- Black Gold 2 - Double Black (19 page)

The screen filled with the distressed face of a sweet-looking teenage boy with mild acne and a wild cowlick at one temple. The show labeled him Kyle Anderson, eighteen. “Why are you asking me about Cole?”

A voice out of frame said, “Someone tipped us off that you might have been dating him before he left for Los Angeles. Can you confirm that for us?”
“What? No! Cole’s in…? We never dated. It wasn’t like that!” Kyle’s face turned bright red. He looked like he might cry. “Get out of my face! You can’t do this!”
He turned his back to the camera and walked away, but the reporter jogged after him.

“As someone who knows Cole best, can you tell us whether he has a history of violent behavior?”

Kyle glared over his shoulder. “I’ll show you violent behavior if you don’t leave me alone!”
From the front door, Cole shouted, “Where’s the welcome wagon?”

Goldie was mortified, not just for the kid on the screen but how this was going to make Cole feel. His chest tightened in sympathy as he watched Kyle trying to escape the press. Even if Goldie had been outed before he was ready, he was a celebrity and had the resources to get away.

Kyle had nothing.

It was bad enough Cole had to endure harassment. He at least had a secure fortress to return to.
Goldie whirled to meet Cole, uncertain whether to tell him about Kyle. Goldie was conditioned for this kind of scrutiny, and it was still too much. How well could Cole or Kyle stand up to it?
Jett clenched and unclenched his fists. He had to know intimately what this meant to a young man in that environment.
They needed a moment to consult.
“Cole, we’re going to have a celebratory lunch in the dining room. We’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay?” Cole sounded doubtful, but his footsteps echoed down the hallway to the kitchen.
Jett turned off the TV. In the silence, Goldie heard Hasani greet Cole and explain the sushi versus peanut butter and jelly situation.

“This is fucked up.” Jett moved to Goldie’s side and stared into his face. Jett’s irises were almost black with rage, the bloodshot whites frightening in contrast. He looked ready to explode. Still, he managed to keep his voice down so Cole wouldn’t hear. “They cannot do this to my boy. And what’s this Kyle kid supposed to do? How can they air all that well-intentioned ‘It Gets Better’ bullshit and then do something like that? I cannot be the only one whose goddamn mind is boggled, blown, and boiling.”

“No. You’re not. Goldie chewed the inside of his cheek. “The cat’s out of the bag, but there are some bloggers, some people who may realize that kid wasn’t out. They can cause backlash, but that won’t help Kyle. Or Cole. How is Cole going to take it that this may have ruined Kyle’s life?”

Goldie rubbed his head. It aggravated his injury, so he stopped. “We need to talk to Cole. If Kyle needs somewhere to stay or if he’d even take our help, I don’t know. But I’m very afraid for what might happen.”

As Goldie thought of all of the teen suicides due to bullying, his stomach churned. What had they unleashed? His hands shook as he thought about the nine suicides of kids Kyle’s age and younger in a small Minnesota town. “I’d never forgive myself if something bad happened, and I’m pretty sure Cole wouldn’t either.”

Jett growled unintelligibly and tipped back his head to stare at the ceiling. His nostrils flared as he pulled himself together. His gaze returned to Goldie’s. “Okay. You’re going to welcome Cole home. I’m going to call Sarah. We’ll get in touch with this Kyle kid. Cole might be pissed at me, but if I’m his father. It’s my place to look out for my son’s friends, right?”

Cole’s voice came from the kitchen this time. “Thanks for the epic peanut butter lunch, Jethro! You’re a paragon of thoughtfulness.” Goldie heard a muttered, “Asshole.”

Jett must have heard it too because he laughed and raised a brow at Goldie. His anger seemed to have passed now he had a plan, however skeletal. “Think you can handle that?”

Goldie nodded. “Do you want me to tell him?” At some point, Jett would need to manage his own conversations with Cole, but right now it might be better coming from Goldie.

