Page 15 of No Strings Attached

Easing the door closed, Sam stood there, unsure why Morgan was spaced out in his truck. Stranger was the overwhelming urge to spend time around him. Sam remembered having that same feeling in the hospital. He became anxious whenever Morgan wasn’t in the room with him and relieved when he returned.

“Don’t get attached to him,” Sam muttered to himself. “He’s only going to let you down like everyone else. Didn’t you learn a damn thing from Daryl?”

He stared at the door and then rubbed his chest, wondering why he wanted to join Morgan in the garage. What if the deputy had changed his mind about him staying? Some people were impulsive, offering their help, only to regret their decision when they thought about the burden that came with the offer.

If Morgan had changed his mind, Sam wanted to know. It was better than thinking he had a place to stay and then having the feeling of safety ripped right out from under him.

After grabbing the keys, Sam walked into the garage, feeling Morgan’s gaze on him the entire time he walked around the hood and got into the passenger’s seat.

“I think you’ll need these if you plan on going anywhere.” Sam held up the keys.

“You’re supposed to be upstairs taking it easy.” Morgan rested his head against the headrest and stared at the wall again.

Sam placed the keys in the cup holder when Morgan didn’t take them. “I’m sorry I bothered you.” He was about to get out when Morgan spoke again.

“Got lost in my head,” he said. “Just trying to sort some things out.”

“Like offering me a room.” Sam sat back. “I get it if you changed your mind. Sometimes we don’t think of the consequences of our kindness until afterward.”

“Not what I was thinking about,” Morgan said. “You’re more likely to take off then me changing my mind.”

That was exactly what Sam was thinking about doing. Getting away from Midnight Falls was his best option. He was damn fortunate Daryl hadn’t driven his claws deeper into his back, but next time, he might not be so lucky.

Sam studied Morgan’s profile before he glanced away. No one could deny how gorgeous the guy was or how massive. Sam had to stop himself from reaching out and touching Morgan. Why on earth did he feel so drawn to the guy?

“Are you really this nice to someone you don’t know?” Sam asked. “In my experience, men like you don’t exist.”

Morgan chuckled. “I was exactly like you, Sam. I just wanted the world to fuck off, but at the same time, I hated being alone.”

That wasn’t Sam’s exact problem. It was the world who constantly told him to fuck off. He just wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere. Though he got what Morgan was saying about being lonely. It was something Sam had felt nearly his entire life.

“Growing up, my parents were okay.” Sam wasn’t sure why he was sharing with Morgan. He just felt a need to talk. “They got along and provided for me, but when I turned sixteen and came out to them, my mother told me I was going to hell and my father threw me out an hour later.”

“At least you had sixteen years with them before they turned into assholes. I never even knew my folks.”

Sam arched a brow. “Are we going to do a comparison about whose life sucks the most? At least you landed on your feet. You have a great house and a good job.”

“Material things,” Morgan said. “They don’t ease the loneliness, Sam.”

They sat in silence for a long moment.

“After I was made homeless, my friends from school let me crash at their houses, but it never lasted long,” Sam said. “I slept on the street for years until I wandered into this job fair. I got a job, thought my life was turning around, but the place closed and I was left without work. No one in town was hiring, so I was back to living on the streets.”

“And you think I have some ulterior motive for offering you a place to stay.” Morgan turned his head to look at him.

Sam glanced away.

“I get it, Sam. It took me a very long time to trust anyone.” Morgan sighed. “I wasn’t always this upstanding guy. I did some shit in order to survive. Shit I’m not proud of.”

Sam frowned. He just couldn’t imagine Morgan doing anything illegal. Maybe he was talking about selling his body. That was something Sam never had to do, though Daryl had almost changed that.

“I just know what it’s like to be down on your luck,” Morgan said. “I know that feeling of hopelessness, of wishing you could catch a break.”

That was Sam’s life in a nutshell.

But he’d never thrown himself a pity party. He’d always found ways to hustle to make pocket change, always pushed forward. There were times, though, that he wanted to scream his head off, to be given a chance to prove his worth. He’d become angry that people looked through him instead of seeing him.

Morgan had seen him. As much as Sam still distrusted the man, Morgan had seen him.

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