“Do you want to talk?”
“I think our talk earlier was enough for one day, don’t you?” Connor said. He saw the worry swimming in Trevor’s eyes and was filled with the urge to ease it. “We talked about it earlier, anyway. The probation I got was bullshit from the start. A hate crime shouldn’t be met with a slap on the wrist. I’m not surprised that it’s being investigated.”
“Yes. Although this happened faster than I expected.”
“Yeah,” Connor agreed. Although since news broke about the guards who had arrested him being bribed this morning, he wasn’t blindsided by the development. “I’m going to turn in. Everyone’s had a long day, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that needs sleep.”
“If you want anything else, let me know. I’m here for you. I want you to know that.”
“I know,” Connor said, hiding how reassuring that really was. It felt like now there was someone who reallywouldtry to help Connor. To believe in him and have his back. “Tell Laurence not to wake me up, please.”
Trevor smiled. “I’ll give him a stern warning.”
“You don’t do ‘stern’ too well, Trevor. Just remind him I won’t take him surfing ever again if he does,” Connor asked.
“I’ll pass that along.”
Connor closed the door. He dug his phone out of his pocket alongside the business card Alice had given him. Her email and phone number were on it, so he could reach out if he decided to. Connor was already considering it. He put that and his phone on the desk. He would sleep on it and determine whether reaching out would be helpful to him in the morning. His brain wouldn’t do much thinking until he calmed down.
Plus, he had a promise to keep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Connor looked out his window to the ocean. He could hear people moving around downstairs and suspected Trevor wouldn’t be going to bed for a while. He was most likely reading the news, thinking about it and trying to figure out how best to help Connor.
All Connor wanted was to go down to the dock and lie in Adonis’s arms.
Thinking about how reluctant Adonis had been to leave him made guilt swarm in Connor’s gut. Making up his mind, he crossed the room and flicked off his light. Quietly, he opened his window and crawled onto the overhang of the porch. He waited, listening for any noises. When it remained quiet, he lowered onto his hands and knees and peeked upside-down into the house windows—nobody in sight.
Quickly, Connor hung off the ledge and dropped the last few feet onto the sand. He walked backward down the sandy path until he passed the bend and was no longer visible from the house. Wind whispered through the leaves and bushes on either side of Connor until the shrubbery gave way to the sandy beach.
Light faded from the sky as Connor reached the dock.
He peered at the water, looking for any sign of Adonis. Did he need to go out to deep waters for Adonis to find him? It hadn’t taken him long to realise Connor was surfing. It seemed implausible that he coincidentally happened across Connor whenever he was on the water… and it wasn’t like Adonis could track his movement while Connor was on land. Adonis clearly had a way of finding Connor when he was at sea.
If he had to paddle out, he would.
“Adonis?” Connor called.
Breaking waves answered him. Connor toed off his shoes and rolled up his trousers. He sat on the end of the dock, dipping his feet into the water. If it was cold, he didn’t notice it. He splashed his feet. “Adonis?”
A hand grabbed his ankle. Connor jumped, despite knowing it was him.
Adonis rose out of the water, threw his arms around Connor’s waist, and buried his face into his lap. He keened desperately and loudly, like a complaining kitten.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Connor said, smiling widely. He sunk his fingers into the hair at Adonis’s nape, glimpsing the circle of indented teeth mark marring his pale skin. Satisfaction filled him as he looked at the mark. “I didn’t want to leave you either.”
Adonis grumbled. He tightened his arms around Connor’s waist, dragging him to the edge of the dock, and nuzzled his stomach. He let out loud complaints as he did.
“Are you angry with me?”
Adonis snorted, and then his head moved in a quick nod.
Connor bit his lip. Adonis had nodded to Connor’s question earlier, when they’d been in the water, but swept up in the moment Connor had taken little notice. He already knew that Adonis understood him, but this cemented his thoughts that Adonisreallyunderstood him.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could spend all my time with you, but…” Connor sighed.
Adonis lifted his head to peek up at him, gazing through half-lidded eyes.
