Page 2 of Healed Hearts

Taking a deep breath, I drop my feet to the floorboard, wincing slightly at the pain that spirals through me. If nothing else, I can thank him for not having to deal with Motel Guy tonight. Leaning across the console, the words, “Please don’t hold my head down,” come out of my mouth before I can stop them.

His hands fly up, and he looks at me in confusion, so I unbutton his pants with shaky, still half-numb fingers.

When I start to pull down his boxers, he drags in a gasping breath, grabbing my hands and throwing them off his body like I’ve personally offended him. “Woah. Stop. What the fuck are you doing?”

I blink at him. “Paying for the clothes.”

I reach back out, my body shutting down, knowing this routine by now. Shut down. Disassociate. It won’t be as bad that way. He’s not hard, but that’s okay. I know I can fix that. He grabs my hands before I can make contact with his dick. “Paying for the…” His voice trails off as he looks at me, his expression shifting from confusion to sadness. “You donotneed to pay me for the clothes.” His voice is soft, kind. But firm too. He gives my hands a gentle squeeze.

I start to panic. I really can’t afford to owe him. I can’t take the chance. “It doesn’t have to be a blowjob. I can do other stuff too. You can fuck me instead.” God, that’s going to hurt so much, but I can do it. If that’s what he wants. Between him or Motel Guy, I’d choose him.

He shakes his head. “No. I don’t want a blowjob, and I definitely don’t want to fuck you.”

I cock my head at him. I don’t understand what’s happening right now. “I have to pay for the clothes, though.”

He shakes his head again. “Absolutely not. Are you warm?”

I’m definitely getting there. I nod slowly, confused about his game. Is he waiting until I’m more comfortable? Until I’m asleep, and my guard is down?

“That’s all the payment I need.”

“I don’t understand,” I say, his words confusing me enough that my brain-to-mouth filter malfunctions.

“I didn’t ask you to get in my car to get any of…that. I wanted to make sure you were warm. That’s all.”

I eye him warily. He doesn’t seem like he’s lying, but I’m not sure if I can trust him. “Really?”

“Really. How old are you?” he asks.

“Sixteen.”

He closes his eyes, like he’s in pain. “Do you wanna stay with me for a while? I mean, I don’t have a house, either. But at least I have my car. I have a job too. It’s way too cold for you to be outside this time of year.”

Stay with him? Like in this car? With the heat? What if he tells me to leave? Will I have to go back to Motel Guy? “But… how will I eat?”

“I’ll make sure you have food,” he says.

There has to be a catch, right? No one is this nice. “What do you want in exchange?”

“Not a damn thing. I only want to make sure you’re warm and safe. Nothing else.”

I’ve stayed in worse places than this car. At least it’s warm. I’ve also had sex with way uglier guys. He looks close to my age. I could do worse. If he changes his mind, it probably won’t be too bad. Maybe I could even like it. Yeah, I could probably enjoyit. Maybe he’d be gentle. I roll my eyes at myself. Yeah, fucking right.No one is gentle with a whore, Holden.

“Holden,” he says, giving my hands another squeeze, drawing my attention back to him. “Would you wanna do that?”

I feel another twinge in my ass. Maybe he’ll hold off until I can heal a little. I nod. “Yeah, I think that would be okay. If you… if you change your mind, though, about the payment, you can tell me.”

He shakes his head, gently releasing my hands. “I won’t be changing my mind.”

We’ll see about that, I guess.

Chapter One

Holden

Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled for my best friend, Roman, but if I have to hear the man getting dicked down, or dicking down, or whatever the hell he likes one more time, I’m going to scream.

I know it’s probably not appropriate to get a boner over the sounds your best friend and his fiancé make when they’re fucking. But alas, I’m only a man, and I can only take so much.

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