Chapter 10
Deejay
“Deejay.”
Matt’s deep baritone pulls me out of the doze I indulged in when I came back upstairs. I open my eyes, look up at him from the rocking chair, and smile in greeting. “School’s out already?”
“It’s five,”
he informs me with a chuckle. “Cary and Jasper are in their room playing and doing homework, respectively. Colt and Kendall are working on homework in their room. Robert is having a panic attack in his room. I think I make him nervous.”
Ah, yeah. I probably should have been there when Matt got home. Parenting fail. Matt is a big intimidating guy and if Robert was uncomfortable with me, he certainly would have had an issue with Matt. “If he has anxiety problems, we’ll get him in to see a doctor. The problem might simply be a mental health disorder or a hormone imbalance, or anything really. I’ll ask, but if I’m honest, he reacts like an abused kid. I might have to get him into therapy.”
“I was going to take him shopping, but if he’s nervous around me, I don’t think that would be good,”
he admits, frowning like he does when he’s concerned.
He’s such a good guy.
“It can’t hurt to ask. Communication is important. I’ve dealt with a lot of traumatized youth; the main thing we need to make clear is that this is a safe place for him. He needs to know that he can say whatever he needs to say and we won’t hold it against him or use it to hurt him,”
I explain, as the twins start rustling in their cribs.
Matt walks over and picks up Eren, putting him on his shoulder before grabbing up Alex and holding him to the other shoulder. Honestly, he impresses by how he handles the twins without struggle. And he looks so cute with a couple of babies curled up on him like that. My heart just loves seeing him with them.
“I’ve got these two, you go see if you can help Robert,”
he says, affectionately kissing one baby and then the other.
My heart goes badump at him for being so good with the babies. “Aww,”
I coo, getting up. “Adorable,”
I sigh, hugging the three of them before kissing the babies and then Matt—
I freeze. “Sorry,”
I apologize, blushing at myself for getting caught up in the moment.
Matt’s face is red as a tomato as he looks away, pressing the lips I just kiss-assaulted together. “Yeah,”
he mumbles and then turns away and stalks out, both babies happily snug in his arms.
I blush harder, burying my face in my hands.
Shit. Shitshitshit!
I didn’t even think about it. What is wrong with me? You don’t kiss high school boys! Fuck!
For a long while I struggle to get myself under control. Matt may not look like a seventeen-year-old, but he is. I didn’t mean to kiss him, it just happened. It was just an accident. An embarrassing one, but that’s it.
Just an accident.
It has nothing to do with the crush I’ve developed because I am totally quashing that crush!
I do some breathing exercises until my blush fades, then I forcibly occupy my mind with Robert, who deserves my full attention and happens to be a great way to stop thinking about...the thing I refuse to think about further.
It. Was. An. Accident.
When I get to Robert’s room, I knock. I don’t hear anything in response, so I announce myself through the door. “Robert? It’s Deejay.”
“Sorry. Come in.”
Robert’s voice comes clearly from close behind the door.
I push the door open and nearly hit him with it. “Are you ok? Matt said you were nervous about shopping with him.”
Robert swallows hard and looks away. “Um. It’s n-not M-Matt,”
he stutters.
I know the symptoms of a whole list of issues that have come across my threshold with traumatized young men and boys. I can tell by Robert’s body language that he has experienced trauma, so I take a step back out of his room, open my body language up and speak gently, but firmly.
“In this house, we have rules that everyone abides by to make it a safe and happy home. One of those rules includes our rooms being private places. No one is allowed to come into your room without your permission. Not me, not Cary, not the maids. This room is yours; it’s your safe space.
“Another rule is that we keep our secrets safe. We’re the children and stepchildren, the brothers of Naiads. We don’t talk about our powers outside of this house, and we don’t tell our secrets even if they have nothing to do with the Naiads. What I’m telling you is, if you need to talk, this is a safe place to do it. If you have anxiety, we can help. My oldest adopted son was on medication for anxiety for five years until he started med-school. If you have needs, I will take care of them.”
I give him a real smile and take on a teasing tone. “I became fabulously wealthy and the ruler of my own domain specifically to take care of my nephews, so take advantage of that now that you’re here.”
My teasing causes him to put up a tentative smile. “But I’m barely a shirttail relation.”
“I don’t discriminate about age or relation. Matt and Cary aren’t even related to my family. If you’ve been under my sisters’ care, you deserve a place in my home and heart, and the safety of my domain,”
I assure him. “Now, tell me, do you need help?”
He looks down nervously, stiff as if he’s trying to hide it. “I have anxiety,”
he whispers. “I was talking to the school’s counselor before. She said I should see a doctor and a therapist.”
“Do you want to see a doctor and a therapist?”
I ask, keeping my tone gentle.
He nods twice without looking at me.
My heart clenches for him and I wish I could erase his pain. “Then that’s what we will do. You’ll be able to transfer schools?”
He nods again. “I left my stuff on the coffee table.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to the process. We’ll get you taken care of. For today, Matt thinks you need to go shopping, and I tend to trust his assessments because he’s very forward thinking. I can take you, but we’d probably end up having to take everyone and then it would turn into an outing, which takes a lot of time to prepare for. Or you can take yourself if you have a driver's license. Or you can go with Matt, if you’re comfortable with that since he has spent some time figuring out the area since his arrival.”
“I-I d-don’t have any m-money,”
he admits quietly.
“I will take care of you. I have taken in my sisters’ abandoned sons for a decade. I know you have nothing, and they know that I have more money than all of them combined. Right now, concentrate on you. It’s your birthday, right? We can make it an outing and we can all pick a present for you, and you can get basic necessities,”
I offer. “Or you can take money that I will give you and get what you need. I would feel better if you take Matt so you don’t get lost, but I won’t pressure you to do that.”
“I can take Matt,”
he whispers. “Can we also take Cary?”
“Of course,”
I agree. “Although Jasper will probably want to go too if you’re taking Cary.”
“That’s fine,”
he agrees, taking a deep breath.
“Ok, when you’re ready, come down to the kitchen. Take the time you need,”
I say. “Can I hug you?”
Robert takes an involuntary step back. “Sorry, I’m not—”
“It’s fine. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,”
I assure him compassionately.
He nods silently as I shut the door. Poor kid.