Chapter 1

The continuation of Silver Lining. We pick up many years later in Collin's life.

The key twisted inside the knob opening the door quietly. The wooden panel opened up into our house. The cold air nipped at my nose and I jumped in onto the light wood floors. The luggage I was pulling rolled loudly onto the floor. It echoed through the empty house. My feet froze and I tried to make the sound escape my ears. Footsteps slapped against the floor from the back of the house. I sighed, I wasn’t quiet at all.

Below me Rylan locked the car with two loud beeps. His feet ran up the stairs until he reached the top of the porch. His keys dangled loudly by his side and he walked in with three bags of luggage at his side. A tired smile spread across his face. We had caught the red eye from New York to Portland and drove the 82 miles home in one night. Our gazes both went to the opening of the hall. “How was the conference?” His melodic voice spoke softly.

Zander, our son, stood in the opening of the hall. His short black hair stood wild on top of his head. A pale hand wiped at his bright silver eyes. They looked at Rylan and me standing in the front of our house. Rylan closed the door behind us and stepped inside. “Long,” he answered loudly. My eyes stayed on the very tired Zander. He looked like my hero self. After his birth I wore contacts and morphed my hair to hide my identity. I looked like Collin once again.

“How were things here?” I asked softly

Zander’s eyes moved from Rylan to me, “Pretty boring. David came over a few times but that was about it.” A smile crossed my face and I followed Rylan to where our bedroom was. Zander followed. “Did you learn lots?”

Rylan laughed, “Oh yeah!” He said sarcastically.

Zander ran up to me and grabbed my arm. His head leaned on my shoulder and he whispered, “I’m glad you’re back.” Rylan laughed and kept walking forward. I froze in my place.

“What do you mean by that?” Zander’s silver eyes shot up to my face.

“Nothing” He answered and lowered his head.

I continued my pace forward, “Good.” There was no doubt that Zander and Rylan never saw eye to eye. In fact Rylan didn’t want kids in the first place, but my whole life I knew I was bound to be a father. When Rylan finally agreed we found a surrogate that gratefully carried our son. They got along in the earlier years. As Zander grew older the space between them could be seen getting further and further away. Rylan was forced to be the bad father after Zander repeatedly broke our rules. The language toward each other didn’t start until a few months before. There wasn’t much that I was able to save in their relationship.

 Years before Zander was born we decided to retire the hero act. Never again did we speak about it or use our powers. Zander actually has no idea what we are… What he is. My eyes fell over those bright silver eyes filled with so much wonder and excitement for life. I dreamt of having that again. A sigh left my mouth and I walked forward. Zander was a few inches taller than I was at his age. The surrogate had a rather tall family. Obviously he didn’t get it from me. His bare feet slapped against the wood below us as he walked beside me.

Rylan stopped in the middle of the kitchen. The keys to his motorcycle were sprawled across the kitchen counter as if someone had just thrown them. I stopped inches from his back and when he turned the air whipped at my face. “When did you get home, Zander?”

Zander’s eyes got huge as he realized his mistake. His lips pursed together in a tight scowl. “I didn’t’ leave. That’s where you left the keys.”

Rylan’s hand slammed into the metal keys on the granite counter and pulled them loudly to his side. “I think I would be able to remember.” Rylan always left his keys in the same spot in the same direction, every time. The veins in Rylan’s neck stood out uncontrollably. Zander tucked his shoulder behind mine and I stared straight into Rylan’s dark eyes.

“Listen Dad, my car ran out of gas yesterday and you didn’t leave me with any gas money.”

That’s when Rylan snapped and I felt it coming. “What the hell are you talking about? Have you ever heard of a debit card? Why don’t you look in that wallet of yours and you will see ridiculous amounts of money just waiting to be slid away.” He took a deep breath and bore into Zander’s soul. “The next time you even think about taking my bike out I will change your mind so fast you’ll get a severe case of whiplash. You’ll spend the next two weeks in the hospital.”

Zander’s eyes poured out a great amount of pain and misery. Suddenly his eyes snapped to me looking down his thin nose. He was almost pleading with me. The beautiful pools of silver flicked once more back to Rylan. He squared his shoulder and sucked in a large breath of air. With the dirtiest and foulest tone he hissed through his teeth, “Burn in hell.”

“You won’t be far from me,” Rylan stabbed back.

I gasped loudly and turned to Rylan, “Rylan.” I snapped loudly.

Zander’s shoulder sunk and defeat filled his large frame. His eyes pierced straight into Rylan’s, “I hate you.” His voice cracked showing a break in emotion. His shoulder spun hitting mine and pushing me out of the way. He stomped off loudly to his room and Rylan spun around also. He was the first I leapt for.

My hand grabbed his shoulder and I whipped him around, “What the hell was that about?” His lips pursed together and with a shove from his hand against my chest my back hit the cabinets behind me. His shoulders hung and he walked through the kitchen into our bedroom. The air wheezed in and out of my lungs for a long while. The silence of the house stabbed at my ears and I looked to my left. Rylan was in there fuming and I had no idea what he would say to me. So without thinking I picked myself up off the cabinets and walked to my right.

I could hear Zander breathing loudly and raging from in the hall. Something smashed against the wall that held the door. That was my key to walk in. The door pushed open and Zander threw a flower vase that crashed inches from my head. It shattered into a million little pieces that fell to the ground around my feet. My body froze and I paused for a moment to make sure it was safe. Zander’s hand lowered and he placed both of them on his hips.

The door closed softly behind me. “I hate him,” Zander snapped and smoke seemed to be coming from his ears.

I nodded in support and sat on the edge of his green bed, “I know.” My voice cracked and I took a deep breath to try and regain composure. During my breath Zander sat next to me. His hands balled together tightly as he sat. “You have to be patient with him…”

Zander cut me off rudely “What do you think I’ve been doing for 18 years?”

