Fear (A Monster By Any Other Name, #2) by Laura Rye & Bailey R. Hansen

Author:Laura Rye & Bailey R. Hansen [Rye, Laura & Hansen, Bailey R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mm gay romance, ptsd romance, first time romance, hurt comfort romance, queer romance novel, slow burn romance books, dystopia fiction
Publisher: Laura Rye
Published: 2022-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

BY THE TIME THEY GOT into the backseat of Janet’s Honda, Tobias seemed pretty zoned out. He sat with his hands between his knees and head limp against the head rest behind him, eyes partly shut, staring out the window, apparently without registering anything passing by. Despite himself, Jake kept glancing at him every few seconds.

Janet kept up an easy monologue that required little or no participation, pointing out Boulder sights, alternately bashing and praising the neighbors and local government. When they stopped on their block, Jake leaned forward and pulled out his wallet. “At least let me tip you for being an ace tour guide.”

Janet chuckled. “Excellent. That’ll let me break even on these bagels.” She grabbed a five from Jake’s hand and handed him a heavy brown bag with a Moe’s Broadway logo. Jake almost dropped it from the weight.

“This is way too much.” No way he was holding just five dollars’ worth of bagels.

“Nope. That’s the plan, kid. Do a good deed, get the new kids addicted to the bagels. Net gain of karma and new customers. Come by the shop again when you’re feeling better, yeah?” She winked. “And if you need a fix before then, give us a call. We deliver for the cute ones.”

Despite himself, Jake chuckled. “Will do. C’mon, Tobias.” He reached back toward him, hesitating before he made contact, not sure how Tobias would react.

But the second he heard his name, Tobias jumped from utter stillness to scrambling for the door handle. He paused outside the Honda as Jake got out, and Jake lifted a hand toward Janet before he helped Tobias up their stairs and back over the salt lines.

“You look wiped,” Jake said, putting the bag of bagels on the table and resisting the urge to brush Tobias’s hair away from his eyes. He didn’t need to see Tobias flinch again today. “You wanna, uh, lay down for a while, rest up?”

Tobias blinked slowly, eyes not moving from a spot above Jake’s right shoulder. Jake wondered if he had hit his head in the fall and the effects were only now kicking in.

“Sure you’re not hurt anywhere else?”

“No—I mean, yes, I . . .” Tobias touched his forehead, looking confused, lost. Finally, he said, even more softly, “I’ll go lie down.”

“Okay, Tobias,” Jake said, a little too heartily, and winced at himself. “You do that.”

Once Tobias disappeared into his room, Jake went to the kitchen for a beer. He knew by now Tobias would be out for the next few hours at least. Hell, he didn’t expect anything less after the day they’d had (Jake’s fault again), and he might easily pass out himself if he lay down, but that wasn’t an option. He had to try to unwind a little, or he didn’t know how he’d be able to handle . . . whatever would happen when Tobias got up.

He set the beer on the counter, reached to twist the top off, and paused, looking at it. Then he

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