The following morning, we made sure to wake up Aidan so he could see us all before I took Jesse to work. He was happy to see us all there, still close. By the time we finished cleaning last night, Aidan had passed out in Jesse's arms in the bathtub.
I dressed him in an adorable onesie to keep him warm, while the rest of us just put on sweatpants or something loose to sleep in. We cuddled up to him, knowing that just the warmth of us would relax him. After an hour or so, Andrew and Lewis took over the spare mattress and Jesse and I stayed up with Aidan in my bed.
The reporters were still outside when Jesse and I got to my car. Many of them took photos of us together. I wish I could set them straight, make them understand. But the moment anyone knew Aidan had wanted something sexual, he would be ridiculed for it.
Andrew and Lewis had thankfully opted to stick around with Aidan just in case he needed the help today. They promised nothing else would happen. I believed them at least. Aidan wouldn't want to be touched without me there, and I trusted them to care for him.
Even while we were at work, reporters were sticking outside of the warehouse. My father refused to let them get closer to the property and that if they disrupted the workforce, he'd have them removed by police. Throughout the day, Aidan had sent me some suggestive photos with the help of Andrew and Lewis. Jesse would come up to my office every so often asking if I received the same thing. I'd nod and groan.
"How long until we can leave?" I muttered.
"An hour," he chuckled. "Focus."
He pointed to the screen. With a tap, I refocused and as I turned to him, I rolled my eyes. I breathed out heavily with a buildup of annoyance.
"Really?" Jesse asked.
"What?" I shrugged. "I'm not doing anything."
"You're acting like a child." Jesse laughed louder.
"Bullshit," I grumbled, clicking on the new image.
I felt his hand run over my thigh, teasing its way up toward my crotch. "Good boys don't get rewarded, now focus."
"Are you trying to put me into Sub-Space?" I questioned as I looked down at his hand.
"Would you rather I say, Daddy won't get anything if he's naughty?" Jesse asked in return.
His eyes were still on the work despite his words and actions. His tone was joking. Though, I admit it riled me up inside. A knock at the door interrupted us and he quickly pulled his hand away. My father opened the door and smiled at us.
"Sorry to interrupt, Gabriel," he smiled then nodded at Jesse. "Jesse. There's a woman - a reporter - that wishes to talk to you, says you bought her dinner once."
"Oh, Lillianna?" I asked angrily.
"That would be her," he said as he stepped aside.
Lillianna stepped just inside the door. Her lips were pursed as she looked between us. She held herself professionally at least, with her usual sort of button-up blouse and pencil skirt. She thanked him for bringing her up here.
"Is it okay for her to be here?" my father asked. "I didn't actually just bring her up here just to leave her and run."
"It's... fine..." I forced out.
"I'll leave," Jesse said as he began to stand.
"I wanted to talk to both of you," Lillianna said, stopping him. "If that's quite alright."
Jesse sat back down beside me and set his hands on his lap. I eyed her curiously and sat up in my seat, breathing in deeply. My shoulders raised heavily as I did so. I gestured for her to take the chair in front of my desk as my father said goodbye.
"What brings you here?" I asked carefully.
"I have some questions," she replied as she took the seat.
She crossed her legs over each other, setting her hands by her knees. She leaned forward and moved her eyes between Jesse and me. Silence stayed for a few more minutes before I breathed out in annoyance.
"Can you please get this over with?" I asked calmly. "I want to get my work done and be home sooner rather than later."
"Missing Aidan already?" she asked.
"He's my boyfriend, ma'am, of course, I miss him," I said as I leaned back. "Even for an hour or a day, I do miss seeing him."
"That's a fair point, sir," she smiled politely. "May I have a little interview?"
"Of course," I nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
She pulls out her little recorder and hits the 'on' button. Leaning forward, she sets it on my desk and leans back in her seat. "This is Lillianna meeting with Gabriel Miller and Jesse Stilton," she began. "I'm conducting a small interview. Non-invasive, I hope."
"I bet you do, ma'am," I muttered.
She eyed me with a smirk, sliding her tongue along her bottom lip before continuing.
"We've had a report that Mr Stilton has been spending quite a bit of time at your house, Mr Miller," she continued casually. "And from the number of journalists that have been standing by to try and talk to Aidan, it seems to be true. Can you confirm that?"
