Why I Don't Drink

They stayed on that terrace and talked about this and that until they realised how much they both had been holding on.

“I can't believe I have waited all this long and you had the same feelings for me," Dylan complained for the umpteenth time.

“It's okay. This was our time. It was good that we got to know each other first. And we also have the rest of our lives to make up for all the time we lost," Leo tried again. He had been soothing his big baby ever since he (Leo) told Dylan that he had also been in love with him since that first day they met at the university gate.

When they got to the apartment, they were both contented and happy.

Leo wanted to start planning on how to start furnishing the new house the following day but Dylan told him not to worry as everything had been taken care of. Leo wanted to go home but Dylan begged him to stay and Leo complied after they called his mom and told her that he would be spending the night at Dylan's place.

Dylan was being a big baby, literally, and clingy that it seemed as if he had been glued to Leo's side.

“I have a boyfriend now. My fantasy is reality at long last," Dylan said as he hugged Leo and Leo just let him be because he was tired of talking or trying to dodge.

After showering, they just laid on the couch and started watching a movie. Leo was lying on Dylan's chest and he never thought that another person's body could feel so warm and comfortable and soft even though it was all muscles. Then, out of nowhere, as the movie continued to play, he started speaking.

"By now you know a part of my story and how my mom got injured. I don't know how my uncle did it but I guess there was foul play for him to steal my dad's wealth but I promised myself to make him pay no matter how long it takes," he said and Dylan just kept quiet waiting for Leo to continue.

Maybe, he thought, Leo needed to speak out all he had been holding inside all these years. Dylan also needed to know the nitty gritty details that his investigators didn't get so that he could plan his revenge mission well.

"Now that I think about it, I think it was also their plan to hook me up with Emily. It was during our second semester's break that my mother held a party for Kay's 14th birthday. Emma came with her friend, Emily, and joined us. She had been invited because she was family. After the party started, mom went to sleep after Kay cut his cake and told us to finish by twelve midnight for we had plans the following day.

That's when things started getting crazy and people started drinking the alcohol they had sneaked into the party. Emma brought me alcohol but I turned her down because I had not yet clocked eighteen and mom had warned us from drinking until we were of legal age. But her and Emily insisted and I decided to take a few sips just to get them off my back.

After that I don't remember what happened. All I remember was waking up with a throbbing headache the following morning naked, with a naked Emily beside me on my bed. I was startled and kicked her out of my bed. She started crying saying that I was chasing her away after l had used her.

I swear I don't remember having sex with her but she insisted that we did it and I was the one who made the first move and so I had to take responsibility. There were also used condoms on the floor but when I thought about it after I sobered up, they were larger than my size. And that's how I got myself a girlfriend," he sighed then continued.

"At first, the relationship was good and we were happy. Then she started demanding things from me and I would use all my allowance on her. When I would be unable to meet her demands she would get angry and yell at me telling me to ask my dad for money. But I couldn't and we started growing apart because I hated the arguments. I would hide from her and make excuses when I didn't want to meet her which was always.

The worst happened when my dad passed away. After My cousin, Emma, threw us out of our house, I tried calling Emily to ask for her help. I wanted to request her to talk to her father, who was my dad's lawyer, about what happened and why my dad would leave us with nothing. She yelled at and insulted me saying that I'm not of her class and she couldn't date a pauper. I felt humiliated and I couldn't do anything about it because all she said was true. I was poor and I knew that for the few months we dated, she stuck with me because of what I could offer," Leo finished and by then tears were running freely down his face forming saddening streaks. Dylan felt his heart break as he held Leo tighter.

"It's okay Baby. It's all in the past and we will make them pay. One day we will make that Emily eat her words," he soothed lovingly as he helped wipe Leo's tears away.

“I'm here now and together, we will take back every tear they made you, your mom and your brother shed,” he added.

Leo looked at him with a smile on his face, "thanks D. I hope that that day will come soon," he sighed. "And now, you know the reason why I don't drink. It got me into a relationship I had not asked for and I wouldn't want it to ever happen again," he finished with a smile and hugged Dylan.

Dylan hugged him back promising himself never to make Leo cry because seeing the tears on his face made him feel a pain he couldn't describe.

By now, it was the credits for the movie they were supposedly watching that were running on the screen and Dylan switched the television set off as he held Leo tighter.

"They won't be able to hurt you anymore now. Not on my watch."

At that, Leo smiled and snuggled deeper into the arms of his new found love.

Who could have told him that life would be this good after going through hell?

He clos

ed his eyes and thanked his stars.