Page 40 of Dangle

He retched. And before I could…

He puked.

On my shoes.

He puked on my shoes.

“So, no, you arenotokay,” I said with a sigh as I attempted to lift him to his feet.

“Let’s go, drunk boy. On your feet,” I pulled him up again, but he slid further onto the floor.

“Fuck,” I swore, realizing the kid was out cold.

I glanced at the floor indicator.

He puked on my shoes in the elevator with two floors to go and then passed out. Shit. When the doors opened, I tossed him over my shoulder, carried him out of the elevator car, down the hall, and into the loft where I tossed his naked ass on the bed.

“Night, night, Papa Bear,” he muttered, and I shook my head.

The boy was a hot fucking mess.

And so was I.

This was why I didn’t do the white knight in shining armor bullshit.

ELEVEN

TREY

Asoft rushing sound came to me first, then a blinding pain. With a groaned, “FUCK,” I buried my head under the pillow.

Why do I do this shit to myself?

I knew the answer. I wasn’t an idiot. It always led back to the same fucking thing…person.

Donnie Malachek

Dad, if I ignored everything that titleshouldmean.

Last night, everything was going fine until my phone blew the hell up with yet another Donnie tirade.

Fuck. My phone!

The sudden thought slammed into me. My eyes flew open, only to slam shut immediately. Even with my head buried between my arms under the pillow, the whiteness of the sheets was too fucking bright for my poor maltreated body.

One deep breath.

Then another.

And another.

The pulsating orb of agony behind my eyeballs dissipated somewhat, and I ran my hands around the bed looking for it, but it was nowhere near me. I whimpered before pushing myself up out of the pillows and blankets. My stomach churned withthe sudden movement. Nausea washed over me. My head hung between my shoulders, too heavy to hold up.

One breath.

Then another.

And another.