Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JONAH
I didn’t know why I was expecting to see Alexio the moment we got back into town, but when I got to the apartment, it was just Ford and Killian watching some British baking competition show with my dad. I set my cane in the hallway and let Killian tug me down between them.
The hugs on both sides were nice.
“Are you two fucking this man?” my dad asked in the silence.
“Jesus, Dad.”
He said nothing, and after a while, his breathing was even.
“Is he asleep?”
Killian sighed. “Looks like it. He’s been doing that a lot.”
“That’s a bad sign, right?” I didn’t want to ask the question, but the truth was, I knew. My dad was sinking fast, and it wasn’t going to get any better. The fact that he wasn’t on any kind of treatment was probably making it a million times worse.
“I found his doctor and made an appointment,” Ford said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “You don’t have a game on Friday, right?”
I didn’t. I shook my head.
“Cool. I’ll come pick you up, and we can take him. But, ah…there might be a slight complication with the whole facility thing.”
I really didn’t want to hear this. “Okay?”
“I don’t think your mom got medical power of attorney, which means no one has it. And it means you can get it—which is good. You won’t have to track her down or anything,” Killian said softly. “But it can take a while. And if he won’t or can’t agree to a facility…”
“There’s not some emergency thing you can file for me?” I almost begged.
Killian knocked his head into mine. “Not my area of law, honey. But I know a few people in town, and we will get this done as quick as we can. I promise.”
My stomach settled a bit. It felt hollow. I still couldn’t eat, and I was starting to feel like my insides were devouring themselves. I wanted to peel off all my skin and crawl out of my body and exist in some sort of gaseous form.
I would have done it if it were possible.
I felt jittery and upside down and inside out.
I had no idea how to make this feeling go away.
“Look, why don’t you take off,” Ford said gently. “Nikos is going to be here any second, and—”
As if on cue, the door opened with a gentle bang, and I noticed I was starting to recognize Nikos’s footsteps. There was the distinct thud of him kicking off his shoes, then soft padding as he walked into the room before the sound of him dropping his bag.
“Jonah,” he said. He sounded happy to see me, which was nice. He didn’t hate me the way his brother did. I held my fist out toward him, and he chuckled as he bumped his knuckles against mine. “Alright?”
“Been worse, been better.” It was the most honest answer I could give. “I was just about to take off and head down to the arena.”
Ford choked. “I’m sorry, the where?”
Groaning, I stood up and stretched my back. “I need to get a workout in, okay? I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
He was up beside me before I could take a single step away. “The fuck you are. I know you haven’t been eating, bud. Or sleeping. You can’t go work out. You’re going to waste away.”
“Fuck off. I’m fine!” I took a step and hit the coffee table and almost landed on my face. It was Nikos who saved me from a nasty black eye. “Thanks,” I muttered, trying not to pull away too harshly.
“You’re shaking,” Nikos said quietly. He squeezed both my hands before letting go. “Maybe listen to your friends for once. Just this once,” he added.
I managed something like a smile. “Fine, whatever. I’ll go home.” It didn’t matter. I had plenty of workout equipment in my apartment. “Ford? You driving me?”
“I’m grabbing my keys,” he called out.
I felt along the wall for my cane, and as I opened the door, I heard Nikos ask, “He’s going to work out, isn’t he?”
“He’s going to do something foolish,” Killian answered back.
I closed the door behind me before I could mouth off and give myself away.
I was halfway through my third set on the rower when I heard my buzzer going off. I wasn’t expecting anyone, and it was clear it was a disruption because Athena began to meow loudly from her perch on the window.
“I know, princess. I’m gonna tell them to fuck off.” I flung open the door, and before I could ask who the fuck was disturbing me so late, I got a whiff of his cologne. “Fucking Brut.”
“It’s not Brut,” Alexio growled. His chest hit my crossed arms as he pushed his way inside and slammed the door behind him. “It’s also pitch-black in here.”
“No shit,” I sneered. “You want to be in my house, you have to be on my level. All my friends walk around here blind. I usually make people wear blindfolds during the day.”
He let out a shaking breath, then said. “Okay. Just show me around.”
“Oh my god, you dipshit. I’m not being serious.” My fingertips grazed the wall until they hit the light switch, and I heard the hum as it clicked on. “I can’t believe you think I make my friends stumble around my house.”
