Neal gave him directions, and Peter couldn't believe that the boy thought he could walk home. It was at least eight miles through some pretty undeveloped areas. He concentrated on his driving, trying not to think about the jailbait stretched out next to him.
"Mr. Burke?" The kid interrupted the impending trainwreck of his thoughts.
"Yeah, Neal."
"Can I tell you a secret?"
"If you tell it to me, it won't be a secret any longer."
"Why do adults always have to split hairs like that?"
Peter didn't say anything, and he kept his eyes on the road. He wasn't sure he wanted to be the keeper of this young man's secrets.
After a moment or two, Neal asked again. "So can I tell you?" His voice was quiet and unsure of itself.
Peter again reminded himself, father figure, you're a father figure.
"Yes, Neal. You can tell me."
"You won't tell anyone else, right?"
This must be important. "No, I won't."
"Promise?"
"Yes, Neal - I promise."
Neal was quiet for a few seconds, and he took a deep breath. "I'm gay."
Peter didn't say anything. He tapped lightly on the break pedal to avoid skidding as they came to a red light. He looked over at Neal, so damned young, so vulnerable. So beautiful.
He wasn't going to ask Neal if he was sure. Peter knew all too well what a devastating question that could be.
"You're practicing safe sex?"
The kid didn't answer.
"You're using condoms, right?" He hoped he didn't sound too much like a PSA.
Neal mumbled something.
"I didn't get that. What did you say?"
"I haven't had sex yet!" The young man shouted. Peter was startled - by both the shout and Neal's revalation, and he braked to a hard stop, nearly skidding into a tree.
"Sorry." Neal's apology was quiet.
"What have you got to be sorry about?" Peter thought he was about to have a heart attack.
"Dunno... Yelling. Dumping this on you. Being a gay virgin."
Peter backed out onto the road, kept the car in low gear. "There's nothing to be ashamed about."
Neal wisely let him concentrate on his driving - the snow was falling even more rapidly, visibility was practically zero. Thankfully, they made it to Neal's house - or at least halfway up the driveway without any further problems.
Then disaster struck. Neal's house was at the top of a long, curving driveway, which was completely unplowed. Peter's car, dependable as it was, couldn't hold the traction on the uphill climb, and spun out, hitting the brick retaining wall.
"You okay?" Peter's first thought was for his passenger.
Neal nodded. "I'm fine. You all right?"
“Yeah.” Peter wondered if he’d be able to get a tow truck out here in this weather.
Neal blazed a path through the heavy snow and Peter couldn’t help but shake his head at the exuberance of youth.
To say that the Caffrey house was big was the understatement of the year. It was an honest-to-god mansion, probably built in the 1920s. “You and your mom live here alone?”
Neal dumped his coat on the banister of the grand curving staircase, and put Peter’s on top of it.
“Yeah. It was my grandparent’s house. They’re dead – so it’s just my mom and me. And the housekeeper. But she doesn’t live in anymore.”
The thought made Peter’s blood chill. “So you’re all alone when your mom works late.”
Neal wrinkled his nose. “Would I be in trouble if I told you that Mom lives in the city Mondays to Fridays. She hates to waste time commuting.”
Peter couldn’t help but think what a miracle this boy was. He’d practically raised himself. But it was wrong. “I don’t know what to tell you Neal – your mother needs to be a mother first.”
Neal shrugged. “She’s not going to change. She’ll just stick me in boarding school for the rest of the year.”
Peter didn’t want that – but something needed to be done. If just to make sure that Neal didn’t do something stupid.
“Ummm, Mr. Burke. Do you want to have dinner.”
Peter sighed. “I need to call a tow truck.” He flipped opened his cell phone. Damn, no signal.
“You probably won’t get a signal out here – it always goes to zero in bad weather. There’s a phone in the kitchen that you can use.”
no subject
"Mr. Burke?" The kid interrupted the impending trainwreck of his thoughts.
"Yeah, Neal."
"Can I tell you a secret?"
"If you tell it to me, it won't be a secret any longer."
"Why do adults always have to split hairs like that?"
Peter didn't say anything, and he kept his eyes on the road. He wasn't sure he wanted to be the keeper of this young man's secrets.
After a moment or two, Neal asked again. "So can I tell you?" His voice was quiet and unsure of itself.
Peter again reminded himself, father figure, you're a father figure.
"Yes, Neal. You can tell me."
"You won't tell anyone else, right?"
This must be important. "No, I won't."
"Promise?"
"Yes, Neal - I promise."
Neal was quiet for a few seconds, and he took a deep breath. "I'm gay."
Peter didn't say anything. He tapped lightly on the break pedal to avoid skidding as they came to a red light. He looked over at Neal, so damned young, so vulnerable. So beautiful.
He wasn't going to ask Neal if he was sure. Peter knew all too well what a devastating question that could be.
"You're practicing safe sex?"
The kid didn't answer.
"You're using condoms, right?" He hoped he didn't sound too much like a PSA.
Neal mumbled something.
"I didn't get that. What did you say?"
"I haven't had sex yet!" The young man shouted. Peter was startled - by both the shout and Neal's revalation, and he braked to a hard stop, nearly skidding into a tree.
"Sorry." Neal's apology was quiet.
"What have you got to be sorry about?" Peter thought he was about to have a heart attack.
"Dunno... Yelling. Dumping this on you. Being a gay virgin."
Peter backed out onto the road, kept the car in low gear. "There's nothing to be ashamed about."
Neal wisely let him concentrate on his driving - the snow was falling even more rapidly, visibility was practically zero. Thankfully, they made it to Neal's house - or at least halfway up the driveway without any further problems.
Then disaster struck. Neal's house was at the top of a long, curving driveway, which was completely unplowed. Peter's car, dependable as it was, couldn't hold the traction on the uphill climb, and spun out, hitting the brick retaining wall.
"You okay?" Peter's first thought was for his passenger.
Neal nodded. "I'm fine. You all right?"
“Yeah.” Peter wondered if he’d be able to get a tow truck out here in this weather.
Neal blazed a path through the heavy snow and Peter couldn’t help but shake his head at the exuberance of youth.
To say that the Caffrey house was big was the understatement of the year. It was an honest-to-god mansion, probably built in the 1920s. “You and your mom live here alone?”
Neal dumped his coat on the banister of the grand curving staircase, and put Peter’s on top of it.
“Yeah. It was my grandparent’s house. They’re dead – so it’s just my mom and me. And the housekeeper. But she doesn’t live in anymore.”
The thought made Peter’s blood chill. “So you’re all alone when your mom works late.”
Neal wrinkled his nose. “Would I be in trouble if I told you that Mom lives in the city Mondays to Fridays. She hates to waste time commuting.”
Peter couldn’t help but think what a miracle this boy was. He’d practically raised himself. But it was wrong. “I don’t know what to tell you Neal – your mother needs to be a mother first.”
Neal shrugged. “She’s not going to change. She’ll just stick me in boarding school for the rest of the year.”
Peter didn’t want that – but something needed to be done. If just to make sure that Neal didn’t do something stupid.
“Ummm, Mr. Burke. Do you want to have dinner.”
Peter sighed. “I need to call a tow truck.” He flipped opened his cell phone. Damn, no signal.
“You probably won’t get a signal out here – it always goes to zero in bad weather. There’s a phone in the kitchen that you can use.”