Seven Hundred

Chapter seventeen Cost of Living

Chapter seventeen

Cost of Living

I entered the house to Adam yelling at someone on the phone. I started for the stairs, but her spotted me. Snapping his cell phone shut, he motioned me over to him. I shoved my hands in my pockets and trudged over to him.

“What?” I asked, leaning against the wall. 

“What are you doing home?” He stared me down.

I shrugged. “Luke didn’t want me for tonight.”

“Bullshit,” spat Adam. “It’s the weekend, Gavin. Do you really expected me to believe that?”

“He didn’t want me, alright,” I retorted, turning to leave.

Adam snatched my arm and yank me back. “What did you do?” He slammed me into the counter. 

“Nothing!” I struggled to get his hands off me.

He grabbed my face and dug his fingers into my skin. “You listen here, Gav. I need that man’s money, so whatever you did fix it.” Jolting me back, he let go. “Alright.”

Nodding, I rubbed my jaw to ease the pain. Adam sat down at the table and pulled a bag out of his jacket. I watched him carefully open it and pour some of the white powder out. 

Moving closer, I could believe it. “What is this shit?” I snapped.

Looking over his shoulder, Adam stared me down. “Get your ass upstairs.”

“Since when did you start buying crack?” I looked down at the white power with disgust. 

Adam leapt out of seat and threw me out of the kitchen. “Get upstairs or get out of my house! ”

I scrambled to my feet and bolted up the stairs. Darting into my room, I slammed the door. Jimmy’s blond head poked up from a pile of clothes in the corner. I hurried to his side and helped him sit up. Poor kid look like he been put through hell last night.

“Gav,” he whispered, rubbing his eyes. “What are you doin’ here?”

“Luke and I got in a fight.”

“Did you break up?” He stared up at me with reddened eyes.

I helped him to his feet and wrapped a sweater around his lower half. “We were never going out. He’s just a costumer, Jimmy.”

“Oh…” He head fell back, and I walked a clearly stones boy into the bathroom. 

Pulling up the drain, I started the tub and set Jimmy inside. He just watched me as I scrubbed his body and washed his hair. 

“Gav?”

“Hmmm…” I leaned him forward so I could get at his back.

“Are you mad at me?”

Stopping what I was doing, I looked at the fragile figure before me. “No, Jim. I ain’t mad at ya.” 

He let out a deep breath and fell back into my arms. “But you liked him.”

I shook my head with a laugh. “Funny Jim, but you got it all wrong. Luke just some pervert, like everyone else who has to pay for sex.”

He stared into my eyes. It made me feel uncomfortable.

“Close your eyes,” I directed as I wiped down his face.

Jimmy did as I asked and even when I was done kept them closed. I maneuvered his sleeping body out of the tub and carried him to our room. After getting him dressed, I tucked a threadbare blanket around him before curling up behind him. I hugged him close and fell asleep myself.