True... Love

By Heather Mar-Gerrison

My name is True – short for Truelove – no really, it is – and believe me it was the source of many a joke for my school friends my whole life.
The only friend who didn’t think it was hysterically funny the first time we met was Will. But then, Will was totally different to anyone I’d ever met before and I instantly fell in like with him. I say like because I’ve never been attracted to him like that. Will is gay – to be fair he definitely doesn’t flaunt it and I wouldn’t necessarily have ever known if we hadn’t made such good friends at college but we’ve only ever been friends anyway.
My story doesn’t start out particularly happily – but that’s not to say I don’t still believe in happy-ever-afters...
Our story starts on 27th November 2012 – possibly the worst day of my life. It was the day my parents died, leaving me to fend for myself – oh and my four brothers...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Mar-Gerrison
• Release date: Dec 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311099167

Heather Mar-Gerrison

I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

Book preview

Prologue

My name is True, short for Truelove – no really, it is and believe me it was the source of many a joke for my school friends my whole life.

The only friend who didn’t think it was hysterically funny the first time we met was Will. But then, Will was totally different to anyone I’d ever met before and I instantly fell in like with him. I say like because I’ve never been attracted to him in that way. Will is gay. To be fair, he definitely doesn’t flaunt it and I wouldn’t necessarily have ever known if we hadn’t made such good friends at college but we’d only ever been friends anyway.

My story doesn’t start out particularly happily – but that’s not to say I don’t still believe in happy-ever-afters…

Our story starts on 27 November 2012 – possibly the worst day of my life. It was the day my parents died, leaving me to fend for myself, oh and for my four brothers…

Yes, there were five of us; Tatum, my older brother, then me, then Tomas and finally the twins, Trey and Toby.

I can almost see you rolling your eyes at our terrible names – and believe me, I’ve done the same on many an occasion. I adored my parents but coming up with good, imaginative names for their beloved offspring was quite clearly not their strong point…

Anyway… like I’ve already said, they died, tragically in a car accident, leaving us with a very healthy bank balance and a great little business to run – but with absolutely no idea how to go about it, being only eighteen and all that…

So, I had four brothers, three to bring up – on my own – as they were all younger than me and all three of them were full of testosterone with no idea what to do with all those raging hormones. So, now I had to get creative… Now I had to become Mum…

Tomas was by far the worst but even he wasn’t so bad. He was three years younger than me and most of the time he was really sweet and adorable; the fact that he was gay made things a little more challenging for me, particularly since he’d never told me and I had no idea until Trey and Toby dropped it on me one day. We’ll get to that later…

And Trey and Toby? Well, they were really special. You never really saw one without the other and I absolutely loved them both to bits. It was a total no-brainer for me – there was no way I was splitting up my family just because Mum and Dad were gone, so, the Fletcher family pulled together in the only way we knew how – by working through our heartache and getting on with it – as a team…

Chapter 1 – Crushed…

27 November 2012

Sawyer

I’m so sorry Sebastyén… I don’t really know how to tell you… My girlfriend, Nancy – the one person in my life that I absolutely adored – took a deep shuddery breath and then proceeded to destroy my whole world, but I love someone else…

I’d just got home after a really tough day and I’d been so looking forward to telling her the good news. We’d been saving like crazy for a better flat than the grubby one we currently shared with my friend, Dániel, and I’d just seen the perfect one. It was the right price too. I’d run all the way home from the estate agents.

I stared at her, hearing the words but processing nothing… How could she mean that? She was everything to me… everything. I shook my head, Y-You cannot mean that. I stuttered.

She nodded sadly, I’m so sorry, she said, we never meant to hurt you…

I frowned. We? That made it sound like I knew the other party involved in the total destruction of my life… Who was she talking about? Feeling my heart sinking, because there was really only one person she could be talking about, I still felt the need to ask the question anyway because surely Dániel would never do that to me? No. We were as close as brothers… Who is it?

She looked at me with surprise in her eyes; surprised, no doubt, that I hadn’t already worked it out but, quite honestly, I had absolutely no idea. I was happily clueless… Well, Dan of course…

I almost choked. Dániel? The person I would trust with my life; my best friend… Of course. I muttered as things all started to drop into place.

Once I started to think about it, I wondered how I could have missed the glaringly obvious so many times…

Dániel and I had grown up together and I can honestly say without any embarrassment that I loved him. He loved me too – we were inseparable growing up. Wherever I was, he was too. When I told him that I was going to move to the UK it was almost inevitable that he would be coming with me.

