Ten minutes later, Ally left.
Romeo knew where she was going.Ally only left to go food shopping and returned with a trunkful of groceries Josh had to help carry into the house.Most of it ended up in the outside bin, burnt or spoiled.Romeo had checked.
He’d become a stalker, sometimes not going home for a few nights so he could spy on the house in the hope of getting his chance.
Josh stepped out of the front door with his phone pressed to his ear.Romeo perked up, studying him and the anguish on his face.Josh rubbed his eyes, then glanced over his shoulder into the house.He nodded, before agreeing with whatever the person on the other end of the phone was saying, then he hung up.
“I’ll ...I’ll be back in ten minutes at most,” he yelled into the house.“Just don’t...Mercutio will take care of you, okay?”
Chad must’ve replied because Josh snorted and closed the door behind himself.He hesitated, hand on the door, frowning, seemingly fighting some desire to stay.
“Go, just go,” Romeo encouraged under his breath.“Leave.”
Josh made his decision, rushing to his car.He climbed inside and pulled the car out of his spot.
Romeo had been waiting for this moment.He’d barely slept, or ate, since he’d been obsessively watching.
They couldn’t keep Chad from him forever.
He made sure no cars were visible even in the distance before jogging to the other side of the road.
Josh had shut the door, but he hadn’t locked it.
Romeo didn’t hesitate, he stepped inside Ally’s house and closed the door behind him.
“That was quick,” Chad said, then he appeared in the hallway.
His jaw dropped again, and his eyes widened.
Romeo wanted to pull Chad into his arms, to hug him, shake him, demand to know what had happened and shut him up for good with a long kiss.
He did none of those things.
He stood there, pushed his own wants and needs aside, andlookedat Chad.
There was no warmth in Chad’s gaze, only shock, and a flicker of fear contorted his brow.He tried to speak, but only a sharp breath escaped him as he inched backwards, putting more and more distance between them as he struggled to get his voice to work.
“I saw you,” Chad managed on a whisper.“At the end of the garden.”
Romeo whipped his gaze back and forth across Chad’s face.His stomach churned, and the prickle of unease at the back of his neck turned to stabbing.
Chad’s gaze lacked all recognition.
“They didn’t believe me,” Chad said.“Ally drove me to see my therapist, thinking I’d imagined you, but here you are.”
Romeo swallowed, but the lump in his throat stayed put.“I’m Romeo—”
“Yeah, Romeo Knight,” Chad interrupted.“I described what you looked like to my therapist, and she suspected I’d imaginedyou, except with longer hair,” he backed up a step.“You’re dead ...apparently.”
“I’m not dead.”
“No shit,” Chad retreated further, and Romeo hesitated before following.They’d moved into the kitchen, and Chad reached towards the counter.His movements were slow, but clumsy as his hand hit the bread bin, then a glass.He didn’t grab it through, he kept sliding his hand along as he tried to put distance between them.
“She said I’m confused,” Chad continued.“That it’s understandable with a brain injury as severe as mine.”
Romeo found his voice.“You’re getting better, that’s what the receptionist told me.You were responding well to treatment, well enough to go home,” he glanced around the room.“This isn’t your home, Chad.”
“Where is my home?”
