4. Zach

Chapter 4

Zach

That went surprisingly really well. And the kid did look a hundred times better than when I first found him. His cheeks had some color to them, and his eyes were fully opened as if they finally had enough moisture in them.

I'd heard about the healing properties of human milk, of course. The Lactin Brotherhood had tons of resources and case studies about how it had practically cured every ailment you could imagine. But I'd never witnessed such a dramatic change in someone after just a few minutes. Based on the amount that I could pump, I estimated he'd had about a cup from each side, so a pint. Not a ton, but apparently enough to revitalize him.

Standing up, I brushed the dust off my knees and then stepped forward and gently placed my hand on the small of his back to urge him forward. "I'm pretty sure the parking lot is this way. We just have to stay to the right."

"If you say so." He looked around and glanced over his shoulder. "This all looks the same to me."

I chuckled and had to agree. There was a whole lot of dirt and rocks and brush as far as the eye could see. "My name is Zach, by the way. I feel like I should've said that a lot sooner."

He just shrugged and grinned at me. "I'm Devin. And you wouldn't be my first nameless hook-up, so don't feel bad."

My brow furrowed as I stared straight ahead. Actually, I kinda did feel bad. I wasn't the nameless hook-up type, even though what we did was hardly a hook-up. Just because we shared an intimate moment, that didn't make it sexual.

It was more…clinical. Life-saving, if you will.

We walked in silence for several minutes, and then my curiosity got the better of me. "So, Albuquerque, huh?"

He groaned. "Not my first choice, but basically my only choice at this point."

"What do you do for work?" I had an office assistant position open that didn't require much experience. I was happy to explore it with him, but his living arrangements would be difficult to work around. Especially with the other direction my thoughts were taking me.

"Anything. Everything. This morning, I was at the airport applying for retail jobs. Fast food. Whatever. When I was young, I wanted to be a programmer, but I haven't done much since high school. Now, I'll scrub floors or sell my ass if I have to."

I didn't know if he was joking or not, but I hoped that he was. "You don't have to do that. But if you can use basic office software and answer the phone, I have an entry-level position in my office. It starts at $18 an hour, so that should be enough to get you back on your feet within a month or two."

His jaw dropped, and he stopped walking as he stared at me. "That would be amazing. Yes. I'll do it. I just…have to find a place to stay." He chewed on his lower lip as he considered options. "There's a shelter that's usually full this time of year, but I can see if they have openings." He shook his head in frustration. "I just wish I had my car back."

I placed my hand on his back again to continue walking. The signs to the trailhead were more frequent, so I knew we were close. "I've got a spare bedroom you can use for a while. Right now, there's just a pullout sofa bed and my desk, so not super comfortable, but hopefully more comfortable than your car."

He swallowed hard and looked at me with glassy eyes. "I can't believe you're offering this to me. Why? I'm just some random stranger. You don't owe me anything. You've already saved my life. That's more than anyone else would do."

I shrugged and nodded toward the sign for the parking lot. We got back much faster than I expected. Apparently, I had gone in a giant circle without realizing how close I was to my car. "You seem like a good kid who just needs a break. I can appreciate that. Besides, I don't have a lot of friends in Santa Fe, so it'll be nice to have somebody to watch TV with."

He laughed and all the tension in his shoulders seemed to fall away. "Okay, is this like a Netflix-and-chill situation?"

I cocked my head, not entirely sure what he meant, but I had a strong suspicion. "If that means that I'd expect something sexual from you, then no. You're way too young for me. Or rather, I'm way too old for you. But if you mean just watching Netflix and chilling, then, yeah. That sounds nice."

"Okay, cool. Thanks." He smiled and turned to look straight ahead. "And I'm twenty-two. Not too young."

He was just a baby. "I've got more than a decade on you, Devin. So, no, I don't expect anything in return other than friendship."

That was…disappointing. "But you're into guys, right?" He peeked at me quickly but didn't hold my stare.

"Yes, I am."

"Cool." He slipped his hands into his pockets as we entered the parking lot. "Me too. And I'm down to Netflix-and-chill if you are."

I couldn't deny the tension building between us. He was a very attractive young man. And just because I was eleven years his senior, that wasn't too extreme. I certainly wouldn't expect anything from him, but the way he was talking seemed like he might be open to something with me.

And I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed for… anything.

"I'm in the white Bronco." I turned toward my classic Ford, one of the few things I brought with me from my old life.

"Dude, this is sick. I love these things. Can we take the top off?"

I laughed, excited he shared the same enthusiasm for classics that I did. "We can, but where would I put it? If we want to take it off, I need to do that at home so I can leave it in my garage. Maybe tomorrow."

He ran his finger along the hood until he got to the passenger door and opened it up.

Just as I was about to slide onto the driver's seat, he caught my eye and grinned. "You know, you just got even hotter, Zach."

Fuck, this kid.

I chuckled and tried not to read too much into his words. He was just grateful to have someone help him out. I needed to remember that his gratitude shouldn't be mistaken for genuine attraction. But if he was going to be casual about this friendship of ours, I might as well be too. "Coming from a very hot twenty-two-year-old, I'll take that as a compliment."