Page 140 of Trust Me

“Let’s sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” he agreed through a yawn. “But I kind of want to see you cum again.”

“No,” I replied firmly, holding up a hand to make sure he didn’t try to pounce. “I may suck at it, but I’ll be the responsible one here if I have to.”

With a grunt, he closed his eyes. It barely took any time for him to start snoring, and even though I wanted to join him, I decided to grab my bag so that I could take a shower. I wasn’t kidding about being responsible while I was here. Dean needed my support, so I was going to step up for him.

After pulling on a pair of shorts, I snuck into the hall, walking with a practiced stealth. I stayed alert for the slightest sound as I made my way to the bathroom. The door squeaked, making me grit my teeth and brace for the sound of footsteps.

Once I’d closed myself in, I sat on the edge of the tub and unlocked my phone to find the text Remi had sent earlier.

Remi: How’s my unreliable bartender? Make sure he knows he has no PTO.

Me: I forgot how much I hate sleeping in new places.

Chewing on my nail, I watched the dots pop up as he typed.

Remi: Liar. We never forget. That’s the curse.

Me: I don’t think I’ll sleep while I’m here.

The phone started vibrating, and I immediately swiped to answer it, just so it would stop.

“I can’t be on the phone,” I whispered.

“You can if you stop being a coward.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk.”

“Want to compare trauma? You know you’ll lose in half a second.”

With a sigh, I hung my head.

He chuckled. “See? I win.”

After a minute of silence, I heard the flick of a lighter, but I decided not to comment on it.

“Nobody is going to hurt you there,” he said.

“I know.”

“So, go lie next to your boyfriend and let him hold you until everything feels alright again.”

“There are some things I need my best friend for.”

“Say no more, kid.”

Through the speaker, Three Little Birds started playing. Remi sang along to it softly, and I moved to sit on the floor, closing my eyes while I listened. It reminded me of the nights hearing our foster parents yelling through the walls, and when Remi would let me sleep in his bed because I didn’t want to be alone. When he would wake up from his nightmares or he’d stare at his reflection with misery etched into every line of his face, I would sing him this song until the light returned to his eyes.

That was what we did for each other, even now when the past was long behind us.

“When I get back, we’re going to spend an entire day together,” I said once the song ended. “Just you and me.”

“Sorry, bro. I actually already replaced you.”

“Shut up.”

He let out a loud laugh. “Fine, I’ll check my schedule.”

“Move things around if you have to.”

“For you? Anything.”

Leaning my head back against the wall, I found myself smiling. I’d been so caught up with Dean lately that it felt like I’d been neglecting Remi. God only knew how he’d been passing the time. Far too much time playing video games for a grown man, probably.

Yeah, I needed to check on him. In the meantime, I had to find a way to sleep in this house.