Oliver scrambled to find one. Never mind Avery vomiting in his store would do nothing for business. Right now, Avery was hisonlybusiness.
“Seriously. Can I call someone? What’s wrong?”
“Migraine. It’s not a bad one. I just needed somewhere quiet for a minute before I go to my next client.”
“Client?” Oliver was fretting like a nervous mother. “You’re not going to any meeting. Please. I think you need to go home.” Or else Oliver needed to call a doctor.
Avery held up a hand to hold him off. Slowly, so slowly, he unwound himself from his arms. He looked awful. His freckled skin was the color of wet putty, and his eyes were barely open.
“My uncle is away. I’m in charge. I can’t go home. Please.” He crumpled back to the counter. “Just give me a minute.”
Cooper used to get migraines, and the pain would break Oliver’s heart, back when he still cared about Cooper’s suffering. Watching Avery, hunched and hurting, Oliver felt useless. After two days of silence from Nick, here he was, failing someone else.
He went to the fridge and pulled out aGreen Monster. Celery, wheatgrass, spinach. Even he had to admit it tasted like dirt, but maybe that was what the doctor ordered. He pulled a chair around to the other side of the counter, careful not to let it drag on the floor, and poured the juice into two glasses. He slid one toward Avery, then silently sipped his own.
After what felt like forever, Avery lifted his head again. His eyes were bloodshot, but some of the color was back in his face. He blinked when he saw the juice, then gave Oliver a weak smile. His hand shook as he lifted the glass, but he took a sip and then smiled wider as he set the glass down again. “Thanks.”
“Are you okay?”
Avery gave him a wobbly nod. “I will be. It’s better already. I needed to get out of the sunlight.”
“Do you get migraines often?”
“Once or twice a month. Usually, I can call in sick or meet with clients over the phone, but since my uncle’s away, there are a few I had to go see in person.”
Oliver smiled sympathetically. “You’re kind of a mess. You know that, right?”
“My uncle will be back tomorrow. Maybe I’ll stay home.”
“You better. I’ll call you to make sure you do.”
After they finished their juice, Avery shuffled out of the store, looking steadier, but still not great, and Oliver called after him to get some rest. Where his momma bear instinct came from was a mystery, but clearly no one was looking out for Avery, so Oliver was going to have to.
The rest of the day went as expected. A few walk-ins came by around lunch, a couple more before he closed. Only one of them actually bought anything. He was supposed to be holding a workshop again that evening, but he wasn’t optimistic. Clearly, Avery wouldn’t be there, and even if he did show up, Oliver would tell him to go home.
He was in the back, finishing his evening clean up, when the door out front opened again, and disappointment flooded him. He’d almost resigned himself to no one showing up and had half formed a plan to see Nick before his shift with the available time.
“Grab a seat!” he called, forcing himself to sound positive. “We’ll get started in a minute.”
“Start what?”
The deep voice, low and confused, nearly had him slice his hand on one of the knives he was carrying to the sink as they dropped into the basin.
Nick stood in the middle of the store, wearing his navy uniform shirt and cargo pants. His hair had been trimmed to a black haze on his scalp. Dark circles sagged under his eyes, and his smile was tired. He was the most beautiful thing Oliver had ever seen.
He nearly turned it into a Hollywood moment, nearly ran to close the space between them so he could throw himself in Nick’s arms. After almost two days of silence, the relief at seeing him made Oliver shudder.
Nick moved faster. Oliver had barely opened his mouth to say hello, and he was already being pulled into Nick’s big arms. Nick’s kiss was like the last moment of drowning: Oliver couldn’t breathe, and he didn’t even care anymore.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re busy.” Nick was kissing his face, squeezing him so hard. The last of his air really was leaving his lungs.
“It’s okay.”
“I can’t stay long, I have to go to work.”
“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.”
“I needed to see you.”
