Nate leans closer, though there’s still distance between them. “Got anything planned for tonight?”
“To eat and sleep.”
Nate snorts. “Boring.”
“I never claimed to have an interesting life.”
“Well, I changed that a few days ago, didn’t I?”
Will’s lips twitch with anger, and his blood begins to warm. Apparently, theyaregoing to address what happened. “I was drunk, Nate. Fucking wasted.”
“Yeah, you were.”
“Okay, then. So no point talking about it.”
“But you do remember what we did, right? Which sounds to me like you were aware just fine, and maybenotso wasted.”
“Whatever happened—”
“Was whatyouwanted to happen.”
Will sucks in a breath, angry that he’s unable to fully contradict Nate’s claim.
“I’m not trying to be mean,” Nate says. “I didn’t judge you when you wanted me to hurt you, and I still won’t judge when I do it all over again.Hey!Look at me when I’m talking. You might have been drunk, but you could use your mouth just fine. I waited for you to ask me to stop, but once you saw what I could give you, the last thing you wanted was for me to stop.”
Will’s every nerve lies bare. “You’re wrong.”
“I’m not. I was your redemption that night, and I want to be again.”
“But I don’t.”
“Then why are you about to get into my car?”
“I’m not.” But he doesn’t walk away. He should, but he can’t. The ground beneath his feet is no longer stable.
Nate sighs. “Listen, let me make it easier for you. If you don’t enter this car right now, I’ll make it my number one priority to bring you down. Nothing will be easier than planting drugs on you, then locking you up until we have to let you go. No need to press charges; just make your life a living hell until your business goes under.”
Will rubs his face, his skin hot. There are too many voices in his head, each pulling him in a different direction. He believes that Nate is capable of going through with his threat, and it’s unclear whether the sheriff would get in his way.
“I took it too far last time,” Nate says, his voice gentler. “It was new for me, too. We’ll figure out the best way for both of us to get what we want out of this. I don’t need you walking around in pain.”
“And what are you getting out of this?”
Nate shakes his head. “Like you even need to ask.” He taps the seat next to him. “Get in.”
Will looks around at the quiet road. By getting into the car with Nate, he’ll be embracing a part of himself he has never confronted and never even acknowledged. He can do it just one more time to see whether Nate’s brutality can bring him the same peace it did last time.If it doesn’t, he’ll put an end to it.
The handle is cold when he pulls it to enter the car. He sits stiffly, feeling Nate’s smile as he watches him.
“Give me your hands.”
Will frowns at the handcuffs Nate is holding. “What are those for? I did what you wanted.”
“What Iwantedwas for you to get your ass inside without me needing to threaten you. These cuffs are to make it clear you’re going to see this through.”
With another wave of doubt, Will holds out his hands for Nate to cuff.
“Good boy.” He pats Will’s knee. “What a fun night we’re gonna have. Buckle up, baby!”
