Part Forty-Eight
Corey stepped into his apartment top the sound of the phone ringing. Sighing, he walked over and picked it up. “Yeah?”
“Corey.”
“Father,” came Corey’s resigned sigh.
“I need you to listen carefully, I…”
“No.”
“What?”
“No, I’m not going to listen. I told you before, I don’t want to have anything to do with this anymore.”
“Corey, you know what will happen if you disobey.”
“I don’t care. I don’t need your money. I can get a job and support myself.”
“So you think you don’t need me anymore?”
“No, I don’t. You can’t keep fucking with people’s lives like this. You’re not God!”
“I might as well be. But go ahead, enjoy yourself while you can.”
Corey stood there dazedly, hearing the click as Vincent hung up the phone. Numbly, he placed the receiver back in the cradle.
** One Month Later **
“This is so exciting! I can’t believe we’re actually here,” said Xander excitedly.
“Hey, now you’ve got no reason to say I never take you anywhere nice.”
Xander grinned at Corey. “Sure, you take me nice places all the time. On the roof of the Bronze, in the restrooms at Wal-Mart, the back of your car…”
Corey whacked Xander lightly on the back of the head. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“I wonder how big the stalls are in the restrooms here,” said Xander thoughtfully.
“Xander…”
“Xander?”
Both Corey and Xander turned around when they heard a light male voice saying his name. “Yes…” said Xander slowly. He took in the light brown hair and brown eyes of the gorgeous young man standing before him. “J-jesse?”
Jesse grinned, “Man, you look amazing.”
Xander gulped as he took in the tight leather pants his former boyfriend was wearing. “S-so do you.”
“Baby, who’s this?” asked Lindsey coming up behind Jesse.
“Linds, this is Xander. Xander, this is Lindsey, my boyfriend.”
Xander shook Lindsey’s hand, staring all the while.
“Put your tongue back in your mouth and introduce me,” whispered Corey mock-angrily.
“Uh, oh, this is my boyfriend Corey.”
Corey gave the two men a sexy grin and pulled Xander close. “It’s nice to meet you. Maybe we can talk more after the show.”
“Great idea,” said Jesse enthusiastically. “There’s this great coffee house not too far from here.”
“Oh, Faith, the stars are singing again,” sighed Druscilla happily.
Faith ran her hand through Druscilla’s hair as she spoke,
“And what are they singing? Any
songs I know?”
“No, they sing of things to come. They’re singing about the kitty again. He made the sharp clawed one angry.” Druscilla stopped and looked straight into Faith’s eyes, “The kitty’s going to do something that nothing can change, no matter how hard they try. He shouldn’t do it, but he does. And the lights are almost gone; soon nothing can dispel the dark that envelops them.”
“Do they say anything else, Dru?”
Dru settled back into Faith’s arms. “The stars told me the sweet one will hurt, he’s going to hurt badly. The kitty couldn’t help himself, he’s an automaton, same as the light-not-lights.”
“What?”
“Take away the controls and the robot goes crazy,” giggled Druscilla. “And just think of what will happen when the angry one and the silent one have a bad fall. Everything’s going to change. It’s what the world does. Moves, further, further, like the stars. Will you sing for me, Faith? Sing a pretty song, like the stars?”
Jesse and Xander sat at a small table near the back of the House of Caffeine. Lindsey and Corey had gone to the restroom, leaving the two alone. “So, Corey seems like a great guy, and damn,” Jesse grinned, “is he hot!”
Xander blushed slightly and grinned back. “Yeah, so’s Lindsey. So he’s a lawyer?”
“Yeah, and a damn good one too. That’s what I’m going to be, as well. I’ve already been accepted into this great private college.
What about you? Any plans for the future?”
“Well, I haven’t really decided yet. Dad and Liam are taking me to Europe this summer, to meet the grandparents and just get out of America for a while.”
“What about Iam? He going with?
“No, he spends every summer in New York.”
“Who’s Liam?”
Xander pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to show Jesse a picture. “He’s Dad’s lover.”
Jesse looked at the picture. “Who’s the girl?”
“Oh, that’s Liam’s daughter, Dru. She’s an absolute doll, well, most of the time.”
“You talkin’ smack about me again, Xan?” asked Corey slipping into his seat and winking at Jesse.
“Of course I am. I live for every moment you’re away.” Xander wiggled his eyebrows, “There’s nothing like dissecting all your flaws the second you get out of earshot. Seriously, Jesse was just asking about Dru.”
“Oh, well, then.” Corey settled back into his seat, moving his chair minutely, grinning at Xander.
Xander pouted at Corey. “Didn’t
you miss me?”
“Of course I missed you.”
Jesse watched, laughing quietly as Xander pouted harder. “Then why are you all the way over there?”
Corey leered at Xander subtly, “I’m only half a foot away from you, Xan.” He started scooting closer.
“So that’s where he learned it from.”
All three young men turned and looked at Lindsey. “Huh?” asked Xander.
Lindsey smiled. “The pout.”
Corey laughed, “Have you figured out how to not give in?”
“There’s no known defense for it,” said Lindsey is mock-resignation.
“Damn, I was hoping you knew and would share with me.”
“Oh, come on,” laughed Lindsey. “Do you know how many places we would’ve been banned from if Vincent hadn’t pulled strings?”
“Banned?” chuckled Xander curiously.
“Vincent?” asked Corey under his breath.
“Yeah, Lindsey has a slight control problem when it comes to sex in public places.”
