Behind the Secrets (Behind the Lives #4)

by Marita A. Hansen

  “I can assure you the nurses are not looking at you in that way, but if you’re dead set on leaving, I can’t stop you.” The doctor turned to Corey’s mother. “Regardless of what happens, Mr. Rata still needs to attend his physiotherapy sessions, which we can cut down to three hours a week, just as long as he does some exercises at home. Is that possible?”

  She nodded.

  “Then, I guess he can leave. Would you like me to arrange home help for him?”

  “My husband won’t allow a stranger into our house,” she said, “so my son and I will take turns looking after him.”

  “Okay, then let’s discharge him.” The doctor turned to the nurse. “Please get a wheelchair for Mr. Rata.”

  She disappeared, returning a minute later with a wheelchair. The doctor and Corey’s mother helped Sledge into it. Corey’s mother wheeled Sledge out, while Corey followed close behind, ecstatic that Sledge was coming home with him.

  ***

  Corey’s mother helped Sledge into the back of the car, then Corey.

  Sledge shifted closer to Corey and leaned his head against his shoulder. “I missed you.”

  Corey smiled. “I missed you too.”

  “Will we share a room?’

  “No, you can have Beth’s old one,” Corey’s mother said, climbing into the driver’s seat.

  “But, I wanna share one with Corey,” Sledge retorted.

  “His father won’t approve.”

  “Stuff him.”

  “Sledge,” she said, her tone stern, “you’ll be living under his roof, eating his food, so you will not be rude to him, and you’ll abide by his rules.”

  “But, I wanna sleep in Corey’s bed.”

  “You can’t, he needs room because of his injuries.”

  “I won’t bang into him.”

  “I said no.”

  “This is cos we’re boyfriends, isn’t it?” Sledge snapped.

  “You’re wrong. I wouldn’t allow Beth to have a boyfriend in her room if she was still living at home, so get that argument out of your head. You will have your own separate rooms like you did in your flat.”

  “I’ll just go to his bed like I did there.”

  “No, Sledge.”

  “Then how can I have sex with him?”

  “Sledge!” Corey gasped. “You can’t say that to my mum.”

  “Why not?” Sledge asked, looking confused.

  Corey willed himself to calm down for Sledge’s sake, especially since Sledge couldn’t help what he said, no matter how embarrassing it was. Due to his head injury, Sledge no longer had a filter to his words, the bullet causing some brain damage. Instead, he just said everything he thought, not understanding why people got upset over it. He was like a kid in that way—needing to learn what was and what wasn’t appropriate to say.

  “You can’t talk about sex around mothers,” Corey said.

  “Why not?”

  “You just can’t.”

  “But, she must know we have sex since you’re my boyfriend.”

  “God, just shut up!” Corey yelled, his eyes flicking to his mother, horrified that Sledge had said it again.

  “Don’t tell me to shut up!”

  Corey’s mother started up the car. “No arguing you two.”

  Sledge’s head snapped around to her. “But, he told me to shut up.”

  Letting the car idle, she placed an elbow on the back of her seat and turned her head towards Sledge. “Because you need to learn when it’s appropriate to say certain things. You may get away with it with me, but you will not with Corey’s father. So, please, don’t talk about sex in front of anyone but Corey. Understand?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, then understand this: if you talk about sex in front of Corey’s father, or you try to kiss Corey outside of your bedroom where his father sees you, or do anything sexual towards my son, you will be booted out of the house. So, if you want to live with Corey, you will abide by the house rules.”

  “But, I should be able to kiss Corey whenever I want.”

  “Yes, you should, but you should also respect other people’s rules and feelings.”

  “What about my feelings?”

  “I know it’s unfair, but not everything is fair in this world. You just have to learn to live with it like everyone else does.”

  “I shouldn’t have to,” Sledge grunted.

  “Maybe so, but understand this: you do not own the house you will be staying in, my husband and I do. So, if you want to stay there you will watch your tongue and hands. If you can’t do that, then I will drive you straight to Ash’s house and will leave you with him.”

  “I don’t wanna live with my brother.”

  “Then zip your very rude mouth.”

  Corey covered his own mouth to stop from laughing, the stare down his mother was giving Sledge funny as hell.

