Page 18 of Matthias's Protective Embrace
“So, thanks a lot for last night. Can I take these and bring them back Monday? Washed, obviously.”
“Why don’t you sit down and have some breakfast before you go.” It might sound like a question, but my tone is clear that I’m not negotiating.
“You don’t have to do that. Really, I can eat at home.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to.” He looks hesitant, so I add, “Sit.” He swallows hard but follows my orders. I finish pulling together some of the food, nothing fancy, but enough to make a nice spread. “What can you eat from this?” Probably should’ve led with that question, but I’m still learning.
He rises up on his tiptoes to see everything. “All of it, as long as you didn’t put milk in the eggs.”
“No milk,” I promise him. “Eggs are okay, though?” I’m still working through the specifics of what he means by animal products. I did some research to get a better understanding and make some guesses as to why, but it’s still a bit of a mystery.
Scooping up a bit of everything, I pile his plate high before setting it at one of the counter spots. If he’s anything like me at that age, he can pack away a lot of food.Especially since he does so much manual labor. He’s not overly thin, but I suspect he could use a few more calories to manage all the exertion.
I let him get through a few bites before I start in on questions. “So, are you going to tell me why you haven’t been sleeping?”
“Um, there’s not really a lot to tell. It’s more of a series of poor decisions.”
“What kind of poor decisions?” My mind jumps to worst-case scenarios.
“Not anything bad, just a lot of staying out late when I should be going to bed.”
“Partying?” I’m starting to get an image in my mind. One I’m not a fan of. He doesn’t strike me as the kind to be out all night, drinking or doing drugs. But there’s a lot of people who hide it well. At least until they don’t.
“Not exactly.”
“Okay, so tell me what exactly it is.”
He sighs and puts his utensils down. “I haven’t really wanted to go home, so I’ve been going to this twenty-four-hour diner to study until my parents go to bed.” He slaps a hand over his mouth, eyes wide, like he’s given away some sort of state secret.
I open my mouth a few times but can’t figure out what to say. That’s not where I thought this conversation was going. “Are they… is someone… hurting you?”
“Oh, God, no. Nothing like that. We’re fighting right now, mostly about my future and life choices. They go on and on about how incredible my older brother is. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“So you finish up here and head to the diner until when?”
“Um, sort of. Midnight usually. To be safe.” Yeah, Icould do the math on that one. If he’s not getting to bed until after midnight and up in time to be here by six-thirty, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for sleep. “Are you going to tell Sam?” Frank looks genuinely concerned.
“No, I’m not going to tell Sam. As far as I’m concerned, what happened last night stays between the two of us.”
“Thanks.” Frank’s shoulders drop as he stares into the cup of coffee in front of him. “I’m gonna get going. I need to st… get home.”
I raise my eyebrow.
“It’s not bad.” Why does that statement not reassure me? I wait, but that’s all I’m getting out of him. He slides off the stool and looks around.
“What do you need?”
“My clothes? They have my car keys in them.”
“On the couch. Keys and wallet are on top.” He swipes them, bunching the folded clothes up under his arm.
“Thanks again. You know for this”—he waves his hand around in a circle—“and for not telling Sam.”
Every cell in my body screams at me to make him stay. He needs more sleep and a good meal. And a spanking. None of which are for me to give him. What I can offer him is a safe place. “What if you came here?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Instead of the diner. You could come here. I have space for you to study and even nap before you go home.”
I can see the wheels turning in his head.
“Really. It’s not a problem. I’ll be in my office working anyway, so you won’t see me.” That last part stings a little. I want nothing more than to spend my evenings getting to know him better. Him being in my space is not going to help that feeling go away.
