Hot Garbage

15

The next morning, I woke up early and went to find Joseph. He was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Good morning," I said, yawning.

"Good morning. Breakfast is almost ready." He said, smiling at me.

I sat down at the table and watched as he finished cooking. He served me a plate of eggs and bacon and then sat down across from me.

"How did you sleep?" He asked, taking a bite of his food.

"Pretty well, thanks," I replied. "What about you?"

"I slept okay." He said. "I'm thinking about going for a run later this morning, do you want to join me?"

I considered it for a moment. I wasn't really much of a runner and I needed to figure out what I was going to do about school. Gene paid for my private school. At the end of the month, I wouldn't be able to go anymore. Plus, if I went to school he could find me.

"I didn't think it was that big of a decision." Joseph chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I got lost on a whole other train of thought. I'm not really into running." I blushed.

"Don't apologize. I destress with working out or fixing things around the house. It's not for everyone. What are you thinking about? Maybe I can help."

"School. I want to finish, but it's a private school and I can't afford it. I have a bank account with the money I got from my dad's parents when they died a couple of years ago, but I was hoping to use it for college."

"I'll pay for you to go to school. Tomorrow, I'll take you to school and talk to them about the change of address and billing. I want to help you, Roxy. This is important to you." He said.

"I don't have my uniform," I replied.

"My lawyers delivered a letter to your stepfather yesterday. Part of what I was doing yesterday morning was ensuring we could get your things. We're going after lunch. I've hired bodyguards and made sure your stepfamily was sufficiently threatened to discourage them from trying anything."

"Really?"

"Yes. You're an adult and free to leave that house. I'm just facilitating it, Roxy. They can't stop you. You don't belong to them." Joseph told me in a stiff tone.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Finally, someone was on my side. Someone understood. "I'm sorry I'm so much trouble," I said, fighting the tears that were welling up in my eyes.

"You're not. You're never trouble, Roxy. I felt protective of you when you were just my friend online. It's worse now that I see you in person. What they did to you pisses me off. Trying to make you think you wanted it. Trying to make you feel like it was your idea. I'd kill them if I could. I'd cut their d***s off and shove them up their asses. I'm not used to the rage that's coursing through me right now. There aren't words for the acts of violence I want to commit." He growled and slammed his hand down on the table.

I put my hand over his and rubbed it gently. Joseph looked up at me. He had a look in his eyes that was a mix of anger and sadness.

"Roxy." He said, in a tone that was both soft and stern. "You didn't deserve what they did. They hurt you and took away your ability to think for yourself. How is it that you can trust me so easily? You've known me for about as long as you've known them."

"I have to believe that there are good people in the world, Joseph. I have to believe that there is kindness without reason, caring without cost, and men who are good and honorable." I replied.

Joseph leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. It was a gentle kiss at first, but soon it turned passionate. Our arms wrapped around each other, we were drawn together. I could feel my passion and desire growing. I wanted to be with him, to be one with him.

He broke the kiss, his face flushed. He pulled back and stood up.

"I'm sorry," Joseph said, trembling. "I can't do this. I can't take advantage of you like this. You're..."

"I'm what?" I asked, hurt by his comment.

"You're vulnerable. You've been hurt and my feelings for you aren't going to help. I want you to be happy. If being with me would make you sad, I can't continue down this path." He said, guilt in his voice.

"We can pretend it didn't happen. I'll clean up. You go for your run. I'm not mad. I understand." I replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. If this were happening in one of the books we read, the male lead would have been so overcome by the wholesome innocence of the female lead that he wouldn't have been able to help himself." I chuckled.

"This isn't a book, Roxy," Joseph replied.

"I know. I just don't want to be afraid. I want to be able to trust you."

"I promise you, I will never make you feel afraid. I'm not that kind of man." Joseph said, looking deep into my eyes.

My heart skipped a beat. "I believe you."

