Unrelated, I’d discovered stinging nettle in the back of my property, and I couldn’t give a good goddamn about its medicinal properties. That shitsucked.
“Do you think he’s a trustworthy guy?” I asked, not telling him I knew about the shoplifting.
“He is,” Rowdy said, nodding to himself. “But I worry their situation is making him consider illegal things. And I want to see if I can get to him before he goes down that path.”
“That’s a really lofty goal.”
“I dunno. It might be a stupid one.”
“No, it’s not.” I squeezed his shoulder. “We just haven’t figured out a solution yet.”
We went quiet after that, and I thought through the various possibilities. By the time we pulled up to the youth center, I still didn’t have any solutions, but I was determined to help Rowdy figure it out.
We walked inside, and the place was more crowded than I’d thought it’d be.
“This is basically an after-school option for kids who need extra support,” Rowdy said, leading me to a small classroom. “So, like, don’t be judgy, or whatever.”
It stung that he felt he had to warn me, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that his warning was actually a tell. This was important to him. Really important.
Several kids were already in the classroom when we arrived, and before Rowdy even pointed him out, I knew exactly whoJaxon was. He was the massive kid in the back, his arms crossed over his chest, looking far older than his tender years.
“I’m guessing that’s him,” I said, discreetly pointing to the guy.
“Yep.”
“He always sit apart like that?”
“No.” A line appeared between Rowdy’s brows. “He’s usually cutting up with the other kids.”
“I’m going to go sit next to him, unless you think that’s a bad idea.”
Rowdy’s hand went to his chest, clearly worried.
“I think...it’s not the worst idea,” he finally said. “I have to grab the counselor who’s speaking today and manage the class, but I don’t want to leave him off to himself like that.”
“I got it.” I rubbed his shoulder. “And I promise I won’t judge him.”
He looked up at me, his endless brown eyes so clearly worried. “Thanks, Kess. This means a lot to me.”
It took every ounce of self-control not to kiss his forehead and promise that everything would be all right. Not only would that have been inappropriate for the classroom, I had no idea if I could actually help with any of this.
The rest of the kids filed in, and I squeezed into the ridiculously small desk next to Jaxon, who looked equally uncomfortable.
“Who the hell designed these things?” I asked.
“Probably the same assholes who came up with enhanced interrogation techniques,” he responded, cracking me up.
It was so easy to forget his age because of his massive size and the low tenor of his voice. I reminded myself that he was still a baby.
He scanned me from head to toe, clearly skeptical. “You one of Rowdy’s friends?”
“Yep.”
“Cool.”
He nodded to himself, as if he’d just decided that I was a good person—or at least he was willing to give me a pass—because I’d come with Rowdy. It was strange to think of Rowdy as someone who a kid would hold in high regard.
Strange, but not as surprising as I may have once believed.
