He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “It’s not that easy.”
“Why isn’t it?”
“Because in order to quit, I’d have to talk to him, and I can’t stand to face him. Not yet.”
“You don’t need to face him. Just don’t show up for work. He’ll soon get the message.”
“If I do that, then they’ll lose money by having to hire someone to replace me, and I don’t want my younger brothers to suffer.”
“Okay, I’ll admit that’s a tough one,” I said, thinking of the three dark-haired boys I’d seen with Peter’s parents on New Year’s Eve. The eldest looked about twelve, the youngest around eight or nine.
“Maybe if Clay takes me on full-time, I can figure out a way to send my brothers money without my parents finding out.”
“It’s certainly a possibility,” I said, pausing a moment before realising how I could help speed things up. “How much do you need for the apartment deposit? I could loan it to you. I can also give you some cash to send to your brothers. I get an allowance every month, and I tend to save most of it so it wouldn’t be any trouble.”
Peter shook his head. “I won’t take your money.”
“Why not? At least come stay in one of the spare bedrooms at my house. It must be freezing here at night. And there isn’t even a place to shower.”
“I’ve been using the showers in the gym. If I go early enough, I can get done before anyone else arrives. And no, I won’t stay at your house. That would be …”
He fell silent, and upon reflection, yeah, I guess staying under my father’s roof would only deepen Peter Girard Senior’s petty resentment. Not to mention Peter probably didn’t want anyone else finding out about his homelessness. “I’m not hurting anyone by sleeping here,” he finally said, “and I’ll be gone as soon as I’ve saved enough money.”
I squeezed his hand. “Well, until then, your secret’s safe with me.”
His sombre eyes met mine. Thank you.
The whisper of his voice in my mind made my chest heavy with emotion. I hated that he wouldn’t let me help him, and my heart filled with melancholy and anger at the way his father treated him. I was also mad at his mother for not trying hard enough to stop Peter’s dad from kicking him out, but then, I didn’t know their entire situation.
It just didn’t make sense how someone could care so little for their child. Yes, he was technically now a man, but still. Peter had no money, and his pride clearly kept him from asking anyone for help.
“Does Sophia know?” I asked quietly.
He shook his head. “She’d make me come stay at her place if she did, and I’d rather just stay here than have anyone else find out.”
I nodded, and a short silence ensued. There was something else I wanted to ask, but it was such a sensitive subject I didn’t know how to broach it. I was still holding his hand, and I frowned as I stared at our interlocked fingers.
“Has your father ever been violent?” I finally asked, my voice barely a whisper. Peter’s hold on my hand stiffened, and I lifted my gaze to his face. I watched as his jaw worked. “If you don’t want to talk about this, it’s fine,” I went on softly.
Peter shook his head. “It only happened once, the night he found out about me giving you an alibi. I’ve never seen him so angry. He was ranting and raving at me, which I’m used to, but he took me off guard when he struck. I hadn’t been expecting him to hit me, and that was how he managed to get so many punches in before I cast a spell to disarm him. That made him even more furious because my magic was stronger than his. He told me to get out of the house, that I wasn’t welcome there any longer. I decided then and there that I’d never let him have power over me again. I don’t care how long I have to sleep in this room. Hell, I’ll sleep on the streets if I have to, but I’ll never go back to living under his roof.”
“I’m so sorry, Peter,” I said, squeezing his hand.
“I warned him that if he ever laid a finger on my brothers, I’d kill him. He looked frightened, so I think he’ll heed the warning. He’s always known I was talented, but I don’t think he realised how just strong my magic was until that night. He was powerless against my spell.”
“It sounds like you’re better off away from him,” I said, my heart clenching. “I wish you’d stay at my house, but I’d still rather you sleep here than ever go back to your dad.”