“Kevin is in custody, and all we need now is for you to feel better so you can come home. That’s all I want at this point.” It felt anticlimactic in a way, and yet he was so glad this was truly over.
They movedEddie to a private room an hour or so later. Marty stayed with him, sleeping in the chair next to the bed for the night. His back ached when he woke in the morning, but that hardly mattered. Eddie looked better, his eyes were brighter,and he sat up with a smile when they brought in something to eat.
“What about you?” Eddie asked.
“I’ll go down and get something once we see the doctor, and we know what’s going on.” He figured he’d bring the truck around when they were ready to discharge Eddie.
“Has there been any news about your job?” Eddie asked.
“No. But I’m assuming that it’s gone. I have to. The boss is behind bars, and it’s going to take months to get things straightened out, if it’s even possible. Nope. I need to move on and find a place to work that’s going to make me happy. And the first thing on my list is to talk to your captain and chief to see what they might have to offer.”
“Good.” Eddie turned his head toward him and took his hand. “You make me happy.”
Marty grinned. “And you showed me that I deserve to be happy. I guess I never really understood that, or what it felt like. I guess I’ve filled my life with second-best things up until now.”
“Well, that’s over.”
“Yup. I’m only going to settle for the best.” He met Eddie’s gaze and languished in it.
Someone knocked on the door frame. “Am I interrupting?” the doctor asked with a slight smile.
“Just our pledges of undying devotion,” Eddie said with a smirk, and Marty rolled his eyes.
“Don’t listen to him,” Marty said gently as the doctor shone a light in Eddie’s eyes and spoke to him about how he felt.
“No lingering headache?”
“Nope. Actually, the only thing I am is tired. I ate a little and don’t feel sick or anything. I just want to go home.”
“Good. We’ll have you stay until this afternoon just in case.” He made notes on the computer in the room and then said goodbye and left.
“Okay, where were we?” Eddie asked once he was gone.
“You told the doctor you were expressing your undying devotion. I think you should get on with it.” Marty snickered, kidding him, but Eddie took his hand.
“Marty, I don’t want to be without you again. You make me happy. I was stupid to leave you before, and I’m not going to do it again. You’re kind, thoughtful, honest, and brave as all hell, and I want you in my life.” He tugged Marty closer. “I’ve loved you for years. I loved you when I didn’t have a right to, and I still do.”
Marty swallowed hard. “God, you took all the best stuff.” He leaned forward. “So, I’ll just say I love you too.” Sometimes the simplest thing was the best.
Later, Martygot Eddie home and into bed. He tried to fuss around the house, but Marty was having none of it. He thought of moving the television from the living room into the bedroom, but the thing was way too damned big. It almost took up the entire wall. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought Eddie was compensating for something, but in truth, he had nothing to make up for—he just liked a big television. Instead, Marty placed a laptop at the end of the bed so Eddie could see it and gave him a mouse so he could stay still, relax, and pass the time.
“We can watchHeartstoppersif you want,” Marty suggested.
“What’s that?” Eddie asked, and Marty found it on Netflix.
“It’s set in a British secondary school, and it’s about two boys who fall in love.” He settled next to Eddie. “It’s beautiful, and it’s the kind of experience that every gay kid wished they could have had.” He took Eddie’s hand and started the first episode.
Marty wiped his eyes as the episodes continued, and he found himself cheering inwardly at the first kiss, knowing the kind of courage it took to take that chance.
“Do you remember our first kiss?” Eddie asked.
“Yeah. It was in your dorm room. You kissed me, and your roommate came in.” Marty smiled. “You pulled me to you, kissed me again, and your roommate wolf whistled, which drew half the dorm.” He rolled his eyes. “You never did back down from anything. That’s how I knew you truly cared.”
“I always did. Even when I was far away, I found myself looking for you in crowds.” Eddie sighed, and Marty was about to lean in for a kiss before starting the next episode when someone knocked on the door. Marty answered it and let Brian and Kerry, along with the boys, inside.
“They wanted to see that Uncle Eddie was okay,” Kerry explained.
“Of course. Uncle Eddie hurt his head, so you can’t talk too loud,” he said.
