Page 3 of He is Poison
“Where have you been?Who did this to you? I’ve been worried sick!”
Seth gripped hisbandaged hand. He couldn’t drag Peter into this. “Here and there,” he muttered.Time was ticking, and he only had half an hour left before someone, possiblyDomenico, would call him. But Peter wouldn’t listen to him, and seconds later,he dragged Seth into the living room, switching on the main light to look athis wrists.
“What’s wrong?” Peter’sreddened eyes were completely focused on Seth, who in turn looked away to thecollection of empty ice cream tubs on the coffee table.
Seth didn’t want to pushPeter away. He’d done enough damage in the past few months when they kept goinginto never ending arguments and refused to talk to each other for hours. Andthis wasn’t the time to mend a relationship that was hardly a bed of roses.Peter deserved peace and a guy who could take care of him, not being draggedinto the mob hell.
Seth showed Peter hishand without the little finger, letting all emotion drain from his face, eventhough he hadn’t had the chance to look at it properly either. Peter paled, andhe clasped a hand over his mouth as they both stared at the empty knucklesafely hidden by the bandage.
“S-Seth…”
“You can’t tell anyoneabout this, okay?” He gently untangled himself from Peter’s arms and got to hisfeet. Packing wouldn’t happen on its own, and he didn’t want to tempt himselfinto believing he would be coming back soon.
“No… Seth, tell me whathappened!” Peter grabbed his arm with a frown of determination.
Seth looked down at him,and it struck him that Peter seemed even more fragile than usual. “I got introuble with the wrong kind of people.” How was he supposed to explain that hisfamily was a major part of the problem?
“But… couldn’t you letme know?” sobbed Peter, clutching his spidery fingers into Seth’s bicep. Heavytears spilled down his cheeks, carrying the remainder of mascara. “I was soscared that even the police couldn’t find anything!”
Seth snapped and grabbedPeter’s cheeks to get him to focus. “What did you tell the police?”
Peter’s initial reactionwas to curl his shoulders and look away. “I… that you disappeared. What wouldyou have done in my place?”
Seth scowled and pulledhis fingers away. “I’ll take care of it. Just this… fucking hand.” He ran hisfingers through his short hair.
Peter slid his thin armsaround Seth and kissed his cheek. “But you need to come forward. What if theyhurt you again?”
“No one will ‘comeforward’ about anything, you understand me? This needs to stay between us foryour own good,” he said and unglued Peter from himself. He rushed to thebedroom, only to realize he didn’t have all that much worth taking. “And no oneis gonna hurt me, because next time, I won’t let them take me by surprise.”
The hurried sound ofPeter’s footsteps echoed behind his back as he scrutinized their small bedroom.The king-size bed took up most of the space, leaving only enough room to get tothe closet.
“Please, don’t. It’sdangerous!”
“Calm. The fuck. Down.I’ll sort it all out.” Seth took out a few of his favorite clothes, including aleather jacket, and threw them onto the bed.
Peter retreated backtoward the door, slouching with his hands curled into fists. “I can’t be calm.I’m scared.” He hid his face in his palms and slowly slid to his knees into aheap of gangly limbs.
Seth bit on his lip,frustrated to no end. He never wanted to be this monster who made boyfriendscry, but there was no way back now. “The less you know, the better.” He pulledout a small travel bag from the back of the closet and threw it on the bed aswell.
“That’s what you alwayssay,” whispered Peter from his spot on the floor.
“Because… it’sdangerous.” He finally looked down at Peter, at a loss about how to give him ananswer. “Pete… My mom is dead,” he said, and his voice betrayed him, gettingshaky. The memory of her smile had his throat constricting. She had always beenthere for him. They could talk for hours on Skype. The thought reminded him ofhis one treasured possession and made him run out to the kitchen, followed byhis shadow of a boyfriend.
“Oh my God, Seth! I’m sosorry.” As soon as Seth stopped in the small but homely kitchen, Peter crashedinto him and took him in his arms again.
“I have to leave forItaly,” Seth whispered and hugged him back, his eyes on what he’d come to thekitchen for. The recipe book his mom had made for him when he left foruniversity.
Peter stroked Seth’shairy forearm, frowning as his eyes focused on something miles away. “I couldget an unpaid leave at work. I want to help you.”
Seth swallowed, guiltcoming up his throat like bile. “You don’t understand. It’s dangerous. I—” Howwas he supposed to explain it? “I have to be out of sight for a while.”
Peter’s fingers traileddown to Seth’s hand and cradled it in a death grip. “Why can’t we be out ofsight together? I can’t bear worrying for your life again,” he pleaded in abroken voice.
“I can’t drag you intothis.” Seth bowed down to kiss Peter and pulled away to snatch the recipe book.
“But I need to bedragged into this. We’re in this together.”
“Peter, goddammit. Ihave to leave, like, now!” Seth yelled and stormed back to the bedroom to packhis stuff. “Don’t make it so hard for me. I just want… I want you to know Iloved the time we spent together.” He couldn’t bear saying it to his face andcringed when Peter became very still all of a sudden. The loud ringtone of thecell phone was a huge relief.