Chapter 11
Julien
Sweet Romeo clung to me like a koala all night long. Even through my pain, and sleeping on the floor, it was one of the best nights’ sleep I’ve had in a while. I don’t think I even had a nightmare. If I did, I don’t remember it.
It’s very early when I untangle myself from him, careful not to wake him up. After taking a piss, I pull on a pair of underwear and pad to the kitchen to brew some coffee provided by the hotel.
I pour myself a cup when it’s ready, grab my smokes and my phone, and sit outside. The morning is overcast and chilly, but it’ll clear up and get warmer later.
I take a sip of my coffee, then light a smoke. I’ve been smoking a lot lately. I used to only do it when I drank. What does it matter anyway? I’ll be dead long before I get lung cancer.
Romeo and I have a busy day planned today. First, we’ll swim and sunbathe. It’s not like I’ve never done that before, but I love the beach. The ocean water will sting like fuck on my ass, but saltwater from the sea has a way of healing the body and soul.
We’ll have lunch on the beach, then I’ll take him shopping after that. Tonight, we’ll eat at a fancy place for dinner.
There aren’t many people outside yet, since it’s still too cool and early, but soon, parents will be dragging their kids out to the sand to play for the day. The surfers are out, though, catching waves before it gets too crowded.
Despite how rich we were, my parents never took me on vacation. Maybe my mom and dad did before he died, but I don’t remember it. All I remember is that ride on a Ferris wheel and feeling happiness.
My mom and stepdad have traveled plenty without me, going to Europe, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. I was always left behind with nannies. Eventually, when I was old enough, I got left home alone.
I turn on my phone, expecting a slew of texts and angry voicemails from my mom and so-called friends, but there’s nothing.
No apologies from anyone. No asking me to come home to work shit out.
No ‘I love you’ from anyone. I’m not sure what stings more: the pain they caused me or acting as if I never mattered in the first place.
It’s a stark reminder that I’m all alone.
It’s fucking depressing, is what it is. There’s nothing left for me now.
I don’t see a way out of this, and I am tired of fighting and expecting more from others. I’m emotionally exhausted.
It’s been nice around Romeo. Not so lonely. I’m comfortable around him. But eventually, this will have to come to an end. He’s just not enough to keep me tethered here—and why would he be? We’ve only known each other for a day.
Next, I swipe open the phone I bought specifically to pay for a hooker, open the pay app, and send money to that piece of shit who controls Romeo. I hate paying the bastard. I’d rather give it to Romeo, but I also don’t want to put him in danger.
After the beach, I’ll grab some cash for him.
Maybe we can open a bank account while we’re out shopping.
We need to find a way to get him his independence.
It’s one thing to have money, but he’ll need documents and shit.
Does he have anything? A birth certificate?
Social security card? Probably not if he was purchased like a fucking slave. No, not like. He is a slave.
I try to shut out visions of Romeo being hurt as a child or trained to be a prostitute at such a young age. It makes my blood boil. I’m not ignorant. I know these things happen a lot, but Romeo is mine now. At least for now, anyway.
Romeo comes out, yawning and rubbing his eyes with one hand, and holding the blanket wrapped around his shoulders with the other.
“Hey,” he says.
“Want some coffee?”
He doesn’t reply, instead coming over and curling up on my lap, plucking my mug out of my hand and taking a sip of mine. “I don’t drink a lot of it. It fills up my bladder too fast for work.”
“Seems like everything you do is for work. That’s no way to live. I’m sorry for that.”
He pecks a kiss on my cheek. “It’s all I know, Sugar.”
I drag my fingers through his wrecked hair, made of spun silver. “Well, we’re done with that. You belong to me now, and I won’t ever deny you. And I only mean that I’ll protect you. You’re your own person. You can leave whenever you want, but I hope you don’t.”
He rests his head on my shoulder and draws up his legs. “I won’t leave you. I don’t want to.”
Did he say that because he’s paid to? Or is he staying because I’m paying him? Stupid questions. Of course, he is. I hired him, didn’t I? Still, I want him to stay because he likes me over my money. I think he will.
“Do you still hurt?” he asks.
“A little, but it’s not as bad as yesterday.”
Seeing the blood in my underwear before my shower last night did something to me.
It triggered the fuck out of me. I hurt most of the day, but I hadn’t expected to see all that blood.
I fucking broke down over it, but Romeo was right there to hold me and take care of me.
He didn’t have to. He chose to. That’s… something, at least. It’s more than I ever got from anyone else.
