A Change of Worlds

Book 5 of the Killian Kendall Mysteries

By Josh Aterovis
Copyright 2026

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Chapter 2

I pulled into the driveway of the beach house, turned off the car, and reached for the door handle.

Instead of getting out, however, my hand fell away as I leaned my forehead against the steering wheel. I'd been thinking about Micah's offer all the way home, twisting and turning it, looking at it from every imaginable angle.

He wanted me to move in with him. He had this incredible job offer at The New York Times, and was willing to give it up for me. I loved Micah. I knew he loved me. Why wasn't I jumping at this opportunity?

A tap on my window startled me. I glanced up to see Kane smashing his face against the glass.

I chuckled as he stepped back to allow me to get out.

Slamming the door, I leaned back against it.

"You look like crap," my little brother commented with a grin.

"Gee, thanks, Kane. Way to make a guy feel good about himself."

"Have you been at the office all this time?"

"No, Micah came by and forced me to go to dinner with him."

"I'm sure he really had to twist your arm."

I shrugged. "I didn't put up too much of a fight, but you should see the pile of work on my desk."

"It'll still be there tomorrow."

"Thanks for reminding me," I groaned.

"Is that what's got you so bummed?"

"How do you know I'm bummed?"

"Killian, no offense, but when it comes to your emotions, you're as transparent as a pane of glass. So, is it work related?"

"No. Work is work. It's busy, but I can handle it."

"Then it must be something between you and Micah."

"How'd we get there so fast?"

"Because you don't have a life outside of Micah and your job, especially now that classes are over for the summer."

"Ouch."

"The truth hurts. So what happened?"

"Micah asked me to move in with him."

Kane's mouth fell open. "Wow!"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"That's a big deal, Kill."

"I said that too."

"What did you tell him?"

"That I needed to think about it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Think about it."

"Dad's gonna have a fucking cow."

"Let me talk to him. And I haven't decided anything yet."

"That's still total bovine territory. What do you think Micah would do if you said no?"

"Move to New York," I said miserably.

"Don't you think you're overreacting a bit?"

"No. That's what started all this. He has a job offer at the Times."

His eyebrows leaped up. "As in The New York Times?"

"That's the one. He says he'll stay here if we take our relationship to the next level, but he needs more commitment."

"Heavy stuff."

"Yeah. It's a lot. I think he's been planning this for a while, and the job offer was just an excuse to ask me. You should have heard all the arguments he had ready."

"Valid arguments?"

"He said we'd get to see each other more — which is obviously true — and I'd be closer to work. I'd have one place to go home to every night instead of having half my stuff here and half at the B&B."

"They're pretty convincing arguments."

"Yeah."

"So what's the holdup?"

"I don't know."

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do! I'm not sure if I'm ready to move in with him, but I know I love him. What sucks is that I know if he goes to New York, we might as well call it quits. I'm not cut out for a long-distance relationship, and I don't think Micah is, either."

"So you're willing to just throw everything away?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Come on, Kill, you love Micah, and anybody can see that Micah is crazy about you. You're good together. Not perfect, maybe, but then what couple is? I think you're good for each other. Don't screw this up just because you're scared of taking a chance."

"So you're saying I should move in with him?"

"My opinion doesn't matter. This is your choice, and you have to make it on your own. I just don't want to see you miserable a few months from now because you didn't go out on a limb for Micah."

"But you think I should do it?"

He sighed. "I just said..."

"I know what you said. I'm not asking you to decide for me. I just want to know what you think."

"Okay. Yeah, I think you should. What's the worst that could happen? A few months from now you decide it's not working, so you move out?"

"What if it ruins our relationship?"

"You just said it'll get ruined anyway if Micah takes the job."

"Yeah, but if he leaves now, I won't be the one who caused him to lose out on his dream job."

"Dude, that's some seriously twisted thinking."

"If he leaves and goes to New York, yeah, our relationship is as good as over. But if he stays for me, and then we break up anyway, he's also lost out on what could be a great opportunity for him."

"So essentially what you're saying is that you don't have any faith in your relationship."

"I... Damn. I hadn't thought about it like that."

"You can't just date forever. Micah's not that kind of guy. So if you want to be with him, you're gonna hafta ante up, take a risk, go out on a limb, shit or get off the pot..."

"Okay, okay, I get the picture."

I threw my arm around his shoulder, and we started for the house.

"When did you become the wise one?" I groused. "I'm the older brother. I'm supposed to be giving you sage advice."

He grinned. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of chances for that. I'm just trying to get ahead of the game."