Or maybe Cole would resent that Jett wasn’t there for a hard conversation. “You’ll be back soon, right?”
Jett nodded. “Just get him caught up, and I’ll try to have something solid to tell him about how we can help Kyle. I know he’s gonna want action after he finds out, and if action’s been taken, maybe we can keep him from further assault charges while he’s out on bail.”

A light seemed to go on over Jett’s head. His mouth turned down at one corner. “This is what it’s like with me, isn’t it? I’m about that grown-up most of the time.” Before Goldie could respond, Jett waved off the thought and started for the hall. “Talk to the kid. I’m calling Sarah.”
He seemed to finally get it, which was adorable. Maybe being a father when he was younger would’ve given him perspective sooner. Or not.
Things had a way of happening right when they needed to.
Goldie headed to the dining room. He took a seat next to Cole and gave him a quick side hug. A beautiful array of sashimi sat beside a pile of organic whole wheat bread with peanut-butter-and-strawberry-preserves sandwiches that Cole was wolfing down.
Goldie grabbed a plate and selected some yellowtail. “I didn’t think you’d be much for raw fish. It’s good, though. Healthy for you. Lots of lean protein.”
Not the best start. A tough topic at hand for a boy who had just been through hell, and he was babbling about protein. He took a deep breath. “Cole, I hate to pile on more things you don’t want to hear and shouldn’t have to deal with, but I need to tell you something serious, and I’m not sure how to do it.” He took Cole’s hand. “And I’d put it off if I could, because I know you’re tired, but it may be urgent.”

“Oh shit, are you and Jethro breaking up? You’re not going to leave me with him, are you?” Cole bit his lip and stared at Goldie’s hand on his. “You’d take me with you, right?”

“What? No. I mean, yes, you’d be welcome to come with me if we were, I guess.” The thought was too devastating to contemplate. “But, no. Jett and I are doing well. He’s actually really happy to have you in his life, as am I.”

At least that made Cole smile.
Squeezing Cole’s hand, Goldie hoped that would help him bear the news. “But being in our lives, unfortunately, comes with an unimaginably invasive price tag when it comes to the media.”

Cole’s eyes widened. Could he comprehend the ramifications of that? Unfortunately, they were about to find out.
Goldie locked their gazes. “They’ve outed your friend Kyle. Jett’s on the phone figuring out what we can do.”
“They what?” Cole’s shriek resembled Jett’s most chilling punk vocals, like his throat was trying to escape through his mouth. He stood so fast his chair fell over, then gave Goldie a startled, apologetic look and knelt to right it. Unlike Jett, Cole seemed helpless.
As he straightened, he wrung his hands and blinked, trying very hard to look tough. His lower lip trembled, though, even after he tightened his jaw. “Did I do this? Coming here like this? I did this to Kyle?”
“No, no, honey. It’s not something anyone could’ve anticipated.” Goldie took Cole’s hands in his. “
They
did this to Kyle. They had a choice, a professional choice, and they made the wrong one. There will be a huge backlash for this, but I’m afraid that won’t change things for Kyle. I don’t know him, so I’m not sure what to do. Do you think he’d want to come here? Would you want him here? Is he…I mean, did you two…are you close?”
“Oh, um. God. I don’t—” Cole stammered and stared at the floor, blushing to the tips of his ears. “Look, Kyle isn’t—”
Cole sat as if his legs had given out. He looked into Goldie’s eyes. “Will he hate me for this? Because I like him so much. He’s—”
He blushed harder and looked away. “He’s been a good friend. It wasn’t anything else, but I wanted…I thought…but um, not close like that.”

That stubborn mouth so like Jett’s warped with misery. “If they make Kyle hate me too, I don’t have anything to go back to.”
This broke Goldie’s heart. “Was he out? Will this be a shock to his parents?” He sat with Cole. “I’m worried for your friend. Jett is too.”
Goldie bit his lip. Was he going too far? Cole must really like Kyle if he was worth going back to Kansas. “I was serious about bringing him here, Cole. If he wants to. If you want him to be here.”
“Kyle’s parents knew. They’re just quiet about it. But he wasn’t like…
out
out. And he was just getting ready to go to college and like…” Cole frowned and stared at the sandwiches. “I didn’t tell him I was coming here. I didn’t tell him Jethro was my father. He’s gonna be so pissed at me for so many things. I can’t talk to him.”

