Page 6 of Love Me, Daddy
Chapter 4
Loren
Trudging down the street after having been harassed during dinner at Ben’s house, Loren jumped as a guy ran out in front of him, exiting from an alley. He watched as the guy crossed the road and kept running. Shrugging and shaking his head, Loren drifted away again, only to hesitate when he heard a pain-filled groan coming from the same alley the guy had come from. Loren paused, not knowing what he could be getting himself into, but he didn’t want to leave someone in pain if he could help them.
He squinted into the semi-darkness and fumbled to retrieve his phone, using the torch to light his way. Panning it from side to side, he followed the sounds until he reached a guy lying on his side on the concrete, hand to his head and trousers and underwear around his knees.
Loren was no prude. He knew the sex trade was alive and well in Cambridge but had never come this close to it. If that was what this was. It could have been a mutual hook-up.
“Hey. Are you alright?” he asked the guy on the ground.
No answer apart from more groans.
Loren stepped closer, making sure to scratch his shoes across the gravel to indicate his presence.
“Are you okay?” he repeated.
“Fuck, my head.” The response was quiet, he could only just hear it.
“Sir? I’m going to help you, okay? Let’s get your clothes on so you don’t freeze.” Loren rested his phone against his bag on the floor in a way that the light could shine on them. He tentatively reached forward, ensuring he didn’t touch the guy in any way except the waistband of his underwear and jeans as he pulled them up awkwardly. He managed to get them higher but not all the way, accompanied by the groans of the guy as it was, over his ass and cock, but couldn’t lift the jeans far. Loren rested back on his heels. The guy hadn’t flinched at the touch of Loren’s hands, which pointed him closer to the sex trade theory.
“Sir? What happened? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No!” The voice was adamant, regardless of how quiet the sound.
“Does your head hurt?”
“Yes. Fell.”
Yeah, right. “Can I take a look?” Loren had first aid experience, but it was from over ten years ago. He didn’t think things had changed too drastically.
More groans followed his question, and Loren didn’t think the guy would let him check him over. But the guy shakily peeled his hands away.
Loren leaned closer after reaching for his phone. “Sorry, this might be a bit bright, but I need to see.” He aimed the light to the man’s forehead, finding a cut on the edge of his hairline where a lump was forming already. Loren winced, knowing the guy would undoubtedly have a pounding headache, if not already, the next day. “Okay. You’ve cut your head. You need to go to the hospital to get it checked out.”
“No!” Dark eyes blinked up at him. “I’ll be fine. I just need…” The guy trailed off as he attempted to sit up, groaned and laid back down.
“Let me help you to sit.” Loren replaced his phone on his bag and shifted his position, sliding his hands under the guy’s armpits and taking most of his weight. After a couple of stumbles, they managed to get the guy leaned against the alley wall. Loren fished out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to the guy.
“Thanks,” the guy whispered.
“Care to tell me what happened?” Loren wasn’t sure why he was so interested.
“I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.” He pressed the fabric to his head, grimacing and closing his eyes again.
“What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t matter.” The guy didn’t elaborate.
Loren didn’t know what to do. The guy was coherent, but Loren knew concussion was a possibility and didn’t want to leave the guy alone. “What’s your name?”
The dark-haired man tensed and flicked a frown his way, inspecting Loren up and down, then relaxing his shoulders once more. “Nathan.”
“Nice to meet you, Nathan. I’m Loren.”
“Loren? Where’s that name from?”
Loren chuckled. “No idea, in all honesty. My parents were never vocal as to why they chose this particular unusual name.” He observed Nathan grimace again. “We need to get your head checked. I’m not happy leaving you alone when you’ve bashed your head pretty badly.”
