Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 30747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had caused Andy to forget to eat. His body language portrayed worry and distraction. Wanting to get to the bottom of things, I asked him, “What have you been doing today?”
“He came to play with me,” Joey answered, and Ian wrapped his arm around his boy.
“I know you’re helping, but let Andy answer the doctor, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Joey made a motion as if he were zipping his lips shut before nodding at Andy once more.
Andy took a deep breath and said, “I called Joey because I was feeling sad and a little scared.”
My heart broke for him, but I was glad that he was opening up to me. “Thank you for telling me that. I know that talking about our emotions can be hard sometimes, but it can also make us feel better. I’m very proud of you.” Andy sat up straighter at my words. A simple praise meant so much to him, and it made me believe he hadn’t been complimented very often in his life. “Can you tell me why you were feeling that way?”
“Well…I was worried about these.” Andy reached into his back pocket to produce a stack of white envelopes. He handed them to me and as I sorted through them, I realized that they were bills. Some of them were even stamped with an ‘urgent’ message.
“Are you struggling with your payments?”
Andy nodded. “I’ve never been in charge of paying for anything.”
“Who took care of your expenses?” I steadied my gut for his answer; did he have a Daddy who took care of him? It would be difficult to hear about his past relationships, but I wanted to understand his situation.
“My brother,” Andy replied, and the knot in my stomach released. “But he’s gone now.”
“I’m so sorry,” I offered.
“Don’t be,” Joey vampire-whispered from across the room. “He’s the worst.”
I was about to scold him for talking about the departed when Andy added, “He’s not gone like dead; he’s in prison.”
“He’s the asshole who burned down Daddy’s toy store,” Joey added. I knew about the fire; everyone in the coven did. It was a terrible ordeal, but luckily no one was injured, the culprit was caught, and Ian was able to rebuild, thanks in part to a gift from the coven.
I’d had many conversations with Joey and Ian since the fire, and had heard about the culprit’s brother; how upset he was over Dalton’s actions, and how Joey said he was lonely and needed a friend. I just didn’t know they were talking about my mate.
Andy’s eyes welled up as he told me, “I’ve never taken care of anything like this and I’m confused. I have no money or job or skills. I’m worried that I’m going to lose my home, and I’ll be out on the streets.” He gripped his stomach again, showing that the source of his pain was stress and worry, instead of an illness.
I gently rubbed his shoulder and looked into his eyes when I told him, “Andy, I promise you that’s not going to happen. I won’t let it happen.”
“I don’t understand.”
I smiled and explained, “I’m here for anything you need; finances, housing…anything. I have plenty of money, and you are welcome to whatever you need. You never have to worry, and you’ll never be alone.”
His jaw dropped. “Joey said you were nice, but I wasn’t expecting this.” Andy dabbed at his leaking eyes and added, “Why are you helping me? Doctors don’t usually help like that…right?”
I wiped away a stray tear rolling down his cheek. “I want to help you because I care about you.” He gasped quietly as he looked into my eyes. He didn’t question my statement. He would know it to be true; his heart and soul would tell him, and I would always show him. “And I care about how you feel. When you’re upset, is there something that helps you calm down?”
I noticed Andy’s hand creeping up his leg, landing on a lumpy object in his pocket. “What do you have there?” I asked curiously, drawing my eyes from his. He clasped his hands together and shook his head quickly as his cheeks blushed.
“It’s okay,” Joey soothed from his seat. He lowered his voice to tell me, “He’s nervous because his brother was mean to him and called him bad names.” Anger burned in the pit of my gut, but I kept my expression blank so I didn’t upset Andy. Joey spoke louder to assure his friend, “You can show the doctor.”
“You can show me anything,” I agreed.
He chewed his lip and his hand shook as he slid it into his front pocket. After a slow, deep breath, Andy pulled out a Barbie doll wearing a pink dress, making my heart flutter. All my life, I’d dreamed of a sweet boy who enjoyed delicate things. My Andy had a soft heart, but his brother tried to break it.