Until Proven Innocent 🤍 Net/James

Chapter 11 ~ sweet moment ~

After changing into dry clothes the pair ate a light lunch before going back outside to paint the other side of the fence. Noel didn't like this because Man's neighbors kept coming over to talk and asking who he was?

Man sensed Noel's discomfort and sent him in the house to do some laundry then finished the fence himself, when he was done he filled a bucket with water from the hose, washed the brushes and cleared everything away before taking the leftover paint down to the cellar. 

He went into the house and kicked off his shoes, he was exhausted and glad that Noel had agreed to cook dinner this evening, he found Noel in the kitchen reading a recipe book.

"hey Noel, everything ok?" he asked the boy.

"yes boss, I did the laundry and now I'm deciding what to make for dinner, is there anything that you particularly want to eat?" Noel asked him.

"I'm too tired to think, just make whatever you like and stop calling me boss, just call me Man" he replied.

"but boss" Noel said

"Man" 

"ok ... Man" 

"that wasn't too difficult was it, listen I'm going to soak in the tub, I'm aching everywhere, I'll see you in a bit" Man said before drinking a glass of water.

"do you need any pain med's?" Noel asked Man.

"Nagh, it's only because I'm not used to the manual labor, I'll be ok after a hot bath but thanks, it's nice having someone to worry about me" he smiled.

Noel watched Man leave and listened as he trudged up the stairs, he felt guilty that Man had done all the outside of the fence himself, he felt useless and pathetic and such a coward. He was 25 years old and had been afraid to talk to a few neighbors.

Watching Man today interacting with people from his neighborhood and spending time around him, playing in the yard with him made Noel mourn for the normal life he'd never had. He couldn't even remember his dad and could only imagine what his life might have been like if his dad hadn't died.

His dad had been knocked down by a drunk driver, that's all he knew and by the time he was old enough to understand what was going on there was a person who kept dropping by their house and doing favors for his mum then as Noel got older the man would get angry because his mum wouldn't date him "after everything he had done for us" he would say.

That's when the beatings started and they couldn't tell anyone or the beatings would be worse. No one would believe us because he was an important person he had said and then one day he had forced Noel's mum to sign some papers but Noel didn't understand what they were, all he could remember was that the man had beat her until she signed them and then he had left.

For a few days they would have some peace but then he would always come back and when Noel was a little older he had tried to defend his mother and the man had started beating him instead. 

His mind coming back to he present, Noel began making dinner. He wasn't an amazing cook but he managed to make some stir fried chicken basil with the rice left over from breakfast. He made a tossed salad too and heated the rest of the soup than Man had made.

He went upstairs to tell Man that dinner was ready and not knowing which bathroom he was in he went towards the master bedroom. He opened the door to find Man standing in front of the open closet doors wearing nothing but a towel around his hips and water dripping down his chest.

Noel stared at Man then couldn't stop his eyes trailing a path downwards, Man noticed this and walked towards Noel as he continued to stare.

"are you enjoying the view?" he asked Noel as he walked forwards.