  Grimacing, Sledge leaned his head against Corey’s shoulder. “This is total bullshit,” he mumbled under his breath.

  “Sledge!” Corey’s mother snapped. “Bad language is another thing I won’t tolerate.” She turned around and drove out of the car park.

  Sledge turned to Corey. “How’d she hear that?”

  “She’s got bionic ears.”

  “Really?”

  “No,” Corey laughed, Sledge often taking things literally due to his brain injury. “She just hears very well.”

  “Oh.” Sledge placed his good hand on Corey’s leg. “I wanna kiss you,” he whispered into his ear. He turned to look at Corey’s mother, who was concentrating on the road. He smiled, appearing amused. He returned his focus to Corey. “She didn’t hear that.”

  “Yes, I did, Sledge,” Corey’s mother said, making Sledge jump.

  “But I whispered,” Sledge grumbled.

  “As Corey said, I have bionic hearing,” she replied, sounding amused.

  “Then how am I s’posed to have sex with Corey if you can hear everything?”

  “Sledge!” Corey yelled.

  “It’s an honest question.”

  “I wear earmuffs to bed,” she replied, “while Corey’s father doesn’t have good hearing.”

  Sledge sat up straight with a smile.

  Corey’s mother glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “You’re still not sleeping in Corey’s bed, Sledge.”

  He slumped back down, muttering, “Spoilsport.”

  “No, just a mother.”

  Sledge turned to face Corey. Lifting his hand to hide his face, he pointed at Corey’s mouth then at his own cock, making a cock-sucking motion with his mouth.

  Corey laughed.

  Sledge wriggled his eyebrows. “Yeah?”

  Corey nodded, then did it back to Sledge, knowing the answer would be a ‘Hell, no.’ He froze as Sledge nodded back. “You’re yankin’ my chain?” he said, not believing Sledge’s reply.

  “Yankin’ your what?”

  “It means you’re teasing me.”

  Sledge shook his head. “No, I’m not.”

  Corey’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  Sledge smiled. “Yeah.”

  “More like, fuck yeah!” Corey yelled.

  “Corey!” his mother snapped. “No bad language.”

  “Sorry, Mum,” he said, although he wasn’t, because Sledge was going to suck him off, something he never thought would happen—and no one was going to stop it from happening.

  ***

  Corey’s mum removed the wheelchair from the boot and wheeled it around to Sledge’s door. She helped Sledge into it, then pushed him around the car, stopping to help Corey out too. She leaned Corey against the car and pulled out his crutches, handing them over. After she’d locked up, she pushed Sledge’s wheelchair to the steps.

  “Sledge, can you crawl up them?” she asked.

  “I can walk up them.”

  “The doctor said you’re not supposed to put too much stress on your legs. You already did your session earlier.”

  “A few steps isn’t too much.” Rea
ching out, he grabbed the railing and pushed to his feet, wobbling.

  Corey’s mother held out a hand, Sledge taking it. She helped him up the steps slowly, looking tiny next to Sledge. Even though his mother was five-foot-ten, Sledge still towered over her slim frame. He was six-three, with a solid and muscular body. Prior to being shot, he’d been obsessed with bodybuilding, which hadn’t changed, his need for exercise often causing him to clash with his physiotherapist, who thought he was pushing himself too hard.

  “Good job, Sledge.” Corey’s mother leaned him against the wall by the front door. “That was really good.”

  Sledge smiled wide, his whole face lighting up at the compliment. “See, I can walk a bit.”

  “You most certainly can,” Corey’s mother said, lifting Sledge’s wheelchair over the steps. She settled it down next to Sledge, helping him into it. “Just don’t push it too hard. You’re shaking.”

  Sledge settled into his chair. “I’m fine,” he replied, still looking pleased. His eyes moved to Corey. “Hurry up, slowcoach.”

  Corey’s mother headed down to help Corey. He thrust his crutches at her. “I’ll use the railing too.” He climbed up the steps, then grabbed his crutches off his mother.

  “We’re a pack of cripples,” Sledge said, watching him.

  Corey stopped next to him. “We’ll get better.”

  “You sure will,” his mother said. She unlocked the front door and pushed Sledge’s wheelchair through the opening, grunting to get it over the slight rise, Sledge no doubt weighing a ton. Corey followed them inside and down the passageway to Beth’s old room.

