Chapter 40

“We were on my bed fooling around,” Steve said.

“You mean you were engaging in mutual masturbation, an activity in which many teenage boys engage at one time or another.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“What happened next?”

“My father came into the room and shouted and screamed ugly things, and started hitting me.”

“And then what happened?”

“I really don’t remember much else until I woke up at Uncle Philip’s house in Atlanta the next day.”

“Why Atlanta?”

“Like I said, I don’t really remember. Jeff told me that I refused to let him take me to a local hospital and kept insisting that he take me to Atlanta.”

“Looking back, Steve, why do you think you begged to be taken to Atlanta?” Simon said.

“I guess because I knew that Uncle Philip was gay and he wouldn’t let anybody else hurt me just because I’m gay.”

“You’ve been in Atlanta ever since, haven’t you?”

“Yes, Sir. As part of my mom’s divorce, Uncle Philip was made my guardian.”