“Yeah, well, you’re gonna.” Jett appeared in the doorway wearing an expression of paternal concern. “I called Kyle. He’s on the line. I talked to him a little, and he wants to talk to you now.”

If Goldie hadn’t already been in love with Jett, he would’ve fallen for him right that minute. He sounded so much like a dad, so firm and filled with certainty about the right thing to do. At least, that was what Goldie thought a dad should be.

Maybe he needed to work on those daddy issues a little.

Cole regarded Goldie with wide eyes. “What do I say? Should I invite him here?” Goldie squeezed Cole’s hand. “Apologize for not telling him where you were going. If he’s willing to talk to you, he’s not too angry to get an invitation. He may fuss and vent, but that’s a good thing. It means he cares.”
Jett walked over to Cole and rested a hand on his shoulder. He held out the cordless landline phone in his other hand and waited for Cole to take it. “If things get out of hand, just hand the phone back to me and I’ll talk him around, okay?”
Cole nodded and took the phone. Without seeming to realize it, he let go of Goldie’s hand to clutch Jett’s where it touched his shoulder. Over Cole’s head, Jett shot Goldie a startled look. Then a tender smile curved Jett’s lips, and he stared down at Cole’s hand on his with undisguised wonder.

“Hello? Kyle?” Cole’s eyes widened. “Kyle? What, you’re not talking to me? That’s real mature, Kyle.”

Jett stifled a laugh and leaned over to press a button and unmute the handset. Cole closed his eyes and tried again. “Hello? Kyle?”
It was impossible to make out what Kyle said in return, but Cole sat straighter. His

knuckles turned white as he grasped Jett’s hand. “Yeah, about that… Look, this is lame, but do you wanna come to California and stay at my father’s house for a while? Like, until things blow over? It’s summer, so like…”

Cole trailed off and searched Goldie’s face. Then he nodded. “Yeah, he’s right here. They’re both right here.”

As Kyle spoke, Cole nodded. “Yeah, it’s okay with them if you sleep over. There’s like ten bazillion guest rooms and shit. It’s cool. You wouldn’t have to share a room or anything.”

Cole hesitated and bit his lip, staring at Goldie with an adorable look of disbelief. “Like tonight, tonight? Um.” He held his hand over the mouthpiece. “He wants to know if he can come tonight. Is that possible? Could he get a ticket on that short of notice?”

Jett said yes so fast Goldie didn’t get a chance to. “Grace can meet him at the airport and bring him back here. We’ll get it squared away. Tell Kyle that Jett and Goldie’ll tuck him in with you tonight.”

Cole blushed. “Shhh, not so loud! He’ll hear you!”

 

Judging by the look on Cole’s face, Kyle was informing him that he had heard it.

Cole groaned. “Yeah, Kyle, he’s here.”
Cole rolled his eyes and held out the phone to Goldie. “He wants to hear you too.” Smiling, Goldie took the phone. “Hello, this is Goldie.” His cheeks warmed. He

spoke to fans now and then, and he always wanted to make a good impression, but much more rode on this.

“It’s nice to meet you. Cole says you’ve been a really good friend, so if you can, please bring along any blackmail-worthy material on him with you. If he’s anything like his father, there must be a lot.”

Goldie had to cover his other ear to block out Jett’s raucous laughter and Cole’s shocked protests. Cole shoved Jett’s hand off his shoulder like he was a traitor, then stood and turned in a circle as if looking for somewhere to storm away to. Jett reapplied his hand to Cole’s shoulder and pushed down, returning him to the chair opposite Goldie.

