Page 177 of Forgotten Prejudice

With my eyes focused on the busy road, I reached over and softly caressed his cheek, needing to know he was okay. “I know, baby, but I’ve got you.”

Ash

Thankfully, everything in the hospital went smoothly, and a few hours later, we were discharged. Soren was rather sleepy, and taking him back to his home wasn’t easy, but we’d managed.

“The keys are in my—”

“Your pocket, I know,” I chuckled, already pulling them out and unlocking the door. The house alarm beeped, and I turned to turn it off. He hadn’t changed the code, my birthday, and the alarm went off once I typed the numbers in.

“Haven’t you thought about changing it?” I asked Soren, who was holding on to me for support. All the medicine he was given had made him drowsy.

“Why should I?”

“It’s been years.”

“Well, it’s still your house,” he said before clearing his throat. “Mind helping me to the shower? All I can think about is how dirty I am.”

Nodding, I held his waist tightly as we began walking.

“Do you need me to bring you anything?” I asked once he got into the shower. At first, he said no, but then he asked for his robe, which was hanging in his bedroom. Nodding, I closed the bathroom door behind me and went straight there, searching for the robe. Easily enough, I found it hanging in Soren’s closet, right where he always kept it. That man… He loved it when things had their own place. Living with four teenagers and Kai, order had become a foreign word. My house was a twenty-four-seven mess with all their things scattered around everywhere. Last night, I went to bed only to find Jess’s tablet poking my back. How did it get into my room? I had no idea, but that was Jess for you.

With the robe in my hands, I turned to go back when something caught my attention, forcing me to a full stop. Blinking my eyes to ensure I was seeing correctly, I moved closer to his famous photo wall, which was now empty. Maybe I was confusing things, and this wasn’t the same wall? No way. I knew every inch of this house, and without a doubt, two hundred and twenty photos were once hung on this exact wall. But why would Soren take them down? After all, he couldn’t fall asleep without counting them. I hadn’t noticed this change when I’d come here for sex; too caught up with getting fucked, I didn’t care for anything but my need to be consumed by Soren.

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach with this dramatic change, which left me with some questions. Soren calling me from the bathroom snapped me out of my thoughts, and I went back to him. Done with his shower, he looked so exhausted that I decided to ask about the wall later. Because of the late hour and his state, I took him straight to his bed.

His body relaxed once his back hit the mattress, and he let out a sigh of relief.

“God, what a day.” He moved a hand over his forehead, his eyes already closed.

“I know… How are you feeling?” I asked, sitting down on the edge of the mattress right beside him.

Because of all the medicine, he was a bit dopey, which was adorable, especially when he fell asleep midsentence, as he did earlier in the car.

“Embarrassed.” He chuckled, then coughed, trying to keep his eyes open. “I nearly died from a mushroom.”

“Don’t speak if it’s too hard,” I said, brushing his dark hair away from his brows. Soren relaxed at the touch and settled more comfortably on the bed. His robe was slightly open, exposing his chest, which was still slightly red from the rash. However, the swelling on his face and lips was beginning to subside, thanks to the treatment.

“Thank you for helping me home,” he said as he wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “But you should go home and rest yourself.”

Despite telling me to go, he only held on to me stronger.

“I don’t want to leave you alone.”

He smiled. “I’ll be fine, Ashton. I can take care of myself.”

Why do I find it hard to believe you? He’d been alone for seven long years and claimed to do just fine by himself, and yet, his hands held on to me so desperately. They always did.

“I’m also afraid that if I go home, I might murder Kai,” I sighed, then shut my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself down. Thinking about his stupidity pissed me off beyond words. “I’m sorry about dinner,” I added.

“Don’t worry. Mistakes happen. And I won’t sue if that’s what you’re scared of.” He winked, and I smacked his arm.

“I wasn’t talking just about that… but everything. Kai—” I rubbed my face. “I can’t even defend him. I have no idea why he’d act so pitifully.”

“Because he loves you.”

Listening to him was a pinch to the heart, and I stared back at him, not knowing what to say. For months, I’d tried to avoid getting involved with Soren, telling myself we had to focus on the trial. Now that Diesel was free and gone, I no longer had excuses and had to face reality as it was: I was involved with two men at the same time.

Two men I cared deeply about. I knew it was naive of me, but still, all I wanted was for this tangle to be resolved without anyone getting hurt.