Chapter Two #2
Heat exploded through Ledger’s face. He hated that he blushed.
“Yeah. It got seriously out of hand. The next thing I knew, all my videos went viral. I gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight. The private messages hit immediately. Pictures and vivid paragraphs about what they would do to me. But with all of that, there also came the rape threats and death threats. At first, I just deleted them and blocked each person. Unfortunately, letters showed up, proving everyone knew where I lived. Worse, people approached me everywhere I went and showed up at my door. Gifts were left in the mailbox with no idea of where they came from. I already had a great security system, but it can only help so much. Valon started mentioning private security every time we spoke. I refused. No one wants to feel uncomfortable in their own home, living with a stranger. Then he just hired Steel Security, no matter my feelings on the matter, and here you are.”
Kash nodded along while he sipped wine. “Tell me about your security system.”
He was a familiar face who asked professional questions.
Ledger relaxed a little more each second that passed.
“Every entry and window are wired. The back door, coming in from the garage, has a minute delay when it’s opened to give me time to turn it off before it calls the monitoring company.
I always shut the door, disarm, and rearm. It’s a habit now.”
Kash’s gaze sharpened. “I didn’t see you do any of that when we came in.” He dropped his feet to the floor and set his glass on the table. “You gave me the tour, but I should search the place.”
Ledger couldn’t stop smiling. Kash took keeping him safe seriously, and it was nice. “I disarmed with the key fob since we came through a door with no delay. Admittedly, in doing it that way, and with you distracting me, I didn’t reset it. I should do that.”
Kash stood. “Show me the system.”
Since Ledger’s keys were in the kitchen and the unit was by the door closest to the kitchen, he headed that way. He still felt every step Kash made behind him. For some reason, Ledger was highly aware of every move Kash made. It wasn’t unnerving exactly. His mind simply refused to budge from Kash.
Ledger made his way to the door that led to the garage. He motioned toward the keypad. “That’s it.”
Kash looked it over.
“Oh.” Ledger moved closer. “I should create a code for you, since you live here now, or you could just use mine. It’s up to you.”
“You can just give me yours and save some hassle.”
Ledger nodded. That was easier, especially since he wasn’t a hundred percent sure he remembered how to add another person into the system. “Let me see your phone. I’ll add myself to your contacts with my number, alarm PIN, and the address here. Then you should be set.”
Kash motioned toward the kitchen. “I left my phone on the counter.”
Together they stepped into the kitchen. Kash grabbed the device, unlocked it, and then handed the phone to Ledger.
Ledger went straight to the contacts. He tried not to think about Kash’s blank wallpaper.
Maybe he read too much into a small thing, but the wallpaper on people’s phones was a popular avenue for expressing oneself or showcasing someone they love.
Kash had a black background, devoid of life.
While Ledger typed, a text message flashed across the screen. We have a quick job if you have time. There was nothing inherently bad in the message. For whatever reason, a gut feeling hit. Kash just seemed so hardened. Dangerous.
Ledger finished and passed the device back. “A text came through while I was typing my info.”
Kash nodded and shoved the phone into his back pocket without looking at the device, obviously giving no fucks about any messages. “It’s nearly two a.m. I guess I should pick one of those rooms.”
Ledger nodded, even as a sense of sadness overcame him. He hadn’t sat and spoken with anyone in a while. While Ledger was tired, he already knew he wouldn’t sleep. Ledger made his way down the hall. He motioned toward the path they walked. “Pick any one of these.”
“Which is closest to you?”
Ledger had to hide his emotions before he turned and met Kash’s stare. “There’s a guest room next to mine, but it’s tiny. The bathroom is basically just a small sink, walk-in shower, and a toilet. These rooms are a lot bigger with much better bathrooms.”
Kash never broke eye contact. “The one next to you. I can’t keep you safe at night if I can’t hear you shout.”
That made sense. Ledger still felt bad, though. Kash deserved a better room.
“Come on.” Ledger brushed past him and headed in the opposite direction.
Kash was such a big guy, Ledger had to turn sideways to scoot past him.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Kash intentionally forced Ledger to touch him.
Maybe he was losing his mind. When he reached Kash’s new bedroom and the lights flared to life, a major detail hit Ledger.
As Kash strolled into the bedroom, Ledger couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed sooner. “You don’t have any luggage.”
Kash eyed the room. He didn’t meet Ledger’s stare. “The airport lost my bags.”
Ledger shook his head. “Why didn’t you say something?
We could’ve made a quick trip to buy what you need until your bags are found.
There’s nothing open now.” As he spoke, Ledger realized it wasn’t just the bags.
Kash hadn’t spoken much at all. He hadn’t told Ledger anything of value about his life now.
Kash had spent the night asking questions and focusing on Ledger.
Ledger hadn’t even noticed the deflection.
“I’m good. Tomorrow, I’ll get a car and pick up whatever I need. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like I’ll sleep anyway. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.”
Ledger had never wanted to stay put so badly in his life.
He wanted to hear Kash’s every story. “I have a pair of pajama pants you can borrow. Everything you need to shower is in the bathroom. If you can’t find what you need, I’ll probably have something you can use.
I want you to feel like this is your home. ”
The intensity of Kash’s stare had Ledger holding his breath. “This place already feels closer to home than any place I’ve lived in years. You’re here.”
Ledger swallowed. He had to be reading too much into Kash’s every word. They had known each other for a long time. That was all. It had to be all.
“Well, I’m not going anywhere, so… would you like those pants?”
A smile lit Kash’s face. His eyes twinkled with silent laughter. “Yeah. I want your pants.”
There was so much humor in Kash’s tone, Ledger couldn’t help but smile. This was the Kash he remembered. He was steady, serious, and kind, but he was also playful with a slightly wicked sense of humor. Damn.
“I’ve really missed you.” Even though Ledger kind of wanted to bite off his tongue, he didn’t take his words back. He had a feeling Kash needed someone to miss him.
“Me too.”
The funny thing was, Ledger didn’t know which of them Kash meant. Ledger had a bad feeling it was himself.