With a gentle touch to his shoulder, Marcus pointed him to a bank of elevators down the hallway. “Let’s go upstairs and see her.”
Tyler smiled farewell at Raymond and, leaning more heavily on Marcus’s arm than he thought he’d have to, walked slowly. His side and back hurt, his jaw ached, and he wanted nothing more than to lie down. Despair swept over him like a sandstorm, encompassing him head to toe.
Marcus spoke into his ear. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be all right. I promised you a place to stay, and you and Lillie have it, as long as you need.”
Overcome by a tangled set of emotions Tyler couldn’t identify, he merely nodded and let Marcus lead him.
Tyler didn’t know what to expect, but what he didn’t envisage was an elegantly furnished, contemporary apartment in shades of gray, black, and cream, with splashes of random colors like flowers blooming. Tall windows overlooked the water, and Tyler could see boats chugging down the Hudson River.
He dropped his small backpack on the floor near the entrance and saw Lillie running to him. She skidded to a stop in front of him, her round eyes filling with tears that spilled down her cheeks. Sylvia stood behind her, a distressed look on her face.
“Uncle Ty. Your face is full of boo-boos. Doesn’t it hurt?”
“I’ll be fine after a few days’ rest.” Forcing a smile, Tyler hoped his words reassured her. He took a few shuffling steps toward the most comfortable-looking sofa he’d ever seen, knowing that if he didn’t sit down soon, he’d collapse in a heap on the floor. Panicky at the thought of this happening in front of an already upset Lillie, he gazed at Marcus in mute appeal as his legs trembled.
As if he could read his mind, Marcus put a strong arm across his back and helped him, not to that long, buttery-soft leather sofa, but to a hallway and, as Tyler saw when they halted in a doorway, a spacious bedroom with a king-size bed in the center.
A wave of exhaustion rolled over him, drowning him, and to his mortification, he sagged against Marcus. “Why am I so tired?”
“Your meds make you sleepy, and you’re still in recovery.”
Without Tyler even realizing it, Marcus led him to the bed and helped him lie down.
“Try to get some sleep.”
He thought Marcus’s lips brushed his own before he fell asleep.
Chapter Eleven
‡
After sending Mrs. Kirschhome with the promise that Tyler would call her and let her know more about his condition, Marcus found himself staring at Lillie, who sat on the floor, playing with a doll. A gnawing sense of panic rose in his chest.
He checked on Tyler, who continued to sleep. For the first time, Marcus was nervous in his own home. As he paced in the living room, he thought about what he could do and realized he had nothing in the house to eat. Kids liked snacks and food. Halle-fucking-lujah, in New York City you can get everything online. Marcus sat down at his desk and opened the computer.
He must’ve been crazy to bring Tyler and his niece here to stay with him. As usual, he was thinking with his dick not his head.
“Asshole,” he muttered to himself.
“Uncle Ty says it’s bad to say bad words.”
He jumped, not expecting to have this miniature person standing at his elbow. He examined her and decided as children go, she was pretty cute.
“Your uncle is right. I’m sorry.”
“What’re you doing?” She peered at the computer screen. “Oh, I love that.” Lillie pointed to some sugary pastries. “They’re yummy.”
“Should we get some?” He clicked on the picture, and ten different flavors popped up. “What’s your favorite?”
Her answer came out prompt. “Strawberry.”
He clicked and ordered two boxes. “Done.”
Lillie’s eyes shone. “Ooh, can I do it?”
Considering that he never ate a meal at home and only had water and wine in the refrigerator for the overnight guests he might have, this might prove to be a fun activity. “Let’s get some other stuff.”
“Candy?” she asked hopefully.
