“Very well.” He glanced around the decaying parking lot with a suspicious expression. “Perhaps it’s best if I stay with the car.”
“Yeah,” I admitted, grinning sheepishly. “Not such a nice place. Rent’s cheap, at least. Anyway, I’ll see you in a bit.”
Pierce nodded goodbye, then I hauled myself up the steps to the main door. It buzzed harshly when I stuck in my key. A familiar, somewhat unpleasant smell greeted me - the ever-present stench of the building itself.
At least I won’t have to smell it for nine months.
I thumbed the jammed elevator button a few times to get it to work, then returned to my unit. I cringed at the mess I saw. It was completely the opposite of Pierce’s beautiful home and filled me with shame, even though he wasn’t even here to see it.
I kicked an old, empty box of bulk Kraft Dinner out of the way as I trudged to the couch. That was where I’d been sleeping since Caleb moved back in with me, after his sickness hit and he had to give up work and thus, his own place. I didn’t mind the couch, even if it also had a strange lingering smell. It was worth it for Caleb to have the bedroom to himself.
But now he was in a hospital bed, and I was here alone.
He won’t be there for much longer,I told myself. My chest flared with hope. The sooner he got the surgery, the better - and I had Pierce to thank for it.
My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when I realized I hadn’t eventoldCaleb the news. Instantly I fumbled my phone out of my pocket, but it died on the way here.
Scowling, I rummaged for my fraying charger and plugged it in. I punched Caleb’s contact and called. The dial tone rang. I tapped my foot impatiently, not even caring that the downstairs neighbors probably heard.
Finally a weak voice replied. “Benj?”
“Caleb!” I cried. He sounded worse than the last time I spoke to him, but I didn’t want to mention that. “How are you?”
He made a noise like he was shrugging. “Same, I guess.” He paused as if he wanted to say something, so I didn’t interrupt. “Listen, um… About what happened last night - ”
But now I did actually want to interrupt. “Stop. Caleb, I have something to tell you.”
He sounded a little annoyed that I cut him off, but also too tired to argue. “What?”
Now that the words were on the tip of my tongue, my body shook with excitement. I’d dreamed about revealing this to Caleb, but now it was really happening.
“I got the money, Cale,” I whispered.
“What? I can’t hear you,” he croaked.
“The money for the surgery,” I repeated. “I have it.”
Silence on the other end.
“I can pay for your surgery,” I said louder, more excitedly. “You’re gonna get better, Caleb.”
Something clattered. My heart raced for a moment, worried that he’d passed out or something, but a moment later there was a shuffling noise and the phone was pressed back to Caleb’s ear.
“Benji, shut the fuck up,” he said. “You made me drop my phone. Also, that’s not even funny, you asshole.”
“Caleb,” I said seriously, “I’m not fucking joking.”
He paused. When he spoke again his voice was low and angry. “I don’t know what your problem is, but this is not funny. And I’m gonna hang up on you if you keep saying that shit.”
“Caleb,” I said, matching his deathly seriously tone, “I swear on our dead parents that I am one-hundred percent serious.”
I heard him inhale a sharp breath. Then we both went silent. Electric tension crackled in the line connecting us. The truth to saving Caleb’s future hung in the balance, and all he needed to do was reach out and take it - tobelieveme.
Finally, in a small, almost childlike voice, Caleb said, “Benji?”
“I’m here,” I promised.
“Say that you’re not joking again. Please.”