“I—” He stopped, then sighed. “Are you working out?”
My brows flew up. “Is this your first time seeing a home gym? I mean, I know your team fucking sucks this year, but—”
“Shut up.” He grabbed me by the front of the shirt, spun me, and slammed me against the wall. “Maybe watch your smart little mouth for tonight. I’m trying to help you.”
Athena meowed again, but it was clear she gave no shits about the commotion happening by the front door. And I doubted if she could see, she’d care about that either. So long as her food dish was full, she was happy.
“This doesn’t seem very helpful,” I said slowly. “I mean, I don’t read a lot, but I’m pretty sure the medical journals don’t say that slamming people against the wall is good for your health.”
His hands coasted down my sides, and my dick thickened behind my flimsy shorts. I had learned very early on into puberty that people could see when I got a boner. “You’ve lost weight.” His hands stilled over my ribs. “You haven’t been eating.”
“And someone is a narc,” I snapped.
He leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine. I didn’t know why that was so soothing, and I both hated and loved it. “My brother called. I’m here to save you from yourself.”
Pressing my hands to his shoulders, I trailed them down, and when I reached his fingertips, I realized he was holding something. “What is this?”
“Food.”
“I’m not hungry,” I said quickly.
“You will be when I’m done. Trust me.”
I didn’t trust him, but I followed him into the kitchen and sat at the breakfast counter, resting my chin on my folded arms. Listening to him move around in my space was making me feel some type of way. I had no idea if it was good or bad.
Or horny.
Or irritated.
Everything was kind of the same these days.
“Don’t mess anything up,” I said after he started chopping something. “It takes me for-fucking-ever to get my kitchen back in order whenever people mess with it.”
“You can help me put everything away.” I could hear him rummaging around. “Oh, good, you have a grill.”
“Uh, yes. I’m not a heathen.”
He said nothing, and I turned my cheek to rest it against my folded arms as I listened. It was like a delicate dance—his feet shifting along the floor, his hands chopping, and grating, and whatever the hell else he was working on.
Then came the smell of cooking meat and spices—the sizzle, the fat rendering, the seasoning filling the air. It was so much better than his horrible cologne. In fact, I was furious that I might have to admit it, but whatever he was making, my stomach was starting to rumble.
It was the first time in weeks I’d become profoundly aware of my hunger.
“Where do you like to eat?”
I lifted my head. “Is that some kind of euphemism?”
“No. When you’re feeling your worst,” he added, “where do you take meals?”
I swallowed heavily, then shrugged. “In bed, I guess.”
“Good. Go get in bed.” He paused, then said, “Wait. Get undressed, and put on something loose and comfortable, then get in bed.”
“Anything else, Sir?”
I jolted when warm, spiced fingers touched the edge of my jaw. “No need for that, Jonah.”
Fuck. Once again, he had me turned around. Once again, I was the opposite of the man in the locker room who had taken what he wanted from this man.
And once again, I was burning with lust for him and needy for whatever he wanted to give me.
“Just do as I say. I know you want to be good for me.”
I hated him because it was true. And I hated him because my defenses were so fucking low, all I could do was hop off the stool and obey. I trailed my fingers along the wall, listening and feeling slightly irritated that he just got back to work in the kitchen as I left.
Was he watching me walk away? Was he pretending like he wasn’t?
I knew I had his attention. He wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. There was no way he liked me enough to give a shit that I wasn’t eating properly, so it had to be something else. Maybe the sex really was that good for him too.
Heading into the bedroom, I went to my pajama drawer and wondered if I should get something other than baggy sweats and T-shirts. Something soft. Silky. Slutty. Would that matter to him at all?
I had no idea what he liked other than me being obedient for him, and that bothered me.
But I could at least do this part. I stripped out of my gym clothes and gave my armpits a sniff before slipping into a T-shirt and my softest pants. I had no idea what color they were or if they had patterns, and I had never cared before now.
It was annoying to care tonight.
I had fucked plenty of sighted people. I had fucked mostly sighted people, in fact. But I had never bothered trying relationships with any of them. Even my past girlfriends. Either they liked what they saw, or they didn’t. Sometimes they went shopping with me. Sometimes they went shopping for me.
I never bothered to ask what they were putting me in.
But the thought of Zeki—of Alexio—doing all that?
Fuck, why did it make my insides quake?