“Me? I do believe you’re the one who can’t restrain yourself.” Lindsey grinned, “I mean, who was threatening to withhold sex if we didn’t do it in the dressing room just last month?”
“Yeah, well…”
“Yeah, he’s at the House of Caffeine right now, boss.”
“That’s nothing exciting,” said Vincent, idling toying with a dart. “Those two go there all the time.”
“Yeah, but they’re with a couple other blokes,” said Rever.
Vincent tossed the dart at the board, then picked up another and turned to face Rever, “So? They do have friends? But then again, you wouldn’t be telling me this unless they were with someone they shouldn’t be, now would you?”
“Xander and Corey.”
Vincent laughed.
Iam had watched as Corey and Xander left the concert with two other guys. Seething inside, he wondered why Xander couldn’t seem to see him anymore. Everybody but him. And Xander was still just as infatuated with Corey now as he had been when they’d first met. “Gotta find out just who he is. I know he’s hiding something,” muttered Iam to himself. It wasn’t the first time he’d had this thought, but this time was different, this time he would know just who Corey was.
“Iam, man,” said Oz, a bit worried. “You’re talking to yourself again.”
“Hey, Oz, wanna help me do a bit research when we get back home?”
Oz looked at Iam suspiciously and cocked his eyebrow at the other man. “What kind?”
“Oh, come on, just a bit of background research, harmless, really.”
“On Corey?”
“Well, yeah… So you gonna help me or what?”
Oz shrugged, “Sure.” He’d gotten weird vibes from Corey and completely understood how Iam felt. There was something strange going on with Corey. He highly doubted they’d find anything, but Oz would help his friend. Otherwise, he was afraid of the trouble Iam could get into.
“Great!”
Corey turned to Jesse, a bit nervously. “Hey, I have something I need to ask you.”
“Ask away,” said Jesse nonchalantly.
“Can we go somewhere, you know, more private?” asked Corey, shooting a quick glance at Xander and Lindsey.
Jesse gave Corey a searching look that reminded Corey too much of his father before replying, “Of course.” Getting up, Jesse stretched while Lindsey watched appreciatively. “Be right back.”
Corey jumped up, “Yeah, me too.”
Watching the two walk away, Xander wondered where they were going.
“Oh, don’t worry,” said Lindsey. “Jesse’s probably going to go jump Corey in the restroom.”
Xander realized he must’ve been thinking out loud. “What?” he asked, a bit angrily, to what Lindsey had said.
Lindsey grinned, “I was just kidding.”
Xander smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Nah, so tell me more about your house. It sounds pretty cool.”
Jesse led Corey out into the parking lot. “So, what did you want to ask me that you couldn’t say inside?”
“Well…” Corey suddenly couldn’t find the words to ask. Taking a deep breath, he tried again, “The man who adopted you, what’s his name?”
“Vincent Cambridge,” said Jesse.
“Shit,” muttered Corey.
Jesse quirked an eyebrow at the quiet exclaimation, “Why?”
“Look, it doesn’t matter,” said Corey hurriedly. “Let’s just go back inside.”
Grabbing Corey’s arm to prevent him from moving, Jesse asked again, “Why?”
“How much do you know about him?”
“What has that got to do with anything?”
“Everything,” spat Corey. “Now tell me what you know.”
“Everything. I know who he really is, and that he’s Iam’s father. Now, you tell me why you want to know,” said Jesse harshly.
“Because he’s my father, too, and I want to get Xander the hell away from you, and him, as fast as possible.”
Jesse released Corey’s arm and staggered back a couple feet. “You… he… No, you can’t take Xander away. I’ve only just gotten to see him again.”
“Yeah, well, where there’s you, there’s bound to be ‘his’ people, too. Shit, man, you know what he’ll do when he finds out, and you know he will, that you met me. It won’t be pretty.”
“Come on, he trusts me. Why the hell would he have me followed?”
“Because that’s the way he is,” sneered Corey. “Vile, twisted fuck like him feels the need to know everything.”
Jesse stared at Corey thoughtfully for a minute. “And just what the hell are you doing with Xander?”
“Use your imagination, I’m sure you can figure it out.”
“Well, I’m definitely thinking that it’s a little too coincidental for you to be in Sunnydale and dating Xander who lives with Iam. So, maybe Father wants to keep an eye on Iam, right? Cause I’m assuming Iam has no idea who you really are, now does he? Or Xander, for that matter.”
“Look, you don’t understand. Yeah, that’s why I was originally sent, but…”
Sneering, Jesse interrupted, “But what? You can’t bear to go on doing evil?”
Corey narrowed his eyes, “Now look here, two years ago I told my father I wouldn’t have anything more to do with his shit. And since then, I haven’t. There’s no way in hell I could ever do anything to hurt Xander. And if that means facing off against my father, well, fine. But I do not have to explain myself to you. You’re just a little carbon-copy of him.” With that, Corey stormed back into the restaurant.
Xander watched with wide eyes as Corey came up to the table angrily. “C’mon, Xan, we’re leaving.”
“What? Why?” asked Xander confusedly, as Corey tugged him up out of his seat.
“Look, I’ll explain in the car. We have to leave, now.”
Jesse came up behind Corey. “Xander, don’t listen to him, you don’t have to leave. Sit back down, I thought we were having a good time.”
Xander stood in indecision, studying first Corey then Jesse in confusion.
“Please, Xander,” said Corey, desperation staining his voice.