. “You guys will be back in a week or so. We can catch up then.”

Ryan tried to keep from showing the amazement he felt at the older man’s words. Was he really that clueless? Or was he playing some kind of game?

“We’re not coming back,” Ben said. “Ever.” Ryan was proud to hear the note of confidence in Ben’s voice. As if he’d faced his demons and didn’t have to worry about them anymore.

For just a moment, Cameron’s smile slipped, but then he recovered himself and playfully punched Ryan’s arm. “I know you’re just kidding me, aren’t you? Can’t fool me.”

“Don’t touch him!” Ben almost snarled, moving protectively between Ryan and Cameron. “Never touch him. Or me.”

“I’ve never laid a finger on you,” Cameron protested. “Your mama warned me you were off-limits, but she never said anything about the rest. This one’s a cutie, don’t you think?”

“I think you’re disgusting is what I think,” Ben replied. “Pretending to be our friend all this time. Our benefactor. When all along you knew it was her, and you never said a word. Not to mention, you haven’t left Abby alone since you met her. I don’t even care which team you play for, but you sure as hell need to leave every one of us alone. You read me?”

“Loud and clear,” Cameron said smoothly. “But before you get all high and mighty on me, I know about you and Liza, so just don’t. Not that I care. I have my own kinks, and Abby answers those pretty well. I mean, just knowing what that pretty gal has been her legs makes me want to —“

Whatever his desires toward Abby might be, Cameron never got to say, interrupted by Ben’s fist pounding into his mouth. Cameron staggered backward, but didn’t lose his balance. His hand flew to his face and came away bloody.

“Son of a bitch!” he swore. “Seems like you have more of your mama in you than I realized. She can be a real spitfire too. Especially in the bedroom. Go on and leave if you like, makes me no never mind. But just remember this. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. And know that she’ll find you, wherever you are. You can’t hide from Liza.”

Ryan was ready to punch the miserable bastard himself, but Ben laid a restraining hand against his chest, clearly in control of the situation. Luckily, just then their Uber arrived.

Perfect timing.

The driver jumped out of the car and opened his trunk so they could put their bags inside. He gave Cameron a curious look but said nothing. Opening the passenger door, he returned to the driver’s side. Ben waved Ryan inside, then followed him. Just before he took his place inside, he looked at Cameron and said loudly, “Fuck off.” Then he settled on the back seat, closed the door, and told the driver they were ready. Probably picking up on the tension in the air, he asked no questions, just stepped on the gas, heading around the circle and back up the drive.

Neither Ryan nor Ben looked back. Ben took Ryan’s hand in his. Their glances met. “Now we live our lives,” Ben said.

Ryan hoped that was true. But the question was did they still have Liza to contend with?

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp

Carol Pedroso

Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #80 (19.3)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Looks like Liza is up to her old tricks. Ben and Ryan are more determined than ever to get out of her financial grasp, no matter what, although they have no idea how to do that. See what's happening with them in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

In Pieces #80 (19.3)

Once the rest of the band arrived, they all went to breakfast at a nearby restaurant, Marge’s treat. The atmosphere was somewhat subdued, not surprising considering everything that was going on. But once they all ate, they began to relax a little. Ryan appreciated that everyone was so considerate of both Ben and Abby. That was just one of the things he loved about them. Afterward, they returned to the motel and Marge checked out. She dropped Ben and Ryan at the park on her way out of town, so they could retrieve Cameron’s sedan.

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure out something,” she said when she hugged them good-bye. Ryan hoped she was right.

A light rain was falling by the time they got to the motel, so hanging out at the pool wasn’t really an option. Ryan decided to work on the book. He sat on the edge of the bed, Ben curled up beside him, and wrote for a while. He thought everything was going pretty well so far. His goal was to let the personalities of the various band members shine through his words. They already had a fan base, but hopefully the book would get more people interested in them and their music.

After a couple of hours, he shut down his laptop and he and Ben made love, then took a nap. When they woke, they took a shower and dressed, then met the others for dinner at a local burger joint. They discussed the schedule, as well as the week off that was coming up.

“I figured we’d hang out at Cameron’s until we hit the road again,” Aiden said. “But now I’m not so sure I want to. Guess it depends on if he’s there or not.” Nobody had to ask who he meant. “On the one hand, I hope he isn’t, but on the other, I am dying to knock his stupid ass out.”

Ryan could easily understand how Aiden felt. He felt the same way, even though he wasn’t usually given to violence.

“We’ll work it out when we get there,” Ben said. “No sense in worrying about it now. Besides, you know how he is. Comes and goes, no rhyme or reason. It’s just as likely he won’t be there. Either way, we’re parting ways with him, once I sort out our financing.”

“Good riddance,” Abby said. Ryan thought he saw dark circles under her eyes. Maybe she wasn’t sleeping very well. Not surprising, under the circumstances.

“Something’ll work out,” Deacon said, his usual optimistic self. “We just have to believe in ourselves.” Ryan appreciated his outlook. He just hoped the other man was right.

The next day was sunny and warm. They drove the short distance to Lafayette and quickly found their motel and checked in. They weren’t due onstage until nine, so they split up for the afternoon. Deacon and Keanu opted to stay at the hotel in order to check out the pool, but they weren’t fooling anyone when they made a beeline to their room. Aiden and Abby decided to walk around the area and get some exercise, so Ben and Ryan took the sedan and drove around Lafayette. Ryan offered to drive, so Ben scooted up against him in the front seat and played navigator.

They stopped for lunch at an Indian restaurant. The food was delicious and the proprietor very friendly. They were feeling pretty good by the time they returned to their hotel.

