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I wonder why he’s opening up to me, since I’m a total stranger, but I’m not upset about it. I just wish I could help him.
“How did you get here?”
He squirms in his seat. “S-s-s-stole from the g-g-guy who paid for mmm-me.”
I lean closer. “Did he touch you?”
Tanner shakes his head quickly. “He got too high. I let him nod off and picked his p-pockets. Caught a bus with all the m-m-money I found. Landed me h-h-h-ere.”
Briefly, I close my eyes, looking away for a moment before I give him my undivided attention. “Where are you staying?” He doesn’t answer and I don’t want to push or he’ll take off.
Covering his hand with mine, I ask carefully, “Tanner, please tell me. Are you at least safe?”
He shrugs. “Safe enough. I keep my h-h-head down. No one bothers m-me.” Tanner chugs his lemonade and pushes his clean plate away. “You know him?” He angles his head to Dave, who’s smiling at a customer as he takes their order.
“Yep. One of my oldest friends. We went to school together.” Tanner nods. “Why?”
He shrugs.
Sighing, I say, “Look, I know you don’t know me, but I really want to help you.” His eyebrows knit together and I pat his hand. “I don’t like the thought of you on the streets at such a young age. I can help.” He stares at me for a moment, then nods. I breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay, let me get this trash out of the way and we can figure out how to get you somewhere safe.”
I gather the garbage and take it to the trash. I’m not sure how, but when I turn back to the table, Tanner is gone.
“Fuck!” I shout, making a few people look up at me. “Anyone see the kid?”
“Just took off,” someone says and I race out the door, looking left and right, but I don’t see him. In the middle of the sidewalk, I stand with my hands on my hips and look to the sky. “Fuck,” I whisper.
Stomping back inside, I grab my bag and pull it over my shoulder. Dave gives me a sympathetic smile and I try to give one back as I walk out.
Chapter 6
Benji
Thewalkbacktothe office is confusing. I’m still really fucked up because of what Dr. Stevens told me and even more so because of what little I learned about Tanner. A crazy idea is swirling around in my head, but I can’t think of that right now. I need to grieve for what I lost, even when I didn’t have it. But if Tanner needs a home, if he’s on the streets, why can’t he live with me?
Can it just be a coincidence that the same day I find out I likely won't conceive, fate put me in the path of a runaway that needs a home where he can feel safe?
I feel terrible that Tanner is on the streets. He’s only a kid. And I have no way to reach out to him. No way to know if he’s okay. All I know is he needs help and I couldn’t provide it.
Looking at my watch, I see that I’m about thirty minutes late for work. Rome didn’t have any in person appointments this afternoon, as he’s booked for a few phone appointments. That’s the only reason I agreed to come back after lunch—I can get work done while he’s holed up in his office. I didn’t plan to get such shit news today, or find a homeless kid, but that can’t be helped.
The elevator ride up to the office is slow, since this elevator likes to take its sweet time. It stops on every floor to let someone off. By the time I get to the fourth floor, my head is clear and I think the tears that have threatened to fall all day have been firmly pushed away and they’ll stay away until I can get home. The rest of the day will be simple and easy, so I don’t need to worry about breaking down.
At least that’s what I think. Of course, I would be wrong.
“You’re late,” Rome growls at me when I step inside the office. I ignore him for a moment, hanging my messenger bag on the rack and sitting behind my desk.
Pulling in a deep breath, I look over at him and ask, “Did you need something?”
“Yes, a reliable assistant!” He practically yells.
My head snaps back and I narrow my eyes at him. “Excuse me?” I ask indignantly, standing to my full unintimidating five feet five inches to his nearly six-and-a-half-foot frame. I’m not backing down though. “You havenoidea why I was late. You didn’t even ask.” He opens his mouth, and I slash a hand in the air. “The time for you to ask has passed. I’ll tell you where I was, so you can leave me the hell alone.”
His nostrils flare, but I continue. “I just came from a follow up appointment, where I found out that, after saving for months on a surgery so I can have kids, that it was all for nothing. I’m infertile and I can’t even absorb that news because I found an abandoned alpha child on the streets today. Someone mistreated their kid when all I want is to have one of my own. So, I was a little late, trying to gather my composure until I got home so I could cry for my own shitty luck and cry for that kid living on the streets that wouldn’t let me help him.”
Rome’s face blanches more and more as I speak. He opens his mouth again, but I’m not having it. “No! Don’t speak! You can’t insult me with that ‘reliable assistant’ lie because I’m more than dependable and you damn well know it.” My voice is high and I know other people can hear me, but I don’t give a fuck. My nerves are strained and it’s getting harder and harder not to break down, especially being so close to my mate.
I spin around to grab my bag and throw it over my shoulder. “Mr. Matthews would have askedwhyI was late, not snarl and insult me.” A tear leaks from my eye and I wipe it away angrily. “I’m going home. I can’t handle any more today. I can’t … I’m going home. Fire me or don’t, I can’t be here anymore.”
