Page 31 of Hearts of Stone

“Yes, well, Daniel shows all the signs of sustained sexual abuse,” the doctor said stiffly. “I’m sorry, but even though you’ve refused to be treated, I’ll be forced to take this further.”

“You’re not kink shaming me, are you, Doc?” I watched Daniel force himself to smile. “I told you already, I consented to everything that happened.”

The doctor breathed heavily out of his nose, then went to his desk and scribbled out something on an old fashioned paper prescription pad, before handing it to me.

“Some strong painkillers and anti-inflammatories to try and hasten the healing process.” He looked past me to Daniel. “And if you’re interested in speaking to a mental health professional, just let me know.”

“Medical kink isn’t really my thing, but thanks anyway,” Daniel replied, but that’s when he lost his grip on the door. I rushed forward and so did Harry, catching him before he fell.

“I’ve got you.” There was a rough tenderness in Harry’s voice as he picked my bestie up and hoisted him into his arms. Daniel winced at that, making me wonder if this was hurting him all the more.

“Jesus, Daniel…” I hissed. “Are you OK? Do you want to lie down? Do you need—”

“Take me to your big fancy house,” he said in a weak voice, eyes screwed up in pain. “Put me in that massive bath of yours with some Epsom salts and I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll need more than that.” Both Daniel and I looked at Harry, but he only had eyes for Daniel as he gazed down at him.

“Is this when you lecture me about being a good little boy, Daddy?” Daniel snarked, but he seemed to gather himself up, his eyes glittering. “I loved every minute of what happened.”

“Sometimes it's like that,” Harry agreed, the two of them sharing some moment I didn’t really understand. “But anyone who gave the slightest shit about you wouldn’t have left you dumped at the gates once they were done. If anyone needs aftercare, it's you right now.” But before any of us could speak, he nodded to the doctor. “I’ll see that the scripts get filled and he takes his medication.”

And so wewere swept back into the car, taken to the house, but when Harry pulled up outside the front door, he was there, ready to carry Daniel inside.

“I don’t need—” my best friend protested.

“Yes, you do.”

And with that we climbed the stairs and headed to the main bathroom.

I wasn’t sure what I expected to see when I walked in the door. My clothes scattered across the floor, that made sense, the French doors open, the filmy curtains shifting in the breeze. I guess when you were rich you didn’t need to worry about people breaking into your house. But the room felt curiously empty, even though the bath was still full.

“Leaving your bathwater for the help to sort out,” Daniel said when Harry set him on his feet. “I aspire to that level of luxury.”

“How about settling for me running you a fresh bath,” Harry said. He pulled the plug, then fussed with the taps, getting the temperature just right before filling the bath again. “Sandalwood, right?”

“You noticed?” Daniel affected an overly flirtatious tone.

“I noticed,” was all Harry would say in response, pouring a healthy amount of bath salts into the bath. The room filled with a woody fragrance and somehow that felt wrong. I frowned slightly, remembering a pretty floral scent instead, one that was a complex mix of several different layers of perfumes that mixed to create—

“A little privacy?” Daniel said in a waspish tone, staggering towards the bath, but his wobbly pace meant we moved closer, not towards the door. “I’m fine,” he insisted, then sat down heavily on the lip of the bath, hand trailing through the hot water.

And that’s when I saw the bruises, just under his collar.

“Danny…”

“Don’t.” His hand stilled and then he slowly turned to look back at me. “You don’t get it.”

“But—”

“You liked your vanilla little life with Pencil Dick just fine, right before you caught him railing his secretary. The inadequate foreplay, the feeling of him pumping away on top of you three, maybe four times.” His eyes met mine, glittering with challenge. “The premature ejaculation was a relief in a way, because at least you didn’t have to put up with hours of passionless, pleasureless sex.”

I jerked back as if slapped.

“Jesus, Danny.”

“I want more than that.” He bit the words off, not looking away for a second. “I want more, Jade.”

And that’s when I heard the echo of my own words in his, ones I’d uttered inside this very bathroom, but… That was a dream, right? My hand slid down to come to rest on my stomach. It had to be, right? Danny mistook my movement, his smile turning to acid as he shook his head.

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