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  Chapter Three

  Marlowe woke to a pounding headache. He squeezed his eyes shut as he willed it to go away. Marlowe stilled as he felt movement on the bed beside him. Slowly opening his eyes, he drank in the sight of Angelo curled up against him. Shame hit him as he remembered crying like a baby all over him last night. Sliding out of the bed slowly as not to wake Angelo, he quickly changed clothes and left. He didn’t want to hang around to see the disgust that he knew Angelo would have in his eyes. He couldn’t handle that right now. Hearing voices in the kitchen, Marlowe made his way to the front door and escaped before anyone saw him. Maybe coming to live with Hunter wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  Marlowe drove around with no destination in mind; he just knew that he couldn’t face his own life right now. He looked at the display as his phone rang and saw that it was Angelo. Marlowe ignored it, hoping that Angelo would get the hint and leave him the hell alone. If Hunter could see that he was attracted to Angelo, then Angelo had to have seen it too. If he answered that phone he just knew that he was going to lose his best friend. He couldn’t help it that his heart wanted Angelo. It wasn’t as if he acted upon it... well, not much at least.

  By the time Marlowe pulled into the car park at the APEX Lake, he wasn’t any closer to working out what he was going to do. It sucked that this had to happen right at Christmastime. Couldn’t Hunter have waited until at least after the New Year before he did this? Sighing, Marlowe climbed out of the car, bought a coffee from the little cafe, and headed down to the benches that lined the shore of the lake.

  Marlowe glanced at his ringing phone. Since leaving home, Hunter had called him twice, Angelo had called him at least six times, Gene had called him, so had Dex, even Clay had called him. Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? He was surprised when he saw his father’s number.

  “Hey, Dad, what do you need so early this morning?” Marlowe sighed and took a sip from his coffee.

  “Son, are you all right? I had a frantic call from Hunter this morning. Kept saying it was all his fault and that you had left.” When his father stopped to take a breath Marlowe spoke, “I can’t stay there, Dad. I need to find somewhere else to live.” Marlowe fought the tears that wanted to escape.

  “What happened, son?”

  “I’m falling in love with Angelo,” Marlowe whispered quietly. “Isn’t he the straight boy that lives next door?”

  “Yup, that would be the guy.” Marlowe wiped away the tears that had fallen, despite his not wanting them too.

  “Oh, son, it can’t be as bad as you think. Where are you? Everyone is worried.”

  “At the lake, I just needed to get away and think...work out what I am going to do.”

  “You know he didn’t mean what he said. What did he say?” “It doesn’t matter. He was right in what he said. I just can’t stay there. If I do I will end up making a complete fool of myself, or more of a fool than I have already.”

  Skye chuckled. “Son, I don’t think you could ever make a fool of yourself. You’re a Weldon, and we are made foolproof.” Marlowe turned around as he heard footsteps approaching, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw his cousin and Clay. “Dad, did you tell Hunter where he could find me?”

  Skye chuckled again. “No, son. That would have been your mother. You know how she worries about you. Since Hunter is there I will let you two talk. We love you, son.”

  “I love you both too. Bye, Dad.” Marlowe hung up his phone. He stared out over the lake as he sipped his coffee, the early morning sunshine had felt good on his bare arms.

  Hunter stood off to the side and waited for Marlowe to acknowledge him. “Are you going to ignore me all day?” Hunter snapped in exasperation. Hands on his waist and one hip pushed out like a demented drama queen. The pose almost made him smile.

  “I didn’t ask you to come after me.” Turning to stare at his cousin he continued, “Actually, I don’t even know why you are here. Didn’t you say everything you needed to last night? Or maybe there is something else you want to yell at me about? Go home Hunter, I will get my stuff and be out of your hair before you know about it. Your life can go back to how it was before I came and interrupted it.” Marlowe was getting good and angry now. Standing up, he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” Marlowe was unprepared as Hunter slammed into his back and sent them both crashing to the ground. “You are not, I repeat, NOT going to walk away from me, princess.”

