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Aithan’s deep voice rumbled through me. “Is that why you’re not bothered by me hugging you and being in the room when you’re banging Zel? I mean, my parents raised me not to have those kinds of hang-ups, but I’m guessing your situation was different.”
Drew was quiet for a while. The fire crackled. A wet log hissed and sputtered. Finally, he replied, “Remember how I said I was homeless?”
Aithan said, “Yeah?”
“Sometimes you do things just to survive.” Drew gently squeezed my feet. “Selling your body isn’t something anyone wants to admit to.”
“Drew,” I whispered, stunned. What kind of hell had he endured?
“I was sixteen, freezing, and hungry. I met a guy who owned a club. Dancing upstairs, other activities downstairs. I got a cot and a space heater, plus two meals a day if I agreed to be part of the downstairs show at night, and cleaned the kitchen during the day.” He stared at the fire. “Man, I just wanted to be warm. I wanted my guts to stop gnawing. And I wanted to pretend someone cared about me, even if they were paying for it and a bunch of people were watching.”
My stomach clenched. Not knowing what to say, I sat up and threw my arms around him, desperate to take away all his fear and suffering. Desperate to comfort that abused boy.
“How the hell did you get out of that?” Aithan asked, his voice hushed.
“Jules. He was delivering liquor to the bar on an afternoon when I was mopping the kitchen. He chatted me up and got suspicious. Thinking I was way the hell too young to be working in a bar, he and Emerson came back that night to see if I was serving drinks. When they saw what was really going on, they strong-armed the owner into turning me over to them.”
“What? Like you were a toy to be passed around?” The shock in Aithan’s voice was unmistakable.
“Dude, that’s what I’d been at the club, so I didn’t see much difference except I’d only be servicing two guys instead of a rotating clientele. I figured trading one situation for another didn’t matter as long as there was food and central heating involved.”
Chin on Drew’s shoulder and facing away from Aithan, I squeezed my eyes shut, but tears rolled down my cheeks anyway. I couldn’t stomach what I was hearing.
“Did they at least call the cops?”
“Nooo. Because I wasnotgoing back into foster care. I told them I’d bolt if I saw any uniforms.”
“Kurde.”
“The thing is, they weren’t at all what I expected. They wanted nothing. They just … took pity on me. Hell, they were the first people ever to stand up for me.”
I tightened my grip, and Drew responded in kind, but I don’t think he knew how much I was losing my shit.
“But your mom must’ve tried when you were little, right?” Aithan asked.
“Nah. Blue was too afraid, too beaten down by my dad. She couldn’t even stand up for herself.” Drew shook his head. “No, it was Jules and Emerson, and they didn’t ask for a damn thing in return, except for me to put my life together and make something of myself.”
“You don’t know why they took you in?”
“Nope. They never really explained it other than they wished someone had stood up for them when they were young. I sure as hell didn’t expect them to become my best friends when we left that club.” Drew slowly ran his hands up and down my back. “I love those guys as much as I love this woman.” He held me tighter. “They got me off the street and into therapy. I’m alive and a success because of them. That’s why I trust them to run Millie Blue Media. They’re another reason I bust my ass. I’m giving back to them and fulfilling their expectations. I’m taking care of them like they took care of me.”
“Damn, man,” Aithan said. “Justdamn. I don’t know what else to say.”
Drew shrugged. “You don’t have to say anything, Aith. That’s my truth. But I try not to live in my past. There’s way too much pain there.” They fell silent. And I clung to him. He pressed his lips to my hair and whispered, “Brick? You gonna say anything?”
I’d fall apart if I opened my mouth. I wanted to be strong for him, but I wasn’t. I was weak and selfish. Worrying about Greer screwing Tristan? Whining about being called fat by a few snot-nosed classmates? Those things were so fucking petty compared to the horrors Drew had been through. I didn’t even know how to face him after crying over such insignificant bullshit.
“Did I …. Did this freak you out?” He sounded worried.
Scared.
Did he think I was rejecting him?
“I’ve been afraid to tell you all this.” He swallowed. “Afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore.”
Fuck.“No,” I whispered.
“No?” Drew asked, hope and fear at war in his voice.