"...Yes, he has been bringing around extra worksheets, safety plans, and information from my father," I answered. "Mostly work-related."
"Mostly work-related?" she repeated.
Fuck.
"He's also been kind enough to bring dinners and stay around to help me with my workload seeing that his education and previous work experience allow for the work to be done easily... efficiently," I shrugged.
"One of his friends, an inmate still, a Mr Luke Johnson, has suggested that it is not always work-related," she said.
"Is that a question or a statement?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
"It's really only been for work stuff, ma'am," Jesse said quietly.
"Mr Johnson has suggested that it's also sexual in nature," Lillianna continued.
"Why should he care?" I asked calmly.
"Well, it's more if it's true, Mr Miller," Lillianna smiled.
"Why?" Jesse suddenly asked, sitting up straighter in his chair.
"If people were to find out he'd allowed an abuser back into his life, especially allowing you to have sex with him, well," she shrugged. "People would start saying Stockholm Syndrome or might think it's too easy to forgive someone who did something so horrific."
"Ai-... Mr Walters has not forgiven me," Jesse said. "He doesn't have to. He doesn't need to. I am working for Mr Miller and his father. I am trying my best to be a better person. I know what I did was... horrific, as you called it. But, I will not have you attack Mr Walters or his boyfriend with this. I'm the one at fault, and I know this. I know I fucked up. I have to live with that. The fact of the matter is, I'm doing work. Only work. I am being allowed near Mr Walters for the sole purpose of doing work, and I try my hardest to not upset him or hurt him again. And in all honesty, I should still be in jail. I know I didn't 'do as much', as a lot of the papers have said, as much as the court and the judge said it. But, I was still there, and I still hurt him. Leave them alone."
"Is that really all you have to say on it, Mr Stilton?" Lillianna pushed. "What about the sexual claims? Is Mr Walters cheating on Mr Miller?"
"It shouldn't matter to you or to any readers about what happens in the privacy of my own home, ma'am," I interjected. "Aidan and I are in a relationship in which we share and enjoy others, with consent and respect. It is not fully monogamous. We may be boyfriends, but he's allowed to see other people."
"Like your friends, then?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed.
"A few photographers caught images of your friends coming over on Sunday and a couple of them coming around yesterday, those two have not left your house yet," she grinned. "Are they who you mean?"
"He has consensually slept with some of my friends," I swallowed, forcing the words out. "I won't deny that. I have as well. Is there a problem with that?"
"Not at all, monogamy isn't essential in a relationship," she shook her head innocently. "But Mr Stilton was seen to enter the home and not come out until much later during that Sunday at least. And as much as you probably soundproof your home, it's not going to be fully protected. A couple of us did hear Mr Walters while he was being enjoyed."
I slammed my fist on the desk and stood up. My face was flushed red, I could feel it. Heat rising. No one disrespected Aidan or his choices. He was a grownup, and he knew what he was doing.
"I don't like your fucking tone," I growled. "He's a responsible adult who knows what he wants. If he wants to enjoy others, he can."
"But should that include his ex-abuser?" Lillianna smirked.
"We've not had sex, Ma'am," Jesse suddenly spoke again.
"You mean to say you've been over and not done anything?" she asked curiously, both of our heads snapping to him.
"I've been around while they've been having sex, but I keep noise-cancelling headphones on me," Jesse shrugged. "I sit at the kitchen counter and continue my work if they want to enjoy themselves. I have never actively participated or... enjoyed whatever it is you're insinuating. I hate to break it to you, but I don't want to... to do anything to Mr Walters. As I've said, I don't want to ever harm him again, and I know he wouldn't want me near him in that way again."
"What if he did, Mr Stilton?" she asked.
"If he did want me to have sex with him?" he asked. "I'd politely decline. He doesn't need to relive any horrible memories. I'm sure he..."
Jesse swallowed, breathing in deeply. His eyes closed for a moment before staring blankly at Lillianna.
"I'm sure he remembers my sounds, my words, my actions," Jesse continued forcefully. "He can probably still remember my grunts and moans as I did... those things. I sure can remember his screams. He wouldn't want me, and I wouldn't let him hear me again."
