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Casper was super protective of Reed and acted like he was in control of him. But Reed didn’t seem to give a shit and did whatever he wanted. Did Casper have feelings for him, and they weren’t returned? They weren’t actually brothers. Even if they were, who was I to judge? I made money getting men I didn’t know off.
Maybe not anymore. Reed was offering me something amazing. I didn’t realize good people still existed in the world because I hadn’t encountered them in forever. I had the people who slept near me at night, but they weren’t the best. It was a mutualYou don’t steal my shit; I won’t take yours.
This was a chance for me to possibly be something again, someone. For me to feel like I had a purpose. Not going through the motions every day to simply survive. I would have a roof over my head and possibly money in my pocket. Even if it only lasted a couple of days, it was better than nothing.
There was still the nagging worry it was too good to be true. I’d made it this far. I might as well see it the rest of the way through. Hopefully, I didn’t regret getting on the bus.
3
CASPER
How could he do this? A fucking stranger? Elic couldn’t have weighed much under those baggy clothes. With his foot messed up, Reed could easily outrun him, but still.
Reed and his big heart. It was one of the many reasons I was drawn to him and another thing I never told him I admired. He was so good. So… everything. And then there was me. The perpetual cloud always trying to cover his sunshine.
The bus stopped to drop off Dash and Slater first. They both gave me knowing glares when they walked by. This wasn’t our first rodeo. I usually holed up in my penthouse in West Dremest to try to get Reed out of my system. It didn’t work. Not once. But I stayed put until I was summoned to the farm for a family meal. By then, Reed was usually rebounding from me leaving him without a word.
Dash and Slater knew about us, and they hated it. They might have liked it and even supported us, had I actually done the right thing and been the man I should be for Reed. I was too much of a coward for that. So, I got their glares, and their barely concealed end of tour hatred.
It wouldn’t last. As soon as they helped Reed feel better, they’d like me again.
The four of us were tight, or as tight as I would let them get to me. Everyone in my life had a line drawn between me and them. Each line was distinct. Some moved like Reed’s, depending on where we were and what we were doing.
Today, I found the line to be gone. There was no way, I was letting him take Elic into his house alone.
I’d already talked to Molly while the others were busy with Elic and told her I was going to Reed’s. She usually dropped me off last. She’d hug each of us goodbye when it was our turn to leave. Said she’d miss us, even though she only lived an hour south. She’d be up for family dinners when she was able to. With me, I got a lecture. Every. Single. Time.
Molly was smarter than all of us combined. She had eyes on the back of her head. I didn’t care that there was a divider separating the front of the bus from the rest of it. I swore she could hear everything. The look I got today was pure confusion. I always went to my place.
That was before Elic.
Maybe it wasn’t just about Reed. Maybe it was about Elic too.
I’d been where he was. Not in the same exact spot, but I knew what it was like to not have a home. To wonder where my next meal would come from. My mom would give everything she had to feed me. She’d gone hungry more times than I could count.
Elic was scared too. Petrified someone was going to hurt him again. From what I’d gathered so far, my guess was he sold himself to make money. I couldn’t knock him or anyone for that. He was an adult, and that was his choice. A protective instinct rose in me though. I wanted to pummel whoever put their hands on him in any way he didn’t welcome. I wanted to choke them for harming him.
How could I watch over Reed and Elic?
Easy. I was planting my ass at the family farm in one of Reed’s spare bedrooms. He had three of them. One for each band member. Reed’s house was our practice space when we didn’t want to head down to Philly. He had a studio on his lower level. There had been nights where we went for hours before crashing hard in bed, none of us wanting to drive home, no matter how close it was.
I already had my room. It was the one closest to the stairs on the third level, farthest away from Reed. Which made me wonder where he was going to put Elic.
The bus pulled into the driveway, which only went to Reed’s house, not the farm too. Reed was smart for wanting to keep them separate. He didn’t need people looking for a bite to eat at his door.
Rich insisted on a top-of-the-line security system for both of our places. Neither of us objected. I worried about Reed. My mind only calmed when I had him in my arms.
I didn’t need to be told how much of a jackass I was. Reed could be mine twenty-four seven. That would mean I’d have to confess to him how much I loved him. Apologize for the years of damage I’d done. Hope like hell he’d forgive me. Spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to him.
It was a pipe dream. One I couldn’t even contemplate. I wasn’t worthy of Reed.
Reed’s home resembled a mountain retreat. It sat on a slight hill on the far side of the Ashford property. Tall, dark stone pillars rose from the ground, supporting the large deck on the second level. The downstairs had a matching stone patio, which was currently bare since we’d been gone for a while.
On the second story, a glass paneled railing edged the deep brown decking. Stairs brought visitors up to that level where the main door was. A third story sat above where the bedrooms were. There were windows everywhere. At night, warm light would pour onto the deck and patio below. It was a comfortable space, a real home.
Reed helped design it, and it showed in every aspect of the exterior and interior. The home was a comfortable space with plush furniture and earthy tones. The siding a dark maroon that fit well with the area.
My chest ached just seeing it. I was wired to hate this part—the drop-off. It was a trigger for the pain to appear. This time would be different. I was following Reed inside. To my own bed, not his. I had to keep my hands to myself. How? A lot of willpower I didn’t think I had.
