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“Okay, well…I think this is gonna work,” Leo said.
Josh and Damon nodded.
“So, uhm. You guys good for today? I mean, you paid for an hour…”
Josh shook his head. “We’re good.”
“Okay, well. What time next Tuesday?”
“Uhm, seven?” Josh suggested.
“That should work. And then…if all goes well, you want four days straight?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll figure out a payment that would be fair, if that’s okay.”
“Oh, yeah. We, uhm. We have quite a bit of money saved up—that sounds bad, what I meant is—”
“I get you. I won’t be shy with the offer, but I’m not gonna fleece you, either.”
The corner of Damon’s mouth ticked up. “And we appreciate that.”
They all looked at each other for a long moment before Leo smiled and stood up. “Well, this was fun. See you Tuesday, huh?”
“We’ll walk you out,” Damon said, and they all traipsed to the front door.
Leo slid his feet into his shoes. “Okay, well. Have a good week.”
“Yeah, you too,” Josh said softly.
There was another moment, tension strung tight between the three of them, before Leo turned away and left, heart pounding in his ears.
TWO
Tuesday’ssessionstartedalittle strangely. Leo froze as he got to the apartment door, hearing raised voices behind it. Josh shrieked, and Leo was pounding on the door before he knew what he was doing.
The voices went silent. Leo tried to calm himself, but it was hard when shouts had always set him off. Reminded him of sitting on the couch and just letting his dad’s screams roll over him, pressing him down until he was a stain on the hardwood floor.
The door swung open, revealing a dishevelled, flushed, grinning Josh. “Oh, hey!”
Leo was pretty sure he was shaking. “Are you okay?”
Josh looked at him oddly. “Uh, yeah? Are you okay?”
“You were screaming.”
Josh flushed a bright red. “Oh, Damon was just teasing me. He’s a goof.”
“Oh.” Leo tried to let go of the panic, let go of the racing of his heart, the tremble of his hands.
Josh frowned, seeming concerned. “Sorry if we worried you.”
Leo shook his head. “It’s fine. Sorry.”
There was a tense, silent moment. “Uhm, do you want to come in? I mean, please come in.”
Leo went in. Damon was making noise in the kitchen, the clattering of plates and forks and water running.
