Page 2 of Learning to Run

“You can’t move in with someone after one date and twotakeout dinners.” Jude was smart for remembering our dates but just repeatingwhat we’d already said didn’t make him right.

“One of those was lunch.” I thought being clear about thatwas important, but Jude just looked up at the sky and started mumbling aboutbeing saved. “And we’ve eaten regular meals at his place too. So that probablycounts in some way.”

Maybe there was some conversion chart, like three snacksequaled one dinner?

Jude was still mumbling up at the ceiling, so he wasn’t inthe right headspace to be productive. I couldn’t decide if he was talking toJesus, Santa, or another god he hadn’t mentioned before, but I wasn’t sureanyone was going to help. Santa didn’t reward cranky people and I didn’t think Jesuswould either.

“Do you think Jesus helps cranky people?” I didn’t bothertrying to whisper, but I leaned closer to Cash again, so it still counted asbeing polite. “I’m not sure who he’s talking to.”

“He’s not going to get what he wants no matter who he’stalking to.” Cash’s grumbling tone made it feel like he was sliding more towardhis Dom headspace.

Us being alone in our room at night never made him feel likea Dom, so I’d thought he just needed Bates around to find it. Clearly, that wasan incorrect assumption. Getting pissed at Jude brought it out too.

Hmm, maybe that was why they always butted heads?

I knew better than to ask since Cash hadn’t actually comeout about being a switch yet, but I put it on my mental let’s talk aboutthis list…and asking if it was supposed to be a secret was going on thatlist too.

“Do you know what we’re waiting for?” Jude had said hewanted to talk and I thought we were waiting for Brady. But he wasn’t back fromclass yet, and Jude looked like he’d taken us hostage.

Hmm.

“How do you know if you’re a hostage?” Jude rolled his eyes,so I just ignored him and picked up my phone again as I talked to Cash. “I knowwe technically live here but does that matter?”

Would Bates know?

Before Cash could answer, Jude glared more intensely andhuffed. “I’m not holding you hostage. We’re just waiting for someone, and if Iwalk away, you two rabbits will wander off.”

Okay, maybe, but that was also something a hostage-takerwould say too.

Wait. Who was coming?

“Do hostage-takers usually invite guest speakers?” If we’dbeen waiting for Brady, Jude would’ve said that, right?

Cash was just down to sighing and glaring back at Jude, so Ididn’t get much of a response from him. “No. But who knows at this point.”

No one knew.

That was the problem.

“Do we need anything else besides toothbrushes and a fewchanges of clothes?” I figured I might as well get a few things planned out ifwe were stuck for a while. “Oh, did you want to bake anything for Bates? Weneed to make a grocery list.”

“You’re baking for him?” For some reason, cake madeJude mad too. “This is ridiculous.”

Oh yeah.

Even Cash snorted, so he knew it was nuts too.

“Something chocolate and decadent. Bates has been good to us,so it’s time to thank him thoroughly.” Cash had a good idea becauseBates liked chocolate, but it made Jude look like a really angry cartooncharacter.

Did he think baking was too personal?

Should he be eating anything Cash made then?

“I like thanking Bates.” Orally and otherwise. “Can I blowhim while you feed him?”

Jude wasn’t giving us enough privacy for me to ask thatwithout an audience but watching his face get red was kind of fun.

However, I was saved from watching his head explode by aknock at the door.

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