Catching Feelings Ch. 07

Anthony nodded his head at that. "If we had made you feel loved and secure in your own family, perhaps you wouldn't have gotten sucked into an abuser's clutches."

"That's surprisingly insightful of you," Jeremy told him.

"Your brother pointed that out too," Anthony admitted. "He's a smart man."

"I agree," Ryder said with a grin. "A downright genius."

Anthony took a deep breath and let it out. "I hope that we can work on fixing what I've broken between us, over time. If you'd be willing to?"

Jeremy looked thoughtful for a moment. "I would be, on the condition that my boyfriend be included in that sort of thing over time. If you want me to stay in the house, then he gets to stay too. If I get invited, so does he. Is that something you're willing to do?"

Anthony shifted his eyes over to Jimmy, who had been silent through all of this. "I'm actually quite a fan of your current boyfriend, so I would be okay with that. And I hope you keep this one around, Jer."

"Well, it's frowned upon to handcuff him to the bed forever, but I plan to try to keep him around the normal way at least," Jeremy joked, smirking at Jimmy.

Anthony moved forward so he could address Jimmy, sticking his hand out for a handshake. "Thank you for protecting my son, and for calling the ambulance."

Jimmy took his hand firmly, like he had been taught to shake a man's hand by his high-school football coach. "Your son means a great deal to me. More than anyone else I've ever met."

Anthony smiled at that and clapped Jimmy on the back before walking out of the courtroom with Ryder. Ryder shot them both a smile and followed his parents out while explaining how the second part of the trial would likely go to them.

"And I plan on blowing him in every room of your house," Jimmy said once they were mostly alone.

Jeremy practically barked in surprised laughter at that and took Jimmy's hand, leading him out of the courtroom for the weekend. Ethan made sure that he had a ton of food there when everyone got back to the house. This time he ordered from one of their favorite pizza places. If Wayne and Jimmy were going to be in New York, they needed authentic New York pizza before they went back after the trial. Ethan had included cheese sticks, mozzarella sticks, marinara sauce, salads, and pastas as well, to make sure that Jeremy especially got something to eat even if pizza didn't sound great to him.

They mostly spent the weekend doing homework and trying to spend a little time relaxing, though Jeremy made sure to keep Jimmy busy in the bedroom every single night, including letting Jimmy try riding him. It was a position that let Jimmy have all the control over the pace and how deep he went, but it meant they could face each other and see each other orgasm. And fuck, did Jeremy love watching Jimmy's face as he orgasmed.

Monday began the defense's case, which boiled down to that Jasper's actions came from first love and jealousy, and then later from fear of being outed to his family. They made it sound like the family would have disowned him immediately, and likely would have beaten him bloody, and Jeremy had no doubts that likely would have happened, but despite the way this trial was going, the Montgomeries didn't seem to be disowning him. None of his brothers came to the trial, but his parents were there everyday. His father, Drake, looked like he was sucking a lemon during the defense, but he was there. Nora Montgomery kept a completely stony face the entire time, not showing a single emotion as both prosecutor and defense laid out their cases.

Holden had told them ahead of time that they had Jasper on the list for witnesses, but it was possible they might not actually call him. It was risky to put Jasper on the stand, because he had a temper. One big show of that temper, and there was no way that the jury would stay on his side.

It was after calling people like his father, doctors who had been working with Jasper over his fear of being outed and his anger problems, that they finally called on Jasper. Jeremy turned his head to the side, toward Jimmy, his eyes down while he took his boyfriend's hand for support, as Jasper spoke on the stand about how in love with Jeremy he had been, and how he recognized now that he hadn't been a good boyfriend. It didn't make Jeremy ache for the relationship or anything, but it was an uncomfortable feeling hearing him speak like that.

When it was time for cross examination, Holden stood up and walked over to the lectern and cleaned his glasses while he looked at Jasper, like he was trying to figure him out. "So, you said you're in love with Mr. Thayer, or at least you were."

"I still am," Jasper replied, and he looked at Jeremy when he said it, though Jeremy wasn't looking. Jimmy had a cold look on his face as he stared down the man who almost killed his love. "That hasn't changed."

