Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
“I’d love to wear my own clothes tonight. Would you mind getting them while I take a shower?” He felt bad asking Seamus to bring in his things, but realistically, there was no way he’d let DJ do it anyway, and at least this way, he’d have a task to occupy himself while DJ got cleaned up. Without that distraction, there was a solid chance he’d insist on washing DJ’s back and an even higher chance that, if he did that, DJ would bend over and ask him to be really damn thorough.
“Of course!” He turned around and rushed toward his front door. “I’ll be right back.”
With a sigh and a shake of his head, DJ went to the spare room, undressed in the adjoining bathroom, brushed his teeth using the same toothbrush he had the previous night, and got into the shower. Operating on autopilot, he made quick work of washing his hair and his body. Once he was done, he intended to get out, but the hot water felt incredible on his aching body, so he allowed himself a few more minutes to enjoy it.
Now that nobody was watching, he didn’t need to prop himself up and pretend he was fine, so he relaxed his tense muscles. He hadn’t expected the chain reaction that followed, but apparently letting go in one way resulted in all his defenses crumbling and the next thing he knew, he was huddled on the tile floor, arms around his shins and face on his knees, sobbing harder than he had since his parents died.
He must have lost awareness of his surroundings because he didn’t notice Seamus entering the room, the water turning off, or a towel being draped over him. Once he was lifted off the floor and cradled against Seamus’s chest for the second time that night, he realized what was going on, but even then, he couldn’t stop crying, let alone protest.
“Shhh.” Seamus pressed his lips to DJ’s forehead. “You’re okay. I’m here now.” He carried him into the bedroom, managed to keep holding him while also pulling down the blanket, and then he gently laid him in the bed. “I’m going to fix this.”
“You can’t fix it,” DJ said through his tears. “I’ve tried. No matter how much I pay him, he says I owe more. I can’t understand how the interest rate works or how to keep up with it.” He shook his head. “It’s impossible.”
“You’re right,” Seamus said calmly. “He’s making it impossible because that’s his goal.”
He sniffled and took in a few shaky breaths, body trembling. “What do you mean?”
“Jesus, you’re freezing.” Seamus stood, yanked off his shirt, and shoved his jeans down. “Scoot over.”
He dragged his gaze up and down his husband’s broad, thick body. “I’m naked and you’re gorgeous and…” All he wanted in that moment was to be wrapped back in those strong, warm arms. “Fuck it.” He moved to the side to make room for Seamus, and once he got in and pulled DJ close, he went willingly.
“You’re warm.” He wrapped his arm around Seamus’s waist and rested his head on his hairy chest.
“Good.” Seamus pulled the blanket up to his neck and then held him tight. “I’ve got you.”
“What did you mean about him making it impossible?”
“I mean he’s a thief not a money lender.”
“He leant my grandfather money. When I was in high school, he’d come by the house sometimes and collect it. I know my grandfather owed him.”
“DJ, an unwritten, unsecured deal with some unlicensed guy off the street isn’t an enforceable loan. Even if it was, it wouldn’t be enforceable against someone who had no part in taking it out, especially someone who was a child at the time it happened. And most importantly, he’s assaulting you. Anyone who does that isn’t doing business, they’re committing a crime. None of what’s happening here is legal, and he won’t stop because he knows he can keep taking your money.” He tipped DJ’s head back and met his gaze. “I know this is hard to hear and I’m sorry to speak this way about your family, but your grandfather decided to trust a criminal and you’re paying the price.”
At some level, he knew most of that, but he had been ignoring it because there was nothing he could do about it and admitting that meant coming to terms with the reality that he’d never, ever be free of the debt. He’d always be scrambling and working and falling further and further behind.
“If I thought offering to pay him whatever he claims he’s owed would stop this, I’d do it, but I’ve given this a lot of thought and I believe that would make things worse.”
“I don’t want you to pay my debt.”
“It’s not your debt, and like I said, I don’t want to pay it, because if I do, this guy’ll realize you have access to money and then he’ll come up with some bullshit excuse about why you owe him even more. Telling him you can pay him off won’t end this harassment, it’ll escalate it.”