Angel's Redemption Read online

  As Jackson approached the bed, he found the younger man still propped up against the headboard with a miserable look on his flushed face. Jackson cautiously sat on the edge of the bed and set the package of crackers on the nightstand. Twisting open the cap of the ginger ale, he felt the weight of Elijah's heavy stare on him.

  "Here, Eli." Jackson offered the drink to him. "Try and take a little drink, okay? Maybe it will help settle your stomach."

  Eli continued to look at him with bloodshot, golden eyes for a few moments before he nodded and reached for the drink. Jackson handed it to him and watched the younger man take a few sips, before he handed the drink back to him with a slightly shaking hand.

  "Are you comfortable?" Jackson pressed his hand against Eli's forehead and frowned at the heat against his fingers.

  "Yes, thank you. I hate to impose on you like this, Jack," the young man whispered. His voice sounded more like a croak than the warm, masculine voice he was used to. "I'll get out of your hair and head on home." Eli pushed the comforter off and struggled to fully sit up.

  Jackson shook his head. "You're not an imposition, Eli." He gently guided the sick man back against the pillows with his hand against his shoulder. "If you decide to leave, it'll just piss Shep and me off, so you might as well get it through your stubborn brain that you're staying here with us for the night." Jackson made sure his voice had an insistent tone to it. He gave Eli's shoulder a slight squeeze. Then he crossed his arms over his own chest and gave the younger man what he hoped looked like the stink eye.

  At that moment, Shep jumped up and snuggled against Eli's side in the middle of the bed. A smirk fell across Jackson's face.

  That's telling him, Shep. Sometimes, he swore the dog knew exactly what was going on.

  Eli glanced between Shep and Jackson and a helpless look crossed his young face. "Are you sure? What if I'm contagious, and you get sick? It would upset me if I made you ill." Eli hesitantly grabbed Jackson's arm; the heat of his hand burning into his skin.

  Jackson patted Elijah's hand. "I'm sure." He gave the sick man a reassuring smile.

  Eli's gaze roamed over his face as if to make sure he was being truthful. Finally, he closed his eyes and gave Jackson a nod. "All right. Thank you."

  "You're welcome," Jackson said. He was relieved the sweet man decided to stay.

  Eli gave a slight nod and began scratching Shep's head. The dog's tail thumped loudly against the mattress. It was obvious Shep was enjoying the attention his new friend was giving him. Eli's shoulders finally relaxed, and he closed his eyes with a whispered sigh.

  Jackson didn't want to disturb Eli further, so he eased off the bed and quietly started to leave the room. Eli's weakened voice made Jackson stop in his tracks.

  "Stay with me?"

  "I will," he softly answered, as he turned around and headed back toward his sick friend.

  ****

  Elijah snuggled deeper into the warm softness that surrounded him. The scent of clean sheets and a light, musky aftershave invaded his comfortable slumber. Elijah struggled to open his gritty eyes and sudden wave of panic hit him, looking into the strange shadows of the darkened room.

  Where the hell am I?

  Elijah's heart pounded heavily as he struggled to remember where he was and why he felt so weak. Visions of waking up sick in dark, dirty places tried to invade his mind, and he panicked, causing him to cry out in fear.

  "Shh… Eli, it's all right. You've been sick and you're with Shep and me." Jack sleepily mumbled into his ear. Suddenly, he was aware of Jack's warm body pressed against his back as the older man used a comforting hand to rub his stomach in light, soothing circles.

  Memories from the past couple of days flashed through Elijah's mind as he laid there within the safety of Jack's embrace. His new friend had helped him to the bathroom when he was sick and kept him hydrated with fluids and broth despite his own pitiful protests. Elijah's body flushed with embarrassment as he suddenly remembered Jack giving him medicine, wiping his brow, and doing his best to keep him as clean and comfortable as possible the past couple of days.