Holden put his glasses back on and leaned forward against the lectern. "What do you love about Mr. Thayer?"

"W-what?" Jasper asked, turning his attention back to Holden as if he was surprised by the question.

"What specific things about Jeremy Thayer do you love?" Holden asked the question again, slightly differently, and slower. "What made you fall in love with him? What traits made him someone you could fall in love with?"

Jasper stared at the prosecutor for a moment like he had suddenly sprouted a third head before his facial expression recovered, and he looked down for a moment, like he was trying to think. This was one of the first times that Jeremy actually looked directly at Jasper the entire trial.

If they had asked Jeremy what he loved about Jasper, he would have been able to answer. It wasn't the answer anymore, but he knew what had made him fall in love with Jasper, even if it felt false now. If someone asked him why he was in love with Jimmy, he could name an entire list. Someone would likely have to tell him to stop before he could run out of things to list about his boyfriend.

So why was this question so hard for Jasper?

"Well, he's handsome, and he was amazing in bed. He's...kind and considerate, and he always did sweet things for me to remind me that he cared," Jasper finally answered.

Jimmy leaned over to where Jeremy was sitting and said, quietly, "Why doesn't he just tell them about the size of your dick while he's at it?"

Jeremy covered up his laugh with a cough, putting his hand in front of his face. It caught Jasper's attention and he frowned before turning away from them. Ethan was trying to hide a smirk, and Chloe was shaking her head at Jasper's testimony, like she couldn't believe the things that came out of his mouth.

"Interesting that the first things you list are physical," Holden said to him. "So, if you're so in love with him, how is it you could ever bring yourself to cause so much physical damage to Mr. Thayer?"

Jasper swallowed hard. "I was upset, and angry, and I lost my temper. I regret it now. I would have been destroyed had Jeremy died from it."

"What would be the worst part of that?" Holden asked.

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.

"What would be the worst part of Jeremy Thayer dying?" Holden expanded on the question.

"I...I would miss him," Jasper replied. "And it would kill me that it had been from my own hand. I will never forgive myself for hurting him like that."

Holden gave a short nod. "Of course, regret doesn't change the fact that you did almost kill him. It's good to have regret, but the damage is already done."

"I know," Jasper responded.

"No further questions, your honor," Holden said and went back to his seat.

They took a recess again and then came back for the closing arguments. Mr. Walker focused on the fact that Jasper was dealing with emotions that overwhelmed him, making it hard to be in his right mind. He also spoke at length about the severe fear and loathing of himself that Jasper had being a gay man in the closet with such a homophobic family.

When Holden got up to give his closing statement, he looked calm and in control as he spoke about how disturbing he found the facts in this particular case. This was a case of an abusive partner losing control of his victim, and stalking him, lying to get him arrested, and trying to use blackmail to essentially force Jeremy Thayer into becoming a sex slave to him.

Not only did it leave Jeremy with physical scars and issues he may live with for the rest of his life, but it also left emotional scars that might likely never heal.

"It doesn't much matter whether the defendant was in love with Mr. Thayer or not," Holden told the jury. "It does not, in any shape or form, excuse the actions he took against Mr. Thayer. Jeremy Thayer almost died, and that was a direct result of the attack that Jasper Montgomery perpetrated against him. He can have remorse, and feel that he did it out of anger and hurt, but he still has to face the consequences of those actions. A man like Mr. Montgomery will not learn from this unless those consequences are more than a slap on the wrist.

"Rich men like him get off with a slap on the wrist all the time, and this is not the case to allow that to happen during. This is a human life that was almost lost. Please keep in mind what Mr. Montgomery almost took from everyone."

The jury was excused first by the judge after they were told not to go online, and that they would be sequestered now to come up with a verdict. Everyone watched as the jury left the courtroom, and then everyone else was excused until the jury was finished. Holden Briar was informed first thing the next day that the jury had come back with a verdict, which meant they likely only deliberated for a few hours that night.

"Is that a good thing?" Jeremy asked as they walked toward the courtroom again after coming back.

"It could be, yes," Holden replied. "We won't know until we get in there, though."