  Struggling until he turned onto his back, Marlowe started shoving Hunter off him. “Get the hell off me, arsehole.” “Not until you bloody well listen.” Hunter tried to pin his hands to the ground but was rewarded with a swift, sharp punch to the face. “Hey! That fucking hurt!”

  “It was meant to dumbarse,” Marlowe spat angrily. They both struggled for a bit longer until they heard Clay giggling. He had his phone out and was videoing them fighting.

  “This is so going on YouTube.” He jumped back squealing hysterically as Hunter made a grab for him. Hunter glared down at Marlowe as Marlowe began to laugh so hard that tears streamed down his face. “Thank God he has turned his attentions to you.” He shoved playfully at Hunter’s chest. “Get off me.”

  Hunter was still glaring as he stood up and helped Marlowe to his feet. “What the hell did you leave for you moron? I nearly had a heart attack when Angelo came out and asked where you were.”

  “It’s true,” Clay interjected helpfully, “the blood just drained out of his face and he turned as white as a ghost. I thought he was going to faint.”

  “Why the hell did you call Dad?” “Because, I knew if you wouldn’t answer for the rest of us you would definitely answer for him.” Hunter gave him the duh look.

  “I wish you hadn’t have called them, Mum is going to be a nightmare now.” No sooner had the words left his mouth when his phone started ringing. Sighing, Marlowe answered. “Hi Mum, no everything is cool. I am fine really. Yes Mum, I am going home right now.” Marlowe rolled his eyes at Hunter and Clay as he headed for his car. Picking his coffee container off the ground he dumped it in the nearest bin.

  r r r

  Marlowe walked into his room and dropped his wallet and keys on the bedside table. In his hands he held the day’s mail. He was sorting through it as he walked into the kitchen and flicked on the kettle.

  “Anything in there for me?” Hunter asked as he sat at the table Marlowe was still a little upset with Hunter about what he had said and done yesterday. He knew that he wasn’t one to hold grudges, well not for too long at least. His dad had taught him that even when pissed off to the max, he still needed to treat people with respect – especially family; you may just need them one day. So he knew that he would forgive Hunter, because after all was said and done Hunter was still the closest thing to a best friend that he had.

  Marlowe handed him a stack of envelopes as he turned the one addressed to him over and over in his hands. There was no return address, and no stamp, which meant that it was hand delivered.

  “What have you got there?” Hunter made a grab for the envelope and pulled it out of Marlowe’s grip. “What is it?” “How the hell would I know? Does it look like I opened it?” Marlowe turned and made them both a coffee.

  “You gonna open it?” Hunter asked as the back door opened and Angelo and Gene walked in. “If you wanna know so badly, then why don’t you open it?” Marlowe said. He felt the heat as Angelo came and stood beside him.

  “Whoa!” Marlowe spun around as Gene whistled low and long.

  “What?” Marlowe walked over and snatched the paper out of Gene’s hands. He read it through three times before it sunk in. Marlowe, my love...

  You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I have watched you from afar for so long now that I feel as though I know you intimately, and now I wonder what the touch of your skin

  would feel like. Would it be soft and smooth? Would it be warm, and smell as wonderful as you look? Would the taste of your lips keep m
e coming back for more? I think the answer is yes. There are two weeks until Christmas..., fourteen days in which I will show to you my love. I hope these gifts give you as much pleasure as I had in selecting them for you. I will send you one every second day in hopes that it will bring us closer together

  Always & forever

  Yours

  “What the fuck?” Marlowe’s hands shook as he upended the envelope and tickets for a day spa fell out into his hands. His eyes bugged out as it was the exact same spa he had been dreaming of visiting ever since Tondra first mentioned it to him.

  Marlowe turned to Clay. “Did you do this?” “No.” Clay shook his head in amazement. “Oh my God! You got tickets to Ms Melanie’s. I have always wanted to go there.” He looked up at Marlowe. “Who are you going to take with you? If you pick me, I will be your best friend for life.”

  “You’re not really going to use them are you?” Angelo asked as he took the tickets, scrutinizing them to see if they were even real. “This guy could be psychotic. You can’t trust the tickets.”

