Chapter 2
Chapter Two
ANDY
The person yelped and flailed their arms above them like they were about to fall. Before I could think of anything, my arms wrapped around his stomach. I was met with warmth and rock-hard abs that had me wanting to put in more hours at the gym myself.
I’d always been muscular from having worked physical jobs since I was legally able to. That and the hard work in the kitchen created a body that most women drooled over, which worked to my benefit since I never lacked a companion in bed. When I wished for one, of course, because I didn’t believe in the whole commitment thing.
But the dude in my lap’s solid build was on a whole different level than mine. I could probably cut my slabs of meat on his abs with how hard they were.
When I finally looked down to get a glance at who exactly I was holding, I was met with gooey brown eyes that looked on the verge of tears.
Maybe it was the toxic masculinity in me or the tough it up mentality I’d been raised with, but grown men crying usually left a distaste in my mouth…but I couldn’t bring myself to feel the same about him, not when he looked so vulnerable and trusting as he gazed up at me.
There weren’t many people in my life who needed me. My parents had basically forgotten about my existence as soon as I was old enough to take care of myself. I would like to think I was there for Casey, but he wasn’t like me. He had people on his side he could count on. So, being met with this reliance from a stranger, a long-forgotten protective feeling welled up inside of me.
“You okay?” I asked him softly, as I steadied him on his feet and made sure that he wouldn’t topple over as soon as I took my hands off him.
His eyes grew wider at the sound of my voice before sparkling even more with tears that looked to be even more on the verge of falling. Clearly, I’d said the wrong thing.
I didn’t really know how to comfort people, so I just patted his back like I’d seen them do on TV. It seemed to work since his tears didn’t spill.
“Where’s your date?” I asked when he calmed down a bit. The stool beside me was now empty. Who knew when the older man had left, though it was kinda shitty to leave his drunk date alone like this.
Gentleman wasn’t a word used to describe me, but even I knew that.
This stranger was dazed, clearly more drunk than sober, so it didn’t feel right ditching him here by himself.
Apparently, I only knew how to say the exactly wrong things, because this time, he did start crying. It wasn’t loud or fussy, like when kids wailed, but more of a heartbroken sob as tears silently fell down his cheeks .
My hand involuntarily reached out, ready to wipe away his tears. It was such an out-of-character act that I almost questioned if the hand actually belonged to me.
Thankfully, before I could carry out such a soft action, the stranger slumped over the bar and sobbed into his arms.
My hand fell to my side. I watched him for a couple of seconds, unsure of what to do. I would be a total jackass to leave him there alone like that, but I wasn’t the person people went to for emotional shit like this.
Casey was the one who was in touch with his feelings and always nagging me to do the same. My reply to him every single time was a curt ‘ fuck off .’
But then I remembered how trusting this stranger’s eyes were when they looked at me, and I couldn’t just abandon him like this, not when I knew how painful it was to feel all alone in your time of need.
So I gently placed my hand on his back again—and damn, even his back muscles were defined under his thin T-shirt. His back heaved up and down with each sob, but as I stoked gentle circles against him, they settled down, as did his tears.
Pretty soon, his breathing was calm and even, as if he’d fallen asleep. I tried—and failed—to get his attention, then nudged his head to confirm that he was, in fact, in dreamland.
Shit .
What was I supposed to do now? I looked around the bar, hoping someone could give me an answer on what the right course of action was here, but nobody was paying attention to us.
Hell, even Jude was on the other side of the bar chatting with some customers—so much for being at my service.
I shook the stranger’s shoulders, hoping I could wake him long enough for him to tell me his address or something. Then I could get him into a taxi and not feel bad for leaving him here all alone.
Luck was clearly not on my side, because the man was dead to the world. I groaned my frustration. I barely arrived in town and trouble had already landed in my lap.
Literally .
He didn’t stir when I’d maneuvered him to my back and carried him out of the bar. I wasn’t coldhearted enough to just leave him there, so I had no other choice but to take him home with me.
I blanketed my jacket over him since he’d only worn a thin-ass T-shirt, and I didn’t see any stray pieces of clothing lying around. If he had brought a jacket, he’d have to come back and get it himself when he was awake.
The cold wind felt worse this late at night, and without the padding of an extra layer, I was getting goosebumps from how cold I was. At least my back was warm from the human heater currently snoring against my ear.
My front, though? Not so much.
I’d never been happier than when I got into my car and blasted the heat on high. I contemplated taking my jacket back, but the stranger looked so comfortable all snuggled into it that I couldn’t bear to take it from him.
His face wrinkled when a few strands of his dirty-blond hair fell onto his face. He looked like a kid, innocently sleeping in a stranger’s car.
Thankfully for him, I had no ill intentions, but I would be sure to give him a stern warning about safe drinking habits when he woke up.
I wondered if this was what having a little brother felt like. Exasperation and protectiveness all at the same time.
I didn’t have any siblings—thank fuck my parents hadn’t spawned any other children when they couldn’t even take care of the one they already had.
The drive back to the B a thought that didn’t help calm me in the slightest.
At this rate, the stress was going to keep me up all night, then I was going to be half-awake and dazed on my first day.
Great. This was exactly what I needed.
Then, there was the sound of a short snore, followed by a moan, almost like the sound of his own snore had shocked him. I laughed as I observed the blond stranger roll over until he was in the middle of my bed.
Taking a seat on the mattress, I watched him sleep for a bit longer. Not in a creepy ‘ I’m watching someone sleep ’ kind of way, but it was more because of how carefree he looked, and that helped calm my nerves some.
He looked so peaceful as he slept that I felt drowsiness claiming me as well. It was like how people had the urge to eat when they watched mukbangs .
Well, this man’s sleeping had the same effect, and before I knew it, I was lying next to him with my eyelids closing.