But every abrupt wake up, Romeo looked at Chad lying on the outhouse floor.
Relief hit him first, followed by anger at Chad, then anger at himself.
Love couldn’t be switched off no matter how much he tried, but it could be extinguished, as soon as Chad put himself within grabbing distance, Romeo would kill him.
The monster craved it perhaps more than he’d craved any murder before.
If Romeo had just killed him all those years ago, wrapped his hand around Chad’s throat and claimed him as number one, he wouldn’t be experiencing the pain of his heart having been ripped in two.
Romeo flung the duvet aside and stood up.He relieved himself in the bucket, then investigated the contents Chad had slid his way in the washing up bowl the day before.
There was another bottle of water, toothpaste, a toothbrush, shower gel, two ibuprofen, and a flannel.Romeo grabbed the flannel, only to be caught short by the book beneath.
It was a book of crosswords, not unusual—there was a shelf in the kitchen full of their mostly finished puzzle books—but this one wasnew.Romeo scraped his thumbnail over the price sticker, then fanned through the untouched pages.
Romeo frowned in Chad’s direction, but he was still asleep.
I’m coming back Romeo, day by day, I’m coming back to you.
Romeo dropped the book back in the bowl then shoved it away.
He took the ibuprofen, though.
Blood had stained the bandage around his hand.He winced as he unwrapped it.The bleeding had stopped, until he twitched his thumb the teeniest amount, then skin split, and any attempt by his body to clot and heal the wound came undone.He sighed and rewrapped his hand using his teeth to stretch out the bandage.It needed stitches.His fingers had begun to ache, and his whole hand felt stiff.
Chad didn’t wake.
Romeo ate one of the cereal bars Chad had given him the day before.
He ate a second one, a third, all while Chad slept on.
Chad hadn’t moved all night Romeo realized.His skin was deathly pale, and there was faint bruising under his eye from where they had struggled.Romeo surged to his feet, swaying slightly as he stared wide-eyed at Chad on the ground.
He was about to call out to him, demand he answer, but then a flicker of something passed across Chad’s face.His eyelids twitched, his eyebrows spasmed, then he settled again.
Romeo sat back down on the gym equipment with his head in his hands.
Worry was another emotion he couldn’t mute the volume on.No matter how hard he tried to force his emotions back and lock them away for good they slipped out, and it was completely unconscious, an action without thought, like breathing.
It took him a few minutes before he heard it.
The growl of an engine.
He lowered his hands as it got closer and closer tearing up their dirt track.
“Chad!”
Breaks squealed on the other side of the outhouse door.
“Shit,” Romeo hissed.He grabbed the shower gel and threw it at Chad.It hit him on the shoulder, and he grunted.
Chad’s eyes shot up, bloodshot and confused.A car door slammed shut.
Feet rushed over the gravel.
“Chad!”
It was Josh’s shout.He called out again, but it was muffled, like he’d gone into the house.Chad staggered as he stood up.Blinking blearily, he looked at Romeo then turned around and rushed out.
