He let out an annoyed grunt but continued washing his hands, a small grin on his face. I hadn’t seen him come close to smiling in a long time, and I counted it as a win.
I batted the rest of the powder off him and myself. “You need to eat again,” I stated, ready for his protest. “Would you like it in the bedroom or living room?”
“Are you actually giving me a choice?” he asked, aiming toward the bedroom.
“Don’t worry, I won’t make a habit of it.”
I got him settled back in bed and brought him a tray of shredded rotisserie chicken, red grapes, and crackers, which he ate without comment.
“They’re in love, you know,” he said, out of nowhere.
“Who?”
“Ozzie and Walker.”
Ah. Yes. “I saw it happen. Not sure if they had any choice in the matter,” I said, hoping to soften the blow. He’d told Ozzie that itwas okay to pursue Walker, but I’d never fully believed he meant it.
“Hmm.” Hendrix chewed the edge of his lip for a few seconds. He started humming again, tapping his fingers on the duvet. Finally, he lifted his gaze to mine. “It’s a good thing, right? Those two being together?”
“I believe so,” I answered, completely selfish.
“Besides,” he said on a sigh, “no one’s still in love with their high school crush at this stage, right?”
Caught off guard, I didn’t know what to say.
He continued before I could answer, clearly having meant his question to be rhetorical. “Though look who I’m talking to. I bet you’ve never had a crush in your life.”
I stood. “You’d be surprised,” I said, taking his empty plate. “Get some rest.”
“’Kay,” he said, blinking slowly. “Night, Agnes.”
CHAPTER 5
hendrix
I slept like the dead again last night, then got up early and made my way to the back porch so that I could watch the river while the sun came up. The morning was chillier than I was expecting, but I was too tired to go grab a blanket.
Honestly, it was kind of nice to be able to feel something other than numb. I just wished I had my guitar on me. Maybe Sago or Robbie knew where it had gotten to.
Thankfully, Sago had packed my notebook and pen, so I spent the early dawn listening to the sounds of life around the river as I scratched out some lyrics I wasn’t sure about.
The melody from the other day came back to me, so I closed my eyes and drummed my fingers on the arm of the old Adirondack chair. The weathered wood gave a pleasant heaviness to the beats, and I wondered what the song would sound like without the drums and screaming guitars.
Stripped down.
Sago and Robbie often played around with different sounds as a thought exercise. I wondered if they’d?—
My mental meanderings were interrupted by Sawyer stepping outside carrying a breakfast tray, a blanket over one arm.
“Agnes, why are you dressed like a lawyer at six thirty in the morning?” I teased, then sighed as he set the tray on the table between the two Adirondacks and spread the blanket over my legs.
That felt so good. Not that I’d tell him.
“Stop calling me Agnes,” he muttered. “And eat your breakfast.”
I picked up the mug, grateful for the heat, and took a deep sniff. “Is that licorice?”
He sat next to me. “I bought some Throat Coat for you.”
