Page 36 of Someone Like You

“Please,” I said. “I really fucking care about him, and I just want to take care of him, okay? I need to know what happened and…and how to fix this.”

Another sigh, and then Jordan said, “There are some things that should only come from Isaac, because if he wants to tell you, he will, in his own time. But for now, I’ll just say that we got a new roommate and he looks exactly like someone who hurt Isaac in high school. It’s actually the younger brother of that person, but we didn’t know. We didn’t know until Isaac had a panic attack and locked himself in our room, and then he wasn’t even able to tell me until later that night. He was convinced that it was E—it was the guy who hurt him, and I had to explain to him that it wasn’t, that he was safe, that no one was gonna let him get hurt. I don’t think he believed a word of it. He’s been in this bed for three days. Well, except for the shower I made him take. I didn’t really know what to do, I’ve tried to get him to get up, to go to class or eat, but he was practically catatonic. I’m surprised he let you in there with him, he must really…yeah, he really likes you, Brody. He trusts you.” The last part was said with a kind ofawe, as if Jordan was realizing a few things and just speaking to himself.

I felt like I had ice pumping through my veins and fire crawling beneath my skin. How the fuck could they have let this happen? I knew it wasn’t really their fault and this hadn’t been done with malicious intentions, but I wanted someone to blame, and I was furious that Isaac had been exposed to the lookalike brother of his…of the person who had hurt him. I had no idea how he’d been hurt, but I knew, based on the severity of his reaction, that it had been horrific. I wanted to get him out of here, because I wasn’t about to let him continue living with this person. To let him relive his trauma day after day, every single time he ran into his roommate. He needed space from this house and that trigger, he needed a safe place he could recuperate in peace.

“Jordan,” I rasped. “He can’t stay here.” Isaac’s slow, deep inhales made his chest expand against my hand, and my heart swelled with the motion. He was so delicate, and yet, so fucking strong that it was devastating to see him like this. I needed to help him, and staying here wasn’t going to help him.

“I mean…where is he supposed to go?”

“He can stay with me,” I said right away. “He can take my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch. Can you pack some things for him?”

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Okay. You have to promise me—promise me, Brody—that you only have his wellbeing in mind right now, because I swear if you fucking hurt him, I willgut you. I will fuckinghurtyou.”

“Jordan,” I said. “I’m glad Isaac has a friend like you. I promise you, the last thing I ever want to do is hurt him.”

“Okay. Okay, I’m gonna pack some stuff for him. Christ, I can’t believe this has happened,” he muttered.

I heard him shuffling around the room and quietly packing. I needed to wake Isaac and ask him if he even wanted to come staywith me, because it was ultimately up to him, and I had no idea what I was going to do if he said no. But I couldn’t let him stay here, I just couldn’t. It would kill me if he said no.

“Sweetheart,” I murmured, nuzzling my nose into the nape of his neck. His skin was so soft, and I couldn’t help placing a small, gentle kiss there, my lips tingling as they brushed the downy baby hairs. “Isaac, wake up for me.”

I started to draw away, and as soon as I lifted my hand from his stomach, he stiffened. The fingers curled in my own flexed, and he said hoarsely, “Brody?”

“I’m right here, beautiful,” I said.

“I thought I dreamed you up,” he said, pushing back against me where I’d pulled away. He needed this closeness, needed to keep touching me, I think, and a burst of affection ballooned in my chest.

“No, I’m real,” I said with a low chuckle. “Isaac, I need to ask you something.”

He rubbed his cheek against my bicep and pressed his feet against my shins, wiggling his toes. “What?”

“Jordan told me the reason you’re not feeling…like yourself is because of your new roommate,” I started, and he stilled against me. “And I wanted to ask you if you’d like to stay with me for a while? Until things get sorted out?” I didn’t know if thingswouldbe sorted out, but for right now, I needed to get him away from here.

“I don’t…stay with you?” He still sounded like he was hovering on that line between sleep and wakefulness, so as much as I didn’t want to, I unlinked our fingers and sat up. “No,” he said instantly, his tone panicked. He rolled over and reached for me, his fingers finding my hand and grasping it hard between both of his. “Please don’t leave me! Please, Brody, I?—”

Immediately, I slid back down and let him wrap his limbs around me like a monkey, bringing my arms around his backand gently stroking up and down. “Shh, it’s okay, I’m not leaving you.” He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his body shaking in my arms. “I won’t leave you, Isaac.”

“I want to be with you,” he said, his lips brushing over my skin as he spoke. “You’re the only place I feel safe right now.”

“Okay, baby,” I murmured. “You can be with me. Jordan’s packing some things for you. Are you okay to leave tonight? Are you sure about this?”

He nodded, and I could feel the softness of his cheek stroking the shell of my ear.

“Okay, that’s good. We’re gonna get you feeling better soon, okay, Isaac?”

He nodded again, and when I sat up and swung my feet to the floor so that I was perched on the edge of the bed, he clung to me harder, legs wrapped around my waist and arms locked around my neck. “Jordan, can you put a light on? Not too bright,” I said.

Jordan didn’t say anything, but a few seconds later a low desk lamp came on. I pulled back enough so I could see what Isaac was wearing, and though the t-shirt was fine, he was just in his boxers. “Hey,” I said, placing my hands on either side of his head and gently moving it back so I could look into his eyes. His brows were drawn together and his eyes latched onto mine. “Can we get some pants on you?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. Jordan handed him a folded pair of blue jeans and he reluctantly slid off me. He sat right next to me on the bed and sluggishly pulled his jeans on. When he got to the top of his thighs, he stopped and just sat there, staring in front of him at nothing.

I leaned over and gripped the waist of his pants, said, “Lift,” and slid them the rest of the way. He let me zip and button them, then I said, “Where are your shoes?”

“Here,” Jordan said, setting a pair of boots by his feet. I got off the bed and knelt at Isaac’s feet, lifting one foot and slippingit inside his shoe, then the other. I looked up at him as I tied the laces, and his gaze clung to mine. I smiled at him, biting back all the words of reassurance and affection that were bubbling up inside me, saving those for when we were alone. I was glad that those words were stronger than the anger right now, because Isaac needed me to be soft and gentle. The fury could wait until I had a clearer idea of where to direct it, and how.

“Ready?” I asked him, still kneeling. His eyes bounced back and forth between mine, and he nodded. I was about to stand and grab whatever Jordan had packed when he launched himself at me and wrapped his limbs around me once again. I slid one arm under his butt and stood up, then turned to Jordan. “You got his stuff?”

“Yep. Two big bags should be enough for now, and I can always bring anything else he needs by later. I’ll carry it to the car for you.”

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