Safe Place, page 10
God, looking back he could see now what a fool he'd been. He'd given up living so Jason would be happy. He hadn't realized how bad it had gotten until he'd had a chance to step away and look back at it.
"Okay, let's try again." Kent came up behind Aydin and grabbed him.
Aydin ran through everything Kent had taught him. His confidence was growing, but it was different with Kent. The fear wasn't there, and he wasn't sure Kent was grabbing him as hard as Jason would. In fact, there were times when Kent came up behind him, it was almost more intimate than forceful. Or maybe that was all in Aydin's head since he had to resist the urge to ease back against him and rest his head on Kent's shoulder.
He would have sworn after what he'd been through with Jason that he'd never feel attraction to another man, but he found himself looking forward to the time he spent with Kent and noticing things he shouldn't, like the scent of his cologne, the rough texture of his fingertips on his skin, and the way Kent's eyes gleamed when he was teasing him or joking around with him.
Every time he started to think of Kent as more than the person who was helping him, he forced himself to remember Kent was a police officer and it was just in his nature to help people. He wouldn't want some rundown, down-on-his-luck, homeless guy. The attraction was one-sided and to think there could be anything more was crazy. He was imagining the soft touches or the fact that Kent sometimes seemed to hold him longer than necessary.
Kent easily took him down again. "You're not paying attention. Where's your head?" Kent let go of Aydin and rolled away.
"Sorry, was just thinking how good it felt to get some exercise. I used to work out a lot before things got so bad with Jason. I've missed it."
"We can do this every weekend." Kent stood.
"I don't want to take up all your time, but I would enjoy it once in a while." He took Kent's hand again.
"Let's go get a drink and sit outside for a bit while the weather is still nice. We can pick this up again after a short break." Kent led him back upstairs.
"Is the weather supposed to change?"
"Yep, rain for the next three or four days. Caused some flooding in California, but they don't think it will be as bad here." Kent leaned into the fridge. "Water, lemonade, iced tea, or soda?"
"Lemonade sounds great." Aydin wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
Kent pulled out two glasses and poured them each lemonade. He handed one to Aydin, then gestured for him to follow him outside.
"Hopefully, the rain holds off when I have to walk from one job to the other. Prince is still picking me up in the mornings, but I walk from the bakery to Trevor's."
"I have an extra umbrella around here somewhere you can have. One of those small ones that should fit in your backpack."
Aydin sat down at the patio table and looked out over the well-maintained yard. "Thanks, I'd appreciate that. Add it to the list of many things I owe you for."
"You don't owe me for anything."
"I feel like I do. You've done so much to help me." He imagined Kent working in the garden. "Your yard is amazing. Do you do all the gardening?"
"Yep, it's a hobby of mine. In the spring, I spend a lot of my free time out there. This time of the year, not as much. I like having fresh vegetables. Do you garden?"
"A bit, but nothing like this. I had a few tomato plants and some zucchini so I could make bread. Bet Jason hasn't even walked into the backyard to water them since I left."
"Do you enjoy cooking and baking?" Kent asked.
"Love both. I'm learning so much working at the bakery with Prince. He's amazing. I don't know where he gets the ideas he does to mix healthy things together to make them taste sweet, but he does. Trevor's offered to let me learn to cook for him, but that's not the kind of cooking I enjoy. I like just cooking dinner for someone. Baking I've always loved. Especially bread, zucchini, banana, pumpkin, or whatever I have around."
"Well, I can cook, but I don't know how to bake. One day you'll have to come over and make me some bread. I have a ton of zucchini and I'll have pumpkin soon."
"I'd love to make you some bread. It would be a good snack to take to work with you. Something you can eat between calls."
"That's a great idea." Kent nodded. "I usually keep a bag of nuts in my car to munch on, but bread sounds even better."
"Hey, neighbor."
Aydin turned to see a man leaning on the fence, his arms folded under his chin. He had to be standing on something because if he wasn't, he had to be nearly seven feet tall.
