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10.
"Scott? It's Scott, isn't it? I'm Tony, Lee - Leon's friend. Could I talk to you for a moment?"
"Yes, I well remember. You're the tart's accomplice. I think I've seen quite enough of you already. And if he's sent you to try to twist my arm into seeing him again then you're wasting your time. Now, if you'll excuse me." Scott swept past him, making for the lifts.
"He didn't send me. Fact is, he'd be pretty pissed off if he knew I was doing this. But there's something here that I think you don't understand."
Now Scott could feel his temper really starting to rise. He stopped and turned on his heels. "Oh, and what is it I'm too stupid to understand? You think..." and, hearing how loudly he was starting to speak, checked himself, now addressing Tony in the low tones of barely surpressed anger, "You think I don't understand that he's been fucking me and then going home to hubby afterwards?"
"Yeah, I thought as much. Told you about his 'partner' did he? No such guy. At least, not any more."
"Eh?!"
"Leon's single mate, has been for the last two years. He lied to protect you. I have to go back up to work, but the gym's quiet again this evening and I've no personal training slots booked. If you come up with me then I can tell you what's going on. Please, just don't write Leon off - he's a good lad."
Now Scott was properly confused. Why did Leon feel that Scott needed protecting, and why did he think the only way to do that was through lies? Lies never protect anybody. They just fester away, leaking their own special kind of poison, contaminating everything. The men went upstairs, and Tony began to dish the dirt.
"I spoke to Leon on the phone this afternoon. He told me that he'd spent the night with you, but that you two decided not to take it any further in the morning. I knew he was lying through his teeth because this has happened once before, and he sounded even more depressed this time than the last. Leon uses the 'I'm already seeing someone' excuse when he finds a guy he really likes, and then gets cold feet about seeing him again because he's afraid of what Alex will do."
"Alex?"
"Leon's ex-boyfriend. They met not long after we graduated, and were together for about three years. It all started out feeling normal, but Alex turned out to be a bit of a brute, and controlling with it. He didn't like Leon hanging out with his friends, with anybody other than him. Tried to monopolise his time. Started to get aggressive with Leon, and with me and other people who care about him when we began to question what was going on. You know Leon's a strong, fit guy, but Alex is very big. The first time Leon tried to split up with Alex, he flew into a rage and belted him one. The second time, he... did something much worse. The police got involved, no charges ended up being brought but it did give Leon the opportunity to get away. Except that Alex won't leave him alone."
"What? You mean this Alex has been harassing Leon?"
"It's stalking behaviour. He often checks up on where he's been, sits outside his flat in his car, bombard him with notes, calls, texts and e-mails. Alex hasn't tried to hurt Leon again - yet - but he won't let him move on with his life. Me and Leon, we're both 28 now, and I've got a girlfriend and two kids, but he's been on his own ever since he got away from Alex. He can go out and get laid, but if he shows signs of forming an actual relationship then Alex gets wind of it and warns the other fella off. With threats of force, if need be. Leon got himself a new boyfriend, but Alex soon got to work scaring him away - the car mysteriously trashed in the middle of the night. Nasty encounters in the street. Thinly veiled threats of violence. He was a good bloke and willing to stand his ground, but after what Alex had done to him Leon was frightened of what might happen to this fella, and pushed him away. Since then you're the second man he's really liked and wanted to date, but that lasts about an hour and then he takes fright again and starts making excuses. Only I'm not going to let him keep doing this to himself. He deserves better."
Scott could scarcely square this tale with the man he'd gone to bed with the previous night. "But I still don't understand. Leon - when I was with him, he was masculine, confident - assertive even. This makes no sense at all."
"Leon's very conflicted. It's the product of those years of abuse. He was young when he moved in with Alex, and the scumbag tightened the screw on him over time. It takes courage to break free of a situation like that, and because of Alex's behaviour since he can't do it properly. I've told Leon that if he wants to live the life that he deserves then perhaps he should move well away from Leeds and start over somewhere else, but his close family have all passed on and leaving here would also mean moving away from his friends and having to begin again on his own. Besides, he's reluctant to run away, as he'd see it. Says it would feel as if Alex were still controlling him."
"Except that he is anyway, by not leaving Leon in peace."
"Exactly."
This was all a lot to take in. It certainly sounded like a plausible story - if Tony was spinning him a yarn then he was making a very convincing job of it - but what was Scott meant to do about it? He'd be on his way back down the other end of the country in less than 48 hours, for fuck's sake.
"Listen," Tony said after a few moments of silence between them, "I know that you're just passing through here. You may live hundreds of miles away. Hell, you might have a bloke waiting for you at home for all I know..." A flash of anger crossed Scott's face at the suggestion: the bloody cheek of it! Tony put his hands up in apology, "...OK, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Just... perhaps there's no chance of your starting a thing with Leon, but could you at least try to talk some sense into him, because I'm getting nowhere and I'm out of ideas. He needs to go back to the police and try to get this nutter dealt with properly, or move away somewhere he can't be found, or both. Nobody should be made to live in limbo... live alone like that, when there's no good reason for it. Especially not a good lad like him."
Being a 'good lad' was no insurance against misfortune or loneliness. Scott knew all too much about that subject. He fidgeted for a minute, rubbing his hand over the rough stubble of his chin and upper lip, thinking about whether or not meddling in the personal life of a near-complete stranger (and risking the wrath of his psycho ex into the bargain) was really such a smart idea.
'Nobody should be made to live in limbo... live alone like that, when there's no good reason for it.'
"OK. Do you know if Leon will be home tomorrow evening?"
