Chapter Nineteen
Isaac groaned as he climbed into his car after training, immediately regretting it as soon as he saw the look on Julian’s face.
“Are you okay?” Julian asked softly, reaching out to touch…
Isaac inhaled sharply as Julian made contact with his bad shoulder. Julian took his hand away as though he’d been burned, guilt flashing over his features.
“Not okay,” Julian said, answering his own question.
“I can handle it,” Isaac responded, not wanting Julian to worry. Not wantinganyoneto worry, since if they knew his shoulder wasn’t a hundred percent, there was a good chance they wouldn’t let him compete.
That had gotten alotmore important to him since he’d realized that he maybe wasn’t faking this, after all. He still wasn’t sure of his feelings, whether they were just about Julian, or whether it was a more general thing, but…
It didn’t reallymatter, because this was his one shot to do this anyway, and it was better not to regret it later.
He didn’t want to have to sit out any longer. People had played with worse, and he wouldn’t get any better by lazing around and going crazy with boredom.
Going crazy with boredom was exactly what had led him here in the first place.
“I’ve got stuff at home,” he added. “To help it.”
“Okay. Then take me home with you,” Julian said simply.
It wasn’t so much a request as an order, but Isaac wasn’t inclined to refuse, anyway. He wanted to be near Julian.
Being near Julian made himhappy.
“Yeah, sure,” Isaac agreed, an emotion he couldn’t quite name welling up in the pit of his stomach. He hated that Julian was worried about him, on the one hand, but he loved that Juliancared.
He started the car, mindful of his shoulder as he pulled out of the parking lot, and headed for his apartment.
Every now and then, he glanced over to see Julian watching the scenery go by. For once in his life, Isaac was glad he’d moved out of New York City and into the surrounding suburbs, since it made driving home a whole lot easier.
He wouldn’t have driven if he still lived nearer to Julian, but he hated having to take the bus or the subway—orboth—to get where he was going.
Julian, apparently, didn’t mind. He never really had. He was good at finding his way around and never afraid of getting lost.
Isaac envied him that. Notworryingabout whether he was doing the right thing all the time. He envied Julian’s boring office job, though Julian hadn’t believed him about it. There was something appealing about a nice, normal life.
That was what early retirement was for, Isaac supposed. He maybe had another ten good years to go, and then he’d be done. Hell, less if this shoulder never healed properly.
He was in a position to do it, too. He just wasn’t ready to quit yet, no matter how much he fantasized about a normal life.
The briefest, tiniest thought that Julian would wait for him made him smile. He didn’t even know if hewantedJulian waiting for him, but…
Right now, it was a nice thought. He’d worry about what it meant later.
“You live here?” Julian asked as they pulled up outside Isaac’s house, his eyes wide.
Isaac shrugged. “It was this or an apartment in the city, and sometimes… I dunno, it’s nice to have a little peace and quiet.”
“It’s beautiful,” he said, getting out of the car and looking up. “Just like you always wanted.”
Isaac smiled at that.
He’d wanted a dog, too, but he was out of town too often to let himself get one. He couldn’t even leave it with his mom, since she was usually out of town with him.
Maybe a cat? A cat would barely even notice he was gone, probably, as long as it got fed.
