Alex sat back in stunned disbelief. “You’d let me stay here?”
I nodded again. “I can give you an allowance for food if you want, or you’re welcome to eat with me. I don’t cook gourmet or anything as you can probably tell, but at least you won’t go hungry.”
The way he kept shaking his head and blinking back tears told me exactly what my offer had meant to him. This had turned into something far more than a random act of kindness to help his dog. It had become a promise of shelter and food for several weeks to come.
Alex still held the piece of sandwich in his hand. “I want to say yes, but… I need to ask you something first.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“Would it bother you if I’m gay?”
My eyes went wide.Holy hairballs. This gorgeous man was gay?
But then the shock wore off, and his question sank in. It broke my heart that Alex felt like he had to ask that kind of question in the first place. I wasn’t naïve. I knew I’d been pretty damn lucky not to have been faced with prejudice and hate in my hometown, but it still took me by surprise when I was reminded how cruel the world could be. There had been some harsh words hurled my way through the years, especially in college, but not enough to put the same kind of apprehension in me that I saw in Alex’s eyes just now.
“No,” I replied without looking away. “It wouldn’t bother me at all. I’m bi, Alex, and to be perfectly honest, I prefer men. They’re what I’ve always gravitated to. So it would be rather hypocritical of me to send you away.”
He let out a breath and looked away. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he said simply, “Then I think we have a deal.”
4
The following morning, I made my way across the yard with two steaming cups of coffee in my hand. The rain had momentarily stopped, though the dark clouds above made it appear as though heaven herself was going to spit on us again at any second.
It took me a minute to figure out how to hold two large mugs with one hand while opening the back door with the other, but eventually I got it. I turned the light on after placing the mugs on the counter, then wondered if Alex would even be up. Maybe seven AM was too early for him. When I didn’t hear any noise coming from the loft above me, I assumed he was asleep.
There were two sets of stairs to the tiny apartment. One on the outside, granting private access, and one on the inside that wrapped behind a small closet. Unlocking that door, I peeked upstairs, surprised to see the light on. Deciding to check in on them, I headed upstairs, and my heart skipped a beat at what I saw. Alex had his back to me, gently swaying from side to side as he stood in the middle of the room. I could hear the soft rumble of his voice.
“You’ll be okay, Rox, I promise.”
I was pretty sure my heart melted into a pile of goo. I’d always been a sap for men who spoiled their dogs, and this one was no exception.
Not wanting to startle him, I knocked once. Alex still jumped, enough to make Roxy cry out, and his face paled when he turned around.
“Sorry,” I said grimly. “Didn’t mean to scare you. How’s she doing?”
“I don’t know. She’s been whining.” Distress colored his words, so I quickly motioned for him to follow me.
“Let’s get her some more pain meds.”
Relieved, Alex followed me down the narrow set of stairs, talking quietly to Roxy as we went.
“Has she been awake long?” I asked.
“No, only an hour, maybe? I’m not sure.”
“That’s good. It means she slept most of the night.” I glanced over my shoulder at him as we exited the staircase. “How about you? Did you sleep?”
He didn’t meet my eyes as he shrugged.
“I know that mattress isn’t the softest thing to sleep on.”
I barely caught the muttered “still softer than the ground” over the noise of the kennels and once again felt sad for the guy. At least he’d catch a break over the next few weeks.
Alex held Roxy still as I unlocked one of the medicine cabinets. “Has she ever taken pills?”
“Pills?”
I chuckled. “Yes, pills. I’d rather not inject her every time if we can help it. I have some oral meds that should work if we can get her to swallow them.”
