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Chapter Eight
Inapartlyamusing,partly terrifying turn of events, it’s Nathan who wakes up to being watched. He damn near jumps out of his skin, bolting into an upright position before his mind can process that he’s not in danger.
“Okay. You’re right.” He laughs dryly, running a hand through his hair. “That’s creepy.”
Carter’s lips twitch into a small smile before he gets off the bed and gestures to the door. “You ready?”
“Ready?”
“To see Casey!”
Ah. Right.
He should have known putting that conversation off would bite him in the ass. Now here he is, still half-asleep, Carter already dressed in a pair of his sweats and a too-large sweater.
Nathan checks his phone, seeing a text from Benny that came in 7 minutes ago announcing their incoming arrival. Nathan had set his alarm, knowing Benny would want to meet him at their private entrance so he could bring Casey inside away from prying eyes. The alarm would have gone off in another 3 minutes, but clearly Carter was either awake because he couldn’t sleep, or woke up from the text.
Either way, they’ll be here any minute, and Nathan still hasn’t figured out how to handle the wholeifCarter should see Casey ornotsituation.
Nathan buys himself some time, grumbling that he needs to get dressed. Except it buys him very little time because Carter follows him into the closet. “Do you think he’ll be awake? Will he be able to talk? Maybe it’s best he’s asleep. I don’t want him to get overwhelmed. Are we telling him the truth right away? Am I telling him, or does Benny want to do it? Or you? Do you think-”
“Carter, please - it’s far too early and I’m far too un-caffeinated for your verbal assault. Can you give me five minutes?”
“They might be here in five minutes.”
“We have at least fifteen. He’ll send me a message when they land. Then he’ll need to deboard and walk from the airfield to a car, and then from the car to the door. If he hasn’t sent that text, we have time.”
Carter disappears then, just a blur of color. Nathan has socks and jeans on by the time he returns. Nathan’s phone is clutched in his hand. “Didn’t want to miss the text,” Carter explains a little breathlessly.
“Right.” Nathan turns to his casual pullovers, acting like he actually cares about what he’s wearing for the few minutes he’ll be out of his bedroom before going back to sleep until morning. “Listen… Casey is still in pretty rough shape. Touch and go. Maybe it'd be a good idea for you to wait."
The silence behind him is deafening. He stares at the gap between a navy blue pullover and a gray one as the seconds tick by.
When Carter speaks, his voice is cold and firm. “I am seeing Casey.”
“Yeah. I figured." Nathan sighs. He goes with the gray pullover. "Just, you know, had to at least try."
“Was it Benny’s idea? For me to not see him?”
“Yes.”
“Oh…”
Nathan tugs his pullover on and grabs a random watch from his collection. It's a silly thing, but watches are one of his biggest pieces of armor when it comes to playing his role. The suits are bigger, but he isn't willing to put on a full suit just for a few minutes of seeing to Casey and Benny getting settled before crashing back to sleep for hopefully at least another 3 hours. The watch is the next best thing. It feels heavy on his wrist. Expensive. And he never wore watches before - never had that kind of money to waste. He already feels steadier about Casey's pending arrival with the watch settled around his wrist.
“Do you think he’s right?”
Nathan turns, frowning at Carter. “Hmm?”
“Benny. About me seeing Casey.”
Nathan sighs. “Yes and no. I see where he's coming from. You're going to be upset when you see him. He's in very rough shape. And it might upset him too. He's not ready for the truth yet, his health probably wouldn't be able to handle the shock alone, so seeing you will probably be distressing. That said, it could have the opposite effect and he might heal better having you near, especially since the last time you saw each other, you both probably worried if the other would survive their punishment. He'll be relieved to see that you're okay. And I know that it will help you to see him, too."
“So, lose-lose, basically.”
“Did you expect anything else from this world?”
“No. I guess not…” He frowns down at Nathan’s phone before offering it to him. “He just texted. They landed.”