“Can we have sex tonight? I feel like I’m not earning my keep,” he says, yawning again.
Why does that bring a smile to my face? I don’t want him to feel that way, but I guess he wants to give back, not just take from me.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
He smiles, too, and snuggles into me further. I like how he feels on me. He feels right. Everyone else felt wrong.
We hit the gift shop at the hotel first to grab Romeo a pair of swim trunks and sunglasses. He puts them on, and we haul our towels, some sunscreen, and two bottles of water to the beach.
I head straight to the two chairs with umbrellas in the sand. There are also cushions on a large beach blanket, and a table for a little breakfast, and for when we’re ready to eat lunch.
“What’s this?” Romeo asks, stopping in front of the beach setup.
“I reserved this spot for us today. We’ll have a light breakfast and some lunch later. Is… this okay?”
His dark brows rise over the rim of his sunglasses. “Okay? Uhm, you keep spoiling me. I don’t know how I deserve any of this.”
I drop our towels and water onto one of the beach chairs and pull him against me. “Of course, you deserve it. If anyone does, it’s you. But I did this for us, not just for you. I want something special, too. I told you, these next two weeks are going to be filled with fun.”
“I really need to be careful with what I eat,” he explains.
“I know. Our lunch menu will be a high-fiber diet of grilled cod and citrus salad, and we’re pairing it with fish tacos.
Healthy, delicious, and you aren’t starving yourself.
” He smiles at me, but I wish I could see his stunning eyes behind the glasses.
“Try to relax and have fun, okay? Remember, you’re a companion first, sex is secondary, though we’re going to have a lot of it, I hope. ”
As soon as we sit down on our beach chairs, a server comes over and pours us fresh orange juice and coffee, and there are assorted fruits and pastries to nibble on.
I’m not hungry, but I snag a flaxseed apple muffin and feed it to him. When I’m satisfied he’s had enough to eat, I slather his body in sunscreen. We need to protect this alabaster skin of his.
I take his hand in mine and tug him to stand. “Let’s swim.”
“Uhm, you can. I’ll watch in the shallows.”
I thread our fingers together as we head toward the water. “I suppose that rat-faced dickhead didn’t teach you to swim, huh?”
“I’m only a hole,” he reminds me with a nonchalant shrug.
“You’re a fucking human. Jesus… Well, I’ll hold you in the water. I won’t let you drown. If you remember, I’m an excellent swimmer.”
I have to coax him deeper because he’s afraid of it, but he doesn’t tell me to stop or take him back.
He’s got one arm wrapped around himself, looking around the surface of the water as if a shark is going to lunge at us suddenly.
His skin breaks out into goosebumps, and he’s shivering a little.
I feel it, too. The Pacific isn’t exactly the warmest. In contrast, my ass is on fucking fire from the salt.
I tolerate it because I know it’s healing me.
As soon as the water is at our waists, I lift him to me and carry him in deeper until it reaches our chests. I can touch the ground, but he’s clinging to me tighter and looking more nervous. The waves are gentle where we are, so we aren’t getting knocked over.
“It’s still shallow here, Romeo.”
“I-I know… It’s cold, and I’ve never been in the ocean before.”
“Kiss me,” I tell him as a distraction.
His arms hang off my shoulders, and he leans close enough for me to reach his mouth. I love kissing him. He’s the first guy I’ve ever kissed, and it’s everything. My cock tries to get hard, but the water is too cold.
His tongue eases into my mouth, and I suckle on it before my tongue sweeps against his. Our heads tilt in the opposite direction as our kiss deepens.
He shivers against me, so I lead us out of the water to warm up in the sun.
“I can teach you how to swim in the pool here, if you want. The water will be warmer.”
“Ah… that’s okay.”
I’d argue, but we have other plans anyway. Maybe we can do it later—if there’s time.
I plop into my chair sopping wet, but instead of Romeo sitting in his, he crawls on top of me.
There’s not enough room for both of us, so he has to lie on me.
And I fucking love it. I love his unsolicited snuggles, and I know they’re just for me.
I highly doubt he does this for other men.
Cherry rarely snuggled with me unless she wanted something.
I reach for a towel and drape it over us.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, why?”
“People walking by are staring at us.”
“Fuck ’em. Who the fuck cares what they see and what they think?”
He snorts a laugh and plays with one of my curls. “Yeah, fuck ’em!”
“You’re so adorable,” I tell him.
He pecks my cheek and gets settled in.