Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 156808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 784(@200wpm)___ 627(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 784(@200wpm)___ 627(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
The hiss signaling the opening of the double doors to the waiting area made him look up just as a hospital employee came through, walking past them. Kellus had been gone for about twenty minutes.
“My son’s HIV positive, isn’t he?” Those were the first words Kellus’s father had said to him since they’d taken their seats in the cold, sterile waiting room.
“Sir, it’s not for me to say,” Arik replied, turning his head toward Paul. The older man’s face filled with sadness and he looked down. Arik hadn’t bought into the anger Kellus had toward his family until right now, and it could have just been the irritation of this whole situation, but Kellus had been all alone and his father not knowing about something so monumental showed the depths of aloneness Kellus had lived through.
He reined in that frustration and stared down at his phone, absently working the screen to stay up-to-date on anything his team found.
“Are you?”
“Am I HIV positive? No, I’m not,” he answered.
“How does that work?” Kellus’s father sounded disbelieving. Arik didn’t want to discuss the particulars of his and Kel’s sex life; it wasn’t his place. If Kellus wanted to share the information, then he could. Thankfully, several people bustled through the quiet hall and entered the waiting area, coming to a stop in front of them.
“Paul, where is he?” a frantic woman asked.
Arik got a good look at the crew. This had to be Kel’s family, they all favored him in looks. Where he didn’t see too much of Kellus in his father, he saw him all in his mother. In fact, they all seemed to share in her traits, even her height. The guy giving him sideways glances Arik assumed must be Kel’s brother, though he wasn’t the one from the painting, and he was actually a bit taller than Kellus, but there was no doubting that the girl standing next to them was in fact Kellus’s sister—they had the exact same eyes.
Arik stood at the same time Kellus’s father did.
“He’s back there with the sheriff now.” Kellus’s father gathered the anxious woman in his arms.
“How is he?” she said, but kept her eyes on Arik, studying him.
“This is… Arik, right?” Paul asked, sounding unsure as he stepped back from the hug and gave a nod in his direction.
“Yes, sir. I’m Kellus’s boyfriend.” The air in the room along with four inquisitive pairs of eyes shifted in his direction. Kellus’s mother stared openly at him, probably digesting that new revelation in her son’s life.
“Kellus has a new boyfriend and didn’t tell us?” Kellus’s mother asked, turning to her husband. He just shrugged. Luckily the door opened again, this time it was Kellus coming through. His face was swollen, his eyes red-rimmed, and he let out a shaky breath as he looked around the waiting room. Kellus’s mother was the first one to him. She wrapped herself around him and began crying.
“Kellus, I’m so sorry,” she cried. Who knew what that sorry meant, but the tears were back in full force and Kellus graciously let her hang on to him as he stared up at his father and gave a nod.
“There’s an officer out front now. I’ll let him know it was a positive ID so they can notify John’s parents.” His dad started to leave, but Kellus stopped him.
“Dad, I told them. They already know it’s John. But I need to be the one to tell his parents.” Kellus looked over at Arik. He wasn’t entirely sure what the look meant, but he nodded. That seemed to relieve Kellus.
“How is he?”
“I don’t know. They couldn’t tell me a lot because I’m not family. I’m guessing it’s bad. They had me identify him from a picture. He looks terrible. Nothing like himself. I had to look at the tattoos to be sure.”
Slowly, the rest of the family gravitated toward Kellus. At that moment, a tall guy in gray sweats and a wrinkled Under Armour shirt rushed around the corner, his steps slowing as his gaze landed on Kellus. Arik recognized him instantly—the brother in the painting. He walked straight up to Kellus and hugged him tightly. He was the one that seemed to break Kellus. Tears started as he hugged his brother.
“I’m sorry, Kellus.”
“Me too.” Kellus hung on to his brother for what seemed like forever before finally breaking from the hug and turning toward him.
“Have you met Arik? He’s the guy I’ve been seeing. Arik, this is Kelvin.”
Arik shook hands, nodded, and again registered the surprise from all of them.
“I need to get John’s parents up here. I can’t get any information without them.”
“I’ll drive you,” Arik offered.
“It’s late. I can get the car. You need your rest. You have to work,” Kellus protested. He hadn’t expected any less from the man, always taking the weight of the world on his shoulders to carry alone. Kellus was good to his core and loyal as hell. That goodness at times could be a fault, but Arik respected the hell out of his lover and would support him through anything.