choice could be fraught with so many problems he was stuck. Gran seemed to know that. She had generally made most decisions for him, and he’d been happy. He’d started to trust he could be happy for a long time. In a fit of almost desperation, he yanked the door to the thing open, and it creaked alarmingly. Dash cringed and held his breath, praying with everything in him—
“Dash?”
Dash turned and saw the door open, and Jensen stood looking at the wardrobe in confusion.
“Did you need something?”
Dash shook his head and lowered his gaze. He just wanted the ground to open and swallow him. Jensen would be angry. He might ask him to leave. He might have to go to the shelter. What if there weren’t any beds? What if he couldn’t charge his phone and get the light to work?
“Dash, look at me. Dash.” The louder voice seemed to cut through all the questions and bring his focus back to Jensen. “What did you need in the wardrobe?”
Dash shook his head. “It’s empty.”
Jensen waited another beat. “You knew it was empty. We looked when you came in.”
“Yes.” Dash bit down so hard on his lip it stung.
Jensen glanced at the wardrobe and then back at Dash as if he was trying to make sense of the utter nonsense Dash was spouting. Dash almost laughed. He wouldn’t be able to. Dash could never make sense of it himself.
“Did you just need to make sure again?” Jensen asked very gently, and Dash closed his eyes as utter humiliation seemed to heat every part of his skin. He knew. He knew Dash was a baby, a pathetic—
“There.” Dash opened his eyes as Jensen pulled open both doors. “It’s completely empty, sweetheart.”
Dash couldn’t even swallow. Was he making fun of him? Sweetheart? Gran used to call him that. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. It seemed to be all he could say.
“Did you go to the bathroom?”
He nodded.
Jensen walked to the bed and quickly righted the sheets, then lifted the comforter. “In you get.” Dash hurried to the bed. He didn’t want to make Jensen angry by disobeying him. Jensen pulled the covers up to Dash’s chin and smiled. “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep?”
Dash swallowed. Would Jensen get angry if he lied?
Jensen waited for another moment. “How about if I get my book and read in here for a while you relax?”
The rush of gratitude made Dash’s eyes sting, but he smiled cautiously. “You must be tired.”
Jensen shrugged. “Reading relaxes me. I often read before I go to sleep, and we don’t need to be up early tomorrow.”
But tomorrow was Friday. That was a workday. Dash was causing all sorts of trouble. “I’m sorry.” But he didn’t know what he was apologizing for now. Maybe for everything. Maybe for just being him.
Jensen reached out as if he was going to touch the side of Dash’s face but at the last minute stopped himself. “You’re a good excuse for me to take a few days off. Ellie is always worried I work too hard. Trust me, it’s no hardship.”
Dash watched as Jensen went back to his own room and came back in fastening a thick robe around him. It was only then Dash realized Jensen was covering himself up, and regretfully Dash had been too distracted to appreciate him earlier. Jensen glanced at the hard chair in the corner.
“Please,” Dash entreated and moved as far as he could to the other side of the bed. Jensen smiled and sat down, swinging his legs up and tossing a pillow behind him. Dash looked with interest at the electronic tablet Jensen held. “Guilty pleasure,” Jensen said ruefully. “It’s YA fantasy. I might have read this entire series so many times I’m just about word perfect. It’s about a slave that becomes a dragon rider and generally saves the world, but that’s about another four books in.”
Dash blinked and nearly wriggled in delight. If it was the one he was thinking of, Gran had read the first one to him. “Mercedes Lackey?”
Jensen’s eyebrows rose. “You know it?”
Dash nodded.
“Did you read it? I thought you said—” Jensen stopped, clearly embarrassed.
“Gran read it to me. When I was younger,” Dash qualified and crossed his fingers out of sight. He hoped Jensen assumed he meant when he was little, not just last year.
“Mimi used to read to me,” Jensen said out of the blue. “I’d almost forgotten that.”
Dash badly wanted to ask why Jensen’s mom or dad hadn’t read