“In the room down the hall.”
“Oh.” He twists his fingers, and I can tell that he’s completely overwhelmed.
“Do you have a passport?” I ask him.
He shakes his head.
“Do you have a birth certificate?”
“What’s that?”
Fuck.
“That’s okay. We’ll work it out.” I glance at my watch. “You should get ready for work. You start in an hour.”
He nods.
I walk into his bedroom and turn the shower on. “This is your bathroom.”
“Are you sure we’re allowed to use it? We’re not going to get into trouble, are we?”
I fucking love this kid.
I smile. “Yeah, buddy, I’m sure. I paid for the rooms. It’s okay.”
“Okay.” He twists his fingers as he looks around, completely lost.
“There’s a towel here.” I pass him the towel. “You can have a shower before you go down to work if you want.”
“All right.”
“You just use the soaps and shampoo in the little bottles. I’ll wait outside.” I walk toward the door.
“Christo,” he calls.
I turn back.
“You don’t have to look after me. I’m okay. Just because we’re friends, you don’t have to take me with you. That’s not how things work.”
“I know.” I sit on the bed, unsure what to say, and I tap the bed beside me. He slowly sits down. “I know you’d be completely fine here. You’re very brave and strong on your own.” I look around the room as I try to think of the right way to put this. “But I kind of feel like we belong together . . . you know?”
His eyes hold mine.
“And . . . who knows?” I shrug. “Maybe your mom organized for us to meet.”
His eyes well with tears as he stares at me.
“And I don’t actually know what the hell I’m doing with a kid . . . so be patient with me, okay?”
He stays silent.
I put my hand on his knee. “We’ll work this shit out together . . . you and me.”
He looks down at my hand on his knee and slowly puts his hand over mine.
The first time we’ve touched.
The moment is tender and emotional and a turning point in both of our lives.
The lump in my throat is back, and he wipes his eyes, embarrassed.
“Anyway.” I stand. “You have to go and serve those fuckers at the bar while I work out how to get you out of the country.”
“How come you’re allowed to say fuck and I’m not?”
“Because I’m the parent and you’re the kid.”
His eyes search mine as my words echo between us . . .
I’m the parent and you’re the kid.
My heart free-falls from my chest, and in this moment, I know that life will never be the same.
For either of us.
Chapter 31
HAYDEN
The cry of a crow sounds in the distance, a peaceful song that sings to my soul.
There’s no mistaking that I belong in the country. My return has only cemented how much I love my lifestyle.