From the moment I saw Jay’s face—bruised, battered, and barely recognizable—I became a man on a mission. No way in hell am I letting that bastard touch him again. I booked a one-way flight without thinking twice. I’ll stay as long as Jay needs me.
Fortunately, even though it was late, my neighbor Martha was still awake with the TV blasting, so I asked her to watch Maisy and Daisy. I packed a week’s worth of clothes into my travel bag, knowing I can wash or buy whatever I need. I can manage schoolwork on the road, and since I’ve decided not to film any new content, I can upload videos and photos from my archives from anywhere.
Watching the orgy footage Mac sent me earlier felt like stepping outside myself, seeing Jay and me tangled together, our bodies slick with sweat, and the wild intensity between us. My cock reacted before my brain did, and I came so hard I felt dizzy. But now I feel sick because the same footage set Ray off and left Jay broken and hiding in a cheap hotel room.
The guilt weighs heavily on me, but it only fuels my anger. Unable to sleep, I get a rideshare and head straight to the airport.
Catching an early morning flight, I’m running on fumes by the time I land in Portland. After picking up a rental car, I pair my phone with the Bluetooth and plug Jay’s hotel address into theGPS. With every mile closer, the urge to see him grows stronger, to make sure with my own eyes that he’s okay.
I texted Lauren before I boarded to let her know Jay was hurt and where I was headed. As soon as I turned off airplane mode after landing, her response came in.
Lauren: Call me once you’re in Portland! What the hell happened?
On the drive to Jay’s hotel, I tap the hands-free and call her back. She answers right away.
“Aiden, what happened to Jay? Is he alright?”
“Sorry, I didn’t want to get into it over text,” I tell her, watching the road. “The short version is: Ray got the footage of Jay and me in Florida. He didn’t take it well and beat the shit out of him.”
Lauren gasps. “Are you kidding me? How badly is he hurt?”
I quickly share what I know: the details of Ray’s assault, Jay’s face, already black and blue, and his look of utter defeat that nearly wrecked me.
“Lauren, I swear to God, I’ve never wanted to kill someone so badly in my life.”
“I’m so sorry,” she says softly. “I’m glad you’re there for him. But please don’t do anything stupid.”
“I’ll try. I’m driving to his hotel now, so I’d better go so I can focus.”
The GPS tells me my next turn while I’m talking to her.
“Before you go,” her voice sharpens into that motherly tone, “listen to me. I know how much you care about him. But rightnow, he needs a friend. He’s coming out of a toxic, abusive relationship. He’s going to need space to heal. Don’t push him into anything more.”
I let out a breath. “I had a lot of time to think about this on the plane. If I want more with him, and I do, I need to give him time.”
“Good. Keep me posted. I love you.”
“Thanks. I love you too.”
Swinging through a fast-food drive-thru, I grab Jay coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and water for myself. I ate on the plane, and I’m already buzzing from too much caffeine, but I want him to have something warm in his stomach.
By the time I pull into the hotel parking lot, my nerves are stretched thin. I texted Jay when I landed, but he hasn’t answered. Every horrible scenario has run through my mind. Finally, my phone buzzes.
Jay: Hey, I just woke up. Where are you?
Aiden: I just parked at the hotel. I’m on my way up.
I leave my bag in the trunk, grab the food and drinks, and head for the second floor. My knuckles rap on the door, and when it opens, my heart sinks.
He’s standing there in a thin T-shirt and sleep pants, his hair sticking up in wild tufts. His eyes are bloodshot, and the bruises have darkened overnight, with purples and blacks covering his face.He looks wrecked, like someone dragged him through hell and left him there.
“Hey,” he says, his voice thin and exhausted.
He steps aside to let me in.
“Hey,” I reply, handing him the bag and coffee. “You look terrible. Did you get any sleep?”
“Thanks for this,” he says, clutching the cup and the food. “Some, but I woke up around five with a pounding headache. I took more pills, iced my face, then fell back asleep around seven. I just woke up.”