"So what were you doing in the front yard, anyway?" I asked as we let ourselves into the house.

"I was on the porch talking on the phone with Lila when you pulled up. You still hadn't gotten out of the car by the time we finished, so I decided to make sure you were okay."

"How are things with Lila?"

Kane had started dating Lila after they met at a Halloween dance sponsored by my university's LGBTQ club the previous fall. They'd been together for over six months — a record for him.

He grinned. "Great! Better than ever. She's so awesome, Kill."

"I'm glad." I gave him a quick hug. "At least one of us knows what he wants from his relationship."

"What's this?" Adam asked as he came into the hall. "Are you and Micah having problems?"

"Long story," I groaned.

I threw my arms around the neck of the man I considered my father and gave him a big hug. I hadn't seen him for almost a week.

"I have plenty of time," he said, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. "I have to wait up for Tad."

"Wait up for him? Where is he?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Isn't it a school night?"

"Why yes, now that you mention it, I believe it is. Not that this ever seems to make any difference with him."

"Are you having trouble with him?"

"You might say that," Kane inserted, "but I'll let Adam fill you in on the details. I'm going up to my room. Good night, guys."

We said good night to Kane, and then Adam motioned me to the living room. "We might as well be comfortable while we swap sob stories."

After we settled on the sofa, he asked, "Who wants to go first?"

"Why don't you?" I needed a distraction from my dilemma, even if it was for just a few minutes. "What's going on with Tad?"

Adam threw his hands up in frustration. "I just don't know what to do with him. I'm not used to dealing with a headstrong teenager. I was spoiled with Seth, Kane, and you. Obviously, I wasn't grateful enough for having three well-behaved, respectful sons, so now I'm being punished."

"What's he doing?"

"What doesn't he do? He doesn't listen to anything I say. He pretty much does what he wants with no regard to house rules. He refuses to do the chores I give him. He goes out whenever he wants without telling me where he's going and comes home whenever he feels like it. He skips school. He doesn't go to his therapy appointments. It's driving me crazy."

I was aghast. "I had no idea it was this bad."

"I didn't want to bother you with it. You've been so busy with work and school. It didn't start off this bad. He was quiet and sullen, but at least he went to school and came home. He's gotten progressively worse."

"I'm sorry," I said miserably. "I feel like this is my fault."

I'd been the one who persuaded Adam to take in the abused runaway and former street hustler. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but maybe I should have given it more thought.

Adam sighed. "As much as I'd like to blame you..." He added a weak smile to make sure I knew he was joking. "...it's not your fault. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to this. The only one to blame for his behavior is Tad himself, but he's not about to take responsibility for his actions."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"I've tried everything short of putting a shock collar on him. Talking to him is like talking to a fire hydrant — he's just as responsive. You don't get any indication he's hearing a word you say. I tried grounding him, but he just totally ignored it. Kane's even tried talking to him. I don't know what else to do. Honestly, I think I'm nearing the end of my rope with this kid."

"What would you do? Where would he go?"

"I don't know." He rubbed his face wearily. "I need to see Ilana about this, I guess. She could tell me what the options are." Ilana Constantino was a friend of ours who happened to be a family-law attorney — something that had come in handy more than once in the past.

"Do you think it would help if I tried getting through to him?"

"It might. He does seem to have a sort of hero-worship thing going on with you. It certainly can't hurt anything."

"How is Kane making out sharing a room with him?"

He shrugged. "Okay, I guess. You know Kane. Not too much fazes him. It's not like Tad's violent or destructive. As far as I can see, he doesn't steal or anything like that. It's just his attitude, as if he's only rooming here. He's not even openly rude. He doesn't talk back, he's just politely distant."

"I'll talk to him. I promise."

"I'm sorry to have to drag you into this."

"Drag me into it? I'm the one that dragged you into it in the first place. He wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me."

"Still, you've got enough going on without me adding to it. What's this about you and Micah? Did you say you're having problems?"

I could hear the caution in Adam’s voice.

"Not problems exactly, more like...an important decision I have to make."

Adam’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "He didn't propose, did he?"

I almost laughed at the expression on his face. I knew it was mean, but I couldn't help drawing it out a little. "What would you say if he did?"

"I'd say you're way too young to be thinking about getting married! Killian, you're only eighteen!"

"I'll be nineteen in a couple of weeks."

"That's...you're still...too young!" he sputtered.

I burst out laughing. "Don't give yourself a coronary, Adam. He didn't ask me to marry him."

