Wrong Way Home - Taken (Criminal Delights 1)

Taron stared at him thoughtfully, and only then it hit Colin that he was being scrutinized. That Taron was assessing if Colin would turn to the nearest police station, or make a scene in public.

Colin slid his hand out of Taron’s grip. “Oh, come on! You really think I’d run? Still?”

Taron looked away and wiped his mouth with a towel. Since he’d cooked, the dishes would be Colin’s to deal with.

They did, actually. There was loads of them and one annoyed Colin.

“Give me a break. It’s just a movie. We’d be in a dark theatre, and we could go straight home after,” Colin said, increasingly agitated. He could have fled a hundred times by now. Not that he could say that to Taron’s face, but for all intents and purposes they were… close by now, and he didn’t want to disappoint him. “When will you trust me?”

Did this mean he’d think about the movie, or think about trust? Colin didn’t get to ask, because Taron rushed out the front door.

So they’d been fucking like newlyweds for weeks now, but Taron still expected a knife in his back?

Colin slowly followed him out, his gaze fixed on the broad shoulders. There was no point in arguing now, even though the collar, which he’d forgotten about, once again felt heavy and repressive. “Be careful,” he said once Taron pulled his fishing supplies out of the shed.

Taron smiled at him and waved as if they’d never had the uncomfortable conversation. Of course. Taron was the master of evading topics. There was nothing else for Colin to do but do his thing in the garden and await Taron’s return.

Or was there?

The fishing trip would take a couple of hours—more than enough time for Colin to reach the public road, even on foot. The weather was glorious, and he could even take water and snacks.

He wouldn’t even need to tell the authorities what happened. He could claim amnesia, lie his ass off about surviving in the wild, or simply say he needed a break from his daily existence.

But anxiety stuck its claws into him, causing stomach cramps the moment he imagined Taron coming home with fish for their dinner, proud to show them to Colin, only to find the house empty.

He couldn’t do that to him after demanding trust.

Colin bit his lips hard as he watched Taron disappear in the woods, but the tension didn’t leave his body until he was done with the dishes. Once outside, the decision he’d made felt right. Taron was away at least twice a week, so it wasn’t like he was missing his one chance today.

With peace settling in his gut, he gradually relaxed, going about his chores like most mornings. Once the animals were all fed, he went to the garden, where the leaves were still dewy, and which smelled of lush plants and rich soil. The sun lazily moved above Colin’s head, so he put on Taron’s straw hat and continued with yesterday’s task—weeding. Few things felt more satisfying than tidying up the plots. It was hands-on work, and he could see the effects right away.

Too bad it left his brain unoccupied.

Would Colin never again go to the movies? Or would it take much more time to talk Taron into an outing. He could just go, of course, and celebrate his birthday however he wanted, without having to beg for favors. But then again, time passed so fast and he felt peaceful with Taron and his animals. Maybe he could wait until after his birthday, since it wasn’t as if he could still graduate this year without handing in all the required papers. Perhaps late August or early September would be the right time to go. By that time, he would have spent a relaxing summer, fucking a guy whose company he enjoyed, and stuffing his face with organic food. What was not to like?

He didn’t need the hassle of his normal life just yet, and in another month, maybe Taron could be convinced that it wasn’t an either-or type of situation, and that Colin going back to his normal life didn’t mean that they would never see one another again. In fact, being here over the weekend would have been so much more relaxing than Colin’s home stays, which he sometimes evaded by lying to his parents that he needed to work on group projects with his classmates.

The cats provided a welcome distraction. Colin used a weed to play with Rio, who went crazy when he couldn’t catch the tip of the damn thing. In the end though, it was back to work for Colin, and he cut some vegetables for lunch before walking behind the shed where Taron had planted some berries. Colin was excited for the wild strawberries, and he’d been watching them slowly grow and ripen for a while now, but when he scooted down next to the little plants, the bright red fruit made him smile.