“It’s cold out here,” Romeo murmured.
He’d only been out there thirty seconds, but he could tell Chad had been there a lot longer by how cold he felt.Goosebumps covered Chad’s arms, and his neck, too, where Romeo lay a kiss as he leaned back.Chad’s t-shirt was soaked from the rain and the sea water spraying up at him, but he didn’t shiver.
“Is it Lucinda?”
Chad didn’t answer.
For every good moment, a bad one followed.They’d eaten that day, teasing each other and acting like themselves, Chad and Romeo, but Romeo knew Chad’s mental state would dip again.
Romeo understood failure, disappointment, even anger at being bested by Vincent Whitehall.He had experienced loss—although not in the same way Chad had the detective torn from him—but he understood the hollowness it invoked.
What Romeo struggled to identify with was the guilt.Chad had killed someone.Someone who in Chad’s eyes didn’t deserve it.There was no black and white for Romeo, there was only grey.Everyone and no one deserved to be his victim.He didn’t have bias, although there were a few people on his list he thought would feel particularly satisfying to kill.
Romeo didn’t understand guilt.Ally and Josh helped Chad with that particular demon, but they were hundreds of miles away.
“Want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Chad replied in a whisper.“I couldn’t sleep, that’s all.”
There was more, Romeo knew there was more by the tremble in Chad’s voice.
“And you came out here because...?”
Chad stiffened.Romeo kissed the notches of spine in his neck until he relaxed again.
“I didn’t want to wake you.”
It wasn’t enough of an answer for Romeo, but he didn’t push for more.
Chad slumped.“And I was resisting the urge to check my phone.”
“Ah,” Romeo hummed.
It itched at Chad, not knowing what was being said about him.
“Did you resist?”
“Yes,” Chad lowered his head.“I’m sorry I woke you.”
“You didn’t, although I wish you would when you can’t sleep.It was Mercutio who alerted me to you in distress.”
“I’m not distressed.”
“It’s cold, it’s wet, the wind is battering you from every direction and you’re standing in the dark in your boxer shorts and a thin t-shirt.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m distressed,” Chad argued.He glanced back to meet Romeo’s eyes.“It just means I’m weird.”
“Well, I’d prefer to take your weirdness inside if that’s all right with you.”
Chad pouted.“Well, actually—”
“I wasn’t asking.”
He pulled Chad around the middle and there was a moment he resisted, a moment he gripped the railing tighter and Romeo’s heart skipped at the jolt.Then Chad let go, and he allowed Romeo to pull him away from the edge.
Romeo kept a tight hold on one of Chad’s arms as he slid the door open and led him inside.He turned on a lamp, still gripping onto Chad.
Mercutio barked, and Chad’s eyes snapped to him.