"Matt, come on over and join us for a bit." Kent smiled. "Meet my friend, Aydin."
"I'll be over in a few. Sure that I won't be interrupting?"
"Not at all." Kent smiled at Aydin. "In fact, you might be able to help us. Come prepared to work out."
Matt raised a brow.
"Just do it. I'll explain when you get here." Kent laughed, then glanced at Aydin. "Sorry, maybe I should have asked you first. I'm just used to having him drop by. If you don't want company, I'll cut the visit with him short."
"No, I don't mind at all." Aydin really didn't mind. He was a people person or at least he used to be. He liked meeting people.
"He's probably my best friend. We run together some mornings before he goes to work if I can drag my ass out of bed after a late shift. He's into some kind of martial arts, so I thought he might be able to give us some advice on things to help you."
"That would be great. Have you known him long?"
"Since I moved in. We started talking over the fence one day and soon enough we were sharing dinner and watching the game at night. We're both pretty big sports fans."
Aydin nodded, starting to wonder exactly how close the two men were. A wave of jealousy he had no right to feel pushed through him, but he forced it back. Kent had a life. Just because he was helping him out didn't mean he didn't have others in his life too. Matt was attractive. He couldn't blame them if they were more than friends.
"Do you like sports?" Kent asked.
"Some. I'm not a huge fan of any one sport, but I enjoy watching them all. We used to go to a lot of the basketball games. The congressman would always get free tickets he'd give to Jason."
"Matt has season tickets as well. Allows me tag along from time to time."
"So, you're a basketball fan?"
"Like you, I love all sports, but basketball's probably my favorite."
"Hey. You sure I'm not interrupting?" Matt opened the back gate and walked to where they sat.
"Not at all. Matt, meet Aydin. He wanted to learn some self-defense so we're going to get together every Saturday we can to work on that. I thought you might have some input."
Matt eyed Aydin and nodded. "Sure, I can teach you some things. What are you hoping to learn?"
Aydin swallowed hard, then went with the truth. "My ex beat the shit out of me and has been stalking me since. I'm not sure he'll do anything, but I want to be ready if he does." He rubbed his hand over the burn on his arm, realizing he did that almost every time he thought of Jason. He quickly folded his hands on the table.
"I can teach you a lot. I used to teach a self-defense class at the rec. center and know exactly what kinds of things you need to learn. Do you carry anything like pepper spray or a gun?"
Aydin sighed, but he wasn't about to hide his current living situation from anyone. "Can't. I'm staying at the homeless shelter right now. They don't allow any of that inside. They don't search us, but if I got caught with it, I'd lose my place to stay at night."
Matt's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything.
"His ex showed up at his work the other night and has followed him when he's been out walking from one job to the other. I think if we can teach him enough to get away so he can run for help, it will be enough." Kent reached for his lemonade and finished it off.
"Get away and hopefully cause the asshole some pain while doing it." Matt nodded.
Aydin smiled. "I shouldn't enjoy that thought as much as I do."
"After what he did to you, you should relish the thought," Kent grumbled. "Speaking of which, I didn't ask how your ribs are. I should have checked before we started messing around earlier."
"They're tender, but not bad enough I want to stop. I only notice it when we twist certain ways. I'd rather deal with the pain than not learn how to stop him. Next time will be worse."
"There won't be a next time." Kent stood. "You ready to get back to work?"
Aydin nodded as he looked at Matt. "Thanks for helping."
"Glad to. My sister was in an abusive relationship a few years ago. I get how hard it is to move on after, especially if this guy isn't letting go." Matt stood.
Aydin downed the last of his drink and stood. "She's okay now?"
"Yep, she's moved to Florida and is dating some Navy SEAL she met down there. I haven't seen her this happy in forever. I'm betting there's a wedding in her future." Matt followed them inside.
