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Tav chuckled and patted Jonas lightly on the back. “I found him wandering the park. Thought he belonged to you.”
Jonas’s cheeks flushed a bright red and he ducked his head. He was clutching the handle of a duffel bag that he’d rested near his feet and had a backpack strap over his shoulder. In a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he was as mouthwatering as he’d been last night, and I couldn’t get enough of staring at him.
Tav cleared his throat. “Shep, your tongue is hanging out.”
I slapped a hand to my mouth, but it was closed, and I glared at Tav as he threw his head back and laughed.
He shrugged unapologetically. “It was a close call. It was gonna roll out like a fucking dog, mate. You were pantin’ for it.”
“Fuck off, Tav.” I shoved him, and he laughed, holding up his hands at me.
Jonas shifted nervously between his feet and chewed on his bottom lip. He glanced to the side, like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to run or stay.
“What happened?” I asked before I could stop myself. Who cared that I was shirtless, with only a pair of gray sweatpants on? I didn’t even have on underwear, which meant my morning wood was wide awake and pressed against my thigh. If I didn’t look at it, maybe he wouldn’t, either.
He inhaled deeply and scrunched his eyes shut. “They found out. I told them.”
I blinked at him. “Told who, what?”
Tav rolled his eyes and threw his hand up in anare you kidding meway. He gave me a long dubious stare, but I ignored him and focused completely on Jonas.
Jonas opened his eyes and glanced warily at Tav, then back to me.
I shook my head. “You don’t need to worry about this asshole. He knows about me. He’s the only one.”
Tav grinned and nudged Jonas with his elbow. “And I’m gay, too, which is what the wee prick didn’t tell you.”
Jonas’s anxiety didn’t disappear like I’d expected, and he released the handle of his duffel and let his backpack fall to the ground so he could wrap his arms around himself. He peeked over toward the river, and I followed his line of sight, but I couldn’t see anything.
“Chet’s parents are sending him to a conversion camp in Mexico.” He winced, and so did I because I’d heard about those shitholes. I’d never been religious, but I’d had friends at school with parents who had been. “Dad was so mad at me for being late, and I told him I was on a date. At first, Mom was really happy, but after Dad told me Chet’s parents were sending him to Mexico, they asked who I went on a date with. I was just so upset that I answered honestly. I said your name.”
My spine went ramrod straight, but I didn’t say anything because he clearly wasn’t finished.
“I panicked. I locked myself in my room, and then when I went downstairs this morning, he had three deacons there, and they were going to send me away, too. I can’t go, Ethan. I don’t want to go. Why can’t I be who I am? How is this against God’s will?” His chest rose and fell and tears began to fill his eyes. “I just want to be me.”
Tav gave me another pointed look, glancing from me to Jonas, and I realized quickly what he was suggesting. I was shit at this, but I rushed forward and wrapped Jonas up in my arms, dragging him against my chest. He shook as he cried. His softness would get him eaten alive in this park, but I didn’t care. I would protect him.
Tav grabbed Jonas’s bags, then walked up the steps into my trailer. He dropped the stuff somewhere inside before he came back out and threw a thumb over his shoulder to signal he was heading back to his metal can next to mine. I nodded, and Tav gave me a wink.
It took me a moment to realize we were outside where anyone could see us, so I grabbed Jonas’s arm and gently guided him up the steps and inside. Shutting the door firmly behind us, I took a deep breath before facing Jonas, who was nothing more than a lost lamb. If only he knew I was the wolf....
Yet, as I stared at him in the middle of my small kitchen, eyes flooded with tears while he gazed around the shithole I called home, I couldn’t do anything but guide him toward the left into the bedroom. The only thing that separated each of the “rooms” was a carpet divider, except for the toilet and tiny shower, which had its own walled-off space with a door. He must hate this.
“Come on.” I led him to the bed, and while I’d expected him to refuse to lie down, he didn’t. He crawled across the mattress and fell onto it, digging his face into the pillow I’d been sleeping on minutes ago.
I followed him, ignoring the wood that slapped against my thigh as I lay down beside him. I didn’t know how to comfort him. Emotions weren’t something I was familiar with, and he was so different from me. But I did the best I could, touching his arm and rubbing my thumb in a circular pattern there. Sighing, he turned his head so his cheek was pressed against the pillow, and he stared at me.
“Thank you.” He gave me a sad smile, eyes haunted. All the joy from last night was gone, and I hated what his parents had done to him. I wanted to go over there and burn down their house. Hell, I might do just that.
An idea began to form in my head. I should’ve shrugged it off because causing trouble on the other side of the river could result in lots of fucking problems—but screw it. I wanted to make them hurt for doing the same to Jonas.
“You can stay here as long as you want.” It was a terrible idea. Stupid. I didn’t want to take back the offer. “You don’t need to ever go back to them.”
They were promises I couldn’t keep. I’d never said anything like this to anyone, yet I said it so easily.
“Really?” His voice wavered, and I didn’t regret my offer.
“Yeah.” I smoothed my hand over his head, and he wriggled in closer to me. He laid his cheek on my chest and sighed, hugging against my side. If he knew I had a woody, he didn’t say anything, though I felt a hardness against my hip that told me he was in the same predicament. I didn’t do a damned thing, though. If he was a virgin, then I would let him decide when he wanted to move to the next step.