We’d done everything together growing up – so moving to the UK together to find a new life was the natural next step…

What are we going to do when we get there? he asked, his dark brown eyes round with excitement and apprehension.

I shrugged and grinned, Who knows? But we have plenty of money to get by on and I am sure we’ll be able to pick up some sort of work to do.

He was a little less enthusiastic about the whole thing than I, but he was willing to come along for the ride. And if we find nothing – we’ll call it a holiday and come back. He said with a shrug.

I laughed and nodded, Of course. I agreed. But for me at least, there was no way I was going back if I could help it.

As it turned out, on our first night, he found a job in the first pub we found. They needed a bartender and he’d left a job doing just that back at home. The bloke who ran the pub was a little dubious at first, I think but Dániel had natural charm and offered to do a shift, free of charge, just to show him how good he was. Well, it worked like a dream…

I found a job on a building site a couple of weeks later. It was just labouring, but the guys were nice and I was well enough paid. It was finding that job that led me to finding Nancy…

I walked into one of the high street banks after my boss told me I had to have my wages paid into a bank account. I walked straight up to the counter position, I would like to open a bank account. I said bluntly.

Nancy looked up at me and smiled, Right you are. She said, How long have you been in the UK?

Her smile was inviting and her eyes sparkled. I was instantly intrigued with the way her mouth moved. She was incredibly pretty. I glanced at her left hand – no rings on her fingers. Hmmm. I have been here for three weeks. I said, But I have a job now and my boss told me that I needed to have an account for my wages to be paid into.

She nodded, smiling knowingly. She must have seen guys like me in here every week. Of course, she said, do you have time now? Or should we make you an appointment for you to come back later on?

I shrugged, I am on my lunch hour – I have forty-five minutes approximately.

She smiled again. I guessed she thought my accent was funny. Well, let’s see if Graham is free – one minute.

She typed something onto her keyboard. Her fingers moved so fast, they reminded me of a bee’s wings. She smiled up at me, making my heart flip over in my chest. My God, she was stunning. He can see you now. Do you have photographic identification?

I nodded. I had my passport and my national identity card. Surely that was enough?

I followed the guy called Graham down some steps to the interview rooms and he started his sales patter. I was barely listening if I’m honest. All I could think about was that girl on the front desk…

Anyway – to cut a long and boring story short (he took the whole forty-five minutes of my precious lunch hour to tell me all about the stupid account I was opening – seriously? Did he really think I would use the overdraft? Probably; he would likely assume that since I’d come over from Hungary and was working a manual job, I was broke. I couldn’t really blame him – he would have no idea my father was a millionaire back at home…) I got the account opened. I was pretty chuffed to be accepted, not least for the fact that it meant I had to go back into the bank to withdraw the money from time to time – and that meant seeing Nancy again… I could ask her for a date.

She refused me time after time but I didn’t give up. I told Dániel all about the beautiful girl in the bank and he thought it was pretty funny. Well, when you finally get a date with her – make sure you bring her to the Flying Horse to introduce us.

I grinned and nodded, I will. I agreed. That was my first mistake. They totally hit it off. I was rather pleased to begin with that they got on so well – it meant I could still always have Dan around. We spent a lot of time together the three of us after that. Nancy called us the three musketeers and I thought it was rather cute.

Right now, though it wasn’t quite so cute. Right now, it was hitting me like a ton of bricks that while I had been busy working every hour of every day on the building site to save for a bigger flat for us to share – Nancy and Dániel had been getting to know one another rather better than they should…

He came bursting in the door at that moment and seeing Nancy and I stood there, he stopped, his dark eyes wary. He must have known she was confessing today.

I turned on him, fury pumping through me with each beat of my heart. He stared back at me, his eyes wide and fearful. He knew me – and he knew just how I would react.

"You bastard!" I shouted, lunging at him and punching him in the face.

He staggered backwards and shot an alarmed glance towards Nancy, who was stood chewing her lip nervously. I just told him. She said unnecessarily. I’m quite sure he was aware of that, with his nose throbbing.

He looked back at me, gingerly touching his nose, which was now bleeding, I’m so sorry, Seb. He said, We never wanted to hurt you. It kind of just happened…

I took a step towards him, "Betraying your best friend does not just happen. Sleeping with your best friend’s girlfriend does not just happen. I said menacingly, Did your clothes just fall off instantly and the next second you were having passionate sex?"

He shook his head and Nancy whimpered. No, he whispered.

