Chapter 13

*

"So, how was your first day?" I asked as we walked into the house. Stanley and I had had a quiet drive home; after I gave up trying to get him to talk in the car. He looked at me annoyed but said nothing and I laughed. "Did you make any friends?" I asked when he turned to leave.

He stopped and sighed looking at me again.

"What the hell do you want from me, Jordan?" He asked, "We've been through this, I –"

"Really need to lighten up and try to make friends." I cut him off. He glared at me. "You hungry?" I asked hanging the keys up beside the door.

"Was that Ben's call you didn't pick up after I left?" He ignored my question, "Having trouble?" He raised his brows seeming amused.

"No, if we were it's nothing you need to worry about."

"I'm not worried, I'm happy if you're all unhappy." He shrugged, "Especially him."

"Are you hungry?" I asked again.

"I have to go somewhere. I'll be back late, don't look for me."

"Where?"

"Nowhere you need to worry about." He replied simply and disappeared behind the wall that hid the hallway to our rooms.

He was going to ignore the curfew Ben had set this morning, neither of us had actually thought he would listen but I knew Ben would be ticked off by the fact that Stan was going to disobey him anyway.

I bit my lip as I heard a car in the driveway. Should I listen to him try to explain what they were doing?

I watched the door as it opened and Ben walked inside looking slightly distraught.

"Jor –!"

"What?" I cut his call off and he looked at me surprised.

"Uhm... You-you spoke to Alexander –"

"Whoa. I thought I wanted to listen to this, but I don't. I'm going to bed." I muttered waving my hand at him.

"Jordan, no. Listen to me –"

"Ben, I have listened. What's new? You're going to tell me this was the last time, the last thing, they needed you, right? How many times have you been asked to get back into it? How many times have you hid all of this shit from me –?"

"I haven't. I swear this is the first time, the last time –"

"Then what makes this different? Why couldn't you say no to this?" I asked. I gave a dry laugh nodding my head slowly as his eyes stared back into me, "Sergio, right?" Of course. He wouldn't say no to him. Ben swallowed before he opened his mouth to reply.

"Jordan, it's just this once."

"No, it's not. You would do anything –" I stopped as shuffling from the hall moved into the room.

"Ha. I was right." Ben and I looked at Stan who had now changed out of his school uniform into a t-shirt and track pants. His curly hair was left loose as it always was. "Carry on." He said as he made his way between us to reach the door.

"Where are you going?" Ben asked grabbing the boy's shoulder.

"Don't touch me." Stanley hissed shoving Ben's hand away before he began to open the door but I caught his arm.

"It's getting cold." I said.

"Fine." He hissed grabbing a jacket he had hung on the coat rack earlier before he walked out.

I grabbed my phone as it began to ring drawing Ben's attention back to me.

"Babe –"

"My mom." I waved my phone. Lie, it was Alexander.

Ben nodded and I walked out of the room. I bit my lip ignoring his call before I brought the phone to my ear to pretend I was having a conversation with my mother.

You would do anything for him. I was glad we didn't finish that argument. I didn't want to come off as the jealous or suspicious partner, even though I was just a little. I had always known Ben was attracted to Sergio, I just hoped it would eventually pass or I tried to pretend it didn't matter to me that he would always care, even a little, for Sergio.

I was glad Stanley had interrupted us. I didn't want to start a fight based on my petty insecurities. Truthfully, I had never loved anyone like I had Ben and I didn't think anyone who felt this way for someone could get over it, I knew he loved me now but I was sure at one point Ben had felt this way about Sergio too. Deep down, I was afraid he still felt it.

"Yes, mom, it went fine. He's settling in just fine." I said knowing Ben was following me to our room. I sat on the edge of our bed and looked at him as he walked in. My parents knew about Stan already.

They were excited about meeting him, Ben said to wait a while and since Stan was his son we were waiting a while.

"I love you too, sleep well." I faked hanging up and put my phone on our bed as ben took a seat beside me.

"I know you have no reason to believe me because I keep lying about this, but I swear this is the last time, Jordan." He said, "I just, I feel like I owe him this much. He gave me a way to make money before we met and he gave me the house when it ended, we built the shipping company. I just wanted to pay him back." He said.

I sighed leaning my face into my hands. "What else?" I mumbled.

"What?"

"Have you lied about. What else are you keeping from me? What else, Ben?" He was quiet and I held my breath hoping this was about more drugs since that boat had already sailed, literally.

"I –" he stopped. "Nothing." He added quickly. "Just the basics like using our joint account to get sushi by myself sometimes." He gave a laugh that died quickly when I didn't join in. "Jordan, this isn't going to last long enough for anyone to get hurt, I promise."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Because it's basically already over. It just needs to be delivered and it's over." He said. "How – how did school go for Stan?" He decided to change the subject when I didn't reply to him.

"Good, he didn't leave." I replied.

"He probably didn't go to any of his classes though." He said.

"He came to mine and I know he went to gym so it's a good enough start," I said.

"Right, I'm sorry. I'll do better. He took art?" He asked.

"He's actually a great sketch artist from what I saw in class." I said suddenly enthusiastic as I remembered seeing his sketch pad.

"Really?" Ben asked, "Maybe he got that from his grandparents because he definitely didn't get it from me or his mother." He smiled. I gave a laugh nodding in agreement.

