Page 23 of Voices

He walks towards me with some blonde girl tucked under his arm. “Hey, man. What’s the problem?”

I get up and look down at Charlie who’s now curled up in a ball.

“Who’s that?”

“That’s a very drunk and possibly high Charlie. He was talking on the phone when I sat down, and he didn’t even notice me until a few seconds before he passed out. I called Lily and Noah but neither answered. And I can’t leave him here with these assholes to find in the morning.”

Ryder nods and removes his arm from the girl to pull Charlie’s hood off his face. “He won’t wake up?”

“I tried, but all he did was make a few noises and then fell back asleep.” I walk closer to Charlie’s curled-up body and try to sit him up, but he slumps back over.

I look back up at Ryder. “I think I should bring him to our place. He’s going to be miserable when he wakes up and I don’t want him to be alone.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” He drapes his arm back around the girl’s neck and starts to walk towards the front of the house, yelling over his shoulder. “I’ll meet you at your truck.”

Thanks for the help, jackass.

I bend down and scoop Charlie up. I brace myself for his weight but when I stand up, I’m surprised by how light he is. Iknow I’m strong but someone as lengthy as he is shouldn’t be this light.

Saving that thought for later, I shuffle him around until his head is on my collarbone and I have him securely in my arms.

I make my way through the gate and down the block where I parked. Ryder is practically eating the girl’s face and she’s grinding all over his leg.

“You want to save that for later and open the door for me?” I grumble as I get closer.

Ryder laughs. “You wanna sit in the back with him or put him in the passenger seat?”

I reach into my pocket and toss him my keys. “I’ll sit in the back with him.”

He steps aside, opening the back door. I gently place Charlie down and try to put his seatbelt on, but he keeps falling over.

“Hold him up while I get in on the other side,” I tell Ryder. Running around the bed of the truck, I get in on the other side and slide into the middle seat.

“You got him?” Ryder asks as I slowly lower Charlie’s head to my shoulder. I nod. He closes the door and walks around to the driver’s seat, and we head home.

Charlie starts to slump forward, so I move back over a seat and lay him down, so his head is in my lap. I gently run my fingers through his soft black hair. He’s facing away from me, so I have a perfect view of his profile. His round chin, his bottom lip that’s fuller than the top, his nose with a slight bump in the middle, and his long eyelashes that fan over his cheekbone. He’s so beautiful. I lightly run my finger from the top of his forehead to the tip of his nose and then over his slightly chapped lips that I desperately want to taste.

I glance up when Ryder stops at a red light and catch his eye in the rearview mirror. He looks at me knowing with hisleft eyebrow raised. I give him the middle finger and go back to looking at the gorgeous boy sleeping in my lap.

When we get to our condo, I carry Charlie inside and wait for the elevator while Ryder and the girl are back to sucking each other’s faces off. Fortunately, the doors open a second later. We all get in and Ryder hits the button for the second floor. He keeps his tongue in his mouth for the short ride up but as soon as the doors open, they damn near run to our door. I shake my head at them as I carry Charlie into our condo.

When I get to the living room, there’s already a trail of clothes leading to Ryder’s room.

I head to my room and gently place Charlie down on my bed. He rolls and settles on his stomach. Confident that he won’t roll off the bed, I place my garbage can at the side of the bed and then head to the kitchen. I grab two bottles of water, some Tylenol, and a banana.

When I get back to my room, he’s exactly where I left him. I set everything on the end table closest to him and toss one of the water bottles on my other pillow that he’s not using. With my hands on my hips, I look down at him and figure out what to do next. Do I try to wake him and tell him where he is? Take off his shoes? Tuck him in under my sheets? Do I sleep next to him or take the couch?

Fuck, this shouldn’t be so complicated.

I take his boots off because who wants to sleep with their feet trapped in hard leather. He’s wearing tight skinny jeans that look too snug to sleep in, but that might be too much since we don’t know each other.

Walking to the other side of my bed, I sit down cross-legged, facing him. I rub his back and try to wake him.

“Charlie.”

He lets out a groan but doesn’t open his eyes.

“I just want to let you know that you’re in my condo.” I move the hair that’s fallen in his face. “It’s Shane.”

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