“Look, I don’t want to stand here and watch you commune with ‘other.’ It’s been a long night, my brain is fried and my emotions shot. You can stay here and do your hocus-pocus cat prowl, looking for your invisible friends all you want. I’m going to head off to my media room and veg. (Danger) If you need me, call. (Alexion) Yeah, I’ll just do that when I need the great big, hulking he-man to charge in and save my weak, girly butt. (Danger)”

“Part of my role is to look after your needs. You said you wanted me to stay, so here I am. And yet I find you like this.”

“I defy you to try it, Princess. Go ahead. I don’t even know how to sweep a floor. All I know how to do is use my body to please others. I was sick and alone with no references, friends, family, or money. I was so weak from hunger that even a beggar stole your himation from me while I lay on the ground, wanting to die and unable to stop him from taking it. So don’t come here now with your disdainful eyes and look at me like I’m beneath you. I don’t need your charity and I don’t need your pity. I know exactly what you see when you look at me. (Acheron)”

“Are you sure?”“I’ve never been more sure about anything. I want this. If you can’t stay here, I’ll go anywhere you want to go.”“But Jack, you love it here!”“Don’t you realize I love you more? I need you in my life. You and our baby. God, Mel—I don’t care where that happens. As long as it happens.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I said, staring down at my hands.He turned his head to me. “Do what?”I rubbed the sweat from my palms off on my jeans. “Stick around. You can leave if you want. I’m not expecting you to stay and babysit me.”“Hey,” he nudged me with his shoulder, drawing my gaze to his. “I’m staying. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”Despite the tremors of relief coursing through me, I didn’t relax. “The offer stands. Any time you want to go just… go.”“Well, I don’t want the offer, because I’m not going anywhere, not unless you’re coming with me.”“Why?” It took a second to realize that the barely whispered word had come from me.He reached for my hand. His long, warm fingers laced through mine, and that was all the answer I needed.”

“Whiskey was still looking some place past Patrick’s shoulder, and suddenly his brown eyes metPatrick’s with a sort of inscrutable intensity. “Patrick, this isn’t over, okay? You and me? You want tostay here, you want to keep sleeping in my bed, that’s fine. I like you there. You’re warm and you’re kind,and it’s comfortable, having you there. But I’m going to want you, and you’re going to want me, and if youdon’t want to follow through on that, that’s fine too. But you’ll need to decide which way you want it, andyou need to make it clear when you make your decision. I’m, like, twelve years older than you, and I don’tsleep around. I’m not going to hit on you just because you’re cute and you’re here. I need to know it’ssomething you want, and it’s something you need, and you’re not just doing it because you think you needto put out because I’m being human to you. You don’t. All you need to do is be human back.”