“Yeah?” William said, his heart pounding in his chest.
Adathan took a step forward and wrapped his arms around him. He pressed his cheek to William’s chest, letting out a deep sigh as he tightened his embrace. “I’m happy to be home.”
CHAPTER 12
Reality
William stared at his bedroom ceiling, his eyelids heavy with fatigue. A throbbing ache radiated from the base of his skull to his lower back. Moving hurt. Staying immobile hurt. The latter required less energy—both physically and mentally. Especially mentally.
Because as soon as he climbed out of bed, he’d have to face reality again.
They’d spent a pleasant night watching TV yesterday, but the moment William had closed his bedroom door, his anxiety had come back full force. Guilt—for making Adathan sleep on the sofa. Shame—for wanting to invite him into his bed. Regret—for having refused Richard’s money. Fear—for what would await him in the morning... and for the rest of his life.
Would William be able to navigate the fine line between caring and infantilizing? Would he know how to balance trusting Adathan’s judgment and keeping him safe? Had he really given Adathan his freedom back, or had he just locked him into a different cage—a scary and unfamiliar one?
William let out a faint whine as his alarm went off. He snatched his phone and jabbed his finger at the screen.
Hiding was no longer an option. He had to get up and go to work.
Ignoring the knot in his stomach, William put on his robe and walked to his bedroom door. He made a silent plea to the universe that he wouldn’t find Adathan standing with his hand against his heart. He wouldn’t be able to handle hearing Adathan declare he was ready to serve him again.
Bracing himself, he turned the doorknob, held his breath, and pushed.
“Good morning, William!”
William exhaled, immense relief washing over him. He stepped out of his bedroom, his heart fluttering at the smiling ray of sunshine he found on his sofa. Warmth spread across his chest as he smiled back. Adathan looked cozy as heck all curled up in the blanket William’s grandma had knitted for him before passing away. It was a beautiful sky blue—the same shade as Adathan’s eyes.
“Morning,” William said, closing his bedroom door. “Sleep well?”
Adathan sat up, his hair sticking out in every direction. It was a glorious sight—proof that Adathan knew he was allowed to be imperfect in his new home. It eased William’s tension a little.
“I did!” Adathan said. “And you?”
“Yeah,” William said, heading to the kitchen sink. It wasn’t a lie; he had slept well.
For two consecutive hours.
He grabbed the kettle and filled it with water. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please!”
William almost flinched as Adathan appeared next to him. His fuzzy Christmas socks were amplifying his natural stealth.
They were part of the bundle of clothes William had given him to wear at home. Most were ugly things he’d gotten from relatives, but they were brand new and comfortable, if a bit too big.
Aunt Bertha’s beagle sweater hung to mid-thigh on Adathan, and William’s eyes lingered too long on his bare legs before he tore his gaze away. “So, I’ll have to leave for work soon. You’ll be alone all day,” he said, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet. “Actually, no. Sorry. I should have been more specific. I’ll leave at eight and... well, usually I’d be back around six, but I’ll swing by the grocery store, so probably more like six-thirty or seven.”
“What would you like me to do while you’re gone?”
“Take it easy. You can watch TV, read books—I don’t have a lot, but we can borrow some from the library later this week. Just... do whatever you wanna do—oh.” William turned and walked toward the coffee table. “Actually.”
He couldn’t believe he’d almost forgotten. It was the one decision he’d made last night that had finally relaxed him enough to fall asleep.
William grabbed his laptop and carried it back to where Adathan stood. He placed it on the counter. “I don’t need this anymore. It’s yours.”
It was the perfect plan. Adathan wouldn’t be isolated from the world if he had access to the Internet, but also, by giving Adathan his laptop, William lowered the risk of succumbing to his addiction again. He’d blocked all those websites and apps on his phone a while ago, but he’d never figured out an effective way to do it on a laptop.
Adathan rested his hand on William’s wrist. “You’re giving me acomputer?”