"Work?" I asked hearing a ping from Ben's pocket.

"Legal work." He nodded, "I left early to look for you –"

"I know. You can go." I smiled.

"See you later." I nodded kissing him before he left.

I had dinner with Nicole before I began some lesson planning as I waited for Stanley to come back. It was nine when he did, only an hour after his curfew, I was surprised.

"Stan?" I called.

"Going to bed." I smiled hearing him reply as he walked by the study I was working in.

I left my work but stopped as I entered the hall. Smells like... of course. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. I looked at the cupboard and shook my head before I opened it and then followed the smell to Stan's room.

"Are you high?" I asked seeing him seated on his bed. He shook his head.

"Didn't smoke much." He replied.

"Drunk?"

"Didn't drink enough."

"Should I be proud of you?" I asked.

"I didn't say that. What do you want, Jordan?"

"I made hot chocolate." I walked up to him and held it out. He was actually wearing the jacket he had taken this afternoon. "I'm gonna leave it here even if you don't want it." I added.

He took the mug from my hands reluctantly and put it on his lap. He stared down into the melting cream.

"That all?" He mumbled.

"You weren't here for dinner, you should eat something." I placed the breakfast snacks I had gotten from the cupboard on his nightstand, "Goodnight." I didn't expect a reply, and I didn't receive one as I walked out shutting his door behind me. I stood still listening until I grinned hearing him open one of the snacks I had left in his room and then left to my own.

-----

"Stan, hurry up, I have a meeting in a few hours, we have to go." I chuckled hearing Ben knock on the bathroom door.

This had become a regular occurrence in the past week, Stan would wake up at the last minute to get ready for school and Ben always drove us very annoyed because he was always late because of Stanley's morning routine. Sometimes I considered telling him I could drive us but it was always funny to watch Ben's reaction to Stan.

We hadn't talked about the drug issue since that night because we were both busy with my planning assignments for my classes and starting the exhibition while Ben was as busy as always. I hadn't forgotten about it, it kept nagging in the back of my mind and Alexander kept calling even though I kept ignoring his calls.

"Jordan, really. I have a business to run. Please just drive him to school." Ben said as he walked into the kitchen to finish up the breakfast he had been making before he realise Stan hadn't even woken up yet.

"Will you be picking him up if I do?" I asked.

"You go to the same school." He frowned.

"Your point?" I asked.

"You love this." He shook his head.

"Yes." I laughed. He chuckled kissing my head as he grabbed plates from the cupboard.

"Can you give me a mug?" I asked as I turned on the kettle to make Stanley hot chocolate because it was the only thing he actually seemed to want to do with me.

"What is it with him and hot chocolate?" Ben asked staring at the mug as he put it on the table, he had noticed too.

"No idea, at least he likes something." I said grabbing the hot chocolate from a different cupboard.

"Do you need milk?" Ben turned to the fridge but stopped. He knelt down. "What's this?" He stood up holding a little note as his eyes ran over it before his mouth opened a little.

I put everything down and turned to take the note from him so I could read it.

'Dear Ben

I have to go. Take care of Stan.'

Wait... what?

I looked at Ben who was staring at the note in my hands with his eyes narrowed.

"Ben –" he ignored me and walked out of the kitchen. I swallowed reading the note again. This can't be happening... I crumbled the note in my hand after looking to see if there was anything on the back, it was blank, and Ben walked back into the kitchen looking pissed.

"Fucking bitch left." he hissed. "Everything – Her bag, her clothes, it's all gone." he said.

"What... what are we going to tell Stan?" I asked.

"Stan? He didn't even speak to her."

"She's his mother. It doesn't matter how much they fought. Until a few days ago she's all he had, as far as he is concerned she's still all he has." I hissed.

"Fine, I'll – I'll handle it, okay?"

"Handle it?" I asked him.

"Do you think she took anything with her?" He asked.

I looked at the fridge. "Yes." The savings jar was empty, not that there was usually a lot kept in it.

"We should look for anything else she –"

"Stan." I called as he walked into the kitchen, Ben immediately stopped talking.

The boy nodded in response as he sat across me. I finished making the hot chocolate and Ben finished breakfast before he dished for all of us. Stan ignored his food as usual and focused on the drink.

I figured that he didn't like eating breakfast, even when I made it he didn't eat it. He usually just took an apple to school in the morning and ate his lunch later. He had begun to stick around for dinner which was progress good enough for me.

"Why are you quiet?" Stanley's focus moved away from his drink suddenly and he looked at Ben and I who were eating in relative silence. He looked at me as if he expected the answer from me rather than his father.

"Just have a lot of work on my mind. Ben, you have that meeting, right? Stan and I will drive to school today." I said.

"You sure?" Ben glanced at Stanley uncertainly and Stan gave a breath of amusement.

"I'm not going to hurt him if that's what you think will happen. I'm kind of at a weight disadvantage here." Stan said sourly. I frowned at Ben who ignored both my look and Stan's words as he gave me a quick hug before he left.

"Did Nicole leave early again?" Stan asked when we were alone.

"Probably, she never says. Let's go." I smiled.

I was a pretty good liar, but Stan seemed like the type of person that could see through bullshit pretty easily so we would have to tell him soon. I didn't know how we would...

*