"My name is Patrick, if you ever tell his name again I'll brand my name in your skin to remember it, you understood you stupid bitch?"

I nodded and pleading to release my troth. I was scared of the man before me who once had soft eyes and a kind smile, that picked me up when I was feeling that the world is not a place anymore for me. He let me go and I tried to stand up.

"Where you try to leave, to him?" I shake my head frenetically, pleading to not hit me again. "Sorry." He only said each time, while my body was sore enough to not be able to move.

I was terrified of him. He rushed toward me and on his touch I shudder...

I opened my eyes and my body was bathed in sweat. I felt pressure on my chest and looked chaotically around the room, remembering where I was – safe. I looked down and curled in my lap and with his head on my chest, Theodore was sleeping and talking in his sleep. He looked peaceful, but his dreams were fiery. His forehead was wrinkled and his hands were in a fist.

I caressed his back and held him gently to not awake him and stood up, feeling my legs slightly numb and my back sore, for sleeping on the floor.

From the guest's room I heard moans and I rolled my eyes.

I slowly placed Theo on the sofa and wrapped a blanket over his body. "Stay with me..." He mumbled in his sleep. I know who asked. Someone that now it is no longer here, but not for a long time. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and the messaged made me frown.

"Tyler went crazy. Deal with his mood swing."

I didn't reply back just glanced at Theodore and walked toward the guest room kicking the door and interrupting their wild morning sex. The door opened and I nearly fell inside. In front of me a sweaty and barely covered David appeared with a raised eyebrow and breathing heavily.

I could hear Sky panting hard while his head hanging down. From where I stood I could see clearly Sky exposed body and a smirk appeared on my face, a thing which I knew would annoy David.

"Keep an eye on Theodore and stop humping each other like rabbits, is ..."

I looked at the watch and noticed it was nearly ten in the morning.

"You know you want this body as well..." I rolled my eyes and slammed the door in front of him praying that the noise didn't awaken Theo. I glanced back to the sofa fast, while pulling my clothes down for a shower before leaving.

He was still sleeping. A smile appeared. He looked innocent, the same as we met...

An hour later, dressed casually in some black jeans and a t-shirt I was in front of Tyler's old house, bagging the door like a maniac. I could hear his shouting and things breaking. Anthony opened the door with his usual and creepy calm, inviting me inside.

The house looked tarnished and filthy.

"You can find him upstairs."

Flatly Anthony told me, while sitting on a sofa filled with scrubs eating a chocolate bar and watching Tv. I shrugged and rushed upstairs.

"If you drink and smash the furniture against the walls you think everything will fix?"

I raised my tone a bit, while leaning by the door frame with my arms limply around my body. Tyler turned around and he had an unkempt appearance.

His hair was greasy and looked like the comb didn't pass with weeks through it, he was unshaved and his skin was pale. I should have noticed his appearance when last time came, but I was too angry.

On the floor empty cans of beer were thrown all over. "Get out..." He snarled at me but I didn't flinch.

"Don't go on this way Tyler, I don't want to see Theodore crying more and suffering, or worse burying you like his father, without talking with him and settling their things."

Tyler stared at me and approached me. My heart was slamming heavily in my chest and made a step back. He stopped and just let himself fall near the bed. I entered the room and sat down near him, wrapping my arms around him, while he sunk his head in my shoulder, tired.

Debating if I should tell him or not I decided he should know.

"Theodore drank last night."

I felt his body getting tensed, he said something, mumbling but I couldn't understand.

"I can't face him, Luca, I just can't." Tyler said to me while his body rested from mine.

"He can't fight alone, Tyler, he needs you." I stopped, hearing his sobbing and his body spamming in my arms. "Remember your promise when you turned eighteen, I beg you, pull yourself together and pass over the guilt. He forgave your words..."

I felt my voice trembling and tried to fight my tears, but they slipped like water between rocks, unable to stop them anymore.

He nodded and breathed heavily. "Give me more time..."

"How long Tyler?" I asked him knowing well he won't reply.

Theodore had no time to wait. Their son had no time. If Katya managed to put his hands on him with Eugene all would be lost. They were his biological parents.

Theodore's worst fear was to be hated by his child. In their hands you could never know what you'll happen. What happened wasn't Theodore's fault. Was my fault Brian felt the stairs that night, but Theodore took the blame, but I was too cowardly to come clean.

I slowly pulled Tyler on the bed and unstressed him, letting him in his boxers. "Sleep..." I whispered, but he was long gone, snoring lightly.

Coming down the stair in the living room Anthony was smiling, holding his arms at his chest, leaned by the wall.

"When he awakes tell him to wash, he stinks..."

"Tell Sky that to never touch me, I'll report his ass to the principal."

I stopped and turned around to see his sly smirk. If Sky got mad that means the brat deserved it.

"Probably he had a reason to do that," I said to him feeling tired after a sleepless night and a great start of the weekend, holding my other friend in my arms.

"I was having fun with Chris..."

"Beware ..."

"Why do all of you kiss his ass, even you..."

He snapped in annoyance.

"Christopher is a fragile kid."

Anthony scoffed at my words and walked upstairs not paying attention anymore to me. A thing I knew was when that kid will have his breakdown I do not wish to be around him.

I opened the door and stared at the sky. A storm was coming. Grey and dark clouds were coming rippling everything ahead.

"I hate you all."

Four words suddenly passed through my mind and I shuddered. My brother's eyes were grey and stormy. Were always echoes in my head. I only hope Christopher won't feel the way when he will know the truth.

Ivan felt betrayed, alone and forgotten, by us his family.

Maybe if my parents wouldn't have locked him in that place, today he would be alive and I, not feeling so lost and terrified even by my shadow, which started this hell for my friends.

A thunder pulled me from my thoughts while a drop of rain shatters on my face. My body quaked and I felt cold. A heavy storm will come upon us, shattering each of us in pieces.

I hated the rain, I hated the red, I hated both of them ...