Role Play - Alison Hendricks Page 0,54
eyes and blew his nose, I padded into the kitchen and poured him a cup of coffee, fixing it the way he liked with a splash of milk and a packet of Truvia.
I brought the coffee to him and sat on the couch, leaning over to rub his back in a gesture I hoped would be more soothing than obnoxious.
"She's taking him away from me, Elliot. She's taking David."
My heart leapt into my throat and ceased beating for several long moments. I blinked at him, managing only to say, "What? Why? How?!"
He began to explain, his voice rough with emotion. There were points in it where I could see his rage buried beneath the sorrow, both fighting for dominance. I couldn't imagine what I'd feel in his position.
David wasn't mine. Even if Reuben and I became something closer one day, I couldn't claim to be as close to him as his blood family. But I loved him. Fiercely. I was protective of him during the Friday sessions and every time Reuben told me about something that happened to him at school, I wanted to march down there and give them a piece of my mind.
The thought of losing him hurt. Deeply. And if I was feeling that way, Reuben's heart must have been completely ripped out.
"Does she not see your situation as stable?" I asked, my brows drawn together in a tight line. "I know we're not married or anything, but I think what we have is pretty stable. And even if my job doesn't have tenure, it's secure. I--"
I stopped, seeing the stricken look on his features.
"What?" I asked, almost afraid to know the answer.
"I... didn't exactly tell her about us."
My heart sank at that, plummeting to my stomach. A wave of nausea churned through me and I looked away from him.
"It's not like I was hiding you. I promise," he said, reaching for me. "I just hadn't gotten around to it. The last time she and I really talked, we weren't... this."
I wanted to just shrug it off. There were far more important things to worry about right now, and my bruised feelings weren't high on the list.
It still hurt, though, whether I wanted it to or not. Part of me couldn't help wondering if he didn't think this was going to last. Or if he was ashamed of me in some way. He'd never acted that way in public. Maybe with his family it was private.
"Hey. Babe. Don't overthink this, please." His hand moved to my cheek and he turned me to face him. Leaning in, he brushed his lips against mine in a tender kiss. "I'm sorry I didn't tell her, but I promise there's nothing else going on."
I searched his eyes, finding only sincerity there. I felt so stupid for being upset about it. At least he was understanding.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this about me. I trust you," I said, meeting his gaze so he'd know I was being truthful, too.
I did trust him. I believed what he was saying. If there was no other reason, there was no other reason.
"I doubt hearing about me would change her mind, anyway," I added.
"It might. It definitely can't hurt. She told me she'd talk to me once I'd calmed down, but I don't see that happening any time soon," he muttered.
I pulled him close again, letting him rest his head against my shoulder as I held him. I didn't know what to say, let alone what to do. My mind tried to turn over every crack legal theory I'd ever read on Twitter, but I knew absolutely nothing about law. All I knew was that it wasn't right, and it definitely wasn't helpful to disrupt the environment of a child who clung to that sense of normalcy just to feel as if their world made sense.
Maybe I could talk to the school counselor and see if she had any resources. I didn't want to suggest that to Reuben, though. I didn't want to give him false hope.
"I think she still sees me as this burnout kid who had no future after high school. She thinks I take care of David because I feel like I owe it to our sister, but that's not fucking true. I love David. I treat him like he's my own son."
"I know you do," I said softly, stroking through his hair.
As I thought on it, an idea popped into my mind. "It seems like he's been making a lot