Page 9 of Room for Elijah

“He had to leave home, too?”

Rienk’s expression turned somber, then angry. “He was kicked out before he could even finish high school. And the way his stepfather abused him, leaving was probably what saved his life.”

“Oh!” Elijah swallowed hard. “That’s horrible.”

“Yeah. For some parents, it’s not enough to disapprove. They have to try to beat it out of you. Was that what it was like for you?”

“No. It never got that bad, but I could feel it was coming. Everyone in my family got so mad whenever they confronted me about it. I tried to hide and pretend, but I wasn’t very good at it, and the yelling and praying was escalating into something worse.” He pictured how his father’s face had turned red with his eyes bulging and his hand hovering as if ready to strike. It made him sick to his stomach, so he forced the memory away.

“Horrible. Good for you for getting away in time.” Rienk buried his face in his mug for a moment. “Anyway, Nico’s story isn’t my tale to tell. I’m sure he’ll give you details about himself at some point. He likes you. We all do.” Rienk flashed a smile.

“Thanks. I like all of you, too.”

“We weren’t too much last night? Dermott said you were cool with watching us, but I’m still worried that we kind of put you in a bind.”

“It was fine. Really.” Then feeling suddenly bold, he added, “It was hot.”

“Yeah?” Rienk batted his eyelashes. “Glad you enjoyed the show.” He turned serious again in the blink of an eye. “Now, about your finding your own place…”

“What about it?”

“Why not put that off for a while?”

Elijah’s heart skipped a beat as a strange excitement welled up inside him. He’d learned to be cautious, however, and not get too ahead of himself. “How can I do that? I need a place to live.”

“Yeah, sure.” Rienk traced his fingertip around the rim of his mug, with his gaze cast downward. “But not right away. I mean you arrived in Boston a minute ago, and even though you have a good job, it takes time to save up for an apartment. Anywhere that doesn’t demand a bunch of money up front isn’t going to be very safe.” He tossed his head in the direction of the living room. “I know our couch isn’t much…and Nico and I can be obnoxious sometimes. I promise we’ll be on our best behavior, so you won’t be uncomfortable.” A wicked looked flashed in his eyes. “Unless you want us to be naughty.”

“Oh.” Flustered at the offer, Elijah stood and went to pour himself more coffee. “That’s a really sweet offer.” He leaned against the counter as he chose his words carefully. “I’m not sure this apartment is big enough for four of us. You three deserve privacy, too,” he added, unable to quiet his sudden feeling of envy. What would it be like to have that kind of love? It was awfully early in this new stage of his life to think about anything other than the basics of survival. Being with these three guys, seeing their obvious joy in each other, made it hard not to get wistful about having more than just a job.

Rienk waved all that away with a flick of his wrist. “Sweetie, if you think you’re cramping our style, let me disabuse you of that worry. Dermott has opened our home up to other guys who needed to crash somewhere for a little while. We don’t mind it in the least.”

Putting his mug down on the table, the boy stood and sauntered over to Elijah. He was so beautiful and smelled really good, and that smooth chest of his with only a whisper of a blond treasure trail made Elijah’s fingers itch with the desire to touch it. He had to press his back against the counter and clench his fingers to keep from leaning in and doing exactly that. Rienk had detected Elijah’s reaction. That fact was written clearly in his expression. He stopped only a few inches away, the heat of his body and the smell of his coffee-scented breath wafting over Elijah. For a heart-stopping moment, he thought Rienk was going to hug him—or more.

Rienk sighed. “You know I’m walking this very fine line between being open about what I want without also being a dick about it. You shouldn’t feel pressure.”

Elijah shook his head. “I don’t. Not from you, anyway.” He was already hard, and his balls ached as if they hadn’t emptied in ages, as opposed to twice the previous night.

Rienk licked his lips before responding, the sight too compelling for Elijah not to track it. “Weeell, in that case, I want you to know that the three of us really like having you here. That’s not typically true. There’s something about you, Elijah…”

The interaction got so intense that he had to slip away before he did something stupid, like throw his arms around Rienk. He went to the fridge and peeked inside. “Can I get you some breakfast?”

“Shit, now I have made you uncomfortable.” Rienk leaned into the counter where Elijah had been moments ago, twirling a strand of hair with one finger.

“No, really. I’m hungry, that’s all. What would you like?” He didn’t dare look at the boy and felt sure he was blushing with his flustered embarrassment.

“Monday’s a cheat day because we don’t have to perform. How about French toast? Is that okay with you? Nico and I love it.”

“Perfect!” Elijah grabbed the carton of eggs and quart of milk. Shutting the refrigerator door, he stood frozen in front of it, holding the items against his chest as if they were armor—which was ridiculous, because the real danger of his losing control was coming from the friendly fire inside him.

“Awesome!” Rienk returned to the table and sat down. “I’ll stay over here, out of your way and send out non-threatening waves of support.” He grinned before drinking some coffee.

“I don’t feel under siege by you.” Elijah began pulling out what he needed from the cupboards. For a few minutes, he said nothing as he got busy with breakfast. Rienk was quiet, as well, which helped calm Elijah. It was easy to block out everything while he was cooking. When Rienk finally did say something, Elijah nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Soooo, is that a yes or no on staying here a while longer?” He shrugged as Elijah stared at him from over his shoulder. “I’m like a dog with a bone. Plus, if you say yes, Nico and I can spend the day showing you around Boston. It’s a great city, not too big yet filled with interesting places.”

“I would like a tour. I learned a lot about it in school because of the Revolutionary War. It would be fun to see the different places for myself.” Elijah returned his concentration to flipping the first couple of pieces of French toast he was cooking in the frying pan. “It sounds wonderful, I have to say. But how will Dermott and Nico feel about it?” Before Rienk answered, there was a high-pitched cry from the bedroom. Elijah whipped his head around, wide-eyed, and looking for Rienk to clue him in on whether it was something to worry about.

Rienk grinned. “Sounds like they’re awake again—I wore them both out earlier—and now Nico is getting his ass plowed.”

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