Page 94 of Rescued
“Positive.”
For the first time since we picked him up, Salem seems to relax some. “Do you think I could take a nap?”
“Definitely. Do you want me to bring your suitcase in here?”
He hangs his head, looking at his feet. “He shouldn’t have spent all that money. The bag they gave me was fine.”
I frown. “The bag wasn’t fine. Y’all deserve better than that.”
Salem doesn’t answer.
“Are you hungry? Want something to eat before your nap?”
He shakes his head. “No, I’m okay for now.”
Nibbling on my lip, I study him for a second. “You know we can afford food.” He tries to hide it, but he winces. “I’m serious, Salem. We can afford food. You don’t have to not eat because you’re worried about money, okay? Jasper has a fully stocked kitchen. Truly, I think he went overboard, but hey.”
“Okay,” Salem whispers. “I’m really not hungry right now. Just tired.”
I take another look around the room. “Do you need anything?”
Shaking his head, Salem sits down on the edge of his bed. “I’m okay, Arlo.”
I watch him as he drags his fingertips over the bedspread Theo picked out. It’s nothing special—just black on top with gray underneath—but he’s looking at it like it means everything to him, and maybe it does.
Maybe this house and this room and his bed mean everything.
It’s clear that Salem is no longer the kid I had to leave behind. He’s broken and hurt and scarred in ways that he never wasbefore. It’s probably going to take time and a lot of therapy to help him heal.
But he’s here now, and all that can be taken care of. He’ll get love now. He won’t have to be the protector. There’s nothing here that will hurt him. If anything, he has a huge group of instant family that will do anything for him.
“I love you, kid.”
Salem’s eyes dart to mine. “I love you too.”
I shoot him a grin before slowly backing up toward the door. “I’m gonna check on Nora and Jasper, but holler if you need me, okay?”
His lips quirk up a little at the edges. “Will do.”
Chapter 24
Jasper
I’vejustgottenNoraoff to her room for a nap—at her request—when Arlo steps out of Salem’s room, closing the door behind him.
We nearly bump into each other, and he grins up at me, his eyes happy but tired.
“Nora okay?” he asks, cocking his head.
“She is. Wanted a nap, so I got her settled in her room. Areyouready for a nap, baby boy?”
“Even if I’m not, you definitely are.”
He’s not wrong. I’ve also spent entirely too fucking long without him in my arms, so I lean down, scooping him up. He lets out a small squawk but giggles right after, then wraps his arms around my neck and clings to me.
Pressing my face into his hair, I breathe him in for a second and start walking down the hall toward our bedroom.
“Do you want to shower with me?” I ask, rubbing my nose back and forth in his hair.