“Whoa, when they say spicy, they really mean it.” Ben laughed as he used his key card to let them into their room. “I’m glad I didn’t order it any hotter than I did. That might—”

Ryan had been trailing Ben, listening to him, when he heard Ben’s words stop abruptly. He looked at Ben in surprise. Ben was staring at something in the room. Oh no, it couldn’t be, could it?

But when Ryan moved past Ben, intending to shield him from harm, all he saw at first was a large flower arrangement sitting on their dresser. Then he spotted the card attached to it.

All my love, L.

What the fuck? Really?

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp

Carol Pedroso

Wednesday Briefs: In Pieces #78 (19.1)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Ryan and Deacon found Ben and all's well. Now everyone is getting some much-needed rest. But what comes next? See what's going on in this week's chapter of In Pieces. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

In Pieces #78 (19.1)

The ride back to the motel was a quiet one. Mercifully, Deacon asked no questions, just hugged Ben before letting them both into the van. Ryan and Ben shared the passenger seat, Ben in Ryan’s lap, which was probably highly illegal. Luckily, they met with little traffic at that night of night, and the one police car they saw passed them by without a second glance.

When they returned, they found everyone still awake, waiting intheir room. “Guys, I’m so sorry,” Ben began, but Abby quickly shushed him, pulling him in for a hug.

“Don’t be, we’re just glad you’re okay.” She kissed his cheek, then gave Ryan a warm smile of encouragement.

Thank you, Ryan mouthed.

“We should probably all get some sleep,” Deacon said, stifling a yawn. “Tomorrow’s an off day, so no reason to get up early. We’ll catch you all tomorrow sometime.”

“Yeah, sleep sounds good,” Keanu agreed. For once, his words held no innuendo, sexual or otherwise.

“What about Cameron?” Ryan asked, concerned.

Aiden and Abby exchanged glances. “If he has the nerve to come back, I’m going to show him how eunuchs are made,” Abby said, no trace of humor in her voice.

“I think I’d pay to see that,” Keanu said and everyone laughed.

“Why don’t you guys crash with us?” Deacon suggested. “We have two beds, not a problem. Deal with that sleazeball later.”

“Yeah, okay,” Aiden said. “Thanks, man.”

Deacon, Keanu, Abby, and Aiden all said their good-nights, with renewed promises of texting one another the next day, leaving Ryan and Ben alone in their room. Ryan could tell Ben was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Sleep was the best remedy he could think of that. That, and a whole lot of Ryan’s TLC.

It occurred to him, perhaps belatedly, that Liza could show up again, since she knew which room was theirs. But he suspected she wouldn’t. At least he hoped not. He thought about complaining to someone at the motel about them letting her into their room but decided it didn’t matter since they were probably leaving soon anyway.

“Let’s get ready for bed,” he suggested.

“Good idea,” Ben agreed, but he made no move to rise from the edge of the bed where he sat. Ryan, standing beside him, leaned down and hugged him tightly before helping him up. Removing the priest’s garb, he hung it up in the closet, then knelt at Ben’s feet to take off the black boots and socks he was wearing, leaving him naked. He watched Ben remove his contact lenses and set them into their case.

“Be right back,” he said, heading toward the bathroom. Ben’s things took up half the space by the sink. Ryan found his make-up remover, then dampened a wash cloth with warm water and took them with him. He gently wiped at the smeared mascara, than used the remover for everything else. Once that was taken care of, he removed his own clothes and set them up.

“You want anything before we go to sleep?” he asked Ben. He would get dressed again, if necessary, and get Ben anything he wanted. Belatedly, he realized they’d left the sedan behind. That could wait until tomorrow.

“Only you,” Ben said.

Ryan could do that. “You’ve got me,” he promised him. “Now and forever.”

He turned down the blankets, then loosened the too-tight sheets where they were tucked in at the foot of the bed. He hated the way those felt, too constricting. Then they climbed into bed. Ryan laid his head on Ben’s chest, listening to the comforting beat of Ben’s heart. He felt Ben’s fingers in his hair, stroking and caressing. No words were exchanged between them, but none were necessary. They were together and that was all that mattered. At some point, Ryan fell asleep.

Ryan wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard his phone ring. Opening one eye, he saw their motel room fairly flooded with daylight, so it couldn’t be too early. He stole a quick glance at Ben, to see if the sound had disturbed his sleep. He never moved, his mouth slightly open, softly snoring.

Ryan rolled out of the bed, grabbed his phone from the nightstand and carried it into the bathroom, closing the door. Glancing at the Caller ID, he recognized the number immediately.

“Hey Cassie,” he said, pitching his voice deliberately low so as not to bother Ben.

“Hey yourself, stranger.”

Cassie’s familiar voice sounded so good, especially right now, that Ryan had to fight hard not to break into tears. He wasn’t going to give her any reason to worry about him. At her next words, he realized it was too late for that.

“Sweetie, what’s going on there? Is everything all right?”

“Um… why do you ask?” Ryan hedged, trying to think. What would make her thing something was wrong?

“I got this strange call in the middle of the night. Some crazy woman who said she was Ben’s lover and that you needed to stay away from him or she would make life difficult for both of us.”

What the fuck?

“Damn,” Ryan said softly.

“I waited to call you, so I wouldn’t wake you. Who is she and what is she talking about? Ryan, I’m scared for both of you.”

“She’s his mother,” Ryan said with a soft sigh. “Liza.”

His words were met with silence, then a startled, “Holy shit.”

Holy shit indeed.

“You know I’m here for you, Ryan, right? And for Ben too.”

Ryan knew that, and the knowledge warmed his heart.  “Oh God, Cassie.” He tried not to sob. Too late, the tears had already begun.

“You don’t have to tell me anything, just know I want to help,” Cassie said. “I love you, Ryan Fremont.”

“I love you too, Cassie,” he said. Then he began to pour out his tale.

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp

Carol Pedroso