Love Without Boundaries - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Twenty-Nine
It was Sunday afternoon; Robert’s mom and sister were going home today. He had enjoyed his time with them; but he wished it could have been longer. They rode in silence to the airport; no one said anything until they waited to board their flight.
“I wish we didn’t have to go back.” Nora said.
“I know me too, but hey I will see you for Christmas in a few weeks and I’ll be home for almost a month.” Robert said.
“Will I see you as well Preston?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Preston said.
“Good maybe you two can come with us to my first ultrasound?”
“Yes, I will gladly be there for both of you. I want to see my niece or nephew for the first time. How long do you think you have before he finds out?”
“I don’t know I’m hoping not until it is noticeable. I want to stay home as long as I can, before I’m forced to leave.”
“Just remember that Rose is his eyes and be careful about what you do or say.”
“I know don’t worry, now come here and give me a big hug.” Robert gives Nora a big bear hug. He still felt like she wasn’t thinking this all the way through. Not only was she too young, he feared what their uncle would do when he found out.
“Vince, take care of her and if anything happens I want you to call me, no matter what time of day it is.”
“I will” Vince gave Robert a hug.
“Mom I love you and I will miss you, but I will see you again soon. Don’t forget about what I asked you to do for me.”
“I love you too mijo, like I said I’ll try my best.” She hugged Robert and then turned to Preston.
“Preston, please make sure he is getting the sleep he needs.”
“Yes ma’am I will.” Preston said as he hugged her back.
“Ok come on, we have to board the plane.” Vince said.
“Ok bye guys, I can’t wait to see you again soon.” Nora said.
“Bye everyone, have a safe flight and we will see you as soon as the semester is over.” Preston said. They watched as they boarded the plane, Preston was glad that he got to meet Robert’s family. He had fun spending time with them, he was also happy they like him.
“Hey lets go get a cup of coffee before we go back to the apartment.” Preston said as they were walking back to the car.
“Ok there’s a Starbucks not too far from here.” Robert said
“No no no you are taking me to Bruegger’s, I just love the coffee there and they have the best brownies ever.”
“But that’s near the university, you sure you want to go there? What if we run into Grant are you ready for that?” Robert knew Preston hadn’t seen or talked to Grant since he caught him with his roommate.
“I know and I can’t keep avoiding places I know I’ll run into him. I’m ok now because I have you and as long as you’re with me I can do anything.”
“Ok I’ll take you to Bruegger’s.” Robert moved the gears into drive and headed to Bruegger’s bagels. He parked the car and they went inside, after they got their order, Preston wanted a table by the window. After sipping their coffee in silence Preston wanted to know what Robert really felt about his baby sister being pregnant.
“So how do you really feel about Nora being pregnant?”
“I’m not going to lie; I’m a little disappointed in her. I just think she is too young to have a baby, but I know she is happy and that is all that matters.” Robert said as he reached over and stole a chuck of Preston’s brownie.
“Hey get your own brownie.” Preston said as he swatted Robert’s hand away from his brownie.  “Come on amorcito, I paid for it, just give me a little piece.”
“Really your ok with it, you don’t wish she would do the right thing and just give it up?”
“Yes I’m ok with it because I know she would never be able to just give it away. She will always wonder how they are doing and it would make her depressed. Beside she is happy, and I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time.”
“You’re just unbelievable, if I was in your shoes I wouldn’t have been so ok with it, but that is what makes you such a great person.” Preston reached over for his hand, he loved the way his hand fit perfectly with Robert’s hands. Preston looked up at Robert, but instead of looking straight into Robert’s face his attention was distracted by someone else.  He felt like someone had dropped a bucket of ice-cold water on him. He couldn’t believe who he saw and was heading their way. Of all the people he didn’t want to run into, Ann Marie just happened to walk into Bruegger’s and she saw them holding hands. There was no way of hiding it now. Robert had noticed the look on Preston’s face and turned around to see whom he had seen.  When Robert turned around he saw it was Ann Marie; she was the last person he wanted to see.
Ann Marie got to their table; she looked at Preston then at Robert and back at Preston. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, how could Preston do that to her?  “So this is who you had feelings for, my own cousin?” Ann Marie turns toward Robert and says, “When did you turn into a homo? Have you always been a closet queer? I can’t believe you Preston, how could you do this to me? You knew how much I cared for him, I thought we were family?”
Robert couldn’t take the way Ann Marie was acting.  “That is enough Ann Marie; you just need to face the fact that I never love you. I have found someone who I do love and makes me happy. So grow up, get over it and move on with your life. Be happy for your cousin who has found someone, that is going to love and care for him the way he should be.”
“I’m so sorry Ann Marie, it just happened. Sometimes you can’t control who your heart wants.” Preston said. She turned to look at Preston; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Whatever Preston, don’t give me that crap! We all know he will leave you too, he doesn’t know what love is or what he really wants. Just don’t come to me when he breaks your heart too.” Ann Marie stormed out of the shop and Preston let her final words sink in. What if she is right, could he be able to get over it if Robert broke up with him?
