He turns back toward the bed, and through a teary giggle, he quietly replies, "Yes."
To my absolute surprise, I grin at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Max called me." His gaze bounces to Max. "Are we going to wake him up?"
My eyes land on Max again. Usually his face transforms when he's deep in slumber, reminding me he's just a young man; it's easy to forget such a thing when he's taking on the world, standing staunchly, power radiating from him. Right now though, he's tight faced and his breaths in and out are rough—angry.
"I think he's out for now," I say through a sad sigh.
"Let's go get a coffee from the hospital canteen."
I glance around, attempting to decipher the hour, but the curtains are drawn shut and the lights are dim. "What time is it?"
"Nine in the morning."
"There is no way I can leave this room without waking him up first. If he wakes up and I'm not here, he won't handle that well."
Toni nods. "Usually, I'd insert a caveman joke here, but given the circumstances, it doesn't feel right. I'm sure I'd also come up with a good innuendo to do with inserting things into cavemen, but I'm not on my game this morning."
I smile at his attempt to lighten the mood. When I shuffle over to make room on the bed for him, Toni kicks his shoes off and slides in beside me. As he wriggles in to share my pillow, I'm enveloped by his scent. Mint and cologne and Toni.
"Max told me you got attacked by some guy," he whispers and I hold my breath, wary of how much Max might have disclosed about last night. "But you managed to fight him off? Oh my giddy aunt. He better hope we never find him."
Of course, Max didn't tell Toni everything that had happened. Not only is it incredibly unfair to share such a burden, but I won't put Toni in a position where he has to lie to the man he loves. Although, I know he would lie to Braidy. For me, he'd lie on his death bed and then again at the heavenly gates.
I raise a brow at him. "We?"
He smiles gently. "Yeah. Max and me. We're in a gang now."
I try for a laugh, but it's sad.
"I brought you clothes. Panties. Bra. Jeans. And your Bert and Ernie yellow tee."
"Oh my gawd, thank you." My arms find their way around my best friend, clutching at him. Sighing hard, he pulls me in even closer and we hold each other in silence. Tremoring with restraint, he fights to hold back tears, but my shoulder can feel the drips flowing.
"I'm okay," I say, but as soon as I do, my voice shakes and then breaks on a small whimper. "I'll be okay."
"I'm so angry. I'm so... fucking...fuck," he says through a low growl.
I shake my head against his, trying not to cry. "Stop it."
"I want to take you away," he whispers, arms tightening around me. "Away from everyone."
Aware of how secretive my beautiful boyfriend is, I lower my voice further. I'm sure if he wakes up, he'll hear us whispering, but I'm hoping he won't be able to decipher our words. "It's not Max's fault."
"I'm sure it's not, but you're getting hurt. I feel like you have cried more in the past three months than the whole time I've known you. And you have disappeared from your home. You pretty much live with him now."
"I'm in love with him... and he needs me."
His nose touches my cheek. "But what doyouneed, Golden Girl?"
"I need him too," I admit, and nothing has been truer in my whole life.
Toni nods in the crook of my neck. "Oh fuck." A bit of tension has left his voice. "I've already hired a dragon to guard the tower I was going to lock you in. I wonder if they'll give me my deposit back."
"I hope you're not bisexual, Toni." Max's deep, gravellyvoice interrupts us. "'Cause you're touching my girl right now."
Toni relaxes his grip. Kissing my nose, he grins at me and says loud enough for Max to hear, "I find all your female parts completely revolting."
