I hesitate at the door. Wanting to tell him again that everything will be okay, but I honestly don’t know that for sure. Instead, I give him a genuine smile, and when our eyes meet, I try to tell him silently.
Heading back to the kitchen, I brew some of the tea that I stole from Mags’ supply that he keeps at home. Then, I take out thefish pie I made fresh that’s been in the freezer and place it in the oven on a low heat.
While Jamie settles in, I send some emails to students. Then I send in my work to the professor I’m a TA for and then shoot a text to Simmons, replying to him about the importance of watching out for Jamie’s stepdad, Jed.
I’ve always been protective of what’s mine. Despite knowing Jamie isn’t, not really, I still have the same intense urge to help him in any way that I can. How has it only been a matter of weeks since I met this poor soul in need of love and care? It feels so much longer than that. It makes me wonder how I’ve managed this long without someone like him in my life.
Jamie comes into the kitchen looking a little unsure, holding one hand on his arm as if trying to cover up. He’s wearing one of the jockstraps that I got for him and a large purple t-shirt that saystattoos are trashy. I laugh at that, and it startles him.
“What’s so funny?”
“Your t-shirt,” I say, pointing to the print.
“Oh,” he chuckles, “I nicked it from someone at work. We all steal each other’s clothes when we are in a hurry. I’ve lost so many clothes to those kleptos.”
He says it in a fun, relaxed way, but it gives me pause. Maybe Jamie needs something to do while he waits for his appointment with the Dean. A distraction that might do him some good.
“So that explains why you’re always in those oversized tops that hang off your shoulder?” I quirk an eyebrow at him, and he huffs a laugh my way as he nods.
“Come sit and have some tea. We can talk while the dinner is in the oven,” I say, motioning to the dining table where the steaming glass teapot and mugs wait for us.
We get settled and I pour Jamie his tea. He sits on the chair with one knee up, inhaling the sweet tea aroma before taking a sip.
“Mmm, this is excellent tea,” he hums.
“I’m glad you like it. Remind me to introduce you to Mags. He’s going to love you.”
“Mags? The owner of Corricks?”
“Yes. Have you met already?”
“No, but Beau mentioned him coming in to introduce himself, and he stayed to watch my rehearsal. He was gone by the time I was offstage and changed, so I didn’t get the chance. Shame too, because the bar staff rubbed it in that they all got vouchers to his bar,” he pouts. I can’t help myself and lean over to pull on his bottom lip. He swipes at my hand with a boyish scowl, and it’s so utterly endearing that I want to jump across and close the space between us and tackle him into a passionate kiss. Instead, I sit back again and sip my tea.
“Well, I’ll take you there and you can meet him. But be warned, he’s a nosy bitch with a penchant for sob stories. A total mother hen, that one.”
Jamie looks a little more relaxed now, and I prompt him to talk to me about Jed. He hesitates at first, and then the floodgates open, and he spills out the misery that was living with Jed Groburn.
“... once he moved in, that’s when his nice guy act died and he showed his true colours. At first, he would nip me for fun, tease me about my curls and pull them. My mom thought it was cute, even called it bonding, but I didn’t. Shouldn’t an adult man have outgrown that bully nonsense?”
I place my hand on top of his as I nod but don’t answer, letting him carry on.
“He convinced my mom to take a job that was a major cut in money but would allow her to travel for work. Something she had always wanted, even before my dad died when I was a baby. He promised to take care of me and keep me out of trouble whenever she was gone. Christian was already at university, andso he experienced none of it. Eventually the teasing nips turned to punches, then he would always come back drunk day or night. The nights when he would leave after my mom did for her flight, he would lock me in the downstairs cupboard first. I’d be stuck in there with minimal water and no food until he would come back right before she would. Days would pass without going out. He would come into my room at night, threaten me...”
Jamie relives the horror of the abuse he endured. How his mom eventually caught on but turned a blind eye to it all, continuing with her marriage to a monster and choosing to stick by her husband. When Christian had tried to tell her what Jed was doing to his brother, she called Jamie a liar. An attention seeker. Despite the evidence covering his skin.
When I notice his eyes have become red-rimmed and heavy, I stop him. I know enough. This Jed won’t ever be seeing Jamie again if I have anything to do with it.
“Thank you for sharing all of that with me, Jamie.” I squeeze his hand to let him know I mean it, and he squeezes back. And just like that, we’ve fallen deeper into whatever this is. Unable to see anymore of his tears today, I change the subject once he seems okay.
“Let’s talk about something else now, if you’re up for it?” I ask him.
“Yes, please,” he laughs with a sniffle.
“I have some rules whilst you’re here. Not the same ones that our agreement demanded. I understand that some things have changed since then. You don’t have to only wear the jockstrap since this is now your home, but I ask that if we scene together again, that you’ll follow the original rules on that one and use your bathroom provided. Same goes for meals, etc. You can choose to sit at my feet and let me feed you, but I assume since you are new to the lifestyle, you don’t want to engage in D/s 24/7.”
He thinks about it, then agrees that he isn’t ready for that yet. We agree to some simple rules about maintaining my home whilst he is here and in the end it all goes smoothly.
“Okay, last thing. I have some homework for you, and I want you to start it as soon as you can, okay?”
