Daniel wet his lips. “Why did... I mean, why did your parents want to adopt someone my age? It’s not common.”
That was a loaded question, so he settled for crap. “They have so much, and they wanted to help someone less fortunate. None of us has the energy to run around after a kid, so we went for someone your age.” He lowered his voice. “Youarepotty trained, right?”
That got a little smile out of Daniel.
“You know you’re lucky, right?”
Daniel seemed more lost than lucky, but he still nodded. “I know, but your parents haven’t seen me before. There are usually meetings with the adopted family in advance, and I didn’t speak with anyone from social services about this.”
He might be sharper than I gave him credit for.
“Why would you want to go through all that hustle instead of skipping to the finish line?”
Daniel seemed unsure of how to answer. He had clearly been raised to follow the rules, while Trevor was used to waving them in passing.
He dared to wrap his arm around Daniel’s shoulders, who tensed but didn’t push him away. “I know it’s a lot, but we’re so happy to have you here. Stop wondering, ‘Why me?’ because that’s pointless.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“There you are.” Kim entered the room and smiled at them, wearing a black evening dress that sat a bit too tightly. “You two make for the prettiest picture. Daniel, did you unpack?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t you ma’am me, young man. It’s either Kim or Mom.” She squinted at the closet. “That’s all you had to unpack? Oh my. First thing tomorrow, we’re going shopping. Trevor will help—he has an eye for fashion.”
“Guilty!”
“You don’t have to.”
Kim took a step forward and raised Daniel’s face. “You’re a part of this family now, and I won’t have you looking like... well, a common orphan.”
Ouch. Trevor could feel Daniel flinch.
“Not to mention, you have the perfect physique to pull off some great outfits.” She clapped. “Now, both of you go wash your hands for dinner. Daniel, we have a few friends joining us, important clients of Robert’s. I’m sure that you’ll make a great first impression. They aredying to finally meet you!” She turned around and left the room.
“What did she mean by finally?” Daniel asked warily.
Trevor shrugged and didn’t bother answering. He’d find out soon enough.
*
This is such a mess.
Trevor carried Daniel’s limp body into the living room and placed him carefully on the couch. Kim would be pissed at having Daniel’s sweat soak into the expensive fabric, but Trevor wasn’t about to carry him up to the second floor. His back and shoulders were killing him.
He leaned down to inspect the bandaged cut on Daniel’s thigh. He had used Daniel’s shirt for that, and it successfully stopped the flow of blood.
“Go bring him orange juice,” he told Andy, who hurried to the kitchen. Trevor couldn’t believe he had allowed Andy to play his little games, although Daniel would likely not see them as suchwhen he regained consciousness.
He sat on the carpet, close to where Daniel’s head was slumped to the side, his face stark white. The slow movement of his bare chest indicated he was alive. When he'd come rolling down the hill, Trevor almost shit his pants. The idea had been to spook him a bit, notto break his neck.
He stroked Daniel’s pale cheek, worried about the consequences of this fiasco. They had been careful around him ever since the adoption, testing his boundaries without going too far. After today, Daniel would likely try to escape, which meant things would need to change fast. Allowing him the same degree of freedom as before would be too risky.
Andy came back with a glass of orange juice. Trevor took it and drank.
“I thought it was for Daniel.”
“It was, but he obviously can’t drink. Go bring him another one for later.”