I shook my head, No. I didn’t think so, I agreed, "because it does not ‘just happen’ like that. You have to make a deliberate decision to betray someone. You have to choose to step over the boundary between remaining friends to becoming lovers. And it pricks your conscience and you have a choice – to betray and to indulge yourself in your guilty pleasure – or to do the right thing by your best friend and walk away."

Dániel looked at me and nodded; he knew what I was talking about. I had done just that back in Hungary when we were at school. Her name I don’t even remember now, but she was his girlfriend and I fancied her too. She came on to me at a party and I knocked her advances back. Dániel meant more to me than a quick fumble and a snog… Okay, okay. You’ve made your point, Seb, he said, beginning to get angry himself, So I’m not a fucking saint like you. I’ve failed you – but I love her.

His words were like a slap in the face. He loved her? What about me? What about the fact that I loved her? Didn’t that matter to either of them? Didn’t I matter to either of them anymore? And I do too. I said, my voice cracking, But if you feel you love her more than I – and if she doesn’t love me, I glanced at her.

Tears were running down her cheeks, I do… she started but I cut her off.

"If she doesn’t love me enough – then you had better go. Both of you, now."

Dániel’s face changed to one of shock, Wait, Seb – we need to talk about this, he beseeched me, you’re my brother…

I stared at him and shook my head, No brother of mine would do what you have done, I growled, "you are not my brother. You are not my friend. Get out. I never want to see you, I flicked a glance to Nancy and my heart squeezed painfully, either of you, again."

Dániel sighed and nodded. He held his hand out to Nancy, Come on, Nancy, he said, We’ll go to the Flying Horse. We can stay there for a couple of nights. He turned to me, I can’t keep apologising to you, Seb, he said, "I know you’re angry and hurt – but you are still my best friend and I will never give up trying to make things right between us."

I shook my head, I do not want to know you.

He nodded, Fine. As you wish. He grabbed his motorbike helmet off the sideboard and Nancy picked mine up, May I take this? she asked quietly.

I nodded and shrugged, It’s yours, I said, I have no use for it, anymore.

Chapter 2 – Horror…

Sawyer

Hello? With my heart in my mouth I grabbed my phone and put it to my ear. I was desperate to speak to Dániel. I’d been thinking things over all evening and I really needed to put things right between us. I needed to apologise for hitting him, at least and I guess we needed to talk things through properly. We’d been friends for too long to stop because of a woman we’d only met a couple of months ago.

Sebastyén?

I frowned. I recognised that voice. It was Nancy’s father. Oh my God. Were they going to press charges for me hitting Dániel? That would be about right; he’d never liked me… Mr Morrison?

Yes, yes it is. He said, Is Nancy with you? He sounded agitated and worried.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, No, I said, she’s not my girlfriend any longer, Mr Morrison. She and my friend Dániel are together now… I broke off, the feelings of anger and hurt threatening to overwhelm me again.

Oh, he sounded awkward, I’m sorry to hear that – and I’m very sorry to have bothered you then. Ah, do you, ah, have a number for him by any chance?

I rattled off his mobile number, What’s the problem? I asked.

He sighed, Probably nothing, he paused, but she usually calls every evening around the same time,

I nodded and smiled. He was absolutely right. Every night, I heard her on the phone to her mother. She adored her, Well, I’m sure she’ll call. We argued this afternoon and she and Dániel left together; I guess they’re still settling themselves in to their digs or something… Maybe she was just out of sorts…

He sighed, still sounding uncomfortable, Yes, that’s probably all it is. Thanks, Sebastyén – and, um, I’m sorry.

I sighed, I am too. I said softly, I really love your daughter, Mr Morrison but I do not think she feels the same.

He mumbled something and then we said our awkward goodbyes.

I held the phone in my hand, an uneasiness creeping over me. Why hadn’t she called her parents tonight? They would have got to the pub in good time to do so. She would have had absolutely no reason not to call…

I called her number. It went straight to voicemail. I did the same with Dániel’s and it too went to voicemail. That was understandable I guess, with the way things had been between us. I could wait for morning and try calling them again – or I could go around and talk to them. Checking the time, I decided to bite the bullet and to go around to the pub. It wasn’t all that late.

The weather was atrocious. Great flakes of snow were falling and everywhere looked like a picture postcard of a winter-wonderland. It was the end of November and although I’d been used to the snow back at home, somehow or other, this country just didn’t seem geared up for a lot of snow. I guess that was only to be expected. The weather in the UK was generally temperate. Why spend millions on snow clearing equipment when it was only needed a couple of days every few years?

I was stopped by a police officer as I approached the village of Hanleigh. I slowed down to a stop and rolled down the window.

