asshole,” Jayden said standing tall, he turned to Andrew. “I mean, I don’t know the situation or anything but I am not going to judge you on it until I know the facts. What Jimmy did was so uncool. We aren’t all judgmental jerks, Andrew. If you want to say what happened that’s cool, if not, that’s cool too. If there’s one thing I have learned from my parents, it’s never to judge others.”
Callie squeezed his hand and he looked at her, smiling. Jayden knew Callie understood. They had been together from the time they were children. Jayden had moved to town when he was twelve and they had hit it off immediately, starting out as best friends and eventually turning into lovers. When Jayden’s family first arrived in town everyone talked and whispered about them. No one had ever seen two gay men raising a child, but Jayden’s parents were sweet and kind and Callie had loved them immediately. Jayden truly had no patience or tolerance for judgmental people which had been why he had always been considered a freak by his peers. A banner he had worn proudly.
Andrew stepped back, shaking his head. So few people in his life had ever stood up for him, defended him, yet these two people whom he had barely met were willing to do that. He could feel his eyes moisten and was shocked at the fact that there were tears pooling there. He didn’t know what to think. His initial thought when all this had happened was that he needed to get the hell out of there but now he wasn’t so sure that was the best course of action. He was so used to shutting people out but he really didn’t want to do that anymore, especially where Madison was concerned.
Andrew stood there with his eyes shut tight as he tried to wrap his head around the last couple of hours. Since he had met Madison he had experienced feelings within himself that he had never thought he would be capable of, he had been shown a glimpse of what friendship would look like and he had seen someone look at him with adoration and kindness. She brought out a side of him that he thought would never resurface. All of this was new and exciting for Andrew but it also left him filled with an immense panic that it would slip away just as quickly as it had arrived. Nothing in his life ever worked out right and people usually proved that they could not be trusted or relied upon. Would Madison prove this as well? In the midst of his chaotic inner ramblings, he felt Madison’s warm hand wrap around his. He looked down at it, his heart racing. How was it that a 30-year-old man had never felt the intimacy of holding a woman’s hand?
“Andrew, it’s going to be okay,” Madison repeated the words he had said to her before Jimmy had so rudely interrupted them.
“Do you think we should leave? I don’t want me being here to be a problem for anyone,” Andrew said, unable to meet her eyes.
“Is that what you want to do?”
Madison looked into his torn face. She didn’t believe that leaving was really necessary but also didn’t want him to feel like he had no choice in the matter. Madison had almost always been a take charge kind of person but she was desperately trying to rein that in. As she looked at the confusion and anguish on Andrew’s handsome face, she realized that he had been given no choices in his life for such a long time. Her heart ached for the pain he had endured and she had no desire to contribute to that. As Madison watched him, he still seemed reluctant, almost waiting for someone to tell him what was to happen next. No, she would not take his choices away from him. She took a deep breath and stood directly in front of him grasping his other hand in hers.
“Andrew, look at me,” Madison said forcefully.
Andrew snapped his head up and stared into her determined eyes.
“I am not making this decision, you must make it, but I will support whatever you choose. I just want to spend some time with you, whether it’s here or somewhere else, it makes no difference
Callie squeezed his hand and he looked at her, smiling. Jayden knew Callie understood. They had been together from the time they were children. Jayden had moved to town when he was twelve and they had hit it off immediately, starting out as best friends and eventually turning into lovers. When Jayden’s family first arrived in town everyone talked and whispered about them. No one had ever seen two gay men raising a child, but Jayden’s parents were sweet and kind and Callie had loved them immediately. Jayden truly had no patience or tolerance for judgmental people which had been why he had always been considered a freak by his peers. A banner he had worn proudly.
Andrew stepped back, shaking his head. So few people in his life had ever stood up for him, defended him, yet these two people whom he had barely met were willing to do that. He could feel his eyes moisten and was shocked at the fact that there were tears pooling there. He didn’t know what to think. His initial thought when all this had happened was that he needed to get the hell out of there but now he wasn’t so sure that was the best course of action. He was so used to shutting people out but he really didn’t want to do that anymore, especially where Madison was concerned.
Andrew stood there with his eyes shut tight as he tried to wrap his head around the last couple of hours. Since he had met Madison he had experienced feelings within himself that he had never thought he would be capable of, he had been shown a glimpse of what friendship would look like and he had seen someone look at him with adoration and kindness. She brought out a side of him that he thought would never resurface. All of this was new and exciting for Andrew but it also left him filled with an immense panic that it would slip away just as quickly as it had arrived. Nothing in his life ever worked out right and people usually proved that they could not be trusted or relied upon. Would Madison prove this as well? In the midst of his chaotic inner ramblings, he felt Madison’s warm hand wrap around his. He looked down at it, his heart racing. How was it that a 30-year-old man had never felt the intimacy of holding a woman’s hand?
“Andrew, it’s going to be okay,” Madison repeated the words he had said to her before Jimmy had so rudely interrupted them.
“Do you think we should leave? I don’t want me being here to be a problem for anyone,” Andrew said, unable to meet her eyes.
“Is that what you want to do?”
Madison looked into his torn face. She didn’t believe that leaving was really necessary but also didn’t want him to feel like he had no choice in the matter. Madison had almost always been a take charge kind of person but she was desperately trying to rein that in. As she looked at the confusion and anguish on Andrew’s handsome face, she realized that he had been given no choices in his life for such a long time. Her heart ached for the pain he had endured and she had no desire to contribute to that. As Madison watched him, he still seemed reluctant, almost waiting for someone to tell him what was to happen next. No, she would not take his choices away from him. She took a deep breath and stood directly in front of him grasping his other hand in hers.
“Andrew, look at me,” Madison said forcefully.
Andrew snapped his head up and stared into her determined eyes.
“I am not making this decision, you must make it, but I will support whatever you choose. I just want to spend some time with you, whether it’s here or somewhere else, it makes no difference
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