By the time Kevin and the others arrived back at the hotel it was getting dark. They all headed straight for Kevin's room in silence, all realising that it was dangerous to talk about things until they were safely behind closed doors.
As soon as the door shut the three weary men flopped down on the comfy sofas and chairs, closing their eyes and trying to take in the events of the day.
Howie was the first to break the silence. "Okay Kev, we're not in a corridor anymore, what's going on? And where's Brian?"
Kevin took a deep breath, trying to hold back the anger that surged upwards once more at the mention of his cousin's name.
"I found out what's been going on." Kevin answered simply, somewhat unwilling to elaborate any further.
"And?" Nick pressed, needing to know the details in order to try to understand what was happening around him, why everything seemed to be falling apart.
"And AJ told Brian something. Something big. And Brian reacted badly to it, freaked out and pushed AJ away."
"I can't imagine anything that would freak Brian out." Howie replied, trying to understand it.
"What did he tell him and why didn't he come to us?" Nick asked, unwittingly hitting the root of the problem.
"I don't know that I should really say anything." Kevin replied, "It's really AJ's to tell."
"But AJ can't tell us, and he wouldn't talk before this happened. How can we help him unless we know what it is?" Nick threw his hands up in frustration.
Kevin took a deep breath. "He told Brian he was gay."
"He's what!" Howie exclaimed, shocked.
"He's gay." Nick answered for Kevin, a note of almost wonder in his voice.
"But why didn't he tell us?"
"You mean why didn't he tell you." Nick replied. Howie stayed silent.
"I don't know why he told Brian first," Kevin lied. "But what I do know is that he didn't tell us because of Brian's reaction. You saw the way Brian's been treating him for the last few weeks. I think AJ was scared that if he told us; we would freak out and react the same way."
"So he kept it inside, until he couldn't handle it anymore, and then he did the only thing he could think of to make it all stop." Howie spoke, suddenly understanding his best friends motives for such a drastic and desperate action.
Kevin nodded. "That's what I think anyway."
Nick sat there impassively, trying to fit all the pieces together, but something still didn't sit right with him. Something was missing from the picture.
"So where's Brian now?" Nick asked, knowing that the question wouldn't be well received.
"Who gives a fuck." Howie exclaimed angrily. He was incredibly angry at Brian for the way he had treated AJ even before the discovery of AJ that morning, and now that he knew the reason why Brian was treating him so badly, it made him ready to go out and kill Brian himself.
"I don't know where he is Nick. I left him in the waiting room." Kevin answered; just slightly calmer than Howie. He'd had time to calm down a little and his immediate anger had faded somewhat, or else he would have probably had the same reaction to the question as Howie. "He won't be there anymore though Nick, so I have no clue where he's gone." Kevin added.
Nick nodded, and looked as if he was about to say more, but the anger on Howie's face quickly changed his mind.
Instead he changed the subject.
"Look guys. There's nothing more we can do tonight. Let's get some rest. God knows after today we all need it."
Nick was pleased when he saw both men nod in agreement, and he made his way to the door.
"I'll see you later then. I'm going to crash."
And with that Nick was out of the door.