Robert could see that Preston was thinking about what Ann Marie just said. He grabbed Preston’s hands and says, “Hey don’t listen to her, I know what I want. What I want is you and only you, never let anyone tell you different. I love you and I will always love you no matter what.” When Preston looked into Robert’s eyes he could see he meant it and it made him feel better.
“I love you too.” Preston said as he gave Robert’s hand a quick squeeze.
“Come on lets go back home and let me make you a nice home cooked meal.”
“Ok by the way you’re making me brownies too, since you decided to eat mine and I want ice cream on it too.”
“Anything for you amorcito” Robert said as he held out his hand for Preston to grab.
“You know you’re starting to sound really cheesy.”
“Sorry remember I’m new at this, I’ll try to ease up on the cheesiness.”
“Hey now I didn’t say it was a bad thing, it just makes you more loveable.”
“Ok cheesiness will stay but I won’t go too overboard now.”
When they got back home, Robert started making dinner for them. Preston sat in the kitchen as he watched Robert make dinner.
“You know you should teach me how to cook, I feel bad that I never really help make dinner.” Preston hadn’t been around home, so his mom never taught him how to cook. He sees how happy Robert is when he cooks; he just thinks he would enjoy himself as well.
“You don’t know how to cook?”
“Nope I wasn’t around much for my mom to teach me.”
“Well then come on over here and I will start you off on the basics.” Preston hopped off the stool and went to stand next to Robert. As Robert showed Preston how to prepare the food, he could see Preston was having fun learning and was picking it up very well.
“What did Ann Marie mean when she said you didn’t know what love was?” Robert knew he was going to ask this sooner or later, and he was hoping it was going to be later. He only had one choice and that was to tell him everything.
“Well I guess I should start from the beginning. It all started with my parents. I had never seen two people in love like they were, but when my dad left us without so much as a goodbye. I saw how heartbroken my mom was, I decided that day I was never going to allow myself to fall in love with someone like that. The moment of joy and love you feel for them aren’t worth the pain and heartache you go through when they are gone. Therefore, when I was older and started dating, I would go after girls who weren’t looking for something serious, who just wanted to have fun. I would mostly stay with these girls for about three to four months or until I felt like they were suffocating me, but when I met Ann Marie she was a different story. At first, she didn’t mind that I was emotionally detached. She didn’t hound me about being more romantic. We were having fun until the day before we came home from Spain. She told me that she loved me and I thought crap why did she have to ruin it by saying that. I didn’t feel anything for her or any girl I went out with. I just thought it was because I had my mind set on not falling in love. It made me emotionally closed off to anyone who would want to get close to me. I didn’t say it back to her; I just told her I liked her too. After I told her that, she just dropped it, until a few weeks later. When she accused me of cheating on her and just flipped out on me. The more she nagged me about it, the farther she was pushing me away. Nevertheless, I stayed with her up until she broke up with me.
“You stayed with her for me didn’t you?”
“Yes, I knew if I broke up with her you wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore.”
“You’re wrong I would have still wanted to be your friend, just because it didn’t work out with her didn’t mean I would have to give up one of my few friends that I had.”
“That would have been good to know sooner, it would have saved me a lot of trouble.”
“I know, so tell me when did you realized you were gay and in love with me?”
“I wouldn’t really call myself gay; I had never really felt like that about another guy or girl before. Love is something I hadn’t felt for someone who wasn’t family. So when I met you, I felt something I had never felt before. At the time, I just thought I had found a real friend. My whole life I only had friends who hung out with me because of who my uncle was or just because of the money. Therefore, when I saw you that day something told me you could use a friend right now. The more I hung out with you, the more I slowly realized that I was falling in love with you. I tried so hard to deny that I was falling for you. It’s not because you were a boy but because love was something I didn’t really want in my life. I felt that all the moment of joy you felt with that person wasn’t worth all the pain and heartache one feels when it ends.”
“What changed your mind?”
“You were the game changer; every day I didn’t get to be with you was torture. That was the day I realized I was in love with you for the first time, I just didn’t know how to tell you.”
“If that night hadn’t happen, do you think you would still be with Ann Marie?”
“No and it wouldn’t have been because of me, it would have been because of her. My friendship with Vera bothered her; she thought we were too close. I bet she still thinks it was Vera, well at least up until today that is. By the way, I’m sorry about that.”
“Hey it’s not your fault, maybe I should have told her about us sooner.”
“Do you really think that would have softened the blow?”
“Well yeah at least it wouldn’t have been like a slap in the face if she knew before hand.”
“You really believe that, but what about the fact that her ex-boyfriend was in love with her gay male cousin? Who, by the way is now dating him?” Preston hadn’t thought of it that way, nothing about them going out would ever be easy on Ann Marie.
“Well I didn’t really see it that way; I guess there was never going to be an easy way for her to find out.”
“Nope there wasn’t and I know that this is going to put you in a tough spot with your family. Just remember I’m always here and so is Vera whenever you need someone to talk to.”
“I know you two will always be there for me thanks for everything you have done for me.”
“Anytime amorcito, I’ll always be there for you no matter what.” Robert said as he put the final additions on their dinner.