The need for air pressed upon Connor. He tilted his body, flapping his fins and swam to the surface. He dragged in deep breaths and smiled when Adonis’s head rose out of the water next to him, and he pressed his cheek against Connor’s. A soft apology hummed from his throat.
Connor sighed. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have threatened you like that.”
Adonis paused his humming to grumble at him. He didn’t need to say anything for Connor to know he was complaining.
“I’m the worst, am I?”
Adonis nodded.
Connor’s lips twitched into a smile. He wrapped his arms around Adonis’s shoulders. “I’m sorry.” He stroked the bite mark on the back of Adonis’s neck, and the grumble turned into a whimper. “Shall we dive for a bit? So I can see you swimming underwater?”
Connor and Adonis explored the reef together until Adonis found a sand-coloured octopus to offer to Connor, and Connor decided he didn’t want a merman boyfriend after all. Adonis kept catching passing fish and offering them to Connor until Connor picked out a colourful rock to offer Adonis, and Adonis mimicked him. Except he must have thought Connor had been trying to find him a crab because that was what he gave to Connor next.
Connor swam up, his head throbbing. The time he could hold his breath on each dive grew shorter and shorter, and he took that as a sign he needed to give it a rest. They swam back to Laurence, who was sketching. Connor’s arms trembled as he tried to pull himself out of the ocean, and he fell back, sloshing in the water. His breaths were short.
“Are you okay?” Laurence asked, worried.
“Fine,” Connor said. He manoeuvred to get his fins off and tossed them on board with his snorkelling headpiece. He tried again, and when weakness collapsed his body, Adonis caught him, supporting him enough to get on board. Connor lay on his side, panting.
“Dad packed some Panadol?”
Connor grunted. Adonis leaned over Connor, resting his forehead against his, and rubbed his fingers against Connor’s throat. Warmth prickled over Connor’s skin, and his body went boneless, relaxing and melting until he felt fused to the board. The heat from Adonis’s hands swallowed the aching pain in his throat. Adonis massaged all the pain out of Connor; when his fingers worked their way onto Connor’s nape—utter bliss filled him.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“How long has he been like this?” Trevor’s worried voice cut through Connor’s daze.
“He’s just having a nap,” Laurence said.
“He’s burning up.” An icy hand touched Connor’s forehead. It wasn’t the hot one that had brought him peace. He ached in its absence. The gentle sway of the ocean stopped, and Connor heard the board being dragged over sand.
“I can help you bring him inside,” Nick offered.
“Did he seriously go swimming?”
“He wasn’t feelingthatbad, Dad.”
“Edith, could you get some extra blankets for his bed? And get him a hot water bottle.” Trevor’s voice was tight in worry. “We might need to bring him to the hospital.”
Connor couldn’t object. His body didn’t listen.
“Connor, we’re lifting you now, okay?” Trevor told him. Connor felt like he was getting jostled for only a few seconds before he was lying down, barraged by heat from every side. It still wasn’t coming from where he wanted. He drifted on the edge of consciousness, sometimes able to grunt out dazed answers to the questions, sometimes not bothering or not having the energy.
It felt like days had passed when he woke up coherent. Someone sat on the edge of the bed as he came back to awareness, and he gauged from the weight it was Nick or Trevor. Which meant it was Trevor.
Just as he was about to open his eyes, the door creaked open.
The person at the end of the bed shifted their weight.
“The lawyer is here,” Edith’s flat voice came from the doorway.
“I’ll go talk to him,” Trevor answered. “Can you wait with Connor while I do?” he asked as he stood up.
Silence answered the request. Connor was surprised that Edith wasn’t putting on a show for Trevor.
“Edith,” Trevor’s voice held a note of desperation. “He’s sick. Don’t you want to make sure he gets better? Or keep an eye on him or…” he trailed off.
The answer must have been in Edith’s expression. Connor refused to let it hurt. Though from the way his jaw clenched, he knew he had failed. It had been too peaceful within the family for the past few weeks. Edith had been quiet and accepting during meals, even if she didn’t outright talk to him. Clearly, his notions about what that could mean were mistaken.