That gave Aydin hope that someday he might be able to move on too. Right now, he was just trying to stay alive. Not only because Jason was after him, but because his living situation wasn't safe either. He had to make it just a few more weeks, then he'd be able to afford an apartment.
As they gathered in the basement, Aydin focused on everything Kent and Matt showed him, struggling through each move over and over again until he got it right. By the time they were done two hours later, he was covered in sweat, but confident that he'd at least be able to fight and wouldn't be the victim that Jason expected to find. He prayed he wouldn't have to ever use his new skills but was excited to know them just in case. He'd learned a lot in one day and looked forward to the next weekend when he'd learn even more.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"How about I order some pizza before I take you back?" Kent handed Aydin and Matt each a bottle of water from the fridge. He wanted to make sure Aydin had dinner because he doubted by the time he got back to the shelter he'd take the time to go to the soup kitchen.
"Are you sure? I've taken up your whole day." Aydin glanced at the clock on the stove.
"It's been an enjoyable day. I learned a few things from Matt as well." Kent sat down at the table and reached for his phone. "Why don't you go grab a shower and change? Pizza should be here by the time you're done. You need to be back by six, right?"
"Yeah, any later than seven and I risk not getting a bed." Aydin reached for his backpack. "Can I grab some clean clothes from the garage?"
"Sure, it's unlocked. If you have stuff to wash, we can do a load of laundry too," Kent offered.
"I might take you up on that next weekend, but I'm okay for now. Trevor lets me use the washer at work, so I have clean stuff. I just want to grab another pair of jeans from the bags out there." Aydin set the water bottle down on the counter.
"You know where the bathroom is. If you need anything, let me know. Spare towels are in the cabinet in there. Anything you don't like on your pizza?"
"I'm good with anything." Aydin shrugged.
"No peppers." Matt sat down.
Kent nodded, then glanced at Aydin. "Go get your stuff and shower. If we're not here, we'll be in the backyard."
"Thanks." Aydin headed toward the garage.
Matt raised a brow at Kent. "So, where did you meet him?"
Kent shook his head. "It's not what you think."
"Isn't it? You haven't taken your eyes off him since I got here. You're always watching him. It'd be kind of creepy if I didn't know you so well," Matt teased.
Kent sighed. "I didn't realize I was watching him."
"You like him?"
"I shouldn't."
"Doesn't change the fact you do. It's not like it's something you can control. Attraction isn't something you can just turn on and off. How'd you meet him?" Matt asked.
"On a call. I got the call the night his ex beat the shit out of him. It was bad. Then somehow, our paths kept crossing after that. I didn't seek him out. I'd get calls concerning him. We just started talking. I had the ability to help him out, so I did."
"Does he feel the same way?" Matt asked.
Kent shrugged. "I doubt it. Would you be thinking about dating after going through everything he has? It's probably the last thing on his mind. He's just trying to survive. I feel like a creep even thinking about pursuing anything with him."
They both grew silent as Aydin walked back into the house. It wasn't until they heard the bathroom door close that either of them spoke again.
"You might be just what he needs to heal."
"It's crazy. He's living at the shelter, trying to get his feet under him. Sure, I've given him a place to store his things and am helping him learn a little self-defense, but he doesn't need my infatuation to distract him." Kent wished he'd met Aydin at a different time in his life.
"He watches you just as much as you watch him." Matt twisted the lid on his water bottle and took a long drink.
"He does?" Kent was surprised. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The timing is bad for him. Maybe once he gets things situated and isn't focused on all this other shit going on." Kent scrolled through his phone, finding the pizza place he usually ordered from.
"Don't let the opportunity pass you by." Matt leaned forward. "It's been a long time since I've seen you interested in someone. He seems like a good guy despite all the crap he's facing. You've struck out with other guys who seem to have it all together. Maybe you need someone who isn't so perfect and cocky. That last guy you dated was a perfectionist. Saw the world through rose-colored glasses. Might be nice to date someone who has faced a few struggles and is strong enough to battle through them."