He slumped back against the sofa with a relieved sigh. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Sorry," I giggled. "Actually, he asked me to move in with him."

"What?" Adam was back at attention now. "That's just as bad!"

I raised an eyebrow, at which he calmed down a little. "Don't exaggerate. There's a big difference between marriage and moving in together."

"Are you actually considering this?"

It was my turn to shrug. "I don't know. I haven't really started thinking about it yet. I was kind of in shock when he asked me."

"What's to think about?"

"Well, he had some pretty convincing arguments. We'd get to see each other a lot more. I'd be closer to work. All my stuff would be in one place. It's not like this is out of the blue, either. I mean, we have been dating for over a year now. Micah says he's ready to take our relationship to the next level. He wants more commitment."

"What about you? Are you ready?"

"I guess that's what I have to figure out."

"There must be another way to show that you're committed. Are there any other options?"

"Yeah, I could move to New York with him."

"What?" he screeched.

"He's been offered a job at The New York Times."

Adam stared at me in open-mouthed shock.

"And he's willing to give that up to stay with me. He just needs to know that I'm as committed to our relationship as he is."

Adam shook his head silently. "This feels like emotional blackmail to me."

"Adam!"

"Come on, Killian. Look at it from outside yourself for a minute. He's pretty much said, 'Move in with me or I'm moving to New York.'"

"Well...not exactly," I said, squirming slightly. After all, I'd pretty much thought the same thing at dinner.

"Killian, you know I like Micah. I like him a lot, in fact. In time, I'd even be honored to have him as a son-in-law. I just don't know if this is the right time. As much as you've matured in the last few years, you still have a lot of growing up to do. Micah's a little older, so maybe he's starting to think in terms of settling down. That doesn't mean that it's right for you."

"But what if it is? I don't want to lose Micah because I'm afraid to take a chance." I realized I was echoing Kane's words from earlier.

"In the end, this has to be your choice. Just be careful and make sure you've thought it through from every angle before you decide."

"You'll support me no matter what I choose?"

"You know I will." He pulled me against him for a hug. "You're my son no matter what, and I'll always be here for you. I just can't help but worry. That's what dads do."

I grinned. "I know. Thanks, Dad."

"It's late, and we don't both have to wait up for that juvenile delinquent. Let's make up a bed for you, and you can get some sleep."

I was feeling quite tired, so this sounded like an excellent plan to me.

We pulled out the sofa bed and made it up together, after which Adam tucked me in just like old times. I had to admit being treated like a kid again was kind of nice. I was surprised to find how much I longed for those relatively simple times when I didn't have life-altering "grownup" decisions to make.

"Oh, who are you kidding?" my inner voice reminded me. "Your childhood years weren't exactly Leave It to Beaver."

Still, there's something to be said for not having to make any decisions other than what kind of candy you want.

I fell asleep not long after that and didn't awake until the next morning. The sun was slicing through the curtains at an angle that immediately told me it was later than I usually got up. I looked at my watch. It was almost ten o'clock.

"Adam!" I bellowed as I bounded out of bed.

I was hopping around on one foot trying to pull on my pants when he stuck his head in the door and calmly answered, "Yes?"

"Why didn't you get me up? Now I'm late for work!"

"I decided you needed some rest. I called Shane, and he agreed. He said you deserved a break."

I sat down with a sigh.

"They're conspiring against me now," I grumbled to myself, loud enough for Adam to hear. "And to think that just last night I was wishing I could be a kid again. Now I remember why it's such a pain to have your choices taken from you."

Adam laughed. "You're welcome. Go hit the shower. I'll have breakfast ready when you come down."

"Yes, sir!"

I gave him a mock salute and mounted the stairs to my old bedroom two at a time. I still kept some clothes in a dresser there, even though the room was now shared by Kane and Tad. Kane's side hadn't changed much since I'd given up my bed for the new arrival, maintaining his unmistakable stamp of skater casualness. Clothes were thoughtlessly tossed wherever they happened to land as he took them off. Books and papers were scattered about his desk, and his bed was unmade and rumpled.

Tad's side, in contrast, seemed eerily tidy. All his clothes were put away. His desk was neat as a pin. His bed was even made, its corners in sharp hospital style. There were no personal effects in evidence. It reminded me of Adam's comments the night before that it was almost as if Tad were just rooming there. It had the impersonal feel of a hotel room. What was going on in his mind?

