Alan Walker (ManxMan)

Chapter Four

At the age of twenty, Dominic Nolan Reisz made his first million and that single rise placed Reisz Global on the map and five months after that, Dominic signed a twenty-million-dollar deal. In the years that followed, Reisz Global expanded, they had holdings in the world of fashion, architecture, breaking down and selling of small failing businesses and they sponsor a lot of merchandises and a couple of tv shows, they owned five star hotels and restaurants. Reisz stocks keep rising, never dropping and Dominic makes sure his employees are paid on time, he also ensures that anyone getting employed knows that they have to give their all, success doesn't happen overnight and doesn't come to lazy people.

It is because of this success that he is known as the man with Midas touch in the world of business. He just excels, always going higher and never falling, the man who always makes the right choice when it comes to business.

And the thing is Dominic is good with business and according to his only living relative, Lili- his sister, a wonderful father and sometimes Dominic doesn't believe her because half of the time he doesn't know what he's doing and just prays he's doing things right. The one thing Dominic wasn't good at was making Ryan stay. After a year of dating and six years of engagement, he still couldn't make Ryan stay, Ryan didn't even stay for the kids and no matter how hard Dominic pleaded to Ryan, the man never wants to see the children and Dominic knows how much the kids miss him even though they never say it and that's why he stopped, he made sure Ryan doesn't contact any of them and that's why he vowed never to call him or see him ever again.

It's six forty-five and he's almost home, he could already feel the heat of Ryker's hug and he smiles brightly, tapping two fingers against the steering wheel. He hums a random tune as he focuses on the road ahead of him, anxious to get home and see his kids, they were the only ones who made him relax and he loves them with all his heart and soul and might. As he takes a final turn his mind flits to the man that he had hit the other day, how blue his eyes were and how lifeless they looked, it actually gave him chills. He silently hoped the man was okay.

Dominic pulled into his driveway by six fifty-seven and six fifty-eight he made his way into the house. Immediately he was in, he was surrounded by the smell of something good but he couldn't place his hand on it. He could hear Ryker's voice coming from the direction of the kitchen and headed there.

"Ryker! Mitch! I'm home." Dominic yelled as he made his way to the kitchen. He was almost at the doorway when Ryker ran out of the kitchen and straight into his legs while screaming daddy! Dominic knelt down and hugged his little boy, he pulled back and cupped Ryker's cheek with a hand and ran his other hand through his son's hair.

"How was your day, daddy?" Ryker asked, blinking up at his dad with big brown eyes filled with curiosity before they glazed over with happiness. Ryker grabbed Dominic's hand and smiled brightly. "Daddy, Aunt Lili brought Lanny today. He's my new friend, he cooks, he plays and he cleans, he even colors, daddy. When I came home he was here then he made –no no, he has big blue eyes, daddy and he’s tall, taller than me and he's skinny and he lets me taste the food when he's-"

Dominic frowned in confusion before he remembered Lili telling him earlier that the live-in nanny was coming today. "Honey, can you introduce me to your new friend?" Dominic asked since the nanny hadn't come out of the kitchen and Dominic couldn't help but feel like the person was rude and didn't know how to make a good first impression. Ryker dragged his father all the way into the kitchen where Alan's back was to them as he checked the pasta, trying to make sure they don't get too soft.

Dominic frowned again, not expecting this kind of behavior but the thing is, Alan was lost in his head. His hands kept moving and kept doing the right things but he wasn't there. He was in a time far back, a time where he was locked in his locker at school, his mouth taped shut and his hands and legs were tied together, he remembers how cold his middle school got when it was dark, he remembers how he couldn't move and couldn't scream for help. A single drop of tear dribbled out of his left eye and falls into the pot of cooking spaghetti. He was so lost in thought that he couldn't hear Dominic and Ryker call his name, he was so lost in thought that when he felt a hard hand on his shoulder he instantly flinched. He came back to reality with a thud and blinked repeatedly, trying to push back the memories and the tears but not the pain because the pain always stays.

