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“Awww! Please say yes!” Declan begged, guiding Atlas’s hand around his backside but it was yanked away.
“Paul?”Atlas sounded desperate and there was a soft laugh from the phone.
“He’s had an extremely potent combination of THC, acid, and MDMA but he should come down…by tomorrow.”
“Could be as long as Sunday,” Reginald guessed. “Two of those green jelly beans is enough to keep me in orbit for a good six to eight hours but I have a feeling this is Declan’s first acid trip and he’s had some E as well.”
“It still doesn’t feel bad,” Declan told Atlas. “Do you want to have sex?”
There was a long silence as Atlas blinked at him. Declan opened his mouth to ask again but Atlas shook his head. “I’m not answering that while you’re like this, Declan.”
“Oh.” Declan nodded but his lip started to wobble. “Is it because I’m a worm now?”
ChapterNine
“Is it because I’m a worm now?”
Thatwas the story Atlas would tell their grandkids. That was the moment that he knew he had to do whatever it took to keep Declan because there was no way Atlas would ever be happy without him. And no one would ever want Atlas as completely or as intensely as Declan would.
“This is our fault,” Sage sighed when he came to check on Declan the next afternoon.
Atlas had dressed Declan in the comfiest pjs he could find and was keeping him confined to the large sectional in the living room. There were plenty of pillows and it seemed a lot safer than camping upstairs in the guest room with Declan. He looked like an angel, passed out and swaddled in a fluffy throw blanket.
“It’s not a big deal. Paul feels terrible and worked it out so the FBI thinks I’m caring for a sick family member. Technically, I’m always on duty, but I was able to take a three-day weekend and keep an eye on him.”
“Yikes!” Sage winced at Atlas. “It’s probably hard for you to take time off when you’re in charge of a whole field office.”
Atlas laughed and waved dismissively. “I could delegate more and find a little balance. I have a lot of time saved up. Like…all of it, because I never take a day off. At least, I didn’t until I started looking for excuses to come out here.”
Sage grinned knowingly at Atlas. “Good. You probably had to bust your ass twice as hard to get where you’re at, but the stress is going to kill you if you don’t rest and recharge now and then. And you need someone to come home to who will help you leave work andusbehind so you can have that balance. There aren’t a lot of people who understand the things you see every day and the toll that life takes,” he said, giving Atlas an encouraging nudge. But his gut twinged at the thought of putting that burden on Declan.
“I know. And, ironically, Declan is somehow the antidote. He was raised by monsters but he’s still so good and honest. There are times that I worry that I’m traumatizing him even more. What if he can’t move forward because he’s still grieving?” Atlas asked, making Sage frown.
“Over his father and his brother?” He looked doubtful.
“Maybe he’s grieving the loss of the childhood he should have had and trying to come to terms with all the abuse he suffered,” Atlas suggested. “It can’t help, having the federal agent that investigated your family knocking on your door twice a week and texting you every night.”
“I am 100% sure that Declan wants to see you and he’s always telling me about something funny you sent him. He’s such a mess over you.”
“That’s part of the problem, though,” Atlas said, turning Sage toward the kitchen. “How about some coffee and a slice of Declan’s apple tart?”
“Yes. The answer is always yes if the question is ‘Does Sage want pie?’”
They laughed a little more about Declan turning into a worm as they served themselves slices of tart, but Atlas became serious after a few bites. “It’s driving me crazy. I want to ask Declan what his plans are, but how do I do that without putting him on the spot or making him feel pressured? And I don’t want to set myself up for heartbreak if he decides this isn’t what he wants.”
“I have very strong reason to believe he wants to stay and has been thinking of taking a job in Chicago at one of the high schools,” Sage whispered, then winked at Atlas before taking a large bite. “And he can bake!”
“Yeah. Dinner was phenomenal too. I can’t let my mom know but that might have been the best roast I’ve ever had and the scalloped potatoes were amazing. We had the leftovers for lunch and they were even better today,” Atlas said, letting his tone sink. “What if he takes a job and gets a place in the city and regrets it later because we didn’t work out?”
“He’d still have a job and a new place in one of the greatest cities in the world,” Sage countered. “Declan’s an adult and I’m sure he’s strong enough to recover. Look at everything he’s been through. And he’s got friends to lean on until he’s ready to get back out there. But there’s also a chance you’ll be happy and grow old together.”
Atlas laughed softly and canted toward Sage. “I want to have grandkids just so I can tell them about the time Declan turned into a worm,” he whispered.
“It’s the perfect story to tell them.” Sage’s eyes glittered as they held Atlas’s. “He’s so in love with you, Atlas. You have to know by now.”
“I certainly do after last night,” Atlas said, his chest shaking as he used his fork to cut off another bite. “I’d get down on one knee right now if I wasn’t afraid that I’d be holding him back.”
“Oh, come on!” Sage complained. “That’s the perfect happy ending to this love story!”
