Page 31 of Unfinished Noise

Alfie looked like a kid who’d been told he wasn’t wanted, and Jamie knew exactly how much that hurt. Jamie crossed the room fast and wrapped his arms around him. Alfie felt small and tense, as if he were bracing for something worse. Jamie patted his head, trying to soothe him the way Spencer always soothed him. “He didn’t say that.”

“He did.” Alfie sniffed hard. “I had a big fight with Billy on the phone this morning. Daddy Nathan was so pissed at me. He told me he’d send me back home if I had another fight with Billy.”

Jamie pulled back enough to see his face. “Oh no. Over Billy?”

“Yes.” Alfie hugged the teddy tighter, fingers digging into the fur as if he needed something to hold him together. “He said I can’t talk to Billy like that. He said I make everything harder.” His voice wobbled. “And then he told me he didn’t want me around if I was gonna keep messing things up.”

Alfie looked wrecked—eyes red, shoulders shaking, breath catching as if he couldn’t get enough air.

“He didn’t even look at me,” Alfie whispered. “He just… said it. Like I was some problem he was tired of dealing with. And when I didn’t go tonight, he didn’t care. I think he was relieved.” A tear slid down his cheek. “I want to go home.”

He remembered the sadness and loneliness when he had lived with Daddy Tom. “You can’t go back alone.”

“Jamie, I’m fine. You can stay here,” Alfie said quickly, desperate. “I’ll take a bus back. I might move out of Daddy Nathan’s house.”

Jamie shook his head. “No. You can stay with us until things get better. I know Spencer wouldn’t mind. We have such a big house.”

Jamie didn’t realize he’d made the offer until the words were already out of his mouth. It came from instinct—pure, protective instinct—but the second Alfie’s shoulders sagged in relief, a flicker of doubt tightened in Jamie’s chest.

Their house.

His and Spencer’s.

He swallowed, suddenly aware of how big the promise was.

Alfie sat hunched on the edge of the bed, sketchbook open but untouched. He’d said, “I’m fine,” without looking up, and Jamie had heard the lie in every syllable. That was what pushed the offer out of him in the first place. But now, with the room quiet and Spencer gone to the show, the weight of it settled differently.

Would Spencer mind? Would Spencer feel crowded? Would Spencer feel like Jamie was deciding for both of them?

Jamie rubbed his thumb over a streak of blue paint drying on his finger. He could still feel Spencer’s kiss from earlier—warm, grounding, the kind that made Jamie want to be better at everything. Better partner. Better communicator. Better at not making impulsive choices that affected them both.

He glanced at Alfie again. His best friend looked small. Not physically, Alfie was lanky and tall—but emotionally small, like someone who’d been yelled at too many times in one day and didn’t know where to put the hurt.

He couldn’t leave him like this. He wouldn’t. But he also couldn’t pretend Spencer didn’t matter.

Jamie exhaled slowly, choosing his words more carefully this time.

“Listen,” he said, softer now, “you can stay with us… if Spencer’s okay with it. I know he will be. I just—” He hesitated, feeling the truth catch in his throat. “It’s our home. I want to make sure it feels good for everyone.”

Alfie finally looked up, eyes rimmed red. “I don’t want to be a problem.”

“You’re not,” Jamie said immediately. “You’re going through something. And I don’t want you alone while you do.”

He meant it. Every word. But he also meant the part he hadn’t said aloud. He wanted Spencer to feel like Jamie chose them first, even when choosing someone else’s safety mattered too.

Jamie reached for his phone, thumb hovering over Spencer’s name. Maybe he should send a message—something clearer, something that showed he wasn’t deciding behind Spencer’s back. But if he did, he’d interrupt the band at the club or be responsible for Daddy Spencer not being able to do his job.

Instead, he looked at Alfie and tried to balance both truths at once—the urge to protect, and the responsibility to the daddy he loved.

“We’ll figure it out,” Jamie said, voice steadying. “Together.”

For the first time since the argument, Alfie nodded as if he believed him. Alfie blinked at him, hopeful and scared all at once. “Are you sure?”

Jamie nodded. “I’m going back with you and I’ll leave Daddy Spencer a note.”

Alfie stood, wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. “I’ll get my things. Are you sure this is okay for you?”

Jamie swallowed. He wasn’t sure. Not really. But Alfie needed him, and Jamie couldn’t leave him alone like this. “Daddy Spencer needs to focus on his band,” he said softly. “And I need to be with you. We can have tons of fun.”