The judge came into the room and had everyone sit back down before the jury was brought back into the courtroom. Jasper looked tense, watching the jury closely as they went back to their seats. Jeremy took Jimmy's hand, needing to feel him there to keep from shaking, while Ryder had put an arm around Jeremy's shoulders.

"Madame Foreman, have you come to a unanimous verdict in this case?" Judge Mann asked the woman in the first juror seat.

"We have, your Honor," she replied.

The paperwork was brought over to the judge to look over before she looked back to the forewoman and nodded her head.

"On the count of harassment of the victim, Jeremy Thayer, we find the defendant, Jasper Montgomery, guilty," the forewoman said. "On the count of aggravated assault, we find the defendant, Jasper Montgomery, guilty. On the count of attempted voluntary manslaughter, we find the defendant guilty."

Jeremy let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and he felt Ryder's hand squeeze his shoulder. He heard Jimmy whisper to Briar, "Do you think he will appeal?"

"He definitely will," Holden replied with a nod. "He likely won't win it though. So, expect it, but I'm not worried about it."

The judge thanked the jury for taking part in the justice system and she dismissed them from their duty. It took a few weeks before they were to come back for the sentencing. That was only a few days trip to New York this time, and the Thayers let Jeremy and Jimmy stay in his childhood room, which was an experience Jeremy never thought he would ever have. It was surreal but nice at the same time. Jimmy began making good on his personal vow that night, and a blowjob had never felt so good and downright naughty before. Jeremy loved it.

Sentencing decided that Jasper would be sentenced to five to ten years in prison, though Holden told them it was likely he would actually serve a little under five total. He was also to pay a very hefty fine to the city.

The civil case wasn't anywhere near as exhaustive as the criminal one, but Jeremy was already feeling tired from going over it so often. He was ready to put this all behind him. The judge in that particular case was taking into account hospital bills, doctor bills, therapy bills, and pain and suffering, as well as the fact that Jasper's actions led Jeremy to go to a lesser favored school as well as had his name smeared in the press which could have harmed his career prospects once he graduated, as well as kept him out of better law schools. The Montgomery family was worth a lot, and since Jasper was being put in prison, it was the family that would be paying the bill.

This judge seemed to share Holden's sentiment about it being an incredibly disturbing case. In the end, she made her verdict in Jeremy's favor, and ordered the Montgomery family to pay him five million dollars restitution. It didn't take them long after the trial verdict to pay. They weren't going to try and fight it at this point since Jasper had been convicted of the criminal case. They just wanted to be done with everything.

"What are you going to do with the money?" Jimmy asked, "Buy Twitter?"

Jeremy chuckled at that and shook his head. "No. It feels a little like blood money, though. I was kind of hoping to do something good with it."

"You know, I might have an idea for that," Chloe piped up, making everyone look at her. "We always talked about going into business together, remember? We could split the business up into specific areas, like how I'd love to create a sustainable fashion line that is affordable and available in all sorts of sizes, and Jeremy had ideas for a full pride line of products."

"Yeah, I remember that," Ethan agreed, and Jeremy nodded.

"Well, let's actually do it," Chloe said with a smile. "We'll each put in a share of cash to start it, and we'll set up rules for the business so we aren't getting rich off the backs of other people. Fair wages, good insurance, amazing benefits, and diverse hiring. And who better to help us make that diversity plan than Wayne?"

"Me?" Wayne said, confused. "Why me?"

"Because of the three of us, well four if you include Jimmy, the most diverse of the rest of us is me, with my Thai heritage," Chloe explained. "But I definitely haven't dealt with racism, or with businesses or colleges rejecting me or my family because of skin color or low economic standing. You and your family could help us come up with ideas and thoughts on how to make sure it's not just a company of white workers with a few token people of color."

"Are you implying that I'm..." Wayne looked around carefully, then lowered his voice, "black?"

Chloe smirked. "I'm outright saying it, love."

"Man, that's racist as fuck! I thought none of you white people could see color!" Wayne joked.

Chloe pushed him back, which didn't actually move him very far because he was much bigger than she was, but he was willing to pretend for her sake. They ended up talking about the business model for the rest of the time they were in their undergraduate, before solidifying not only what they wanted to do but how they would go about doing it. In the end, they ended up all five being co-owners of the business.

