Oh, no. No, no, no. Nope. That’s not happening. I grip him tightly and he turns back to me with a smile. It’s less sad now. But his eyes are still very, very sad.
“I’m not leaving, Torin. Your mom wants to see you.”
I don’t care who wants to see me. I grip his hand as tight as I can.
“You’re stressing him,” another voice says. “He wants you to stay where you are.”
Hugo sighs and sits again. This time, he leans near me and rests his head against the side of mine. I turn my face into his hair and take a breath. He smells good. And also… sweaty. Interesting.
“How do you feel, Torin?” the voice that doesn’t belong to my mother asks.
The woman who I think is my mother comes into view as she moves closer to Hugo. I grip his hand tighter. Just in case she tries to take him from me again.
“Still not up to talking, huh?” the voice asks.
I sigh and close my eyes, rubbing my face into my boyfriend Hugo’s hair.
“He said he’s in pain,” Hugo tells them. “When I asked, he nodded.”
“I see. I’ll see when he’s due for more meds.”
“Thank you,” Hugo says.
There’s a moment of silence as I try to wiggle closer. My body doesn’t quite respond. I think it’s forgotten how to listen to directions. Do I need to say them out loud? Body, move to boyfriend, please.
That’s not out loud, is it?
I sigh again.
Hugo picks his head up to look at me. “What’s wrong? What do you need?”
There isn’t really an answer. I just want him to get closer. My hand is the only thing that’s responding properly so I grip his as tightly as I can and try to pull him closer.
“I’m right here, Torin. I’m never leaving. I promise.” His other hand comes up and he brushes my hair from my forehead. His face gets closer to mine, his forehead on mine. “Whatever you need.”
I think I need him.
“There we go,” the not-mom’s voice says. Something good begins to soothe its way through my body. Exhaustion begins to overtake me. Before too long, I’m asleep again.
Something sharp wakes me.It feels like it’s being shoved through the back of my head. My head fucking throbs.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
My eyes open to find a man leaning over me looking alarmed. Wow. He’s hot.
He reaches across me and slams on a red button over and over.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his hand moves to my forehead, brushing my hair away. “Please, tell me what you need, Torin. Anything at all.”
I lean into his touch. That feels nice. It’s cool too. I feel hot. Like I’m burning.
“What’s wrong?” a new voice says.
“I don’t know. His heart is going crazy and he just… snapped open. He looks like he’s in distress,” the hot man says.
The other person moves around me but my gaze is locked on the hot man. How can it not be when he’s touching me?
“I’m Hugo,” he tells me after a minute, his voice quiet. “I’m your boyfriend.” His smile is small, sad, hopeful.