  “The guy could be nice and sweet,” Clay spat back playfully. “The guy could be a girl,” Gene added helpfully; they all burst out laughing as Clay shuddered dramatically.

  “That would be just your luck love, you finally get a real stalker and it turns out to be a woman.”

  “I already have had a real stalker.” Marlowe stared at Clay meaningfully. “Oh that! I wasn’t stalking you...well, not really. More like just following you around until you decided to give me the time of day.”

  “And this,” Angelo waved the day pass at Clay, “isn’t from you?” “Good God no! If I was buying anyone day passes to Ms Melanie’s, it would most definitely be me. Do you know how much those things cost? It is only the best spa the city of Toowoomba has ever seen.”

  r r r

  Angelo frowned as Marlowe took the tickets back and looked them over. A smile crept over Marlowe’s face. “Clay, you wanna go with me?”

  “Yes please.” Clay clapped excitedly. “When are we going?” Marlowe looked at the tickets and smiled wider. “Today; they will be waiting for us at ten a.m.” Clay looked at his watch and squealed. “That’s in an hour. I need to get home and changed, I need the perfect outfit. I can’t go to Ms Melanie’s looking like a hobo.” Jumping to his feet he pulled on Hunter’s arm. “Well get a move on, I need a lift.”

  As Clay pulled Hunter out the kitchen, Marlowe called after them, “So I guess I’ll just meet you there then.”

  “Don’t be late,” Clay yelled back as the front door slammed shut. Angelo was genuinely perplexed as to how Marlowe could just do something like this on a whim, without thinking about the whole picture. Someone definitely needed to make Marlowe see sense. “How can you just take time on a work day and just go to hang out with Clay?”

  “Well,” Marlowe rolled his eyes, “Uni is finished for me for this year and my evil day job is something I do from home so I set my own hours, besides, my boss is my dad and he isn’t here to yell at me.” Marlowe ended in a grin.

  Angelo shook his head. “I just don’t get you sometimes. You should be taking this more serious.”

  “What if it is just someone like Clay; lonely?” Marlowe retorted. “What If it isn’t? I seriously think this is a bad idea,” Angelo stated. “What if the guy is there waiting for you? He won’t like it if you turn up with a date.”

  “I will be turning up on my own, remember Clay is meeting me there. And so what, whoever it is gave me two tickets, there was no indication that I couldn’t take a friend.”

  “So you decided Clay would be the best choice. You’re taking your old stalker on a date organised and paid for by your new stalker. Doesn’t that seem even a little insane to you?”

  “Angelo, if you are that worried, maybe you should go along and make sure everything is on the up and up... like a body guard,” Gene said with a look of concern.

  Angelo smiled. “I think I will.” Turning back to Marlowe he said, “You need someone to watch your back.”

  Marlowe rolled his eyes. “I’m not an invalid, you know. I can take care of myself. I have been doing perfectly fine for most of my life.”

  “I think I will let you two argue this out.” Gene shook his head. “I have some work that needs to be finished.”

  Angelo and Marlowe didn’t even realise he was gone as they still continued their argument. “I’m going and that is all there is too it.”

  Marlowe glared at Angelo. “Have you ever thought that maybe you should find yourself a girlfriend so that you can stop butting into my love life?”

  “Love life.” Angelo snorted. “This is crazy stalker material. This isn’t love.”

  “Well, I’m still going and you can’t stop me,” Marlowe snapped as he headed towards his room to change. “I never said I was going to stop you. I said I was going to go with you to watch your back,” Angelo retorted as he followed along in Marlowe’s wake. He wasn’t the least bit embarrassed as he watched Marlowe change into a nice pair of low rise jeans and a blue form fitting singlet that didn’t quite reach the top of his jeans. Strangely it suited him. His mind came back to the here and now as Marlowe straightened his hair in the mirror and spoke.

  “I will have Clay to watch my back.”

  “Ha!” Angelo blurted. “Clay couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag.” “Oh so now there is going to be fighting.” Marlowe spun around and slammed his hands down onto his hips, in the exact same pose that Hunter had used earlier that morning. “What!? Do you think I just incite violence wherever I go?”