I continued as if he hadn’t interrupted, “he’s under a lot of stress right now and he just wants you to be happy. He really loves you Zander.”

Zander looked straight at me with almost pity in his eyes, “You can’t really believe that can you?” My face twisted and he understood my confusion. “Never once has he ever said he was proud of me. Is that love?”

“Zander you know that he’s proud of you.” I paused and lowered my voice. “He has told you he’s love you, hasn’t he?”

Zander nodded, “Of course even the worst father would say that.”

I sighed, “Mine never mentioned it unless he wanted something.”

Zander’s hand touched my shoulder. He sighed along with me, “You’re a great father. I just don’t understand how you can be with such a horrid man.”

My hand grazed his, “I love him more than you could ever imagine but not near as much as you.” Zander smiled brightly. “I think that’s where his fault is. He loves me more than he does you. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you.”

Zander lowered his hand and stood up, “You’re right. It doesn’t mean I’m going to apologize.”

I laughed, “I know. Just be patient with him. Someday he’ll realize what’s more important to him.” I stood up and slapped my thighs. “I love you Zander Khorry, always have and always will. Get some sleep.” Zander laid back in his bed and I stepped out of his room.

The shower could be heard running from the opposite side of the house. Rylan was avoiding me. As if I wouldn’t go in there. He soon learned. My hand whipped back the glass shower door. Rylan spun around to see me. His eyes narrowed and he spun around into the water. “What do you want Shiloh?”

“I want you to tell me what the hell is going on?”

He sighed and grabbed the bar of soap. It was hard not to be distracted as the water ran slowly off of his tight and firm body. I forced myself to concentrate on the task at hand. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he watched me staring at him. “You know I don’t like anyone riding that bike.”

I sighed, “Rylan.” That wasn’t what it was about.

“It’s dangerous.” He said again trying to fool me. My eyes fell over his body again and my knees went weak. I forced my gaze back up onto his face. He looked down and stroked the side of my face. “I’ve never been a good father, you know that.”

My hand grabbed his and kept it close to my face, “That doesn’t mean you can’t try. You are a good father, Rylan.”

He laughed, “No you are. Sometimes I just get carried away. You know that.”

His thumb grazed along my cheek bones softly, “You do have a temper.”

“I’ll go in later. We’ll let him cool off for a bit.”

I truly smiled and his hand cupped under my chin. He pressed his lips into mine and my knees then went weak. “Now come here.” His fingers wrapped around my wrists and I pushed with all the strength in my thighs. He was always stronger than me. I went head first into the shower will all my clothes on. His lips pressed into mine tightly and he closed the shower door.

 

 

I dressed again and dried my hair off with a dark blue towel. Rylan sat at his desk with his laptop opened in front of him. His thick rimmed square glasses sat perfectly perched on his beautiful nose. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands ran up the sides of my arms and to the sides of my face. His chin lifted and he kissed me. “You look exhausted . Let’s go to bed. Zander’s probably sleeping too. I haven’t heard him move around for awhile.” I spoke into Rylan’s ear softly.

His gaze moved to the hall where Zander’s room sat, “It has been awfully quiet for awhile.”

“He seemed tired.”

Rylan nodded and closed his lap top. I stood up and waited for him to follow me. A loud ring made us both jump. Rylan looked at his watch. Who would be calling us at six in the morning? All of a sudden a sick feeling ran through my stomach. Rylan reached for the phone and stopped it in the middle of the second ring. “Hello?” His eyes shot to me and he pressed the speaker button. There was no answer from the other side.

“Hello?”  I said this time and someone cleared their throat on the other end. Rylan’s placed the receiver back into its stand and let the speaker work on its own.

The voice finally spoke. “Hi, it’s me. Phoenix.”

The sick feeling became even deeper. Phoenix’s voice cracked and you could hear the tears behind his words. “Phoenix what’s wrong?” I asked abruptly.

“Uh, you wouldn’t happen to know where my daughter is; or any of my nieces and nephews for that matter?”

“What?” my voice now became panicked.

“There seems to have been a family kidnapping. I was hoping that maybe somehow they all went to your house.”

Suddenly Rylan’s eyes flicked on illuminating most of the dark kitchen, “Oh my gosh, no.” He said loudly.

“What is it?” Phoenix asked. I picked up the receiver and ran after Rylan towards Zander’s room.

When Rylan slammed through the door he stood for a minute and then grabbed onto the wall behind him. His hand grabbed at his stomach and he fell backwards. “No, no, no, no, no, no.” He said over and over again. Tentatively I looked into the room. The bed sheets were pulled off the bed and spread throughout the room. Dresser drawers were pulled out indicating a fierce struggle. The glass sliding door that opened up to his balcony was shattered all over the floor. Blood streamed from the bed all the way out of to the balcony.

Phoenix spoke again, “Collin what is it?”

“My son…” I gasped for air loudly, “He’s gone.”

Author's Note

I know that there is a lot of grammar issues in this. There will probably be throughout the whole story. Basically what I ant to know is if the story is getting across. But if I am continually doing something.. please let me know. :D <3

Reviews

[Ayla Starr]

I haven't actually read it yet (I will later on), but I read Smiley's comment, and I have to say:

Don't think about changing Rylan's sexuality if that's not what you want. No offense to Smiley, but...come on.

Writing a story with gay characters takes both courage AND guts, because not everyone's going to approve.

So I say stick with your instincts.

[smiley:)]

Hi,
I started reading this and I started liking it, until, I found out they were gay, some how I think it would be a way better story if it was a girl and Rylan. But, great chapter, keep writing! I really liked it.
Great effort, and share!
~Smiley :) (feel free to check out my story the, "Unnoticed.")