Perfect

9. Hard Punch

C h a p t e r N i n e

X A N D E R was climbing down the stairs when he saw someone he didn't recognized came out from the parlor room wearing jeans and sweatshirt. It was still seven in the morning.

Xander followed the man with his eyes until the man exited the front door. He went inside the parlor room and saw his father reading a piece of paper.

"What's that?" Xander picked one of the two papers from an opened black folder and it says about names of schools from grade school, high school and university; what year graduated and achievements. "What's this for?"

"Taylor Richards Harrison." His dad gave him the paper he was holding. Those papers contains private informations of Taylor.

"You investigated him?" Xander remembered the sweatshirt man. "He was a PI. The man who came out from here moments ago, right?"

"Yes, I hired him." Alexis said. "And?"

"You hired him? Why?" Xander exclaimed.

Alexis frowned at him. "Of all the people here, you should be the one who knows the reason why. I need to check his background. I want to know what kind of person is that Taylor who took care of my grandson."

"You will never know him if you never talk to him, dad." Xander said.

"Everyone's capable of telling false information."

"He's not the kind of a person who lies and are you sure that that sweatshirt wearing PI gave you an accurate information?" Xander dared to question his father. Alexis just stared at him.

"I know that man and I'm sure all this informations are true. Okay, let's says he's good but I don't want him to influence Chester." Alexis grabbed the last paper in the folder and handed it to Xander. "He. . . had relationships with the same s*x and I don't think he's a good influence to Chester." Alexis said wearing an unpleasant face.

Xander eyed the paper. He already knew last night that was why he didn't bothered to react like he didn't knew.

Even though he wanted to crumpled that paper, part of him was curious about Taylor's pasts relationships. On the top portion of the paper, he saw names were listed. Clinton Wade was the third and last and also the longest relationship Taylor had. Xander slammed the paper on the glass table that made the vase that contains fresh flowers vibrated. Xander pinched his nose in annoyance.

"You knew right?" Alexis said and Xander just nodded. "And you never tell us? That Taylor never warned us!"

"Dad! It's not that easy. And you have to respect that person because without him I wouldn't have found my son in good shape and no, Taylor was never a bad influence to Chester. And you can't separate them, dad." Xander said surely.

"I don't want a guy like him in this family. It would bring shame."

Xander never thought that his dad had a very cruel attitude until that day. He was just concern about his name. Xander was about to bark at his own dad when he heard a sniff coming from the door.

Both of them turned their heads and saw Chester with his head bowed down and clenching his fist at the hem of his shirt. Chester heard them.

"Ches—" Xander was interrupted when Chester murmured.

"I hate you." It was faint but loud enough to hear what Chester said. Chester exhaled sharply and raised his head. Those green with a touch of blue colored eyes that used to be gentle were looked like aflamed. "I hate you for saying bad things to my papa. I don't want to talk to you ever!" Chester ran outside the parlor room and Xander chased him.

"Chester!" Xander called. He saw his mom, who had no idea what was going on, told Chester not to run but Chester ran up to the stairs.

"What's going on?" Jane said when she saw his son chasing her grandson.

Xander just ran past his mother and climbed the stairs two steps at a time. Chester slammed the door so hard that it echoed loudly. Xander knocked Chester's door but no responce.

"What happened?" Jane asked when she reached the second floor.

Xander sighed. "He locked himself. He needs time and space." Xander said and went to his room which was next to Chester's room.

° ° °

T A Y L O R came to the studio early that morning in a daze. Sleep never came to him last night not after what happened at the bar. Taylor couldn't imagine what would happened next when Clinton didn't interupt them.

"What's with your face today?" Macy asked. The lobby was still empty.

"Don't mind my face." Taylor said and leaned his arms at the counter near Macy.

"I hate to admit it, but you were handsome yesterday. You should—" Macy flicked his hair on his forehead "—get rid of this." She gathered a handful of his front hair. Taylor only cut the side and few at the front. Macy rummaged the drawer without letting go of his hair. "Found it. Ta-da!" She wiggled the blue rubber bond in front of his face. Macy tied Taylor's hair.

Taylor just stared at Macy with boring and sleepy eyes.

"You shouldn't hide this-" she slapped Taylor's forehead "-forehead! It's the key."

Taylor rolled his eyes. "It's because you've never seen this so called key that's why in your eyes I looked a little bit different."

"True. I almost fell but I didn't assumed. I know I'm not your type." Macy faked a sob and wiped an invisible tear below her eyes.

"Too bad?"

"Yeah. Too bad." She clicked her tongue and chuckled. Their non-sense conversation stopped when the chime sounded and a costumer came in.

It was before noon when Taylor's phone that he left at the table kept on buzzing. Taylor always kept it on silent mode when he was at work. It was Clint calling. Taylor was about to swipe to answer the call when exactly the call ended. A notification bubble appeared on the screen saying it was the third missed calls from Clint.

Taylor dialed Clint's number and he answered it on the first ring. So fast.

"Taylor!" Clint exclaimed from the other line and Taylor haven't said his greetings.

"Something urgent happened?" Taylor said.

