AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Nate?"
"Yeah, sweetheart?"
"I'm a little hungry…" the boy's voice trembles, his shoulder curling inward. It kills Nathan that Carter's instinct is still to fear him. He'd give anything to change that. "Do you think maybe I could have a little snack?"
I told you I love you, Nathan wants to say.Why are you so afraid to ask for food when I just told you I love you?
But Nathan doesn't say that because he knows the truth; Carter will never trust him. Not enough. Not fully. He'll always be the monster. Even if now he's the monster in love with Carter, the monster thatCarter loves, he's still the monster.
Nathan will never get to be anything but the monster.
"I'll get us some food," Nathan says in an awfully thick voice. "How about you get the next Harry Potter movie ready for us. If you think you're awake enough?"
Carter sits up then, grinning wide at him. There's no trace of fear in his gaze. No apprehension. The boy is purelyhappy. Nathan wishes he could press pause on the feeling. He wishes he could live in it with Carter forever.
???
"Hey, Nathan?" Carter asks as the movie credits begin to roll.
"Yeah, sweetheart?"
Carter rolls onto his side and looks at Nathan, frowning. He's not sure how far hisCarterfreedom goes. Part of him needs to find out. Part of him is too afraid to.
As if Nathan can sense this, which he probably can because he always seems to justknow,Nathan encourages Carter. "Go ahead. I promise you won't get in trouble."
"I was just wondering if-" Carter trails off, the memory of Nathan slamming him into a table resurfacing. It's followed closely by the memory of the man flogging him bloody.
Then the memory of Casey. All those men. Hurting him. Raping him. Maybe even… killing him.
"Hey," Nathan says softly, reaching for Carter. His hand goes up in surrender when Carter jumps at the touch. "Carter, sweetheart, are you okay?"
"Yeah." Carter clears his throat and forces a shaky smile. "I'm fine."
"Carter-"
"It was just a bad memory," Carter explains, hoping Nathan will let it go. "Just - just left the bedroom for a minute."
"And went where?"
Carter looks away and shakes his head. "I'd like to not think about it, please."
It takes Nathan a second, but then he's whispering a broken, "Oh."
Arms wrap around Carter, pulling him in close. He tucks his face in the curve of Nathan's neck and breathes him in.
"Please tell me what you wanted to say."
Carter holds onto Nathan a little tighter. "The slave from the party. The one I hugged. I was wondering if you know if he's okay?"
Nathan sighs in resignation, as if he'd been expecting that. "Casey, you mean?"
"Yes, sir."
"Casey is alive, if that's what you're asking. I'm not sure ifokayis a word I'd use, but I have a feeling things will be changing for him soon anyway. For the better."
Carter goes still. "What does that mean?"
Nathan smirks. “Someone new will be taking care of Casey. Someone much better.”
