Page 59 of A Reluctant Boy Toy
“It really might not be the time.”
“I can’t just sit here worrying.” She turned to me, her frustration evident. “Christ. He…he nearly—”
“Come here.” I pulled her in for a hug. “Shh. He’s safe for now.”
She pulled away. “Sebastian needs help, and I don’t know how much he’ll accept.”
“I agree. He’ll probably be resistant.”
“A dog’s not going to provide what he needs.” She shoved the tablet into her tote bag. “I’m grasping at straws. Why wasn’t I more proactive? Why didn’t I see how close to unraveling he was? If he was depressed, he should never have been drinking.”
“I think you’re probably right about that.”
“Some counselor I’d be.” She bent over, elbows on her knees with her head in her hands. “Thank God I didn’t go into the profession.”
Morrigan whined and nudged her.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Molly. He’s an actor. He’s probably great at hiding when he’s in pain.” Like a wolf, who won’t let anyone see his weakness for fear of predators.
“You saw it right away.”
I took a moment to think. “I sensed something was going on beneath the surface, but I didn’t know him well enough to call him on it. I should have pressed him about what happened Saturday.”
“He wouldn’t have told you.”
“That photo shoot was the trigger, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen. “I have to take this. She walked a little distance away and took the call.
Morrigan and I stayed where we were. I wasn’t used to being the one on the bench outside the hospital doors. I was used to being the patient.
How many times had Serena gone outside to get a breath of air between visits? How many nights had my children spent with sitters while I kept their mother waiting on and worrying over me?
If I could do some good here—if I could help Alastair and Molly—I could stay. Except for missing out on baby Artemis’s first week, there was no one I’d let down if I did.
Molly came back. “Have you eaten yet?”
I shook my head. “I figure I’d just grab some takeout and head back to the motel.”
“Alastair invited us to eat at his house. You’re welcome to bring Morrigan. He has a fenced-in yard.”
Tempting because Morrigan hadn’t had a chance to run and play for a couple days, but dinner with Alastair Keye? That sounded more like a cross-examination with food.
“Maybe you should go with him, but—”
“I don’t want to go without you and Morrigan.”
“Why not? Is the man weird?” I asked. “Or handsy? Do you need a chaperone?”
“Of course not.” She punched my arm. “As if. I just want to watch what will probably turn out to be the most awkward dinner since watching you get to know Bast.”
“That wasn’t awkward. We got along fine.”
“You did, but I still don’t know why.” She picked up her tote.
“Because he’s beautiful, and I’m…this?” I asked. “Because I’m light-years older. His dad is probably younger than me.”
“He is not. Anyway, that’s not what I’m talking about. Sebastian doesn’t talk to people anymore. If he does, he’s rarely honest. With you, he doesn’t deploy countermeasures. You know what I’m talking about. You connected.”
