“I might sound even more like a lunatic, but can we uhm… switch roofs?” I asked, my legs already twitching with the need to move.
Bennie sighed. “You want to keep watching him?”
I nodded.
I needed to.
And I needed to figure out what I could do that’d make him see a doctor. The Post-it notes clearly weren’t doing their job.
I could probably start messaging him. I might’ve used his phone last weekend to let his friends know he was home safe, and while I was at it, I might’ve saved his number in my phone.
But if he wasn’t happy about my notes, I doubted he’d be happier to find out the note-leaving stranger had his phone number.
I didn’t want to freak him out. I just wanted him to get healthy.
“Eric…”
“Look, we can either stay here for our conversation, and I’ll be all twitchy and nervous, or we can head over there—” I gestured at the roof in question. “And finish this conversation in peace.”
Bennie bit his bottom lip. “You know, I shouldn’t give in.”
“But you will?”
He sighed. “Fine.”
We climbed down the building until we landed in a dirty alley, quickly crossed the street, and then stealthily climbed up the fireescape, my eyes constantly flickering to the top row of windows illuminating the night.
Finn’s lights were on, and I let out a little sigh of relief upon seeing him puttering about in his kitchenette. He was home safe and about to eat something—hopefully more than toast.
“That is seriously weird,” Bennie commented as we sat down on two abandoned camping chairs. I hadn’t brought them up here, though I had to admit I might have if I hadn’t found any amenities like this.
“The chairs?” I asked. “There’s a small blow-up kiddie pool a couple of feet away. During the summer, a couple of guys from this building create a neat vacation spot for themselves here, including a blow-up palm tree and all.”
It’d been great to see, but awful because they’d stayed up here until the middle of the night. Fortunately for me, they’d been chill dudes, and no one had questioned where I’d come from when I’d first dropped by. After a couple of days, I’d been accepted as part of the group. Hell, I still got invited to game nights.
“No. The way you instantly relaxed when you saw your guy. Physically and mentally. I felt your anxiety decreasing through our bond.”
I shrugged, combing a hand through my hair. Sometimes our bond freaked me out a bit. Like now. It was so weird that he could feel what I was feeling. Granted, he only felt very strong emotions, but still.
“How come I’ve never noticed this anxiety over the years? I mean, I kept a close eye on you and frequently checked in to see if you were stable. Still, I’ve never experienced you like this.”
Kneading my hands, I looked over at Finn’s apartment. He’d finished preparing his food and sat on his bed, a plate of fucking toast next to him.
Would leaving groceries cross a line? I could buy lots of food that was rich in iron. Maybe even add a few printed recipes for him.
“Eric?”
Oh, right, I’d never answered.
“It wasn’t this bad in the beginning,” I admitted. “Honestly, it wasn’t this bad until I actually talked to him. Until I tasted him. It’s like… I don’t know… actually getting in contact with him cranked my need to watch over him up to full volume. My mind keeps screaming at me.”
I sighed, pulling at my hair.
“I want to talk to him again, but I can’t risk it.”
Bennie rolled his eyes. “The drugging part was an accident.”
I nodded and then shook my head. “Maybe. But that’s not it. Well, it’s not the only reason. I want to keep him far away from this world.”