"Very! I saw Chester alone at the pavement near the bar!"

"What!?" Taylor exclaimed that Max jumped in surprise. "Alone? Impossible."

"We're on our way to your unit. Let's talk there." Clint ended the call.

Taylor held his breath and exhaled through his mouth emptying his lungs. He didn't believed Clint. Why would Chester ran away and Taylor knew Chester wouldn't do rebelious things. And he trusted Xander.

Taylor's heart was beating so fast when he was riding the elevator up to his unit. Taylor walked and jogged until he reached the door, entered the passcode and opened it. He saw Clint and Chester seating at the sofa. Clint stood when he heard the door opened and Chester didn't moved.

Taylor walked and stoop in front of Chester scanning him and he was glad Chester wasn't hurt anywhere. Taylor rested his hands on Chester's knees.

"Hey, was your uncle Clint true about you running away?" Taylor tried to make his voice sounded gentle. Honestly, he wanted to scream and scold Chester but he didn't want to see Chester anymore miserable than that. It was the first time he saw his nephew acting like that.

He ruffled Chester's hair and felt him nodded. He couldn't believe Xander let his own son roamed around alone outside. How did even Chester went to the bar where Clint work.

"Why?" Taylor exhaled. He had so many questions he wanted to ask. What did they do to him? Taylor thought.

Chester shook his head no. Taylor lifted his head up and met eyes with Clint who shrugged his shoulders.

"I was suppose to be waiting at Jhonny's with Louis when I saw Chester at the parking lot." Clint said. "He never answered my questions."

Taylor could imagine Chester alone feeling so lost. He closed his eyes when it started to water pulling Chester in an embrace.

Taylor's hands started trembling when he thought the worst possible thing might had happened when Clint didn't found him. He couldn't also lose him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have trusted them." He said and Chester shook his head. "Are you hungry?" He asked changing the topic.

Chester nodded. Taylor cracked a smile and kissed Chester's forehead.

He would ask him later because he didn't want to force him. Taylor wanted to punch something to release his feelings. He prayed that Xander wouldn't show his face there because there was no guarantee that he couldn't escape unscathed.

"I'm cooking lunch."

Taylor stood and exactly someone knocked at the door. Xander, he thought. Taylor cracked his knuckles before he opened the door.

His vision looked like someone spilled an ink in his eyes and without thinking he punched Xander on the face.

"You bastard!" Taylor exclaimed and grabbed Xander's collar when Clint wrapped his arms on Taylor stopping him. "I shouldn't have trusted Chester in your hands!"

"Taylor, stop." Clint said on his ears.

Taylor froze when he saw Chester crying saying no while shaking his head. Taylor wanted to scream because Xander was just standing still and he never said a word.

"It wasn't dad's fault." Chester said between sobs.

Taylor ran to Chester and hugged him soothing his back. "It wasn't his fault." Chester said but his voice sounded like he had a sore throat.

"I'm sorry." Taylor cooed him.

"It wasn't. . ." Chester's voice faded and still crying.

"Okay, it wasn't. Don't talk. Don't talk anymore." Taylor rubbed Chester's back back and forth.

° ° °

C H E S T E R refused to eat lunch instead he slept in their room. Taylor just felt the pain at the back of his hand from the punch. He was also surprised that he was capable of punching someone.

Chester told Taylor what happened and why he ran away and also how did he escaped from his room in the second floor by tying the comforter and clothes as his rope down before he fell asleep. Taylor bet Chester learned that kind of method of escaping from a book. Taylor felt ashamed and guilty for punching Xander.

It would be awkward since Xander knew already that he was gay. Taylor really didn't intend to keep it. He was planning on saying it but he couldn't find the perfect time to tell him.

Taylor closed the door and saw Xander sitting at the sofa while pressing ice pack to his cheek. Their eyes met and Taylor didn't know what to say. He acted carelessly. While Clint went to work already.

Taylor sat beside Xander and pursed his lips. "Does it still hurt?" He asked.

"It doesn't." Xander said and winced when Taylor lift Xander's jaw up to scan the light green and violet colored bruise and a cut lip. He don't know he punched that hard.

"Liar." Taylor said letting go of his jaw and Xander grinned.

"That was a good punch."

"I'm sorry." Taylor touched Xander's cold, because of the cold compress, bruised cheek gently.

"No." Xander grabbed his hand and shook his head . "I'm sorry and I deserve this."

Taylor pulled his hand from Xander's grip. "Yeah, you deserve that punch." Taylor joked and Xander chuckled but winced.

"Cute hair." Xander said after a moment of silence.

Taylor just remembered that his hair was still tied weirdly by Macy. Taylor reached for his hair to untie it but Xander stopped his hand.

"Don't untie it!" Xander said.

"This is so embarrassing!" Taylor tried to slapped Xander's hands. Xander kept on leaning that made him lean down until Taylor fell down on the sofa and his hands were pinned by Xander beside his head, topping him.

Taylor's heart was beating fast when he saw Xander glanced at his lips and his Adam's apple bobbed when he gulped.

When they heard a click from the door. Meaning someone was coming in.

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