A part of William didn’t want to touch anything, but the other part – far louder – wanted him to turn the room upside down in search of answers.
Edward’s steady breathing broke, stealing William’s attention back to him. He slumped against the wall beside the black-and-white photo of the strange, robed group. Relief flooded William as his eyes finally fluttered open alongside a gut-wrenching groan.
“How long have I been… out?”
William pretended to look at a watch that wasn’t on his wrist. “An hour, maybe less, could be more.”
“Shit.”
“Indeed.”
“Well,” Edward groaned as he tried to right himself. “I suppose we just wait here until Mike either finds his way in or grows bored.”
From the distant banging downstairs, William already knew that Mike wouldn’t give up. Question was, why?
William didn’t want to make matters worse by facing their unkind reality. Instead, he sat himself on the floor beside Edward. Their knees brushed, followed by a hand that reached out and took Williams. Fingers threaded, fragile as twigs.
“I’ll figure it out,” William said, mind reeling, heart thundering. “I’m not prepared to wait around anymore. This is my house. Mine.”
Apparently, William didn’t come across as serious as he thought he sounded.
“Mmhm. You know, it’s certainly been the most thrilling few days of my life,” Edward said, leaning his body onto Williams, squeezing his hand with as much strength as he had left.
“Don’t speak like that,” William replied, drinking in the heavy-aired room, trailing eyes over ornate cabinets, a desk against the window and then to all the photos and paintings adorning the walls. “This isn’t the end yet.”
“Is it not?”
William couldn’t do anything to stop the lump from clogging his throat.
“No, far from it,” he replied, voice cracking as all of his emotion finally surfaced. “It can’t be. I refuse it. Mike will want something from this. Otherwise why the dramatics, right? We just need to figure out what it is, barter with him and pray that it’s enough.”
William Thorn had once wished nothing more than to die – to leave the suffering and grief for peace. But now, in the face of it, he wanted to live. If not for himself, but for Archie. Because he finally saw a future that he’d never get the chance to experience, all because of some great misunderstanding that led to his death.
His future was murky, but it was painted in Edward’s colours.
Defiance rose like a wave and boiled like the heat of a flame inside him. Although tears streamed down his face, he refused just to sit here and wait. Something clicked within him, a desire to get up and act.
“My focus is getting you to a hospital,” William said, turning all his of focus to the one detail that mattered. “That’s what I need.”
He wasn’t going to sit back another minute and watch him die from his wounds. Nor would he wait for Mike to get his way into the room and finish off the job.
“And I need… many things,” Edward replied, the lilt of his voice now a whisper. His eyes could barely stay open. The wallpaper behind his head was smudged with the blood he continued to lose. “But of them all, Iwantfor only one thing. You to stay here… until I… I’m frightened, Will. Really scared.”
“Stop it,” William snapped. “Stop talking like you’re going to just give up. I rebuke it.”
“Rebuke?” Edward chuckled meekly. “I like that word.”
“You’re losing your mind.”
“Oh, I lost that a long time ago.” Edward laughed again, broken gasps that passed out split lips. “I like this side of you. Your determination. It’s hot.”
“Shut up.” William nudged him.
“Take the compliment.”
“How about we start complimenting each other once we aren’t six feet deep in shit.”
William shifted until he knelt before Edward, taking both his limp hands in his. He squeezed, hoping to feel one back, but Edward could barely move a finger. “Listen. There is actually so much more to me that you could like, but for that, you need to stay awake.”
