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The staff kicks me out on Tuesday evening when the visiting hours are over, so I’m forced to go back home for the night and then to class the next morning, even though I can’t concentrate for shit.
After I’m done with school, I quickly take Kelly’s car back, and then, after weighing my options for a while, head to Ryker’s place to grab his keys and his car. I’m going to borrow it. Or steal it, since I don’t really ask him if I can take it.
I’m not sure how much of this is wishful thinking, but he looks relieved when I walk through the door in the late afternoon.
I bring my laptop and textbooks and set up shop in the uncomfortable chair by his bed. I get my studying done, and then I make him quiz me after, which he does once he’s stopped glaring at me for disrupting his extremely important job of staring out the window.
Once we’re done with that, I put my feet up on the side of his bed and grab the battered paperback of Treasure Island I brought from his apartment when I stopped by for the keys earlier. He’s gone back to staring out the window determinedly, but once I start reading, he slowly comes back to me, and the cold expression of disinterest softens a bit.
I read until my voice goes hoarse, at which point he plucks the book out of my fingers, places it in his lap against his thigh, and picks up where I left off.
I stay until Genevive walks back into the room right before visiting hours are about to end.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I say as I get up and stretch. “Do you need anything?”
“I don’t know. Can you sneak me out of this fucking hospital?” he asks.
“I’ll find a really big suitcase, and we’re on.”
He doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t even smile. I start to lean down to kiss him before I remember Genevive and promptly straighten myself.
“Well… See ya,” I say like an idiot. For an insane moment I debate bumping my fist against his. Bro style.
Fucking hell, I really need to get some sleep.
He gives me a wordless nod. He’s getting really proficient in those.
I yawn the whole way back to Brighton. Once back in town, I automatically drive to Ryker’s place instead of my own apartment, and once I realize my mistake, I also find I have absolutely no wish to go to my own place. Last night I tossed and turned half the night and finally fell asleep early in the morning, only for my alarm to start blaring an hour and a half later.
So I lock the car, grab my keys, and trudge up the stairs. I go inside and turn on the lights, and something relaxes inside my chest. A knot unfurls. It’s empty without Ryker, but it’s better than nothing. Better than my own place.
At least here it feels almost like home.
I grab a quick shower, put on one of Ryker’s T-shirts, and climb into the bed that smells like him.
I clutch his pillow to my chest and fall asleep almost immediately.
It feels like no time at all has passed when my eyes fly open. It takes me a moment to figure out what’s going on, but then my brain catches on to the fact that somebody’s unlocking the front door. I scramble to a sitting position and look around frantically. Hide? The fuck where? Under the bed?
Somebody walks into the room, and I freeze.
He doesn’t notice me at first, but then he turns on the lights. Hayes lets out a high-pitched yelp and the next thing I know he fucking lobs his phone at my head. I’m too slow to duck, so it hits me square in the cheekbone before it bounces off the bed and finally lands on the floor.
“What the fuck?” I rub the heel of my palm against the cheekbone that’s currently making it feel like somebody’s lit my face on fire.
“Oh, shit!” Hayes says and squints. “Lake? What are you doing here?”
Oh shit, indeed. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!
I’m not supposed to be here. I don’t live here. I’m the stepbrother. I shouldn’t be asleep in Ryker’s bed.
“I’m…” I lick my dry lips and try to think of a reason why I’m here. Anything will do. Literally anything. “Housesitting,” I say. “I’m housesitting. Why are you here?”
“Housesitting,” he repeats.
“One less thing for Ryk to worry about,” I say. “It’s what brothers do.”
He’s still staring.
