“When can I see you again?”
His smile brightens.“Call me.”
He gets into his car, drives out of the car park, and onto the road.Only when his car disappears around the corner do I try to regain my mental faculties, but I suspect that until I have the Doctor to myself, I won’t be able to think straight.
I get into my car too and drive for almost half an hour before I finally land home.I open the door, knock off the alarm, and toss my keys onto the kitchen table.On the way to my room, I slip off my shoes and shrug out of my jacket, leaving it slung over the armchair.I drag my shirt over my head and let myself fall back on the bed with it still in my hand.
And then I do it.
I do it like some kid with his first crush.I can’t seem to stop myself.
I breathe.Once.Twice.Three times.
That’s when I catch it.
His scent.
My shirt is steeped in it; I am too.It’s everywhere — on my skin, in my hair, in the air I’m dragging into my lungs — and I don’t know if I like it or if it frightens the life out of me.
I lie there, my shirt clutched tight in my hands.
He’s still on me.
I breathe with my nose pressed against the fabric, as if it were a mask attached to an oxygen tank — the only thing keeping me alive in a hostile place where the air is so thin it burns my lungs.
So, lying on my bed, alone in my empty house, with my T-shirt as a shield, I feel strong enough to face all the monsters locked in my wardrobe, all the dragons hiding under my bed, and all the ghosts that rattle their chains every night and disturb my dreams.
I feel as if I’m holding Captain America’s shield, like nothing could touch me, as if I were safe from any possible attack or wound.
I’m not stupid.I know it’s not about a bloody T-shirt or a nice perfume.
I know what makes me feel truly invincible.I know where all this power comes from.I feel it in my hands — a force that, if you don’t know how to use or control it, can explode in your face and destroy you and everything around you.
Chapter26
Martin
Evan slams the door, then comes straight into the kitchen.“What’s for dinner?”
“Fried chicken, potato wedges, and cobs.”
He leans over the cooker to check on it, then glances at his watch.“How long is it going to take?”
“Do you have plans?”
He hops up onto the kitchen counter.
“Do you mind?I’m cooking.There’s not enough space, and it’s not hygienic.”
Evan rolls his eyes.“You should find a bigger place.”
“I don’t need a bigger apartment.I live alone anyway.You never come over, and when you do, you can’t wait to leave.Being only five minutes from the hospital is convenient for me and, as you know, I’m on call.”
Evan snorts and hops off the counter.He goes to the fridge, opens it, and pulls out a beer.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m at home with my dad.”
