* * *
My therapist’s office is a safe place for me, and bringing them up in there felt like they were intruding on that space, ripping it away from me just like they’d done almost everything else in my life.
I paused, setting my pen down as I stared down at my diary. It was purple, my favorite color, and Langston had glued sparkles all over it before giving it to me. It glittered in the light, and he made me a purple, sparkly pen to match.
Tears pricked my eyes. Writing about my parents made me feel unsafe, just like talking about them did. I was tainting my beautiful journal with their hatred.
“Baby boy,” Langston said quietly, taking a seat beside me, his hand resting on my upper back, “look at me.”
I sucked in a sharp, shaky breath and turned my head to face him, our eyes connecting. He tenderly smiled at me as he reached up and brushed a tear from the corner of my eye. He was still in his work clothes—a pair of old, dark jeans and a plain black t-shirt. The only reason they weren’t grease-stained was because he always wore coveralls at work to protect his clothes.
He’d gotten a job a couple of weeks ago, saying he needed the extra money. Some days, it was really lonely without him, but life didn’t stop just because I was having a bad day.
I’d gone into the shop to have lunch with him one day last week, and needless to say, Langston spent most of the time in his car with my prick in his mouth as he got me off over and over. He was sinfully hot when he was sweaty and covered in grease.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “Writing—like my therapist suggested,” I said softly. I reached over and flipped it closed, though I knew Langston wouldn’t read it. I breathed a little easier once it was closed, my parents’ evil no longer permeating the room, suffocating me.
Langston grabbed my hand in his before reaching into his pocket with his other hand, pulling out a red, folded piece of paper. He grimaced as he unfolded it before handing it to me. Frowning, I grabbed it from him, reading the notice he’d been given.
EVICTION NOTICE
* * *
You are hereby notified that your lease has been terminated by the apartment leasee, and you have three days to vacate the premises. The locks will be changed on the fourth day, and anything left in the apartment will be either taken to the nearby dump, which will be billed to you, or it will be donated to a local charity of our choosing.
* * *
Thank you,
* * *
Castle Creek Apartments
“I found it posted on my front door this morning,” he said quietly. He swallowed thickly. “And I had to catch a bus back here. Um, my car is gone.”
I jerked my head up to stare at him, my eyes widening in horror. “Your car is gone?”
He grimaced. “I, um…” He blew out a soft breath. “I kind of hid something from you, Cove.” My stomach twisted with anxiety. My fingers crinkled the edges of his eviction notice when I tightened my hand. “Your first day of therapy, I figured if you were being brave enough to do something like that, I should finally be brave enough to come out to my parents.”
My eyes widened in horror. No—not Langston. This couldn’t have happened to him.
I tightened my hand around his, wishing I could do more to comfort him. He swallowed thickly. “Dad has refused to pay for my schooling any further once this semester is finished, and he broke the lease on my apartment. He also had my car towed back to him.” He shrugged helplessly. “So, I’m now homeless, carless, and if I don’t figure something out, I’m going to be jobless, too.”
I shook my head at him. “It’s not the end, Langston. We’ll figure this out together, I promise.”
He blew out a soft breath. “How am I meant to take care of you, baby boy, when my entire world is flipped upside down like this? I can’t possibly give you everything you need.”
I set aside his eviction notice and grabbed his other hand in mine, my heart squeezing at the pain in his eyes. “All I need, Langston, is for you to be here for me. I just need you to continue holding me at night time and when the days are hard. You can go see financial aid in the morning before class. I’m off, so I can drive you. And you can get financial aid sorted for next semester. We’ll move your things in here, get rid of the rest you don’t need, and then we can focus on saving money so you can get a car.”
He tugged me forward so I was straddling his lap, and he pressed his lips to mine, our tongues touching and dancing together for a brief moment before he pulled back, cupping my face in his hands. My cheeks were warm, just as they always were when he touched me like this. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get used to how affectionate he was, and I never wanted to.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Cove. I’ll never deserve how sweet and giving you are.”
“I love you,” I blurted. My eyes widened, my cheeks so red now, I could feel the heat radiating between us. I quickly covered my face.
I couldn’t believe I just blurted that out loud!
