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“Here, let me help.” Hayden tried to free the strap, but Ashok shrugged him off.
“Just…leave me alone. I don’t need your help,” Ashok said through gritted teeth.
“Stop,” Hayden said, frustrated and still trying to release it. “You’re not helping.”
With them both pulling in opposite directions, it was just making matters worse, so Hayden let go. Ashok fell backwards onto the bed, a ripping sound filling the room.
“Oh, well, that’s just fucking marvellous!” Ashok said, a tremble in his voice.
Hayden stood open-mouthed, looking at the backpack, now with a detached strap.
“I’m so sorry.” He covered his mouth with his hand. “I didn’t…”
“Didn’t what? Mean to wreck the only bag I have. Just great.” Instead of leaving the room, Hayden watched as Ashok’s eyes filled with tears, looking even more upset than he had before.
“Look, just wait until I get back. Don’t go anywhere in the meantime, and we can sort this. I’m not throwing you out. You can stay as long as you like.”
Something had shifted in Hayden the last few minutes. Not just seeing Ashok upset, but he’d felt old emotions rearing their ugly head. He wasn’t that person anymore, but what was it about Ashok that annoyed him so?
Either way, Seb and Dom would play holy hell with him if he threw Ashok out before he’d even given it a chance.
“Please, Ashok,” Hayden pleaded.
Ashok lay back on the bed and threw his arm across his face.
“Fine. I’ll wait until you get back, but I don’t need your fucking pity.” It wasn’t pity he was feeling but a sense of obligation.
“If you need a shower, it’s just down the hallway. Fresh towels are in the cupboard in the bathroom. I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
Hayden didn’t wait for an answer and raced back to work. He’d been gone long enough, having left Angela, his supervisor, in charge. She was more than capable of running the coffee shop, but he liked to close up each night. It was his baby, and he trusted no one with it.
The rest of the day passed quickly enough, a steady flow of customers in the afternoon when the schools let out, but all Hayden could think about was the tantalising, annoying Asian man waiting for him at home.
Since when did he think of him as tantalising? He had no idea, but he had a feeling his life would not be the same again.
Chapter Four
Ashok
AfterHaydenleft,Ashoksat up and grabbed his backpack from the floor. He inspected the ripped strap and sighed. It could be fixed, he supposed, but the nerve of the fucking guy. He’d given him whiplash, going from wanting to throw him out to trying to help him in the blink of an eye. He was confused and did not know what to think. His knowledge of men was limited to his brothers, so that was no help at all.
He opened the bag and took out his phone, turning it on. He wasn’t at all surprised by the number of messages and missed calls.
Most were from his brothers, one from his mum and one call, it seemed, from his dad. It was the one he’d been dreading and, as tempted as he was to listen to the message his dad had left; he turned the phone off again and slotted it in the side pocket of his bag. He’d deal with them later. They could all wait.
It was just gone four, so he had a couple of hours to kill until Hayden returned and he considered taking a nap. The bed seemed comfortable enough, and the bedding smelt fresh. There were worse places he could stay, and just what had he been thinking, telling Hayden he’d find somewhere else? A hostel wouldn’t be this nice, and who knew who’d have been sleeping in the bed before him? He shuddered at the thought, realising that actually, he probably needed to be nice to Hayden so he could stay here a little longer, even though the man appeared to be a complete prick.
Ashok considered his money situation. He had some in his bank account, enough maybe for a couple of months’ rent, and once he was paid from the studio, he’d manage. It’d be tight for a month or two, and Christmas wasn’t too far away, but this year, he wasn’t sure what he’d be doing. The thought of going home and spending it with his family didn’t appeal. Not with the way he’d left things.
Deciding to shower, Ashok unpacked some clean clothes and his wash kit. He’d showered before leaving, but the smell from the train was clinging to his skin.
He trod quietly through the house, his clothes tucked under his arm. From what he’d seen so far, it was clean and tidy, and he again rethought his decision to stay in a hostel or hotel until he could find something a little more permanent. Even though Hayden had acted like a dick, his initial rudeness annoying the fuck out of Ashok, this was definitely preferable.
But which door?
There were several leading from the small landing. One would be Hayden’s room, one Jerome’s, and one the bathroom. He pushed open the first door.
This was clearly Hayden’s. A neutral colour on the walls and a king-size bed with a rust and green checked cover sat in the middle of the room, the headboard against the far wall. Built-in wardrobes covered another wall, and a TV was mounted on the wall opposite the bed, a games console on a small dresser beneath. The room was spotless.
