He didn’t give me any options. Sabastian led me from the bed to the bathroom, where he left the light on. There, thankfully, knowing that the monsters couldn’t get to me in there, I sat on the toilet. While Idid that, Sabastian opened the mirror above the sink, pulling something out.
By the time I finished, he was there helping me stand. Then, gave me another pill, which I gladly took. If it kept the monsters away, I’d do anything.
“Good boy. Such a good boy, Oakley.” He grabbed my hand, leading me back to the bedroom.
I almost pulled away, seeking the corner, but he didn’t let me go. He tugged me closer to the bed, crawling up over my side, not once letting go of my hand as he lay down.
Only when I finally laid down beside him, all parts of our bodies touching, did I let out a sob I had been holding in.
I couldn’t do this anymore. I didn’t want to be afraid of the monsters. I didn’t want the pain they brought.
“Shh, little one. I’m right here. You’re safe.”
With my head on his chest, Sabastain arm wrapped around me, and a blanket covering us both, my body shook with each deep sob that came forth.
I didn’t think anything would calm me. Not my thumb, and not the stuffed animal that was still clutched to my own chest, squished between the two of us.
Chapter28
Sabastian
Finally untangling myself from a sleeping boy, I left the bed. My nipples were sore, and with a glance at them, one was redder than the other. Which wasn’t surprising with how hard Oakley latched onto me.
I was glad that I had him take an extra pill, or it’d have been an even longer night than it already had been.
Pissing into the toilet, I kept an ear out for any movement or sound from the boy. He was still dead to the world, which was expected. Taking two anti-anxiety meds would do that to anyone, I’d think.
Oakley had tossed and turned a bit through the night before he ended up sucking on me. At least some part of himself remembered that no teeth rule.
I’d have offered him the pacifier, but something in my gut told me that he wouldn’t have taken it.
I hoped that when he woke up, he would be in a better state of mind where I could get some answers. I desperately wanted to know what had set him off, which really could have been anything.
Not wanting to leave him alone in the bedroom, I made sure that the camera was still on and working before making my way downstairs.
I wasn’t the type of person to sleep in late, even if I had nothing to get up to do. Well, there was always stuff to do. People to track down, people to punch until I got answers.
Today, none of that, though. Today, I’d be staying home and making sure that Oakley was okay.
I’d have loved nothing better than to go back to bed and hold him until he woke, but I didn’t want to crowd him. If he woke up wanting space, then he’d get it. If he woke up and wanted to crawl into my lap, I’d take that too.
Between trying to earn his trust, which would take weeks, if not months, to showing him that he deserved to be cared for, was tricky. The emotions were expected, and so was his acting out to get attention, even if that had yet to happen.
Anyone who came from being held captive, no matter if it was human trafficking or a child who was failed by social services, would have tons of work to overcome that trauma.
I didn’t even know half of what Oakley went through. Other than being hit and abused, I had no clue what kind of mental torture he suffered at the hands of a man.
In the kitchen, I debated on what to make for breakfast. The boy wasn’t the greatest eater in the mornings, let alone any time during the day unless I was there encouraging him to eat. But even then, he still didn’t eat as much as I’d like him to.
He was skin and bones. At least the deep shadows around his eyes had lessened over the past few days, as he caught up on sleep.
I didn’t want to make something and have it go cold before he woke up, either. Figuring it’d be best to wait, I made myself a cup of coffee. While that brewed, I brought out my laptop to the table, booting it up.
I did have to get something ordered and delivered before someone’s birthday.
I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that Oakley was almost eighteen. He looked closer to being fifteen, if that. Lanky and on the shorter side, he wasn’t likely to grow into his age any time soon.
It was making it difficult to keep my distance, especially after last night.