"Good," Joseph said. "I'm going to go for that run now."

Joseph left, and I cleaned up the kitchen. I kept thinking about the kiss while I washed the dishes. It had been nice, but it left me wanting more. How long did it take for those drugs Matt and Gene gave me to wear off? Was this because of those, or did I really feel this way?

I hadn't felt like I needed to have s*x since I heard them talking about what they planned for me. Had my disgust and adrenaline pushed it out of my system? Was I me again?

When I was done cleaning up, I wandered the house a bit. Joseph hadn't come back yet. I decided to go get our dirty clothes and wash some laundry. I went into his room and searched for the dirty clothes.

The master bedroom was huge and elegant. The furniture was tall and grand, adorned with the finest fabrics, enamel, and gold. The bed was towering, covered in mahogany and gold lace, a look of royalty on its surface. It smelled like Joseph. Like his cologne.

He had three walk-in closets, satin sheets on the bed, two large flat-screen televisions, a fireplace, and a marble walk-in shower with a full congregation of shower gel bottles. His carpet was thick and elegant, almost like a field of grass.

It was like I'd walked into a king's bedroom. Everything else in his house was more modest, though well-made and probably expensive. This was the most decadent room in the house.

It wasn't the bedroom I'd expect a computer geek to have. It was more appropriate for a prince.

I was walking around the room, looking at everything, when I noticed a large bookcase in the corner. I decided to see what kind of books he liked to read.

Joseph and I liked to read the same kind of books. I was interested in the same books he was. I went over to the bookcase and looked at the titles. There were quite a few books on estate law, finance, and genetics. There was a collection of classic novels, an English dictionary, and a series of books about chemistry.

The next shelf had an old photograph. It was of Joseph as a little boy with a woman I assumed was his mother. She was a brunette with bright eyes, wearing a long, flowing dress. The boy was grinning happily at the camera.

Joseph was adorable as a child. I picked the frame up and turned it over. On the back, it said "Momma and me." It was so cute. I set it back on the shelf and went to put the clothes in the washer. I turned around and saw another photo of Joseph and his mother.

This one was a few years later. He was probably around six. It was a picture of him sitting on the lap of his mother, who was looking at him lovingly. She had a bit of a smile on her face. It was their happiest moment.

There was a third picture of them together. She was holding him in a rocking chair. It was a few years later, he was probably nine or ten. He was hugging his mother and his little face was sad. His mother had a smile on her face, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Joseph said his mother died when he was a child. That meant she left him sometime after this. I could see why he would be so protective. I could understand why he was so angry.

He hadn't been able to protect her from whatever took her. She was important to him. Did he consider me that important?

We'd been friends online for about three years. We talked almost every day and not just about books. We talked about everything without revealing too much detail about ourselves.

After gathering his dirty clothes, I left the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I heard a noise and looked up.

Joseph was standing in the hallway, his eyes looking tired. He was shirtless, wearing just a pair of exercise pants. His skin glistened with sweat. His chest and arms were rippling with muscles. His eyes were focused on me.

"I thought you were going to go for a run," I said.

"I did, then I went and lifted some weights in the gym." He replied.

I stared at his body. He worked out a lot and it showed. There were large muscles bulging under his skin. Pure, raw power.

The muscles on Joseph’s chest were tight and as defined as those on a statue of the Greek god Apollo. The wiry hair was spread over the flat planes of his chest, rippling in sharp contrast to the carved planes of muscle. His shoulders were broad and his abs rippled with definition.

There was something about his scent that made me hungry. I wanted to eat him.

"I'm going to take a shower," Joseph said, breaking the silence.

He turned and walked towards the master bedroom, leaving me alone. Every step he took was controlled and purposeful. With luck, the shower would help him relax and he would be calmer afterward.

I went to my room to get my clothes, then to the laundry room to start the laundry. Heading back to the main part of the house, I went to sit in the living room. I didn't know what to do with myself.