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“No,” I mutter, wiping the wetness from my face.
“It’ll be okay.” He rests a hand on my shoulder, trying to sound confident.
I doubt it.
Slowly, I start to calm down again and watch Fox strip the white sheet from my bed and replace it with fresh linens.
“I asked Sue to buy bedding. Yours has been sitting in the closet for almost six years. You should probably wash it first.”
“You really thought of everything,” I say, staying put under the window.
“I asked myself what I’d miss most after prison. My bed was the first thing that came to mind.” Fox shakes out the fresh duvet one last time, drapes it over the mattress, adds the pillows, and turns to me. “You’ve been up for more than twenty-four hours. Try to get some sleep, Aran.”
I’m tired.
Exhausted.
But also worried.
“What’s happening tomorrow?” I ask.
Fox presses his lips together, thinking about how much of the surprise he should spill. “I’ll pick you up around eleven. We’re going to the studio. Leslie called the band together. They’re all excited to see you.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“You still have obligations, Aran. You know that.”
I just nod. Yeah, I’m still bound by that contract. “And… uh… the guy out there? My new roommate?”
“He’s a good dude, trust me.”
“He hates me.”
“He doesn’t know you the way I do. Give him time.”
“The way you know me?” My voice is barely a whisper. I doubt Fox even heard it. But one thing I’m sure of: I’m not the same guy who left this apartment almost six years ago to go on that world tour.
“At least he’s hot… your dentist,” I say, like I’m agreeing to let Koh Komura stay.
“Greek, I think… or Russian?” Fox rubs his chin. “Can’t remember.”
“More like Japanese,” I say with the ghost of a smile.
“Yeah, but only half. You think he’s into guys?”
Looks like Fox just figured out how to cheer me up. He grins mischievously.
“He had his hair clipped back with a barrette,” I answer flatly, like that explains everything.
“A lot of guys do that now. Blame the K-pop bands.”
He got me. For the first time since I got out, I actually smile. Fox visibly relaxes.
But what just happened is still echoing through my body, and I feel drained.
“Fox? Can we… I mean… what just happened…”
“The panic attack?”
