Son for Hire: Chapter 30 (Patreon)

The following week is an ordeal that tests our limits.  

After the humbling and humiliating experience of her overdose Kiki quit the stuff cold turkey.  She never wanted to be brought that low again.  For Kiki the week is a waking nightmare of mental and physical agony as she powered through the worst that withdrawal had to throw at her.  It was terrible.  Sweats, chills, shakes, vomiting and more are endured as her body craved the drugs as keenly as it did water or oxygen.  Psychologically the torture is even worse.  During the worst of it she wasn’t even herself anymore.  Her mood would swing from near frothing rage to abject depression in the span of a minute.  She yelled at me.  She insulted me.  She wept.  She spent long sullen spells just staring out into nothing shivering inside of her bundle of blankets with burning hateful eyes.  She begged me to go get her drugs, convinced her very life was at stake if she didn’t get them, then clung onto me and cried for me to help her.  Then, in her more lucid moments, she would hold my hands and thank me for being there for her and believing in her.  The soul lifting feeling of being a hero for my hero cannot be described.  Thank goodness I was there for her though as she quickly discovered that the friends and contacts she thought that she had either tried to turn her back toward her old lifestyle or abandoned her completely when they heard she hit hard times and was trying to clean herself up.  It hurt her, a lot, at a time when she was already hurting more than I could imagine.  No money, no job, no friends, and no drugs.  All she had left was our tiny family of two.

While not nearly as bad as Kiki’s the week was a hell of a rough one for me too.  Having to suddenly step up and take care of not only Kiki but everything else in our lives that she usually looked after was not easy.  I bore it without complaint as best I could.  Thank God for Evelyn.  Needless to say I didn’t have time to visit her that week as I didn’t dare leave my sister’s side for more than an hour at a time but we stay in contact through texts and phone calls.  These bits of contact with her, no matter how brief, give me the strength to carry on.  God how I yearned for her soft body and gentle touch though.  I told her that my sister was sick but, on Kiki’s request, I am light on the details.  I think Kiki was afraid that Evelyn might rescind the offer if she knew my sis was a recovering addict.  Or perhaps she was simply embarrassed at her perceived weakness.  Either way, Mom is no fool.  She figured out right away what was happening.  She was proud of me, proud of Kiki too, and told me that if I really loved my sister I had to hold on through these tough times no matter what.

Together Kiki and I come through it.  The grip of the drugs begins to wane and the physical illness goes away.  About six days in and my sister is showing signs of being back to her old self again.  It was nice to see some color in those cheeks once more.  I was so god damned proud of her.  Not only does our bond hold, it comes out the other side stronger than ever.  I had seen Kiki at her very lowest and it only made me love her more.  Kiki had seen me stay right by her side through it all and it made her love for me all the deeper.  We weren’t out of the woods but hopefully the worst of it was now behind us.

Mom and I come through it as well.  This was a lot of personal shit and drama to be contending with so early on in our relationship but Evelyn sticks by me with empathy, patience and understanding.  Any doubts Kiki had about my lover’s genuineness were erased.  If it was just a pretty young man she was after Evelyn could have found a lot easier than me.  A lot prettier too if I’m honest.  The week apart gave Evelyn an opportunity to start working on Alan about the suite.  It was a bright point of hope at a much needed time when Evelyn called to inform me the suite would be going up for rent in the next few days and that she would be showing the place and doing interviews as early as the next day.  Between my sister and I there was a real palpable sense of a page turning in our lives.  An opportunity for a fresh start or at least a desperately needed change was right there in front of us.

Once Kiki was feeling more herself again the pair of them at last speak to hammer out how we would move forward from here.  I was nervous about how it would go, especially with Kiki’s still fragile state, but there was no getting around it.  Evelyn had been absolutely insistent that this be done between her and my sister.  It was an exercise in her maternal dominance over me…and I honestly loved it.  After a week of having to stay strong it was really nice to be able to give up control.  Having to sit quietly and listen to the two most important women in my life talk about things pertaining to me made me feel super duper special.

I pass the phone over to my sister with an anxious smile on my face.  Kiki giggles at my nervous expression and takes it from me.

“Sup Queen?”  Are the first words from her lips.

“Don’t say it like that!”  I gasp at the over casual greeting.  I wanted so badly for this first contact to go well.

“Hmm?  Yeah, that was Donny.”  Kiki says.  “Uh huh.  Hold on.”  She looks to me and says.  “She says that you were told to be quiet.  She says to be a good boy and shush now.  Let the women talk.”  My face warms with a bright blush as Evelyn reveals my submissive role in our dynamic literally within seconds of speaking to Kiki.  I bite my lips in obedience as the blush deepens.  Kiki, eyes glimmering with amusement at my reaction to Evelyn’s command, giggles again and sticks her tongue out at me.  “Alright.  He’s quiet now.”  

With me shushed the pair of them begin to talk.

The first few minute are spent just getting a sense of one another.  They chat about generalities, about Kiki’s health, but mostly about their common bond…me.  It starts very cordial, if a tad awkward, but it isn’t long before they start to warm up to each other.

“I don’t know what you did to him but my brother is crazy about you.  You know that?”  Kiki says after about fifteen minutes of talk then listens.  Her tone then turns serious.  “Listen, I appreciate what you’re doing but…if you hurt my brother I swear to God I will make sure you hurt too.”

There is a moment of silence.  My heart is beating like a drum.  Why the heck did she say that!?  Was she trying to screw things up?  I can only relax once I see Kiki smiles again.

“Good!”  She says.  “As long as we understand each other.”  Reaching across she squeezes my hand.  “I love this kid.”

I grin and let out a breath of relief.  Whew.

After that their conversation turns to practicalities and logistics, something Kiki was SO much better at than me.

“Before we even get to house rules or conditions or anything like that we need some basic details.  We’ll need full rent and bills covered before this is even an option.”  Kiki says, laying down conditions as if I were some highly sought after sports star and she was my agent.  “Will Donny receive an allowance?  How much and when?  Is this a long term thing or do you just want him for a few months?”  My sister was about to say more when Evelyn stops her.  “Hm?  Yes, he’s right here.  Blushing up a storm.”  She says.  “Mmm?”  She rolls her eyes then laughs.  “Yes, he looks cute.”  She listens and nods.  “Right.”  Lowering the phone she looks at me.  “Evelyn doesn’t want you worrying about this stuff.  She says to go to your room and close the door.”  Covering the receiver she whispers.  “She talks like she’s your Mom or something.”  She laughs.  “You are so freaky little brother.”  I, of course, blush.  “Get outta here!  I got this.”

I laugh and hurry out of the room as requested.  Closing the door behind me I hover near it and press my ear to it.  My sister is careful to keep her voice low however.  This combined with the loud rap music being played by our upstairs neighbor meant I couldn’t hear a word of what was being said.  Giving up I fall back onto my bed, a huge smile on my face.  By all indications, barring disaster, the move was happening.  Evelyn and Kiki were, at this very moment, deciding my future.  After such a long and dark week there was a brilliant light at the end of the tunnel.

Part 31