The man blinked. “Oh. He's locked himself in the employee bathroom. Are you his…?”
“Boyfriend,” John bit off, for once in his life not even caring what anyone thought. All that mattered was getting to his boy.
“Ah.” The man winced. “I'm afraid I'll have to fire him for this. I was about to call the cops when he looked like he might get violent, but Morgan insisted–”
“Yeah, thanks,” John muttered, pushing past the man. He didn't have time for chatter. John strode right up to the bathroom, cringing at the sound of gut-wrenching sobs within. John banged his fist on the door. “Adam? It's me. Open the door.”
“J–” Adam sobbed again. “John?”
“Yeah, baby,” John said, softening his voice. “Open up, and I'll take you home.”
A heartbreaking wail echoed inside the bathroom. “I don't wanna go home because if I go home I'll be alone and I won't be able to resist drinking more and I can't handle it, John! The voices. It's so loud. Make it stop! Make it–”
“Adam, open this door right now,” John bit off in an order.
Adam went silent, like he was holding his breath. John strained to listen, then finally heard the soft, faint sounds of movement before the deadbolt clicked back.
John muttered a curse. Adam lookedawful. His eyes were red and underscored by dark smudges from lack of sleep. His skin looked paler than usual, making his red cheeks stand out vividly. The boy's hands shook as they fussed with his rumpled clothing, which didn't even match.
But the reek of alcohol on Adam's breath overpowered everything else.Christ. Ten o'clock in the morning, and Adam was drunk.
John narrowed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as he fought to rein in his anger and worry. “Did you drive here like this?”
“No,” Adam spat petulantly. “Well, yeah. Sorta. I bought a bottle at the liquor store just down the street and drank some and then drove here. And then drank some more because I couldn't face walking in here and pretending to be happy.”
“Where are your car keys?”
Adam scowled. “Morgan already stole them from me and he won't tell me what he did with them.”
“Good.” John reached out and took off Adam's work apron, which wasn't even tied on properly, and set it aside. “Let's go.”
Adam opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but then all the fight drained out of him. He ducked his head and shuffled along in front of John, not saying a word.
Morgan peeked into the back rooms and handed Adam's car keys to John as they walked by. John managed a nod of thanks, then turned away, hating the look of pity and worry on Morgan's face.
He should have fixed this.Damn it. He should have fixed this a long time ago.
Now he wondered if it was too late.
John shoved Adam's keys into his pocket after he pulled out his own. He got Adam buckled into the passenger seat of his truck, then paused on his way to the driver's side, closing his eyes and taking a slow, deep breath.
Finally, when he felt calm enough, he got in, started the engine, and took his time driving home, trying to come up with a plan as he went.
Adam sat slumped in the seat beside him, staring blankly out the window. At one point, he started to close his eyes, only to jerk them back open and go completely tense, neither blinking nor breathing.
“Gonna be sick?” John murmured.
Adam sat there for another moment, then slowly shook his head and began to relax. He blinked slowly and looked around. “Where are we going?” he asked, his voice sounding dull and lifeless.
Something John never wanted to hear ever again. He shuddered as the sound punched right into his stomach, making him wonder if he might be the one to get sick instead.
John gave himself a moment to shake off the feeling, then said, “My place.”
Adam frowned, but only for a moment, like he didn't even have the energy to do that. He slumped back in the seat and resumed staring at nothing.
John quietly let out a heavy breath, trying to calm himself down. Adam throwing a drunken fit was one thing. But this?
This was scary.