  “Are you hungry, Sledge?” she asked, helping him onto the bed.

  “No, I had some hospital food before you picked me up,” he said, his eyes going to Corey. “Can I talk with Corey alone?”

  “Sure.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.

  “Is there a lock on there?” Sledge asked, looking around Corey.

  “No.”

  “Then put a chair under the handle, I don’t want your mum comin’ in.”

  “I can’t, I need both hands for my crutches.”

  “I won’t suck you, then.”

  Corey leaned his crutches against the bed and grabbed Beth’s desk chair, pushing it to the door. He jammed it under the handle, then got down on his hands and knees, and crawled to Sledge, not wanting to hop on his recently healed leg, Corey dogged with more than one injury.

  “Yeah, that’s the way I like ya...” Sledge grinned down at him, “...on your knees.”

  “Nah, you’re gonna be on your knees, cos you’re doin’ all the sucking.” Corey pulled himself up on the bed and sat down with a smile, so fucking excited over what Sledge was going to do. “Get down on the floor and open wide,” he said, loosening his pants.

  “Nope, I want you flat on your back, pretty boy.” Sledge shoved him, making Corey fall back onto the mattress.

  “Pretty boy?” Corey said, swinging his broken ankle onto the bed, his cock already starting to harden.

  “I say it as I see it, now strip,” Sledge ordered, tugging at Corey’s pants.

  Corey smacked Sledge’s hands away. “No, I’ll only pull out my cock just in case I needa cover up quick.”

  “Then, do it.”

  Corey pulled out his cock, which was now fully hard. Sledge stared at it, making Corey uncomfortable. “You haven’t changed your mind, have ya?” he asked, now worried. When they’d first gotten together as boyfriends, Sledge had told him he’d never suck his cock. But then again, that was before the shooting. Now, Sledge wanted to try everything, well, not everything, otherwise Corey would’ve fucked him up the arse. Shit, maybe if he asked, Sledge might let him do it, because it was like he was a totally different person. Well, sexually he was, plus he spoke what he thought instead of hiding it like he used to.

  “Nope, I still wanna suck you,” Sledge replied, interrupting Corey’s thoughts.

  Corey swallowed, again thinking this was unreal. “You absolutely sure you wanna do this?” he said, double-checking. Although he really wanted it, he didn’t want Sledge to regret it.

  “Yeah, Solomon said it wuzn’t fair that I didn’t return blowjobs. He told me it tasted good too, then offered for me to try on him.” Sledge laughed. “I have a feeling I would’ve hit him in the past for sayin’ that, but I just cracked up. I don’t think he was happy I laughed.”

  “When did he visit?”

  “He came every few days with chocolates or flowers. I told him he shouldn’t bring them, cos obviously I’m not a girl or his boyfriend, but he just said it’s what friends do. He’s strange.”

  “It’s cos he’s got the major hots for you.”

  “I know; I would hafta be blind not to see that. The nurse had to mop up his drool the other day.” Sledge sniggered. “Not literally of course. See! I can say unliteral things.”

  Corey smirked. “Unliteral isn’t a word, and just tell Solomon to fuck off if he’s bugging you.”

  “It is a word, cutie, and he’s good company. He’s helping me to remember stuff by asking me questions. I remember the warehouse he works at now, and I also remember I needa drink lots of pineapple juice.” A cheeky grin spread across Sledge’s face. “You hafta as well.”

  “Why?”

  “It makes cum tastes better. That’s what he said.”

  Corey snorted. “You’re pulling my chain.”

  “Nope, but I’m going to pull your cock now.” Sledge grabbed Corey’s dick with his good hand, making him gasp. Sledge bent down, taking Corey’s cock into his mouth, making Corey inhale sharply.

  “Fuck me,” he groaned.

  “Later,” Sledge mumbled with his mouth full.