He crouched down and looked through my car window. His face screwed up against the terrible weather he shouted to me, I’m sorry, sir. This road is closed.

I frowned. This would definitely have been the route they’d have taken. It was the only direct one between my flat and the pub. What’s happened? I asked, as a feeling of dread washed through me.

He sighed, looking resigned, There’s been a fatality, sir…

Oh, God… My friends came this way earlier. I can’t get hold of either of them… I stared at him, willing him to tell him that I was jumping to all the wrong conclusions.

His face gave nothing away, I’m sorry, sir. I can’t give you any details of names but I can tell you that a young couple were taken to the city hospital late on this afternoon. If they’re your friends, you’ll be able to find out more from there.

I swallowed. Thanks. I turned the car around and went the long way around. The hospital was nearer than the pub. My feeling of unease was overwhelming me now and I decided to go and check at the hospital first. I didn’t have to tell them what I’d done on the way – they’d think I’d gone mad…

Finally, I made it to the hospital. I was in two minds whether to call Nancy’s dad – but to be fair, there was no evidence yet that I wasn’t just being completely paranoid. I mean, really, what were the odds?

Feeling a little foolish and half-convincing myself that I had to be wrong, I approached the desk. Excuse me?

The young woman behind the desk looked up at me and smiled as the snowflakes in my hair started to melt and drip into my eyes, Can I help you?

I nodded, I’m enquiring after a young couple who were brought in here following a traffic accident earlier.

Her face fell slightly, Are you a family member? she asked.

I shook my head, No, I admitted, but my friend and I came here from Hungary together. We are like brothers and he has no other family here. I don’t even know if it’s him but I would be grateful if you could check for me, his name is Dániel Horvath.

She nodded, One moment.

She came back to me after speaking with one of her colleagues. A young man and a young woman were brought in here this evening. She said, her face grave, They were in a critical condition. We believe his name is Dániel Horvath, and the young woman’s name is Nancy Morrison. Are they your friends?

My heart dropped in my chest. I nodded dumbly, Are they going to be okay?

*

It was quite obvious once I saw them that they were definitely not going to be okay. Dániel was so bruised, he was almost unrecognisable. He’d taken a severe blow to the head that his helmet could not even protect him from and was being kept artificially alive only until his family were able to come from Hungary to take the decision to turn off his life-support. The doctor told me that neither he nor Nancy had any brain activity and were for all intents and purposes, already dead.

Nancy’s had been spared the horrific-looking injuries – which made it all the crueller, somehow... She looked absolutely perfect. I had to call her father to let him know… I had to call Dániel’s parents too. The magnitude of what had happened was beginning to overwhelm me. I broke down…

Chapter 3 – Picking up the pieces…

December 2012

True

I’ve never organised anything before. I looked at Will in utter despair, How am I supposed to organise a funeral?

Will put his arms out and I fell against him, "I’m here. He said, I’ll help you – and my dad can help you. Don’t worry about anything. You’ve got enough to worry about with the boys. Let us do this for you."

I nodded, tears soaking through his shirt. He’d just come straight round to ours from work. Will was supposed to be going to uni in February but he was working for an accountancy firm at the moment. He’d finally decided that he wanted to use his maths A Level for accountancy and had decided that he was going to pursue that as his degree.

How are the boys? he asked.

I shrugged, Trey and Toby are okay – they’re just leaning on each other. It’s Tom I’m concerned about. He’s not speaking to anyone or interacting with us at all. You know what he’s like – he was always with Dad. It’s really hit him hard.

Will nodded, Well, yeah, he said, It would, I suppose...

I nodded and my throat ached with all the emotion I was trying to hold in. I wanted to scream and cry that it was all so bloody unfair – but what good would it do me in the long run?

Can you keep an eye on him for me, Will? I asked, He’s always liked you.

Will smiled sadly, I’ll do what I can, he promised, but he barely talks to me anymore, True.

I sighed. It was true. Tomas had absolutely loved Will when he first met him. He’d followed us everywhere – asking him to help him with his homework; showing him his Warhammer models and generally getting under our feet when we were trying our best to get our own homework done. Looking back, he’d definitely had a little man-crush on my bestie.

I don’t know what had happened in the last eighteen months or so, though but he definitely didn’t want to be around him anymore, Still, I guessed he was just growing up – and he always had a girlfriend on the go these days, too. Maybe he was just busy. I sincerely hoped he was being careful – the last thing we needed was for him to get some random girl pregnant...

Mum and Dad dying out of the blue, though? Well, it was tough on all