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Carrying him inside, I nudge the door closed with my foot. It slams harder than I intended, the sound echoing in the quiet house. I wince, but it’s too late—his mother’s voice calls from down the hall.
“Paige? That you?”
“S’me, Mum,” Shilo shouts back, lifting his head to kiss my jaw.
“Hi, honey. There’s some meatloaf in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
“M’not—“ He starts to say, but I clap a hand over his mouth and give him a stern look as I make my way toward the kitchen. He needs to eat. Not just tonight but in general, and if no one else will force him to do it, then I will.
He licks and sucks at my palm, gazing at me from behind his lashes as I set him down on a butcher block counter. Pulling open a refrigerator covered in mismatched magnets, I spot the plastic container with his name scrawled on top and pop it in the microwave.
The kitchen is small, cozy, and I briefly take in the beige cabinets and old linoleum floors before asking Shilo where the silverware is. When he doesn’t respond, I find him with his eyes closed, snoring softly. Fucking hell. Luckily, there aren’t a lot of drawers, and I find what I’m looking for as the microwave dings.
Resigning myself to feeding him, I spear some food with a fork, blowing to cool it off before bringing it to his mouth. “Open up, doll.”
He complies, cracking open a lid when I place the food on his tongue. “Said I wasn’t hungry.”
“Too damn bad. Eat.”
With a grunt, he closes his eye again, wrapping his legs around my hips as he lets me feed him slowly, one bite at a time. When the container is half empty, he finally pushes the fork away, and I finish the rest myself before lifting him back into my arms.
Carrying him upstairs, I step into his room, which is noticeably messier than it was on Thanksgiving. Clothes are scattered across the floor, and the desk is buried under a chaotic pile of papers and computer parts
“Gotta pee.” He lets go of me, feet hitting the ground, but when he stumbles toward the bathroom, he trips over a pair of sneakers and crashes to the floor. “Shit. Ouch.”
“Are you alright?”
“Mm-hmm.” When he pushes to a stand, his legs wobble, and he nearly takes out his 3D printer by falling into it. “W-why s’everything moving?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sigh and grab his arm, guiding him carefully into the bathroom. Once there, he positions himself in front of the toilet and starts to undo his pants, but stops abruptly before whipping his head around to glare at me.
“Go away.”
Nice try. After all that food he just ate, I’m not letting him out of my sight.
“You can barely stand, Shilo. Just go. I won’t watch.”
His precious face twists into a grimace. “But you’ll listen. Sh-shut up your ears. Shut ’em up.”
Huffing a laugh, I turn him around, placing my back to his chest. “Okay, they’re closed. Now go.”
He grumbles the entire time but doesn’t fight me, and I help him wash his hands when he’s done. Getting him to brush his teeth is a losing battle, so I just walk him back into his room, where he flops backward onto his bed. Fully clothed.
Without giving myself too much time to second-guess, I decide to undress him, starting with his pants since they’re already unbuttoned. Of course, he’s not wearing anything underneath, which does absolutely nothing to help the situation in my own slacks.
Still, I force myself to stay focused, moving on to remove his socks and shoes. Those cute as fuck toes make a brief appearance, and I can’t help but glance at them before quickly shifting my attention back to the task at hand.
Next is his tuxedo jacket, which comes off easily enough, but when I unbutton his shirt, Shilo pushes me away with surprising strength.
“No.”
“You can’t sleep in that shirt, doll face. It’ll wrinkle. Let me take care of you.”
He curls inward, rolling onto his side and tucking his knees to his chest, like he’s trying to shield himself from the world. A flare of anger rises in my chest as I grind my molars. Not at him, but at whoever made him feel this way about himself.
“M’ fine, Mr. Callahan. You can lee’ me now.”
“How many more times do I have to tell you to call me Ryann, Shilo?”
