Page 4 of Sugared

Leland went very quiet. “That explains a few things,” he mumbled to himself.

A few seconds later, he peeked at Ean as he made a turn then asked, “Where have you been all this time?”

“Couch surfing,” Ean said. “And…just…around.”

Leland nodded but didn’t say anything else about it. “Eat your sandwich,” he said when Ean’s stomach growled again.

Ean did as he was told. He tore into the box then grabbed half of the chicken sandwich and started eating it like the whole thing would evaporate if he didn’t get it down fast enough. There was something magical and wonderful about food, especially when you hadn’t eaten in a while. The flavors were like notes in a melody that formed a perfect song. He tried to savor every bite, guessing which seasonings whoever had made it had used, but he was too hungry.

“Easy there,” Leland told him. “There’s more where that came from.”

“No, there isn’t,” Ean whispered.

He froze as soon as he realized he’d spoken out loud. Leland sent him a concerned look but kept driving. Ean couldn’t imagine what his brother’s best friend thought of him. Probably that he was disgusting and that he deserved to end up in an off-license with a lottery ticket full of the wrong numbers. He was ashamed of how he looked, how he smelled.

“You can let me off wherever,” he said when he finished the rest of his sandwich and half the bottle of water. “It doesn’t really matter where.”

It wasn’t like he had anywhere to go anyhow. He could try the shelter again, maybe find some social services program that would take him in. He’d tried to get a job after being kicked out, but most places required him to have an address and some sort of skill. He’d had a job at a supermarket when he was still living at home, but he’d been too embarrassed to go back to that after the first few nights on his own.

It was all just so stupid. He’d gotten himself into his own mess. He didn’t deserve whatever help Leland wanted to give him now.

Unless Leland was helping him because he expected something in return.

“Nonsense,” Leland said as they stopped at a red light. “I’m not dropping you back on the street. You’re coming home with me.”

There it was. Exactly as Ean expected. He took a deep breath and tried to figure out how he felt about being picked up by Leland. Not as bad as he could have felt, that much was certain. Leland wasn’t dangerous. He wasn’t risking his life. It wouldn’t be as bad as Jimmy’s uncle.

“I can’t believe your parents would throw you out of the house like that,” Leland went on as they continued to drive. “It’s unforgivable. I’m surprised that things like that happen in this day and age in the UK. Next time I see them, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind.”

He went on, but as soon as Ean’s stomach had something in it, the stress and strain of the last few weeks started to melt away and he turned sleepy. He felt safe for the first time in months. Something about Leland reminded him of better days, of a time when he was loved and accepted just as he was. Leland had always been nice to him. If he was going to have to break his no sex for money rule again, at least it would be with someone he liked.

He must have dozed off, because the next thing Ean knew, Leland had pulled onto the drive for one of the huge, old estates in the area. It took Ean a second to figure out they were at Hawthorne House, but that made no sense to him. He’d taken an art class at Hawthorne House through school years ago, but he hadn’t been back since.

“Here we are,” Leland said once he’d pulled into a parking space in a lot at the back of the house. “Home at last.”

Ean frowned as he looked through the windshield. “But it’s Hawthorne House,” he said.

“You know it?” Leland asked.

“From a long time ago.”

Ean scrambled out of the car when he realized he was just sitting there, stinking up the inside, and grabbed the bag he’d carried earlier from the backseat. He then followed Leland into the building through a back entrance.

“I’m currently teaching culinary classes for the arts center,” Leland explained as they headed down what felt like a private hallway. “They’re letting me live in one of the family flats for a while, too.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot the Hawthorne family still lived here.” It felt like a silly thing to say, but everything had turned so surreal for Ean.

They headed up a staircase then down the hall to a door at the end. Leland took out a key to open it, then gestured for Ean to go inside with a smile. It was a nice place, too. Small but clean. It looked like it had everything anyone could ever need in a home, from a television to a nice kitchen.

“You can put the bag anywhere in here,” Leland said as they walked into the kitchen. “Half of this stuff needs to go down to the big kitchen, but it’ll be okay in my fridge while we get you sorted.”

Ean took a quick breath, starting to tremble again as he slid his bag onto the small kitchen table. “Do you want me to take a shower first?” he asked hopefully, though he couldn’t bring himself to speak louder than a whisper.

“Sorry?” Leland asked like he didn’t understand.

Ean squirmed and winced. “I haven’t showered for a few days. You probably want me clean when you….” He swallowed hard. “Unless you have a thing for dirty…boys. Some people do.”

Leland continued to stare at him like he’d grown another head.

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