  In Elijah's life, he couldn't remember being so well taken care of. Although Elijah was a little mortified knowing the man who held him so sweetly had almost literally seen him at his worst, Elijah also felt hopeful that Jack may possess a budding attraction. Something special was passing between them.

  He pressed into Jack's warm embrace and was pleasantly surprised when his friend also snuggled closer to him by aligning his pelvis against Elijah's ass. Jack's softened prick nestling gently against him and Elijah bit his bottom lip to keep in the moan that wanted to escape. Elijah fought the urge to move his hips and rub his ass against the older man until he felt Jack's welcoming hardness in between his cheeks. Though tempted to do so, he took a deep breath and tried to quell the excitement his body felt as he lay within Jack's arms.

  This was the first time Elijah could remember ever being in a man's embrace without having to fuck him first and it was a heady but frightening feeling. There was no need to rush this. Elijah loved the friendship starting between them, and he didn't want to do anything that might scare Jack or jeopardize the relationship that was developing because they jumped into something to soon.

  He settled comfortably into Jack's hold and listened to his friend's deep, slumbering breaths. Elijah closed his eyes and soon fell asleep with a smile on his face.

  Chapter Six

  Jackson leaned back in his office chair and groaned. For the past two days, he'd put in twelve-hour shifts at work to get caught up on two new big accounts he just received. So far, Edwards Accounting employed himself and the receptionist, Lena. But lately, since business was picking up, he began to realize maybe he needed to finally hire another accountant.

  Now it was just after four o'clock and Jackson was ready to pack it up and go home. But he still had a few more hours of work to do if he wanted to have the weekend off.

  "Jackson? If you don't need anything else from me, I'm going to head on out for the week."

  Jackson looked up and saw a very pregnant Lena standing in the doorway with a tired smile on her face. Lena had worked for him for the past five years and was an asset to his small business. She had been with him through some tough times and Jackson was grateful to have such a devoted friend and employee. For years, Lena and her husband tried unsuccessfully to have children, and just when they'd both given up on having any babies of their own, Lena became pregnant.

  Now in almost her ninth month, Lena was starting to tire easily and understandably didn't put in the hours she once did. Although she reassured Jackson that she was going to return to work after her maternity leave, he suspected once she had her baby, Lena would prefer to stay home. Not that he blamed her, but it was still going to suck because he was going to miss her.

  He gave her an understanding smile and waved her off. "Absolutely, Lena. Go on home and have that husband of yours take care of you. I'll see you Monday."

  A relieved look crossed her face. "Thanks, Jackson. Have a good weekend." She winked and gave a slight wave.

  Jackson watched her leave and sighed.

  Hiring someone to replace her wasn't going to be easy.

  He tried to shake off his melancholy feelings and got back to his paperwork. The next thing Jackson knew, his office was darker as the sun began to set for the day. Lucky for him, he was almost finished anyway. He flipped the small, green desk lamp on, leaned back in his chair, and stretched his arms over his head.

  Damn, it had been a long day.

  The bell from the office door jingled, and he mentally groaned.

  Who would come at this time of night?

  "Hello?" Jackson called and stood up to welcome his unexpected company.

  "Jack?"

  Oh my God… it's Eli. What is he doing here?

  Jackson quickly tried to smooth his wrinkled shirt and pants with his hands. "I'm in my office, Eli. Come on back."

  Eli suddenly appeared at
his doorway with a huge smile. He looked crisp and clean in his tight, navy blue t-shirt, and form-fitting jeans. The fading sunlight accented the red highlights in his windblown brown hair, making him look carefree and full of youth. Eli's bright golden eyes seemed to sparkle, and his face lit up with happiness as he walked into Jackson's office.

  His friend definitely looked happy to see him, and it made Jackson's heart beat stronger in his chest. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone excited to see him.

  It had been a couple of weeks since Eli had spent those sick days and nights at his house, but they were some of the best moments Jackson remembered since Ben's death. Just about every day Eli came over to his house. They ate so many meals with each other, Eli suggested they go grocery shopping together and split the cost. At first, Jackson protested, but his young friend insisted, saying he ate more at Jackson's house than he did his own. After some bantering back and forth about it, Jackson finally relented, and Eli split the cost with him.

