It took some sweet talking, but as soon as the market down the street opened, I called and arranged for a delivery. We were heading into the end of the week, when work would be busy enough it would be impossible for me to devote the attention I’d like to Slade, but I was going to do everything I could before then to make sure he was taken care of.
The more layers of Slade’s life I pulled back, the more distraught I became. I’d called Sam to reschedule for mid-afternoon, unsurprised when he very quickly agreed. That was the type of employee he was. But there wouldn’t be time for a nap, there was far too much to be done here.
I waited until nearly ten o’clock before waking Slade. I had no doubt—given the glimpse I’d seen of his mental state—that he would happily sleep the day away if no one expected otherwise. With a cup of coffee in one hand, and a plate with two pieces of toast in the other, I very carefully made my way through the bedroom. The last thing I needed was to trip, sending the coffee cascading out of the cup.
“Time to wake up, boy,” I whispered. He tossed the pillow over his head and grumbled something. That was a better reaction than I’d been expecting. I’d prepared for him to wake up swinging, either having forgotten last night, or regretting his weakness. I rubbed his back gently, allowing my fingers to drift toward his waistband. “Come on, brat. You need to get up.”
“No reason,” Slade grumbled.
I yanked the pillow away from his head and tossed it onto the floor. “I beg to differ. Even if you don’t have anything scheduled today, you can’t stay in bed.”
“Wanna make a bet?” He swatted my arm before taking back his pillow.
I sat on the edge of the bed, with my hands folded in my lap to keep myself from touching him. When I spoke, my voice was low and steady. “I don’t know what you expect to accomplish by hiding, but you have a hell of a lot of work to do today, boy.”
“Like what?” Despite his protests, Slade sat up, pulling the sheet over his legs. He glared at me; his lips drawn tight.
I paused, gearing myself up for a fight. Slade was more compliant than I had expected him to be, but I doubted that would last for long. I could only hope. The one thing I couldn't do was walk away without testing the waters to see how Slade would react.
“First of all, you are going to get up and take a shower, after you finish your breakfast,” I informed him.
Slade stared at the toasted bread I handed him as if it confused him. “I had bread?”
“No, but lucky for you I am well versed in ordering groceries for delivery. When you work as many hours as I do, you quickly get over any sort of need to pick out your own produce or the perfect cut of meat.”
Slade scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well good thing that isn't a problem for some of us. I’m not exactly trying to make a statement with my bare cupboards.”
Slade swallowed hard and the color drained from his face. “You know I'm not gonna be able to pay you back for whatever you bought, right? You shouldn't have done that without talking to me first. I would've told you that I'm on a very tight budget.”
More like nonexistent from the looks of it, but I kept that to myself. The last thing I wanted to do was sound like I was better than Slade and insult him.
“If I was expecting you to pay for it, then I absolutely would've talked to you first.” I motioned for him to eat. His stomach growled as he took the first bite. The way he savored something so simple, made me wonder how infrequently he usually ate. That would certainly explain the way last night’s binge affected him.
“I'm not your charity case, Jack,” Slade spat out. “I let you give me a ride home and take care of me last night because I was too drunk and out of it to stand up for myself.”
“Youletme,” I scoffed. “Let's get one thing straight right now, boy. No oneletsme do anything. If I want to give someone a ride home, I will. If I want to watch him sleep all night to make sure he's okay, I will.”
“That's kinda creepy,” Slade said. I couldn't dispute it, but I also wouldn't change a damn thing about last night, other than possibly not making promises about keeping things strictly platonic.
“I'm not going to argue with you about giving you a ride home, taking care of you, or buying your groceries,” I told him. “I did all of those things without any reciprocity expected. It's called being a decent human being. I’m not going to apologize for any of that, but I will promise to consult with you before any further acts of kindness.”
“Thank you.” Slade let out a huff of disapproval, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. His bottom lip jutted out, making him seem adorably innocent. I might have told him so, but I could imagine how he would've responded to being called either of those terms. Slade's attitude and defiance were armor he wore to protect him from getting hurt.
“After you shower—because I’m certain you aren’t feeling the best right now—you're going to spend the rest of the day cleaning up this apartment.” He opened his mouth as if to argue with me. I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, before standing and squaring my shoulders. “I mean it, Slade. I have to work today, but I'm going to stop by later and I expect to see a marked improvement.”
“Oh, so I have one night of weakness and suddenly, you decide it's your God-given right to boss me around?”
“No, I’m pretty sure youwantto be told what to do, but you’re either too scared, or stubborn, to admit it. Possibly even to yourself.” I braced myself for a second before Slade's fists connected with my chest. He wasn't able to move me. I curled my fingers around his wrists, holding him close. “Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong, Slade.”
“Is this some sort of game to you?” Slade's voice wavered. I had shoved him out of his comfort zone, leaving him off balance. Good. At least he wasn't trying to lie to both of us.
“Tell me, boy.”
“Fuck you,” Slade spat out. Still, he didn't try to escape. His nostrils flared, and he deflated a bit.
“Tell me,” I repeated, firmer this time.
Slade rose to his knees, pressing his stomach against my chest. Looking directly into my eyes, he smirked. “Make me,Daddy.”
The little shit absolutely remembered the events of last night, and now he was taunting me. Well, he was about to learn what happened to little boys who tested me.
