Page 47 of The Fallen Man

“No, he’s going to watch the car for the rest of the night. I put him in the backseat.”

“His mom must have found someone,” she said and then wished she hadn’t. That wasn’t exactly something that Jamal would want spread around. “She works really hard,” Caitlin said. “But sometimes…”

“Rent has to be paid,” he said, kissing her shoulder in a gesture that felt genuinely affectionate. “I know.”

“Did you take him some food?”

“I took him the coat neither of us are here for and a sleeping bag from the trunk.”

“Oh, good.” He spooned against her and she tried to decide if his silence was understanding or judgmental. “I never know whether or not to call CPS for him.”

“You shouldn’t,” he said, and she relaxed into him.

Morning came with a bleat of the alarm and she picked up her phone and stared at the time. With a grunt, she stumbled over to the window. Jamal was chatting to one of his loser friends on the stoop below.

“Jamal! Go to school!”

“Goddamn it!” Jamal yelled back. “How are you still yelling at me? Didn’t he fuck you hard enough last night?”

“Mind your own business! Go the fuck to school!”

“Can I have food?”

“Yes!”

“OK.”

She turned around to find Jackson pulling on his pants. It allowed her to get a better look at the twisting dragon tattoo that wound up his hip and onto his abs. It was hot. He was hot. She wished she didn’t have to work.

“I have a modeling gig with Roggario in an hour.”

“I’ll drive you,” he volunteered.

“Thanks. Can you go give Jamal one of the to-go boxes from the fridge? One of the ones on the top shelf.”

He nodded and, still shirtless, went into the kitchen while she stumbled into the bathroom. She heard him go downstairs and open the door.

“What do we got?” asked Jamal, his voice echoing slightly up the stairwell.

She eyed her hair while she brushed her teeth. She had third day, no shower, slash sex hair, and it looked fucking fantastic.She decided to leave it.

“Um,” said Jackson. “Looks like roast beef with risotto and some sort of vegetable medley.”

“Sweet,” said Jamal.

“Are you going to actually go to school?” Even with reverb from the hall Jackson sounded skeptical.

“I was gonna go anyway,” said Jamal. “But Katie will call the truant officer if I don’t.”

“Harsh,” said Jackson.

“Katie’s cool,” said Jamal defensively.

“Yes,” agreed Jackson and Jamal laughed.

“See you around, man.”

The door shut, and Jackson came back upstairs as she spit and rinsed out her mouth.