Where We Left Off - Romeo Alexander Page 0,48

who was trying to drag his son and family down with me. Said that if I ever wanted to do something with my miserable life, then I would tell him where you were.”

Nathaniel sucked in a sharp breath. It was all the right things to say that would have hit Tyler hard. Born from nothing, plagued by a criminal father, extreme poverty, and danger around every corner where he lived. His father had cleanly ripped through every hard and ugly aspect of Tyler’s life.

“Tyler,” Nathaniel began, feeling a tremor in his fingers.

“Don’t,” Tyler said, flashing a smile and standing up. “It doesn’t matter, you know that. But pretty sure you’re hungry, you’ve been out for a few hours.”

Nathaniel reached for him. “Don’t let him get to you. Not you.”

Tyler shook his head. “I told you, it’s fine. He doesn’t know me, and I’m not going to let him get to me.”

But it had got to him. Nathaniel could see it in the tight expression on Tyler’s face. He was helpless to stop the other man from leaving the room, flashing him another strained smile. Nathaniel stared at the doorway, at a loss for words, feeling a tightness in his chest and a twisting in his gut.

He jerked when his phone buzzed in his hand, giving the shrill tone that he knew all too well. Nathaniel looked at the device in his hand, lips thinning as he saw his father’s number and face come up on the screen.

Suddenly, he knew what the tightness in his chest was and why his gut felt like it was in knots. He was furious with his father and might even feel the first real stirrings of hate. It had been one thing to deal with his father all his life and face the problems that came with being a Carter.

But here was a man who deserved so much better than life had given him, who, despite all the hardships in life, had become a wonderful, caring man. Tyler was so much more than just a statistic from the city’s poorer and more crime-ridden part of the city. He had found a way to rise above it all and become someone Nathaniel was proud to call his friend.

And maybe, if he had the courage, if he had the right still, he could call him more.

Staring down at the phone, he considered what he would say to his father. Maybe everything he had just thought to himself, and maybe so many other things. Like how his father had been unfair all along and that there was more to all of them than their names and backgrounds. Maybe when he answered, as he always did when his father called, he would tell his father just what kind of heartless bastard he really could be.

Snorting, he shoved his finger against the deny call button. A moment later, Nate turned his phone off, setting it on the bedside table without fanfare.

Tyler

After giving Nate his food, Tyler let the man sleep. While Elliot insisted he would be okay, it was still important that Nate get some rest. Which proved to be true for him after he found himself waking up on the couch, blinking blearily up at the ceiling in confusion. The sun had already begun setting, and a glance at the wall clock told him he’d been sleeping for hours.

“Well, good evening,” Clay’s voice piped up.

Tyler groaned, rolling over to look at one of the armchairs. Clay was sitting in it, legs curled beneath him as he tapped away at a tablet. A soft pinging noise told Tyler that the man was playing some sort of mobile game.

“Shit,” Tyler muttered, pushing himself upright. “Why didn’t anyone wake me up?”

“Probably because we were all in agreement that you needed to get some rest. Nathan will be fine and believe it or not, Elliot and I are quite capable of helping him if he needs something,” Clay told him, not looking up.

Tyler rubbed at his eyes. “Does he need something?”

The corner of Clay’s mouth twitched. “He’s been up for the past couple of hours. Able to get around just fine, even more so after we gave him another couple of pills. He’ll be sore for a little while, but he’ll be fine.”

“How is he otherwise?” Tyler asked.

“Quiet. Which isn’t all that unusual for him, he wasn’t as much of a talker as you. But he seems quieter than usual,” Clay said.

“Well, there are people trying to hurt him or kidnap him. Or