5
Slade
Sneaking a bottle of Fireball up to the third floor might not have been one of the smartest things I had done all night. Or maybe it was losing track of how many beers I drank that did me in. It wasn't the food I ate that had me feeling like I was ready to hurl all over the warm leather seats of Jack's car, because I’d barely touched what I’d been given. And screw both, Jordan and Jack, for thinking they needed to take care of me. I was more than— okay, so I sucked at taking care of myself, but I wasn’t any better at accepting help.
“You still with me, boy?” Jack's fingertips dug into the back of my neck, and he began kneading away the tension while we sat at a red light. I jerked away, regretting it instantly when the world around me started spinning.
“Already told you, you're not my fucking Daddy.” The words tumbled out of my mouth in a sloppy rush, and Jack chuckled. My head flopped to the side and I glared at him. At least, I was pretty sure I glared. It was really damn hard to keep my eyes open.
“Never said I was,” Jack pointed out.
“Then quit calling me boy,” I slurred.
“Quit acting like one,” he shot back. I didn't need this shit from him. I had gone to Jordan's place hoping to forget about my inability to care for myself like a responsible adult. And what did I do? I wound up getting so hammered, I let myself be led out of the party by a dude who reminded me of my dad, all the way from his tailored suits to the disapproving tone in his voice.
Jack didn't say anything else, and as I drifted off to sleep, I offered up a silent prayer of thanks. If he didn't speak, it was easy to ignore him. But, the second he opened his mouth, it was like my brain couldn’tnotsay something smart in return.
I didn't open my eyes when the car stopped. “Come on, sleepyhead. It's time to get you inside.”
“Too far,” I complained. “Just going to sleep here a little while longer.”
“I knew there was a sweet, compliant little boy in there somewhere.” I forced my body to remain still when he ran a hand down my arm. I didn’t want to like him all up in my personal space.
“Fuck you,” I retorted, but there was no heat in my words. As long as I didn't open my eyes, it was easy to pretend he was taking care of me because he wanted to, not out of some twisted sense of obligation to his brother. “Still not your boy.”
“I'm well aware of that, Slade. And anytime I forget it, I'm sure you won’t hesitate to remind me.”
Jack's fingers grazed along my hip when he reached across the console to unbuckle my seatbelt. I swatted his hand away. I didn't need help.
But, then, I relaxed. I didn't want to fight him—not tonight. Just for a little while, I could pretend he was here because there was nowhere else he’d rather be.
I waited patiently with my hands folded in my lap, while Jack came around to my side of the car. A blast of cold air hit me before he rested his arms on the roof, leaning in, creating a human windbreak for me. I glanced up at him, offering him what I hoped was a shy smile. In my inebriated state, I probably looked like some sort of psychotic killer, but if I was sober, I wouldn’t have even made an attempt.
“You okay, boy?”
I bristled, biting down on my tongue hard enough I tasted blood. I wasn’t going to let the sarcastic warning about not being his boy pass my lips. This was a gift I could give myself. Tomorrow, the world would come crashing down around me again and I would be alone, but I wanted this one night of someone giving a damn about what happened to me, even if it was all a farce.
“I’m fine,” I told him. “I’m sorry for my behavior earlier.” I glanced up at him through glassy eyes. He chuckled, running the tip of one finger across my cheek.
I chased the touch when he pulled his hand away, whining at the deprivation of his body heat. “What brought this change, boy?”
“I realized I was an asshole to you. You don’t deserve that when you’re just trying to help me.”
Jack held out his hand, and I slid my palm over his, allowing him to ease me out of the car. I wobbled, nearly falling off the curb, and Jack pulled me tight to his side.
“Come on, let’s get you inside where it’s warm.” I rubbed my hands up and down my arms. My bare arms covered in goosebumps. My arms that had been covered by a hoodie earlier. Shit.
Jack stepped in front of me, resting his hands on my shoulders. “What is it? You have nothing to worry about, Slade,” he promised me.
I believed him. Maybe it was stupid of me, but ever since he had stepped up behind me outside Jordan’s place, something deep inside of me knew this man would never hurt me. Maybe part of why I didn’t want to like him was because he made me want.
Or maybe he would hurt me, but only if I asked nicely. Jack had this intensity in his dark, whiskey-colored eyes. If I believed in that sort of thing, I would swear he was some sort of sorcerer, casting a spell that compelled me to him. What I felt whenever I caught him looking at me was that intense.
“It’s not that.” Even in the bitterly cold night, I felt my cheeks flush. It wasn’t going to take me long to prove to him how incapable I was. “I hate to tell you, but I think you brought me over here for nothing.”
“Why is that?”
Jack didn’t give me an inch of space. He stood close enough to me that the heat radiating off his body warmed me. It would be so easy for me to bury my head in his chest.