"I can't. Not now when he's going through so much. He's probably scared to date again after the shit he's been through. Maybe later once he's back on his feet and feeling a bit more sure of himself. Right now, he might feel like he owes me, and I don't want that."
Matt shook his head. "He might not realize what he's feeling, but I'm telling you, this isn't one-sided. I felt like a third wheel down there in the weight room. You two couldn't keep your hands off each other, no matter how innocent it was."
"I'm not going there. Not yet." He cut off the conversation as he placed the order for dinner. He wouldn't think about the fact Matt thought Aydin liked him too. It wasn't right to pursue something right now. If something happened, it would be later when they could both be sure of what was happening and what they felt.
"So what about you? You had a date the other night. How'd it go?" Kent asked, turning the conversation to Matt's love life.
"Horrible. The guy was boring. He talked about his parents' farm all night and how he's looking forward to moving back to Idaho to start taking it over now that his parents are retiring. I mean, why date if you know you're moving and it can't go anywhere?"
"Maybe he wants you to put on that cowboy hat and move with him," Kent teased.
"Can you see me farming? Gardening maybe, but farming? I'm a city boy through and through." Matt leaned back in the chair. "I'm convinced I'm meant to be single. Every date I go on gets worse and worse."
"Because you're trying to meet people online. Join a bowling club or something. Get out more." It was a conversation they had repeatedly. Neither one of them wanted to add stuff to their busy schedules to look for love. Not when each date turned into a nightmare.
They talked a bit more while they waited for the pizza. Kent had just set it on the counter when Aydin walked out in clean clothes, freshly showered, shaved, and looking better than Kent had ever seen him. His skin was pink from the hot water, hair damp and perfectly combed into place, and while the clothes were a bit baggy, they still showed off his lean frame.
"Just in time." Matt handed Aydin a plate.
"Thanks, I feel much better." Aydin took two slices of pizza and picked up his bottle of water.
"Anytime," Kent told him.
"Well, I hate to eat and run, but I promised to call my sister tonight. She told me not to call after seven, so with the time difference, I need to hurry. It was great to meet you, Aydin. I hope to see you again."
"You too." Aydin set his plate down and shook Matt's hand. "Thanks for the lessons."
"Anytime." Matt smiled.
"Good, then plan on noon next Saturday," Kent told Matt. "We'll keep practicing until we're sure he has it down."
"I should be available. Give me a call and remind me." Matt held up the two slices of pizza he'd snagged and headed out the door.
"He's great." Aydin sat down.
"He is. I'm lucky to have him as a neighbor."
"You're not dating?" Aydin asked.
Kent shook his head. "No, we tried that when we first met. There's no attraction there. We're great friends, but that's where it ends. We didn't even make it through a whole date before we both realized we didn't do it for each other." Was it his imagination or did Aydin look relieved? Was Matt right? Was there something there he hadn't seen before? Was Aydin interested in him? He didn't dare hope.
"I had a friend like that before I started dating Jason. We lost contact after a while, but I heard he moved to Iowa. Went out once, and had a great time, but there was no chemistry. He ended up dating one of my co-workers and last I heard they were engaged." He took a large bit of pizza. "God, this is so good."
"That's a compliment since you've been eating Trevor's food all week." Kent grinned. "It's my favorite pizza place. I love their crust. I have to admit, I'm a pizza junkie. I like getting it on my way home after a shift, then I can eat leftovers in the morning when I get up."
"I love it the next day too." Aydin laughed. "Sad how much I took it for granted a few weeks ago."
"I imagine we all take things for granted a bit too often. People don't realize how quickly life can change."
"I guess you see it all the time."
Kent nodded. "Every day. Some are worse than others. You at least have a chance to get your life back in order. The drunk driver I dealt with the other night will be lucky to get out of prison after killing three people."
