He laughs, but it doesn’t sound like he thinks it’s funny. “I do know.”
“Are your parents…” I let my words trail off.
He shrugs. “I’m not sure. I haven’t talked to them since I was eighteen.”
There’s clearly a story there, but I’m not sure if I should ask.
“It was because of Damien,” he says softly, answering my unspoken question. He rolls onto his back, finally dragging his gaze from mine. “He was isolating me. I just didn’t see it. Myparents tried to warn me, but I knew best. We got into a huge fight. I moved in with Damien and just… never talked to them again.”
My heart clenches. “I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.”
Theo shakes his head. “I doubt it. I was awful to them.”
“I bet they’d just be happy to know you’re safe now.”
“Or they’d be ashamed of me.”
My breath catches. “I can’t imagine that.”
Rolling back onto his side to face me, he props himself up on his hand. “Luca seems like he’s doing okay,” he says, changing the subject entirely.
“Yeah, he does.”
Theo’s fingers flex against the blankets, but he’s staring dead into my eyes when he sighs and says, “He makes me feel broken, and that’s awful to say, since it’s my fault that he even got hurt by Damien.”
“No. It’s not your fault. Abusers are abusers, and that’s not on you.”
“I just don’t get it,” he admits quietly. “I’m happy for him, I am. Only…” He trails off, blowing out a breath. “Only I’m not sure I’m fully happy for him, you know? Fuck, that makes me sound like an awful person.”
“It doesn’t make you awful. It makes you human.”
He frowns. “It makes me ugly.”
Not a fucking chance. “No. Maybe most folks wouldn’t say that part out loud, but…” I pause, considering if I should even say this. “You’re safe here,” I say carefully. “With me. You don’t have to pretend you feel something you don’t. Or, in this case, pretend you don’t feel something you do.”
He goes still. “Safe. With you.”
My heart thumps. “Course.”
“I’m only here for two more days,” he says, his voice low.
“I’m not pretending you’re not.” This seems like as good a time as any. “How about before you leave, we exchange numbers, and if you need a friend, you can reach out? Day or night.”
He seems to consider that for a second. “Will you send me pictures of the animals? I’m gonna miss them.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Sure.”
I pull out my phone, and after he rattles his number off to me, I send him a text with my name so he has mine.
“Perfect.” He sighs. “I don’t want to resent him, you know? Iwanthim to be healed and happy.”
“You just want that for yourself too,” I murmur.
He locks eyes with me. “So much.”
“You’ll get there.”
Humming, he relaxes, sinking deeper into the bed. “I hope so.”