  Corey placed a hand on Sledge’s head, staring down at his boyfriend as he started blowing him, not believing this was happening. Sledge’s mouth moved up and down Corey’s shaft, the feeling as well as the sight blowing more than his cock, his mind reeling from what Sledge was doing. He started panting, willing himself not to come too soon. Sledge began sucking on Corey’s knob, swirling his tongue around it. Corey grabbed Sledge’s head to still him, Sledge almost making him come. Sledge jerked his head back and went down on Corey again, wrapping his lips around Corey’s cock and balls, sucking on them like there was no tomorrow. Corey cried out, unable to hold off a second longer, his cock pumping cum into Sledge’s mouth.

  Sledge shot back and started spluttering, spitting out Corey’s cum.

  “Shit, sorry!” Corey said, feeling bad he hadn’t warned Sledge. But it had happened so fast.

  Grimacing, Sledge wiped his mouth. “Fuck, that wuz acidic. How the hell can you swallow my cum?”

  “You taste good.”

  “Well, you don’t.”

  “You don’t needa be mean ’bout it.”

  Sledge stuck his tongue out, wiping it.

  “Stop it!” Corey yelled. “You’re just rubbing it in now.”

  “No, seriously, you taste real bad.”

  Corey turned and stuck his face into the pillow, feeling like crying.

  “Why are you upset? I’m the one who just got my mouth nuked.”

  Corey gripped onto the pillow tighter, definitely feeling like crying now.

  “Maybe you ate sumpthin’ bad.”

  “That doesn’t affect it,” Corey mumbled into the pillow. “And I’ve only had an apple today.”

  Sledge placed a hand on Corey’s arm. “Just warn me next time so I can pull out.”

  Corey lifted his head. “You’ll blow me again?” he said, surprised.

  “Yeah, it tasted good until you nuked me.” Sledge lay down on his back and unzipped his pants, pulling his cock out. “Now, your turn.”

  “No choking me this time,” Corey said, relieved he hadn’t put Sledge off.

  “I don’t remember choking you—” Sledge’s words cut off as Corey took him into his mouth. “Fuck yeah!”

  Corey moved his mouth up and down Sledge’s cock, having mis
sed blowing Sledge so bad. He pushed his mouth further down Sledge’s shaft, opening his throat as much as possible, Sledge’s girth and length monstrous. Sledge groaned, making Corey retract his head.

  “Sssh,” he said. “My mum might hear.”

  “Okay,” Sledge breathed out, his eyes hooded.

  Corey moved his mouth back over Sledge’s cock, concentrating on the knob. Sledge moaned louder.

  Now getting annoyed, Corey pulled free. “I told ja to keep quiet.”

  “I can’t help it, it feels so good.”

  “Then cover your mouth.”

  Sledge covered his mouth. Corey moved back over Sledge’s cock, Sledge’s groans this time muffled by his hand. Corey placed his hand on his own dick, which was now hard again, Sledge a permanent turn-on. He stroked himself as he sucked Sledge, getting lost in the pleasure.

  A bang made him shoot off Sledge, someone trying to open the door.

  “Corey, what’s against the door?” his mother called out.

  She shoved it again, making Corey quickly yank his pants over his cock. He covered Sledge’s with a blanket, then pulled himself up and sat next to Sledge as his mum pushed the door open, causing the chair to clatter to the floor.

  She stepped over it, her narrowed gaze locking onto Corey. “What were you up to, Corey?”

  “He wuz givin’ me a blowjob,” Sledge answered.

  “Sledge!” Corey yelled, not believing Sledge had just said that.

  “But you were.” Sledge looked down at the bed. “I need a new blanket. Corey messed it by coming in my mouth.”

  Panicked, Corey grabbed Sledge’s mouth, covering it.

  Sledge pulled free. “Why’d ja do that for? I wuz just sayin’—”

  “Shut your mouth!”

  “No, you shut your mouth!”

  “BOYS!” Corey’s mother hollered.

  They both turned to her, Corey’s heart pounding a mile a minute, scared shitless. He wanted to cover his face with his beanie, but felt like a possum caught in headlights, waiting for the imminent crash to happen.

  His mother scowled. “I told you not to talk about sex, Sledge.”

  “You asked.”

  “I didn’t expect to hear that!”

  “That’s not my fault, you busted down the door. What didja think we were doin’?”

  “Don’t be rude, Sledge, and you have to be more discreet. For goodness’ sakes, it’s bad enough telling me, but if Corey’s father heard what you said he would punch you, then throw you out.”