“I assure you, Ms. Hadley, you’re in excellent hands,” Jai replied with authority beyond his years.
Jennifer’s eyes widened a little. “Good to know.”
Charlie hit end call and sighed. His mom was still pissed at him for taking off with Ari. At least she was answering his calls. Although, the conversation couldn’t really be classed as such, since it mostly comprised them responding in grunts and mumblings. He threw his phone at the coffee table, watching the film playing across the small home cinema. It was funnier on mute. Groaning, Charlie ran his hand through his hair and felt frustration burn when he didn’t feel the usual mass of shaggy locks. Why did he cut it off again?
Why was he even here? Left behind. Ignored.
You’re here to learn, he reminded himself. And so far that wasn’t going great, but it’d go even crappier if he went it alone right now. Plus… there was Ari. He had to make sure she was okay. The image of her in the red dress made him groan again. She was out in that thing. With Jai.
For a moment, he just sat there trying to think about anything but Ari with her guardian.
He glanced around the room, feeling the echo of the quiet of the mansion ring inside it. Jai hadn’t been kidding when he said people scattered when he came home. Charlie actually felt bad for the guy. Knowing what it was like to be ignored by the people who were supposed to take care of you, Charlie winced sympathetically every time someone talked to Jai without looking at him or called him ‘boy’. Okay, maybe he didn’t feel sorry for him about that. The guy insisted on calling him ‘kid’ after all.
“Knock, knock,” a familiar voice said, and Charlie twisted around to see Trey standing in the doorway. “Can I come in?”
Ari’s teasing voice shot through his mind. This guy had a crush on him. Uh, how did he act around him now? Trey was a funny guy and Charlie liked him despite his status as Jai’s best friend, but he’d never been around a guy who had a crush on him before. That he knew of, anyway. How should he talk? What shouldn’t he do? Should he make eye contact or was that some kind of signal that he was flattered by his attention? Crap.
“Hey. Of course.” He nodded, trying to act cool. I can do this. It's just Trey.
“Ah.” Trey nodded thoughtfully as he took a seat across from him. “Ari told you. I thought so earlier but I couldn’t be sure, however, that nod just gave it away.”
Feigning ignorance, Charlie frowned. “Told me what?”
Glancing back at the door to make sure it was closed, Trey then shot him a teasing look. “That I like dudes and dudettes.”
“Oh right, yeah, that. Whatever.”
Trey snorted. “Dude, chill, your ignorance is showing. Bisexual and gay men aren't all plotting to convert straight guys. I’m too lazy to for a start. Anyway, I’d say you were a goner.”
Charlie frowned, avoiding the last sentence. “Sorry, man, didn't mean to come off as a prick about it.”
“We're cool.”
“Good.” Charlie checked the clock on the wall. “Thought you were on assignment tonight?”
“Yeah, it got canceled. Singer is sick.” Trey shrugged. “You mind if I hang out here? I’m kind of dodging someone.”
“A guy?” Charlie blurted out without thinking. He winced. God, he was so bad at this.
The ginnaye only smirked at him, though. “Yeah, a guy. Seriously, man, I can leave if you’re uncomfortable.”
Feeling instantly guilty, Charlie waved him off. “No, don’t do that.”
“Cool. Also… can you keep what Ari told you to yourself? About me?”
“People don’t know?”
A bitterness Charlie wouldn’t have expected Trey capable of entered his voice as he replied, “My father specifically. He’s a bigot.”
“Christ,” Charlie huffed. “That must suck.”
“A little, yeah. The tribe don’t know. Only Jai does, as far as I’m aware.”
“How can you live like that?”
Trey raised an eyebrow. “Have you told your parents you traded in an ordinary life to be a sorcerer in order to exact revenge against the jinn who killed your brother?”
Charlie stared blankly at him for a moment. “Well… no. But that’s the kind of thing that could get me locked up in a mental hospital. Yours isn’t.”
Trey didn’t answer, his features turning to stone.
Not knowing what he’d said or done that was bad enough to turn an easygoing guy like Trey into the Terminator, Charlie did what any guy would do and changed the subject. “So Ari’s out with Jai.” Wearing a ridiculous dress. In a club.
“He’ll take good care of her.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
Eyeing Charlie thoughtfully, Trey observed, “You seem like a good guy. Messed up, mixed up, but a good guy.”
“Okay. Thanks, I guess.”
“Jai’s a good guy.”
Charlie grunted. “If you say so.”
“He is. He’s not perfect, but he’s strong and he’s honorable and he’s come out good considering what he’s been through. Jai has had it terrible, Charlie. Maybe if you understood him better…” Trey heaved a massive sigh, as if he’d come to some kind of decision. “I’ve had to pull his brothers off him before they killed him, hide out with him when his stepmom was in a bad mood and looking to beat it out on him.