Love Means No Boundaries - Andrew Grey

turn him down, but at least this time he’d had the courage to ask him properly.
Joey waited for Robbie’s reaction. He wasn’t expecting an answer right away, and he grinned when Robbie’s face broke into a smile. “You’re serious?”
     
“Of course I’m serious.” Joey couldn’t stop smiling and felt himself bouncing with excitement and hope.
     
Then he saw Robbie’s smile fade. “I can’t.” Joey felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Only Robbie’s hand on his stopped him from getting up and leaving the room. “Joey, I’d be no use in the farm. I can’t help or contribute. I’d just be in the way.”
     
“Bullshit!”
     
“I would, and you know it. I can’t help. Not really. Besides, Eli and Geoff don’t need me in their house as well.” Robbie’s arguments sounded good, but they didn’t hold water, not with him.
     
Joey had the strangest feeling Robbie wasn’t telling him everything. “I don’t think that’s the reason, because you know if I brought you home, Eli and Geoff would be as happy as me. So why 169
    Andrew Grey
don’t you tell me the real reason?” Is it because you don’t love me enough?” God, he hoped it wasn’t that.
“No, of course not!” Heat showed in Robbie’s voice. “It’s just that this is my home.” They were back to that. “Maybe you could stay here.”
“You know I can’t.” Joey softened his voice. “I really want… I need you to come back with me.” Joey watched as a number of emotions passed across Robbie’s face, and Joey took heart in knowing he didn’t say no outright.
     
“Why is my coming with you so important? Is your life more important than mine?”
    Joey swallowed hard and thought before answering. “No. If anything, your life is more important, which is why you need to come back with me.” Robbie’s face contorted in confusion. “You’re not making sense.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then tell me why?”
Joey searched for the right words and finally said what he was feeling. “Because I want my Robbie back.” The words tumbled out. “Your Robbie?” His eyes blazed with sightless fire.
    “Yes, my Robbie. I want the Robbie who rides horses with me, who begged me for a motorcycle ride. I want the Robbie who spent afternoons helping me plant a garden and drove a tractor.” Joey’s voice became louder, and his words tumbled out. “I want the Robbie who can find his way through the house without being led everywhere. But mostly, I want the Robbie who told me that I was beautiful and that the only boundaries that really matter are those you place on yourself.” Joey kept going, afraid that if he stopped he’d never be able to say what he needed. “I went on the riverboat, and we spent time in town. People turned and looked, and some 170
Love Means … NO Boundaries
    stared. Do you think I would have done that at all before I met you?” Joey took a heaving breath and continued. “You showed me that I could do anything and that I was holding myself back by hiding myself away.” Robbie looked shocked, but Joey’d come too far to stop now. “Then I came down here and saw the man I loved, the daredevil I knew, unable to find his way around his own home.”
“They’re just trying to help.” Robbie’s response sounded feeble.
     
“How? By coddling you and not letting you do things for yourself?” Joey felt himself getting angry on Robbie’s behalf and consciously tried to calm himself down as he heard his voice resonate through the large room.
    “I love you, Robbie, more than I’ve loved anyone in my life.
And I love you for you. Remember what you did at the farm?
    Remember that fun being together, the feeling that you could do anything?” Joey’s voice became quiet. “Remember what it felt like to be my Robbie without all the boundaries?” Joey leaned to him and kissed a dazed Robbie gently. “It’s your decision. If you decide to stay, I’ll respect it.” Joey waited for Robbie’s reaction, but he gave nothing away. He knew one way to find out. “Would you play for me?”
    Robbie shook his head. “I think I’d rather be alone right now.” Joey didn’t know what to think, wondering if he’d pushed too hard. Getting up he walked to the door and turned before opening it, looking for some sort of sign from Robbie, but there was nothing, only a set jaw and very confused look. Slowly he opened the door and heard conversation and the tink of ice cubes in glasses.
“Joey, is that you?” Robert