Alan clears his throat, puts off the stove and turned to meet Ryker's father. He faintly recalled hearing the little boy scream daddy a while minutes ago. He plastered a smile to his face and raised his head up to greet his boss. Dominic stood still, shocked, as he stares at the man in front of him. He didn't understand what was happening, he had instantly felt worried when the man in front of the stove had flinched and now that he could clearly see the man's face, Dominic was floored. It was the same man that had invaded his thoughts a few minutes ago, the same man that he ran into a few days ago.

"Who are you?" Alan asked even though he knew who the man in front of him was, it's just that, he couldn't recall the man's name. "I'm Alan and you are?"

"Dominic Reisz, Mitch and Ryker's father." Dominic said, feeling appalled at the fact that the man in front of him didn't recognize him or know who he was, he was practically in every business sections of every newspaper, online and in magazines. He watched as Alan's cheeks began to tint, a wonderful shade of pink dusting the man's cheeks and his ears as he blushes in what Dominic thinks is embarrassment.

"Welcome back, sir. I'm Alan Walker, the nanny hired by Miss Lili. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude earlier. I might have forgotten to look up your picture online."

Dominic's frown deepened as he stared at the man in front of him. His smile looked about ready to fall and as Dominic takes a closer look at the man, his worry heightened.

"Dinner is almost ready. Do you want to wash up before eating?" Alan asked, his voice bright and that confused Dominic more, Alan's eyes were screaming in pain but he sounded cheerful. Doesn't this Alan remember who he is? Maybe he doesn't, Dominic thinks to himself but to make sure of it, he goes on to ask.

"Have we met before?"

Alan shook his head, a smile on his lips. "Not at all."

The next question that left Dominic lips made Alan's eyes widened and his mouth open in shock. What is happening?

"Are you all right? You look unwell, maybe a bit tired too."

Ryker who was standing beside his father, nodded in agreement to his father's words once he understood them. He slid his hand into his father's open one and watched what was taking place in front of him, his head turning to Alan when the man spoke and to his father when he spoke.

"I'm okay, I have enough energy to fuel three programmers for six years." Alan replied, laughing at his joke.

Ryker got lost in the words but he didn't believe whatever Alan had said and so did Dominic who just accepted the lie. "I'll go and wash up. Is Mitch home?"

"He came in a two hours ago, I believe he's doing his assignments."

Dominic nods and takes a step closer to Alan and another until he was in the blue eyed man's personal space and Alan was hit with the smell of expensive cologne and just how handsome the man in front of him was. How tall Dominic was, how Dominic's hair was styled and curled to perfection, the way his beard was trimmed, the sharp nose and soft lips, his eyes that looked like melted gold and lashes that kissed his cheeks whenever he blinked. The man was fifty shades of attractive.

"You need to sieve the spaghetti, it's soaking." Dominic said, his voice no louder than a whisper.

Alan gasped and quickly turned to the stove, quickly moving the pot from the stove to the sink and grabbed the already washed sieve, by the time he was done, he realized that he was alone and he let his shoulder fall. Tired of holding himself together, he leans against the kitchen counter and let out a loud sigh.

November 14 2004

12 years' old Alan.

He had been corned when he got to the toilets. He thought he was safe there but how wrong he was. He thought no one would notice that he wasn't at the debate but oh, how wrong he was. Will dragged the duct-tape across his lips and cut it off with the scissor in his hand while his other two friends who Alan had donned Tweedledum and Twiddledee in his head tied his arms and his legs together.

The halls were empty because everyone was at the debate for school president and various class presidents was going on, so no teachers or students were in the hallway. He was dragged across the floor to his locker by his hoodie while Will and his friends snickered. Alan had watched with wide eyes as Will pulled open his locker and with the help of his friends locked him in. Alan tried to scream but his sounds were muffled thanks to the sock stuffed into his mouth and the tape used to seal it. He tried to make a sound, any sound but he couldn't.

An hour later, the halls were filled with students, everyone talking and laughing and even though some of them don't know about Alan being stuffed in his locker, Alan couldn't help but feel like they were talking about him, laughing at him. He silently prayed for help, hoping that his plea would be louder than his silent cries.

Noon turns into evening and soon school closed, everyone leaves but Alan stays, slumped in his locker, cold and hungry and thirsty. Dried tears are on his face, his eyes red and so were his ears. It was in this moment that Alan wished for death, a quick, painless death.