He winked at Cole and swatted his knee to let him know he was teasing. Kyle replied, seeming to do his best to sound casual. “So hi, I’m Kyle. Does Cole really want me to come for a visit? Because I can handle this. My parents are angry, but not at me.”

“You appear to be the only thing he really misses about Kansas. Well, and the Chex Mix.” Goldie turned his back to Jett and Cole to keep them from distracting him. “Kyle, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure if the media will leave you alone right now. It sounds like your parents are solid, but we’ll be up all night worrying about what might happen. It would ease my mind if you came here. And I know that Cole left without telling you. That impulsivity probably comes from Jethro. It doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about you, okay?”

“Cole’s mom was impulsive too, so I guess that’s how Cole happened in the first place. She was really cool, you know. They keep asking questions about what Jett Black’s baby mama was like. It’s gross how they pick apart people’s lives.” Kyle’s voice was subdued, like the wheels in his head were turning. “If you can hook me up with transportation, I’ll start packing.”

Kyle had that sweet Midwestern accent and sounded overall like a thoughtful young man.

“You’re right. It is really gross. But the bright side to it is that we get to meet you soon. We’ll get you booked on a flight and send a driver.” Goldie paused. “I was serious about the blackmail, though. We’d love to see any school photos or baby pictures. Jett missed out on seeing Cole grow up. The paternity tests aren’t back, but we’ve already claimed him.”

At that Goldie turned around and grinned at Cole. “Is there anything else you’d like to say?”
“Oh God.” Cole pressed his hand to his forehead and stared at his shoes. Then he grabbed the phone and took off with it into the other room.
Jett laughed and stepped around the back of Cole’s vacated chair. Instead of sitting there, he draped himself across Goldie’s lap and kissed his cheek. “Ah, young love.”
Goldie stroked Jett’s hair. “You’re good at this dad thing, you know. I was worried you were going to ground me.”
“You’ve been a bad boy, go to my room? I think that’s a T-shirt slogan.” Jett perked a brow at Goldie and snuggled in to make it easier for Goldie to pet his hair. He seemed content in a way he rarely was. “You’re good at it too.”
Goldie sighed happily. “This really is the life, isn’t it? I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared as I have in the past couple of days, but it feels good too. Even though there’s an extra person here, it’s brought us closer.”
Jett didn’t answer right away. His arm settled across Goldie’s chest, but he remained silent. After a few moments, he opened his mouth to speak, but Cole returned wearing a look of triumph and interrupted whatever moment Jett was about to have.
Cole looked shocked when he realized Jett was sitting in Goldie’s lap, but to his credit, he didn’t launch into dramatics. Instead, he gave Jett the handset.
“He said he’ll be ready to go in an hour, and a flight any time after that’d be awesome.”
Jett stood and pointed at Goldie with the handset’s stubby antenna. “I’ll make travel arrangements. You two figure out where we’re putting Kyle.” Jett jabbed the antenna in Cole’s direction. “While I fully expect you two to fuck like horny teenage boys under my roof, you need your own rooms. There’s gonna be squabbling at some point, and if I can’t separate you two and threaten to ground you until you’re thirty, this ain’t gonna work.”
Cole’s jaw dropped, but before he could protest, Jett jabbed the air with the phone again. “Nn! Shut it! My roof, my rules, Cole. Fornicate all you want, but if you’re gonna squabble, go to your room. It worked for my band, and it’ll work for family.”
With that, Jett narrowed his eyes, turned on his heel, and stalked off in the direction of the study, leaving Cole and Goldie alone together. Goldie wondered if Jett was this paternal toward his band members in the beginning.
Cole looked at Goldie with a bewildered expression. His cheeks were red. “Um. So. Awk-waaard.”
Goldie held his hand over his mouth so he could giggle without being observed. Cole looked at him, so Goldie stopped and pressed his lips together until they both finished blushing. He patted the spot next to him. “So, do you like Kyle that way? Should we give you rooms at the other end of the hall?”