  “I never said that.” Angelo rubbed his face in frustration. “Look, just let me tag along. If there is nothing for me to worry about then I will go.”

  The tightness around Marlowe’s eyes softened, and Angelo felt like he could breathe easier, that was until Marlowe finally spoke.

  “Look, if you keep hanging out with me, sooner or later people are going to think you’re gay. Will you be able to handle that? I really don’t think you are gonna handle it when guys start hitting on you.”

  Angelo’s breath caught in his throat. “What makes you think that I will have guys hitting on me?” He tried for casual, to make it come off sounding like a joke, but when he saw the tightness around Marlowe’s eyes be replaced by sadness he knew he had failed.

  “You’re hot! And besides, everyone always ends up cheating on me.” Marlowe gestured wildly with his hands. “It’s like I am wearing this invisible sign that says ‘Marlowe’s got a new boyfriend, let’s see who can get into his pants and fuck him first.’”

  Sadness and anger both swirled through Angelo as he listened to the heartbreak in Marlowe’s words. How could anyone think of cheating on such a wonderful guy? Couldn’t they see that his heart was so open and full of love? “Come on, if we don’t leave now, you will be late and Clay will probably chuck a hissy fit.”

  “I don’t really wanna go now,” Marlowe sighed, and it was all Angelo could do to stop himself from pulling Marlowe into his arms and comforting him. He hated seeing his friend in pain.

  “Come on. Once you are getting pampered you will forget all the bad crap, even if it is for just a little while. Give me the keys and I will even drive you there like a good chauffer.”

  Marlowe nodded and followed him out. The car ride to Ms Melanie’s was quiet, each caught up in their own thoughts. Even Clay’s excitement didn’t seem to bring back the brightness that had once resided in Marlowe’s eyes.

  Angelo and Hunter watched as Marlowe and Clay entered into a world that neither of them would have ever been tempted to enter.

  Angelo turned to Hunter. “So how come you didn’t want to go with Marlowe.”

  Hunter winked. “I might be gay, but I am not into all that girlie crap like Marlowe and Clay. I like hanging out with the boys. My sexual tastes might run the way of girlie-looking twinks, but my idea of having a good time is go to the pub for a beer and a game of pool.” He smiled at Angelo. “What’s your tast
e run like?”

  “Do you mean what do I look for in a woman?” Pocketing Marlowe’s keys, Angelo slipped into the passenger seat of Hunter’s car. Angelo blushed as he added, “Well, I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “Yeah I am so not buying that, you’re eighteen-years-old and straight. Isn’t sex the only thing you think of at that age? Come on, there must be something you are attracted to. What is it? Big boobs, long legs?”

  Angelo shook his head. “Okay, fine I will tell you. It’s not what’s on the outside that counts. For me it’s what the person is like inside.”

  “Like what?” Hunter looked at Angelo curiously. “Like,” Angelo thought for a moment before continuing, “like they have to be kind. They have to have a great sense of humour. They have to like the same things I do...well, mostly. They need to respect others. They need to be, well, good.”

  Hunter smiled at Angelo. “You do realise that you just described Marlowe?”

  “Wrong sex.” Angelo blushed and turned his head to look out the side window.

  “But other than him being the wrong sex, you just described Marlowe to a T.” “I’m straight.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Angelo rolled his eyes at Hunter without saying a word.

  Chapter Four

  It was two days later and Marlowe lay on the couch and looked at the second gift from his secret admirer. At least he thought it was the second gift, as this time there was no note. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. What was the message? It was undeniably beautiful. It was a Christmas angel meant to go on the tree. It was as if his admirer knew that they didn’t already have one, mainly because he had broken the star trying to put it on the day they set up the tree. This one had on a white silk dress with a golden halo; her wings were made from real feathers, her face looked human.

  “What’s that?” Hunter asked as he flopped into the single recliner.

  “The next gift,” Marlowe said quietly. “Mar, this is getting a little weird don’t you think?” Hunter said as he eyed the angel dubiously.