  They had an easy camaraderie that Jackson couldn't remember having with anyone else in a long time. Although Eli was not one to talk about his past, he was forthcoming about what he wanted for himself in the future. It didn't take a genius to figure out Eli was making efforts in his life to change it for the better. Jackson just hoped that one day his sweet friend would confide in him about his mysterious past. Until then, Jackson was content to let it go.

  Only one thing kept Jackson from sleeping well at night.

  His desire for Eli was starting to make him miserable. He had a feeling it might be a mutual attraction, but Jackson figured it was just because Eli hadn't gotten out much and met other people. But sometimes, Jackson could swear that Eli fought the pull of attraction between them. It scared Jackson, but for the first time since Ben's death, he had the hope of possibly having more.

  Jackson smiled at his gorgeous friend and motioned for him to enter his office.

  "Sorry to pop in on you like this, but I thought since you were working late tonight, I would bring you something to eat," Eli said. He held up a big, brown bag and gave him a flirty wink.

  He brought me supper.

  Jackson grinned at his friend and his heart fluttered with an unnamed emotion. His stomach rumbled as the delicious smells from the bag filled his senses. Jackson motioned to one of the two black leather chairs in front of his desk. "Wow, thanks Eli! Have a seat. I haven't eaten since noon, and I'm starved."

  Eli sat down, opened the bag, and started pulling red and white Chinese food containers from it. "I had a feeling you'd be starving. Have you gotten most of your work done? How are the new accounts going?"

  Jackson was surprised that Eli remembered him talking about the new clients. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been asked about his job. It was accounting after all, and a lot of people, including Ben, found it quite boring.

  Not that he blamed them. Not everyone loved working with numbers like Jackson did.

  "It's actually going pretty smoothly, thank you," Jackson said, watching him unpack the food. Eli took a can of Coke out of the bag and handed it to him. Jackson popped the tab open and gave Eli another grateful smile.

  The man had thought of everything.

  "What have you been up to today? Did you sign up for that GED class yet?" Jackson took a plastic fork from Eli. He opened a container of what looked like Lo Mein and began to dig in.

  "I did. It's going to be three nights a week at the community center." Elijah was attacking his own container of food with relish. Apparently Jackson wasn't the only hungry one.

  Jackson was immediately proud and impressed that his friend was determined to better himself. Elijah could be so mysterious about his past, and Jackson hoped as long as the younger man had goals in life, Eli wouldn't cut his wrists again.

  He listened as Elijah talked about his new class and couldn't help glancing at the scars.

  Many questions invaded Jackson's mind, but he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Since they had met a couple of weeks ago, there were several times he wanted to ask Eli about it but never did. How did one broach that subject, anyway? Jackson liked Eli and enjoyed the friendship developing between them. Although he didn't want to do anything to push the younger man away, Jackson's curiosity and the feelings he had for his friend would eventually mean he'd ask him. He just didn't want to be pushy about it. When Eli was ready to talk, they would.

  He hoped.

  Eli stopped talking and apparently noticed him gazing at his scars because he sighed and set his food down on Jackson's desk.

  "Do you want to talk about it?"

  Jackson nearly choked on his food. He was embarrassed to be caught staring, but glad Eli seemed to be willing to discuss it. He wiped his mouth and nodded. "Yes, but only if you want to." Jackson really didn't want his new friend to stress about it.

  Eli shrugged. He looked down at his wrists and traced the scars with his fingertips for a few moments. He looked up at him with a pained expression on his face and sighed.

  He's really not ready to talk.

  "Eli, if you're not ready…" Jackson began.

  "It's okay."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes."

  Jackson walked around the desk and sat in the chair beside Eli. He placed a consoling hand on his friend's shoulder. The young man took a deep breath, grabbed his hand with shaky fingers, and held onto it tightly. Eli's hand was cold and clammy, making Jackson even more aware of Eli's nervousness.