Dismissing those thoughts for the time being, I grabbed an outfit out of the dresser and went to take a shower. By the time I'd finished, Adam was waiting for me with a breakfast fit for a king — Henry VIII, to be exact, and I'd be the same size as that notoriously rotund monarch if I ate everything he'd prepared. He'd cooked what looked like at least half a pound of bacon, scrapple, sausage, toast, and a half-dozen scrambled eggs.

I eyed the spread of food warily. "Um, Adam, I hope you invited over the entire Baltimore Ravens team."

"You're looking a little thin," he said with a sheepish grin.

"I'm fine, but that's not the point. I'd be sick if I ate even half of that. What were you thinking?"

"I guess I got carried away."

"I'd say. I would have been happy with a slice of toast and some jelly. I've kind of gotten out of the habit of eating breakfast."

"Killian!" He sounded quite horrified at my nutritional negligence. "Breakfast is—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. It's the most important meal of the day. I can't help it if I just don't have much appetite in the morning. I assure you, I do eat."

"Probably junk food and those clogged arteries in a bag they serve at fast-food restaurants."

"Like you can talk about clogging arteries with your entire hog's worth of meat products," I objected, pointing at the table.

We both burst into laughter at the same time.

I ate my slice of toast, and Adam munched on a strip of bacon. At his concerned expression, I compromised and had a little of the scrambled eggs. He seemed at least somewhat mollified by my olive branch — enough, at least, to put the rest of the food away. I had a feeling I knew what they'd be having for dinner that night.

"What time did Tad get home?" I asked.

Adam rolled his eyes. "I think it was close to two. All he had to say was that I shouldn't stay up worrying about him. Apparently, he can take care of himself."

"Where is he now?"

"School...I hope. That's where he's supposed to be, and since he caught a ride with Kane, I can only assume he actually intended to go today."

"I promise I'll try to talk to him soon. So what time did you and Novak decide he should expect me in the office?"

Adam gave me a look. "He said to tell you to come in whenever you felt like it since the work wasn't going anywhere."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I muttered. "I guess I'd better get going then."

"Can you do me a favor first?" he asked.

"Sure."

"One of my clients is having trouble accessing their project files through the shared drive, and they need to review the proofs today. Do you think you could drop off a hard copy at their office for me and save me a trip to Salisbury?"

Adam was a graphic designer and worked from home when he wasn’t helping Steve at their bed and breakfast.

"No problem. Where’s the office?"

"Downtown on the plaza. It’s for a new regional magazine called A Shore Thing. They’re hoping to launch by the winter. I designed their logo, and now they're considering having me build out their website."

"That’s great!"

"It will be even better if I get the job. It could lead to a lot more work down the road."

He left the room and came back a minute later with a thumb drive.

"Old school, but it works," he said as he handed it to me. "Thanks, Killian. I owe you one."

"Happy to help."

I spent the drive back to Salisbury completely ignoring my situation with Micah, choosing instead to think about the growing gulf between Adam and Tad. I didn't understand Tad's behavior at all. He'd seemed so grateful when I arranged for him to stay with Adam.

True, he'd been a little distant even then, and I had to admit that I hadn't been there for him as much as I'd wanted. Just like everyone else, maybe he'd suffered from my absence lately.

I parked the car near the downtown plaza and walked the rest of the way. The Plaza was the historic Main Street of Salisbury, the small city where Novak Investigations had its offices and where I went to college. It was a brick-paved stretch of galleries, small upscale retail boutiques, antique stores, and law offices. I dropped the envelope off at the magazine's office, then decided to pop into a nearby art gallery since Novak wasn't expecting me right away.

Avant Garde was owned by Nikki Avanti, an old acquaintance I'd met while doing an investigation for my late cousin Aidan. His widower, my friend Will, worked and showed his art there, but I didn't know if he'd be there or not. Even if he wasn't, it was worth popping in to see Nikki.

As I approached the gallery, I took in the window display. I was a little disappointed to see it wasn't one of Nikki's life-sized erotic sculptures. Instead, it was an arrangement of large ceramic pots of varying shapes and sizes, one almost as tall as me. I shifted my gaze past the pots and into the gallery, and I froze mid-step. I recognized the guy standing inside talking to Will, even though his back was to me and I hadn't seen him for almost a year.

I spun on my heel and kept walking, hoping Will hadn't noticed me. Of course, my luck is never that good. I'd only taken a few steps when I heard a familiar voice call my name.

I stopped and slowly turned.

"Hey," he said with a nervous smile as if unsure of his reception. "Long time no see."

I took a deep breath and hoped my voice would sound steadier than I felt.

"Hi, Asher."

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