Page 19 of Finding Shelter
Ledger didn’t know how to react.
Kash gave him a quick kiss and motioned toward the bedroom, silently mouthing, “I’m going to take a shower.”
Ledger nodded and then savored the show of Kash’s ass walking away from him. “Yeah. We ran into him today. He said he saw us a few weeks ago, but I can’t imagine where. I damn near get everything delivered these days, and I have my own gym. How have you been, by the way?”
“I’m the same as always. He said he was out jogging when he saw you two go into a storage unit.”
Ledger nodded like Valon could see his head move. “Kash had his things in storage. I figured there was no reason for him to pay for a storage unit when he could just move his things here.”
“Makes sense to me. What happened when you saw him today?”
Ledger moved to the couch and sat. “It was kind of weird, actually. He seemed off, twitchy and shit. Thankfully, Kash was quick on his toes to make an excuse to get me out of there. Ry kept looking at Kash and quickly looking away while acting all nervous and pretendinghe wasn’t there.”
“He’s probably afraid Kash will tell you he had to start sleeping with a gun at our house because Ry wouldn’t leave him alone at night.”
Everything inside Ledger froze. He didn’t know what to say. His brain completely locked up.
“Ah, damn. Let me call you back, Dad. It’s always something around here.”
Ledger spoke by rote. “Okay. I love you.”
“You too.”
Nothing but silence came through the line. Ledger still hadn’t moved the phone from his ear. The doorbell rang. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have ignored it. Instead, his feet moved that way while his brain lagged like a computer with too many tabsopen. He opened the door without checking the peephole. Ry stood on the other side. Something that had been brewing for more than a decade grew bigger by the second.
“Sorry to just drop by like this. I realized I don’t have your number any longer, and I doubt Valon would give it to me.” He looked right and left, admiring the house. “Damn. Valon really set you up here.”
There was no way Ry didn’t see the fury bleeding from every pore.
Ry shifted nervously. “Is it okay if I come in? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Something long overdue.”
“You’re right. Some things are long overdue.” Ledger’s fist shot out, connecting solidly with Ry’s eye. The second punch took him to his knees.
Ledger’s chest heaved. He didn’t feel better. He slammed the door and locked it. Ledger set the alarm because he wasn’t completely out of his head. His knuckles bled from the force of the hit. Ledger didn’t care. He headed straight for the bathroom inside the bedroom where Kash showered. Ledger jerked open the shower door. He hadn’t calmed at all.
Kash’s gaze shot toward the doorway. “Hey.” His smile fell. “Holy shit, Ledge. What happened? You’re bleeding.”
Ledger stepped inside the shower fully dressed and backed Kash against the wall. “Don’t you ever let anyone scare you the way you let Ry. You should’ve fucking told me the second he made you uncomfortable. I never would’ve let him stay in the same house as you.”
“Whoa. Wait. Is this Ry’s blood on your shirt? What the fuck happened in the last ten minutes?”
“Don’t change the subject. Why didn’t you tell me what Ry did?”
Guilt etched Kash’s features. Thankfully, as always, Kash was honest. “Maybe you would’ve blamed me and not let me come back. Even if you didn’t blame me, you definitely wouldn’t have let me come back for my safety. Worse, maybe you would’ve thought I lied and want me out of your life. There’s a lot I can handle, but never seeing you again, knowing you hate me, isn’t one of those things. Now tell me why you’re bleeding.”
Ledger’s hand shook as he touched Kash’s cheek. His knuckleswere split, and blood poured from the wounds. “I need you to trust me.”
“I do.” Kash looked hurt at even the insinuation.
Ledger dropped his forehead to Kash’s chest and breathed in his existence. “Valon called and told me everything.”
“Did you punch a hole in the wall, or teleport to Ry’s?”
Ledger shuffled closer, still not giving a damn he was fully clothed. He couldn’t lift his head. The weight of all the mistakes he had made weighed too heavily on him. “He’s probably still on the front porch where I left him.”
“Damn, baby.” Kash’s arms wrapped around Ledger and squeezed him. “He’s not worth this.”
That had Ledger’s head shooting up. “No. But you are, and I never would’ve put you out for something he did. Maybe I stayed through a lot of shit, but it was never because I was desperate or weak. You’re worth twenty of him.”