  "I talked to my therapist today about you." Eli's voice sounded slightly shaky as he stared at their joined hands. "He told me that you sounded like you were a good friend to me… someone I can trust."

  It didn't surprise Jackson that his friend was in therapy; in fact, he was relieved to hear he was. Jackson gave Eli's hand a reassuring squeeze and waited for him to continue. Jackson tried to brace himself for the next words his friend would say. It was going to be difficult hearing about Eli's pain, but he still wanted to do it.

  "I can trust you, can't I, Jack?"

  Eli's words were so softly spoken, Jackson almost didn't hear them. Fear and hope radiated from Eli's body, and Jackson gave his hand another reassuring squeeze. "Yes, Eli. Whatever happened in the past is just what it is… the past. Let me help you and ease this burden you've been carrying around." He kept his voice low and spoke as soothingly as he could.

  He didn't want his friend to regret confiding in him. He tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever Eli was about to tell him. Jackson had a feeling that however he reacted to what Eli said would define their relationship, and he prayed that after everything was said and done, they would work it out together, and it would be all right.

  They gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments. His friend gave a slight nod before he spoke. "I'm not sure where I should start. Probably from the beginning, I imagine. But before I tell you this, you need to know something."

  Jackson nodded, his stomach churning from the helplessness and fear that resonated from Eli's voice.

  "I like you, Jack. If I lose our friendship over this… I don't know what I would do. You see, it's been years since someone has liked me… well, for me. You've welcomed me into your life and home. You've trusted me with your adorable dog and taken care of me when I was sick. You have no idea what that means to a person like me. I want…" Eli stopped and his face flushed red. He didn't know if it was because of embarrassment or anxiety, but Jack knew he had to say something encouraging for his young friend to continue.

  "Whatever you want or need, Eli, I'm here for you, okay? Your friendship means as much to me. Nothing you say or do will change that."

  Eli blinked and took another shuddering breath. "I want… for our friendship to turn into something special. I feel something I've never experienced before I met you, and when I'm with you, Jack, I feel like maybe all those stupid fairy tales I was told as a child might just come true."

  As Eli's words reverberated throughout his mind, Jackson wa
s both exhilarated and scared to death. He couldn't believe that this sweet, amazing man had some of the same thoughts and felt the pull of something special between them. It was almost too good to be true. For years, Jackson believed he would be alone forever. Now, upon hearing Eli's thoughtful words, Jackson began to feel something he thought he'd given up a long time ago.

  Hope.

  "I feel it too, Eli."

  Jackson looked deeply into his friend's worried eyes and slowly raised their joined hands to his mouth. He pressed a light kiss to Eli's knuckles, and then he placed them back in his lap. The younger man squeezed his a little tighter and a vulnerable look crossed his lovely face.

  A beautiful smile formed on Eli's face and a spark of joy gleamed in his eyes. But as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared and once again the frightened look returned.

  "I'm scared, Jack. I'm scared that once I tell you this, those feelings might change."

  "It's not going to change anything, Eli."

  "You don't know that."

  "I do."

  "How do you know, Jack? Huh? How do you know that once I tell you about my past, you won't want to run away from me as fast as you can?" Eli looked almost frantic, his breathing erratic and his face flushed.

  With his free hand, Jackson gently cupped Eli's face. "I just do. There isn't much you can tell me that will make me think badly of you."

  "Oh, yeah?" Eli sounded almost argumentative.

  "Yes. Take a chance on me. Let me prove to you that I'm not a fickle man. No one is perfect. Especially me."

  Eli visibly swallowed and leaned his cheek into Jackson's hand for a few precious moments, and then he pulled away and nodded.

  Here it comes.

  Jackson steeled himself to keep his emotions in check. He was determined to get past whatever it was that haunted Eli in his past—together—as his friend or as something hopefully, possibly more.