“How’re you feeling?” I ask, scooting his feet over to sit.
“Okay. I’m just so fucking tired. And my head hurts.”
“You’ve taken something for that?”
“Yeah, couple of hours ago.” He sighs, pressing two fingers to his eyes. “How’s work?”
“Good.” I nod.
“Yeah? Kit’s not mad?”
I frown. “Why would he be mad?”
“I don’t know,” he says, sighing again.
He looks so small lying there, and I know this week must’ve been hell on him. I debate with myself for a second. I know what I would’ve wanted if I were in his shoes right now, but I’m not him, so I can’t be sure.Do guys do this? Is it—
Ugh, fuck it! Shut your brain off, loser, and do it.
I stand up, walking over to him. “Scoot!”
“What?”
“Make room.”
He frowns, but shuffles a bit so I can lie down next to him. It’s a tight fit, but he doesn’t seem to mind. We’re face to face, and this up close, the circles under his eyes looks even worse.
I start combing my fingers through his hair. “My mom used to do this when I was sick,” I say. “Or sad.”
“Feels nice,” he whispers, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath. His hair’s still a little damp, and he smells so much like Kaden—clean, and safe and manly. I inhale deeply, trying to save it for later.
“I know I’m crazy.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, but I know I am,” he mumbles. “I panicked. I thought I was gonna die. Like legit. I couldn’t breathe.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
He shrugs. “I called Mom, and she called Stephanie.”
His mom’s cousin. She’s a nurse.
“And then, by the time she got here, it had passed, and I felt like a fucking idiot for making her drive all the way out here for nothing.”
“You’re not an idiot. And it wasn’t for nothing.”
“It was a cold,” he says, opening his eyes to look at me. “I feel like those guys who complains about having a cold when their wives are squeezing a melon-sized human out of their—”
I snort. “Okay, so next time, you call me instead.”
He moves a little, resting his arm on my hip, closing his eyes again.
“I’m tired,” he whispers.
Yeah, having a panic attack will do that to you.
Ask me how I know.
