So, you see, the company accidentally sent you to me instead of shipping you to a slaughterhouse. Me not being a psychopath is the only reason you’re alive right now.
William’s grip tightened around his suitcase handle as they reached the plane. He wasn’t a patient person—never had been, never would be. And now, as he watched the other passengers take their damn time finding their seats and sitting the fuck down, he struggled not to scream. Couldn’t they see they were ruining his life?
“Our seats are over there,” William said, pointing toward the emergency exit. He motioned for Adathan to step into the aisle in front of him.
He was tempted to pretend he hadn’t seen the name on Adathan’s health insurance card, but he couldn’t. It would be selfish and cruel. His only option was to tell Adathan the truth. Well, part of it.
William squeezed Adathan’s shoulder gently, hoping he’d understand his silent promise that everything would be okay.
They reached their seats at last, and William motioned for Adathan to sit by the window. He yanked his carry-on suitcase into the overhead bin and sat down next to Adathan, not wasting a moment before leaning close and whispering, “I should’ve checked your IDs before we left. I’m sorry.”
The other passengers were making a lot of noise as they settled into their seats, but it was not a conversation William could afford to let people overhear. He leaned in even closer, lowering his voice further as he whispered, “The company calledme. They told me there was a mix-up. That they were supposed to send me someone else. But I said it’s you I wanted.”
Adathan twisted his head to look at him, the proximity of his face making William’s heart skip a beat. As William waited for him to speak, memories of last night flashed through his mind. He still had no idea whether Adathan’s cheeky smiles had been real or pretend, but now, taking in the vulnerability in his eyes, he vowed he’d see that relaxed, mischievous face again.
“I’m sorry,” William whispered. “I didn’t wanna keep it from you. I just... thought it’d be best to wait until we’d gotten home before telling you. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“William,” Adathan said under his breath, his misty eyes brimming with emotions William couldn’t fully grasp.
“Yeah?”
“You...” Adathan’s lips trembled. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and whispered, “Want me?”
William’s throat tightened.I want you to be happy, he wanted to say, but he didn’t get to. Their conversation was cut short by a very apologetic flight attendant.
As William listened to her instructions on what to do in case of an emergency, he felt a delicate, bandaged hand gently wrap around his own.
———
“This is it,” William said. He opened the old gray door, his nose wrinkling at the musty odor wafting from his apartment. He dragged his luggage in, embarrassment twisting his gut as he was reminded of the mess he’d left his place in.
“I’m sorry,” he said, rushing to the window to open it. “I left in a hurry. It isn’t usually like this.” He snatched a T-shirt and a pair of dirty socks on his way to his bedroom and shoved them into his laundry bag. He cringed as he took in the equallyunappealing room and hurried out, closing the door behind himself.
“May I help?” Adathan asked, awkwardly standing by the entrance.
“No.” William gathered the dirty dishes he’d left scattered across the room. “You should go take a shower and relax. You had a long day.”
“You’ve had a long day, too.”
William stacked the dishes in the sink. “I’m fine.” He smiled, but found himself unable to look Adathan in the eye as he led him to the bathroom. It wasn’t in a much better state than the rest of his apartment, and it didn’t take more than two neurons to figure out it had nothing to do with the fact he’d left in a hurry.
William grabbed his only towel and gave it a sniff, finding it decently clean. He showed Adathan how his shower worked and insisted he take his time. It sounded a bit too much like an order, but deep down, William still hoped Adathan would obey.
William closed the bathroom door and cast a long, weary look at the stuffy environment Adathan would be forced to live in.
It was roughly the same size as the hotel suite, but had none of the charm—cracked beige walls, worn linoleum floors, and old, mismatched furniture that was neither stylish nor functional. The large leather sofa and massive hardwood storage cabinet William had inherited from his grandma competed for what little space the room had to offer. Crammed in a corner, his miniature dining table and single chair sat buried under boxes he still hadn’t unpacked since the move. The small window barely let any sunlight in. It was grim, depressing, and suffocating.
William dragged his feet to his sofa and gripped the backrest as the room began to spin. He squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers digging into the worn leather as panic rose in his chest.
He should have taken Richard’s money.
So what if Richard’s goal had only been to humiliate him? It would have been nothing compared to the feeling of complete and utter worthlessness currently crushing his lungs. Yesterday, William had left his apartment with the firm certainty he would finally break free from his life of misery. Instead, he’d merely dragged someone else into it.
Someone who deserved so much more.
William hastily wiped the moisture from his eyes as he heard the water shut off in the bathroom. So much for telling Adathan to take his time.
He grabbed his phone from his pocket to send his mom a text. He had no other choice. The list of purchases he had to make for Adathan to have a minimum of comfort kept growing, and most of it was pressing.
