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He fired off a quick message, telling Manvik he was fine and he’d be in touch again soon, then settled back on his bed to drink his tea.
Today would be the day he took back control of his life. There was no need to continue treading on eggshells. He could do what he wanted, when he wanted to and did not need to hide any longer. His walls were back up, his defences strong.
Chapter Seven
Hayden
Haydenwasn’tsurehowhe got to work. The sight of Ashok leaving the bathroom had him all hot under the collar. He was perfect in every way. His skin was smooth, but he couldn’t fail to notice the scars on his body. He wanted to know more, but he didn’t know him well enough to ask. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body. It was toned, full of muscle, and it had been hard to tear his eyes away. He’d retreated as quickly as he could. It was clear they were both uncomfortable with the encounter.
Sitting outside the coffee shop, he took time to gather his thoughts before starting his day. When he’d pulled up outside yesterday morning, he had no idea how different his day was going to be. At first, he thought it was the worst thing to happen, Ashok moving in, but as he lay in his bed last night, he’d realised that this could be a chance to make amends for what had happened in the past.
A knock on his window shook him out of his thoughts.
“Are you coming in or just going to sit here all day?” Angela asked, shivering from the cold.
He picked up his phone and opened the door, following her into the coffee shop. It was warm inside, and Hayden was grateful. It was coming up to the end of November, and soon the place would be full of Christmas shoppers; trade would pick up, and he’d have to look for a new staff member to cover the busy periods and possibly evenings. He stayed open a little later in the run-up to the busy shopping period. It was when he did most of his business. He usually stayed open until Christmas Eve, then spent a few days with his family, celebrating. He loved going home and spending time with them but didn’t go home half as much as he liked.
“What were you doing out there? You looked deep in thought.” Angela followed him into his office and waited.
“Eh, I’m OK. Just thinking about my new lodger. I said I’d go back and pick him up a little later. He has some things to get in town, and he was going to cook this evening. I think he wants to go watch some of the lessons next door too before he starts teaching.”
“Sounds like fun. What’s he like?” Angela smirked at him.
“Really? You’re leading with that?” Hayden threw his wallet and phone in his desk drawer before picking up his apron. “He seems nice enough, although we got off on the wrong foot. I spent less than an evening with him. We ate some food, then he went to bed. I don’t really know much about him.”
“How long is he staying? I know you don’t like to share your house anymore, not after Matty.”
“I said he could stay a couple of days. We’ll revisit it then. I don’t want to rush him.” He sat on the edge of his desk, his ankles crossed. “I think there’s more to him, but I’m not going to pry. Pretty soon he’ll be out of my hair, and it won’t matter.”
Angela gave him a knowing look. “I know you, Hayden. You’re a good Samaritan. You can’t help but help people. Look at all the volunteering you do at the homeless shelter.”
“Like I said, he’ll be out of my hair in a couple of days, tops. Now, let’s get out there before Bonnie gives everything away for free.”
It was his way of changing the subject. What he did at the shelter was his effort at redemption. He’d been a bad person.
“Bonnie’s doing well today. No incidents so far, but it’s still early. Anything could happen!”
“Well, let’s get to it. Can’t stand around all day chatting.” He pushed himself off the desk and out the door into the warmth of the shop.
As he left the office, a new card on the notice board caught his eye.
“Angela, how long has this been here?”
“Someone came in and pinned it earlier. A woman maybe? It was in the middle of the commuter rush.”
Hayden nodded. It was a note advertising a room for rent. Maybe it’d be suitable for Ashok? He’d mention it to him later, but he also made a mental note to call the number and check where it was. Chester was a lovely city, but there were still some undesirable areas and he’d hate to think of Ashok moving to one of them. He wasn’t presuming to know Ashok’s background, but the bruising on his face hinted at something. He just wasn’t sure what yet.
Hayden was surprised to see Seb waiting at the counter, and he didn’t look entirely happy.
“It’s early for you. You’re usually still in bed this time of the morning.”
“I was worried about Ashok, and when I tried to call him, it went straight to voicemail. Was he OK last night?”
“He was fine. We had some food, then he went to bed. He seemed a little tired, that was all.”
“Thank God. When I couldn’t get hold of him, I wondered if he’d gone home. He didn’t seem as, you know, perky as when we first met him. I wonder what happened to make him leave home so soon?”
Hayden handed him his coffee, and they walked over to their usual table.