"Scott? It's Scott, isn't it? I'm Tony, Lee - Leon's friend. Could I talk to you for a moment?"
"Yes, I well remember. You're the tart's accomplice. I think I've seen quite enough of you already. And if he's sent you to try to twist my arm into seeing him again then you're wasting your time. Now, if you'll excuse me." Scott swept past him, making for the lifts.
"He didn't send me. Fact is, he'd be pretty pissed off if he knew I was doing this. But there's something here that I think you don't understand."
Now Scott could feel his temper really starting to rise. He stopped and turned on his heels. "Oh, and what is it I'm too stupid to understand? You think..." and, hearing how loudly he was starting to speak, checked himself, now addressing Tony in the low tones of barely surpressed anger, "You think I don't understand that he's been fucking me and then going home to hubby afterwards?"
"Yeah, I thought as much. Told you about his 'partner' did he? No such guy. At least, not any more."
"Eh?!"
"Leon's single mate, has been for the last two years. He lied to protect you. I have to go back up to work, but the gym's quiet again this evening and I've no personal training slots booked. If you come up with me then I can tell you what's going on. Please, just don't write Leon off - he's a good lad."
Now Scott was properly confused. Why did Leon feel that Scott needed protecting, and why did he think the only way to do that was through lies? Lies never protect anybody. They just fester away, leaking their own special kind of poison, contaminating everything. The men went upstairs, and Tony began to dish the dirt.
"I spoke to Leon on the phone this afternoon. He told me that he'd spent the night with you, but that you two decided not to take it any further in the morning. I knew he was lying through his teeth because this has happened once before, and he sounded even more depressed this time than the last. Leon uses the 'I'm already seeing someone' excuse when he finds a guy he really likes, and then gets cold feet about seeing him again because he's afraid of what Alex will do."
"Alex?"
"Leon's ex-boyfriend. They met not long after we graduated, and were together for about three years. It all started out feeling normal, but Alex turned out to be a bit of a brute, and controlling with it. He didn't like Leon hanging out with his friends, with anybody other than him. Tried to monopolise his time. Started to get aggressive with Leon, and with me and other people who care about him when we began to question what was going on. You know Leon's a strong, fit guy, but Alex is very big. The first time Leon tried to split up with Alex, he flew into a rage and belted him one. The second time, he... did something much worse. The police got involved, no charges ended up being brought but it did give Leon the opportunity to get away. Except that Alex won't leave him alone."
"What? You mean this Alex has been harassing Leon?"
"It's stalking behaviour. He often checks up on where he's been, sits outside his flat in his car, bombard him with notes, calls, texts and e-mails. Alex hasn't tried to hurt Leon again - yet - but he won't let him move on with his life. Me and Leon, we're both 28 now, and I've got a girlfriend and two kids, but he's been on his own ever since he got away from Alex. He can go out and get laid, but if he shows signs of forming an actual relationship then Alex gets wind of it and warns the other fella off. With threats of force, if need be. Leon got himself a new boyfriend, but Alex soon got to work scaring him away - the car mysteriously trashed in the middle of the night. Nasty encounters in the street. Thinly veiled threats of violence. He was a good bloke and willing to stand his ground, but after what Alex had done to him Leon was frightened of what might happen to this fella, and pushed him away. Since then you're the second man he's really liked and wanted to date, but that lasts about an hour and then he takes fright again and starts making excuses. Only I'm not going to let him keep doing this to himself. He deserves better."
Scott could scarcely square this tale with the man he'd gone to bed with the previous night. "But I still don't understand. Leon - when I was with him, he was masculine, confident - assertive even. This makes no sense at all."
"Leon's very conflicted. It's the product of those years of abuse. He was young when he moved in with Alex, and the scumbag tightened the screw on him over time. It takes courage to break free of a situation like that, and because of Alex's behaviour since he can't do it properly. I've told Leon that if he wants to live the life that he deserves then perhaps he should move well away from Leeds and start over somewhere else, but his close family have all passed on and leaving here would also mean moving away from his friends and having to begin again on his own. Besides, he's reluctant to run away, as he'd see it. Says it would feel as if Alex were still controlling him."
"Except that he is anyway, by not leaving Leon in peace."
"Exactly."
This was all a lot to take in. It certainly sounded like a plausible story - if Tony was spinning him a yarn then he was making a very convincing job of it - but what was Scott meant to do about it? He'd be on his way back down the other end of the country in less than 48 hours, for fuck's sake.
"Listen," Tony said after a few moments of silence between them, "I know that you're just passing through here. You may live hundreds of miles away. Hell, you might have a bloke waiting for you at home for all I know..." A flash of anger crossed Scott's face at the suggestion: the bloody cheek of it! Tony put his hands up in apology, "...OK, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Just... perhaps there's no chance of your starting a thing with Leon, but could you at least try to talk some sense into him, because I'm getting nowhere and I'm out of ideas. He needs to go back to the police and try to get this nutter dealt with properly, or move away somewhere he can't be found, or both. Nobody should be made to live in limbo... live alone like that, when there's no good reason for it. Especially not a good lad like him."
Being a 'good lad' was no insurance against misfortune or loneliness. Scott knew all too much about that subject. He fidgeted for a minute, rubbing his hand over the rough stubble of his chin and upper lip, thinking about whether or not meddling in the personal life of a near-complete stranger (and risking the wrath of his psycho ex into the bargain) was really such a smart idea.
'Nobody should be made to live in limbo... live alone like that, when there's no good reason for it.'
"OK. Do you know if Leon will be home tomorrow evening?"