One Year Later

Despite everything that year that had made them miss classes or have to take them online, their entire small friend group did graduate on time, and with high marks too. Ethan and Jeremy both ended up getting into Harvard, for medical school and law school, respectively.

Chloe was going to go straight into social work once her degree was done but she was going to work on grad school while she did so, as well as teaching kids to dance on the side. Her and Wayne were still going strong, so when he got scouted for the NFL, she was standing behind him while he did that. He had quite a few good teams looking at him, so it was just a matter of the decision being made.

Jimmy went on to study Business after he received his Associates in Sociology so he could help with their venture. He didn't have money to contribute, so he wanted to do something useful.

The day after they had walked for their diplomas and taken photos with their families, Jeremy took Jimmy down to the football stadium, which was currently empty. He had given Jimmy the black chain not long after the trial had finished, though Jimmy had no idea the ring existed.

Jeremy brought him out to the middle of the field, looking around. "So, last time you'll see it like this. How does it feel?"

"It feels like it happened a lifetime ago, honestly. So much has happened since then that I almost forgot I used to play football, which is saying a lot because it used to be my life," Jimmy said.

"We might not have ever spoken if not for football, though," Jeremy pointed out. "You know, after you tried to brain me with one."

Jimmy laughed, "Actually, Wayne threw that one! I was just trying to catch it. In the end you could say all I ended up catching was feelings."

Jeremy grinned at how cheesy that was. "You weren't the only one who caught feelings, which is why I wanted to come here before we left. Honestly, I was pretty sure I was going to go my entire life without actually settling down with anyone. All my relationships would probably end up being casual because I was too afraid to give anyone a chance, and then that damn football seemed to make a crack in my walls, as well as a dent in my head."

Jeremy pulled the ring box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. "And I'm glad it did, because I'm constantly amazed by how wonderful you are. Will you marry me?"

Jimmy, who had also pulled a ring box out of his pocket and had mirrored him in getting down on one knee, said, "Of course I will! As long as you marry me?"

"Happily," Jeremy replied, and pulled him into a deep kiss. When they broke apart, he slipped the ring on Jimmy's finger, and it fit perfectly and he let Jimmy put the ring he got on his finger. "Should I wait three months to tell Ryder?"

"You can if you want, but he's the one who helped me get that ring and get it resized for you," Jimmy said, indicating the inscription on the inside. It was Jeremy's grandfather's ring, which was in gold with a few nice diamonds along the band.

Jeremy smiled at that. "Alright, I'll tell him tonight, but only because he was so sweet to help you. This is really thoughtful."

Ryder ended up having Jeremy as a groomsman for his wedding, so while Ethan was going to be the best man for Jeremy's side, Jeremy wanted Ryder as a groomsman too. Most of the families told about the engagement were thrilled, though James Spark Sr. really only took an interest in it because he now knew how much Jeremy was worth. Jeremy told Jimmy he could handle that can of worms however he wanted to, but the old drunk wasn't getting a cent.

Wayne had proposed to Chloe before their final semester, after the Championship game for the Flashes, which they won, though Jeremy and Ethan did jokingly warn him that once he put a ring on it, there were absolutely no returns. She would be his problem forever.

Ethan was perfectly fine staying a bachelor. His studies were more important, and he had plans for the direction he wanted to go in, but he was happy for his best friends, and he welcomed both men as brothers.

Ethan ended up graduating medical school almost top of his class, and Jeremy succeeded in graduating law school at the top of his class, while Jimmy graduated with honors in business, all the while with the two living together. Jeremy started work with the ACLU in New York, but also ended up working under Holden Briar eventually, working exclusively on prosecuting cases that involved domestic violence, stalking, and murder or attempted murder of spouses or partners. Holden handed every case like that that dealt with a gay couple off to Jeremy because he knew his passion for it would work in the courtroom.

Jeremy could look back at what had felt like such a dark time in his life, and he felt free from it finally, and completely happy. He never would have thought it would have come to this point from where he was before, but he was glad that things worked out the way they did. He had found the love of his life, and he found a purpose.