I lowered myself back onto the chair. I felt tears threatening my eyes. I didn't realise that's how Jesse must have been feeling. No wonder he was hesitant or offered to leave so often. My eyes kept on Jesse as I listened to him speak. Lillianna was staying silent also. Jesse's own eyes looked like they were on the brink of tears. He swallowed again. A lump must have formed in his throat, and he didn't want to be admitting any of this.
"Mr Walters deserves the world with Mr Miller here," Jesse said softly. "I'm not going to get in between what they have."
"I do love that sentiment, Mr Stilton," Lillianna replied with a nod. "But, if you know he's being used by others, why not join them? All of them would be able to take you on if you misstepped."
"Again, ma'am," Jesse shook his head. "He remembers what I did, I remember what I did. I won't put myself, or him, in that position."
"Even if he wanted it?" she pushed.
"If he wanted it, I would listen to any command he gave me then," Jesse shrugged. "Is that what you want to hear? If he wanted me to be silent, flat on my back on a bed, and he used me to his own wants, maybe I would. I wouldn't be able to tell you because he hasn't asked. And honestly, I don't blame him."
"If you're trying to make readers like you more, I doubt it will work, Mr Stilton," Lillianna laughed. "You really think people are going to enjoy your cute, little words?"
"In all honesty, Ma'am," Jesse sighed. "I'm not going to be believed either way."
"What do you mean?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
"Well," he started. "If I say I haven't been fucking him, and that I've been respecting his boundaries, people won't believe me. There's evidence, circumstantial evidence, that would say otherwise. If I say we have been fucking, but it was consensual, people are going to believe I manipulated him and made him do something he didn't want, he's just too afraid to say something, right? If I say I've forced myself on him again, people may believe that because I've already done it once, right? So, why not again? But some people are going to believe I've changed, and you've just manipulated my words against me, yeah? So, in all honesty, I don't know what else you want me to say. I've said what I can."
"But is it the truth?" she asked.
"At this point, Ma'am," I interrupted. "Does it really matter? We've both said what we can. We've both said what we know. If Aidan has said otherwise, maybe tell us that. But it does feel like you're just searching for answers you think you know. And we can't provide them to you."
"What if Mr Walters had told us that he'd slept with Mr Stilton?" Lillianna asked.
I pulled out my phone and sent Aidan a text. Just a simple question. I wanted to know if he'd spoken to any reporter after yesterday. I needed to know we weren't making fools of ourselves right now. A light ding went off in my hand and I looked down at the answer. No? I talked to them yesterday and haven't said a word since. I know what it will look like if they know. I want Jesse to be safe just as much as me. I breathed in deeply. My hands shook as I felt the wave of anger flood over my body. Taking up my entire space. My entire being.
"I think it's time for you to leave now," I suggested, gesturing to the door.
Jesse stood up quickly, grabbed the door handle and held it open for her. His hand went up to gesture for her to leave.
"Mr Miller and I still have work to do," Jesse said firmly. "I want to get home to my family, he wants to get home to Mr Walters."
"I'll let you know if more information comes in then," she smiled curtly as she picked up her recorder and ended it. "Good day to you both."
We watched her leave the room. I stood up as she did leave, my legs moving briskly, one in front of the other. Jesse slammed the door shut, leaning his back against it. His eyes were closed, so he didn't see me moving toward him. My hands went to his waist. He breathed in sharply. Slowly, his eyes opened to look at me. My eyes scanned over his face, landing on his lips for a moment.
"You said a lotta things there," I said, my eyes darkening.
"I meant it," Jesse stuttered. "I mean, I... Well, I'm surprised Aidan ever wanted me to touch him again, but I wasn't about to... to say that. I just... it's..."
I put my hand around, securing the door so we wouldn't be interrupted. His eyes flickered to the door before locking back onto mine. The heat in his cheeks rose as I leaned closer to him.
"I'm sorry for what I said about... the things I did to him," Jesse whispered.
I felt his hot breath against me. My head tilted as I leaned into his neck, kissing gently. I heard him groan in my ear. His hands went up to my shoulders, clinging desperately, while my hands wandered further down, one sifting into the front of his pants and groping gently.
"Get on your knees," I ordered. "Time for Daddy to enjoy you."